Toddlers are fast-learning and energetic little explorers, so the best toys for 1 to 3-year-olds should mentally and physically challenge, entertain, and stimulate them. Choose toys that engage your child’s developing sorting and stacking skills and interactive ones that respond with music or lights when buttons are pressed, dials are turned, or goals are scored. Many excellent toddler toys promote early learning skills, such as letter recognition and basic counting. Here are ten best toddler toys for children aged 1 to 3 years.
Best Toddler Toys: 10 Excellent Toys for Learning Promotion!
From stacking toys to learning toys, activity toys, first construction sets, and bouncy ride-on, we’ve discovered and tested the top picks for both boys and girls:
- Stacking Toys: Great for developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Learning Toys: Fun and educational, these toys help toddlers learn numbers, colors, shapes, and more.
- Activity Toys: These interactive and stimulating options keep little ones engaged and active.
- First Construction Sets: Perfect for budding builders, these sets inspire creativity and problem-solving.
- Bouncy Ride-Ons: Ideal for energy-filled toddlers, these toys provide endless fun and physical exercise.
We’ve carefully selected and tested these toys to ensure they offer your little ones the best quality, safety, and enjoyment.
Little Tikes Learn n Play Learning Activity Suitcase, £47.99 – Great for Learning About the World
The Little Tikes Learn n Play Learning Activity Suitcase is an interactive 39cm x 28cm x 12cm suitcase on wheels, suitable for children aged two and up. It requires 3 AA batteries (included) and has won the Gold award at the MadeForMums Toy Awards 2021. The suitcase features a boarding pass and passport that trigger over 60 songs and phrases when scanned, six interactive, wipeable maps, a light-up display, a dry-erase marker, a sticker sheet, and an extendable handle.
Why we love it: Our child testers adored this suitcase. Three-year-old Hazeema enthusiastically said, “I like my suitcase, Mummy, and the passport.” Her mum, Lauren, was impressed by the variety of activities packed into this compact toy. “It helps with your ABCs and numbers, and you can do dot-to-dot animals and learn about countries and animals. We have hours of fun, and when we’re finished, we can wipe it clean and start over!” The suitcase is lightweight and portable, making it easy for children to carry around and perfect for travel. Hazeema highly recommends it, and so do we. Available at: Little Tikes.
VTech 3-in-1 Sports Centre, £41.99 – Great for Active Indoor Fun
Melissa & Doug Blue’s Clues & You! Wooden Take-Along House, £42.99 – Great for Shape-Sorting
The Melissa & Doug Blue’s Clues & You! Wooden Take-Along House is a versatile and engaging toy for children 18 months and up. Measuring 30cm x 15cm x 30cm, this wooden house is sturdy and portable, featuring a strap handle that makes it easy for little ones to carry around.
The home includes an opening door, window shutters, and an innovative shape-sorter roof that enhances fine motor skills and cognitive development. Children will find three gears to spin inside the eaves, adding another layer of interactive play. A 9-piece double-sided flip-over puzzle is attached to one of the walls, providing an extra educational challenge. The set also comes with two figures,
Blue and Magenta, from the famous Blue’s Clues TV/YouTube series, adding a familiar and beloved element to the toy.Why we love it: This bright and engaging toy captures children’s attention with its vibrant colors and interactive features. The color-coded shape-sorter holes are mainly educational, helping toddlers learn to identify and match shapes and colors. While more affordable shape-sorter toys are on the market, the association with Blue’s Clues and the high-quality wooden construction justify the higher price.
Our child testers were especially fond of the bungee-hinged door, often using it to post shapes, and they enjoyed carrying the house around using the sturdy handle. Amal, 20 months old, was particularly captivated by the different colors and shapes of the blocks, quickly making this one of her favorite toys. Her mum, Aaysha, remarked, “From the first day, she found the different colors and shapes of the blocks engaging and loved picking the house up by the handle. It’s one of her new favorite toys.” The Melissa & Doug Blue’s Clues & You! Wooden Take-Along House is available on Amazon, making it easily accessible for parents looking to add an enriching toy to their child’s collection.
Grimms Green & Blue Stacking Wobble Tower, £14.89 – Great for Sustainable Stacking
The Grimms Green & Blue Stacking Wobble Tower is a charming and eco-friendly wooden toy for children aged 12 months and up. Standing 13cm high, this toy includes five stacking discs and a curved base that causes the tower to wobble, adding an extra element of fun and challenge. Crafted from limewood and finished with a non-toxic, water-based stain, this toy is both safe and sustainable. It is also available in a Red & Pink color variant, offering options for different preferences.
Why we love it: The Grimms Stacking Wobble Tower stands out for its beautiful and sustainable craftsmanship, with wooden rings that are delightful to hold. The wobbly base provides an additional challenge, especially when first stacking from the most petite ring, enhancing both fun and motor skill development. Our child testers enjoyed playing with the rings independently, as their slightly flat edges allow them to be rolled and stacked separately from the tower. This versatile play experience makes the toy a favorite. Available at Babipur and YesBebe, it’s an excellent choice for parents seeking high-quality, eco-friendly toys for their toddlers.
LEGO DUPLO Classic Deluxe Brick Box Building Set 10914, £44.99 – Great for Creative Construction
The LEGO DUPLO Classic Deluxe Brick Box Building Set is a substantial starter kit for toddlers aged 18 months. Housed in a large (37cm x 18cm x 26cm) LEGO brick container, this set includes 85 bright-colored plastic bricks. Among the pieces are a window, 1-2-3 number bricks, a car, a slide, flowers, a shovel and bucket, two people figures, and a dog. The set also comes with a building guide to inspire creativity.
Why we love it: This brightly colored construction set offers an excellent introduction to building with LEGO DUPLO. The chunky, varied pieces are perfect for small hands and provide endless imaginative, open-ended play opportunities. Highlights like the slide, flowers, and functional window add extra fun, while our toddler testers particularly enjoyed stacking bricks on the car and engaging with the movable parts. Available at Smyths Toys and the LEGO store, this set is a versatile and engaging choice for young builders.
Lamaze Activity Centre, £69.99 – Great for Sensory Play
The Lamaze Activity Centre is an engaging, air-powered, sea-themed activity center for babies six months and older. Standing 47cm high, this interactive toy features waving seaweed, a spinning starfish, a swimming fish, and a whale with a spinning spout of ‘water.’ It operates with 4 x C 1.5V batteries (not included) and can be used as a floor and table toy.
Why we love it: This activity center is visually appealing and packed with sensory play features, including sights, textures, and sounds, with the added convenience of 2-level volume control and a no-sound play mode. It’s versatile, designed for floor play by younger babies, but shines as a table toy for toddlers. Our 18-month-old tester was captivated by the bright colors and the waving seaweed, and she enjoyed using the fishtail to play ‘air hockey’ with the sea creatures hovering above the table. Available at: Amazon.
Peek-a-Boo House, £28 – Great for Stacking and Hiding
The Peek-a-Boo House is a delightful set of five nesting and stackable blocks made from recycled cardboard, designed to resemble houses with doors and windows. This eco-friendly toy comes with three solid beechwood animals that fit perfectly inside the homes, making it an engaging playset for children aged 18 months and up. It requires no batteries and is decorated with vegetable-ink colors, enhancing its appeal.
We love it: The Peek-a-Boo House stands out for its charming design and sustainability. The largest block, which doubles as the storage box, is beautifully decorated. The blocks stack impressively high, providing endless fun for toddlers. Finding a non-plastic toy that captures young children’s attention is refreshing. Becky, the mum of our toddler tester Heidi, 22 months, shared, “It kept her entertained for ages. She loved stacking the houses, hiding the animals inside, and then knocking the houses down! I also appreciate how it all packs up neatly for easy storage.” Available at: Amazon.
VTech Chase Me Casey, £39.99 – Great for Active Fun
The VTech Chase Me Casey is an interactive electronic toy featuring a 35 cm-high dancing and skating monkey. Suitable for children nine months and up, this toy offers two play modes: Catch Me and Dancing. Equipped with front and back sensors, Casey detects when your child is nearby and zooms away, encouraging active play. Additionally, it includes five shape buttons that introduce letters, numbers, body parts, music, and more, enhancing learning while having fun. The toy operates with 4 x AA batteries, which are included for immediate play.
We love it: This toy brings smiles and movement to children and parents alike. The polite “Excuse me” when Casey bumps into objects adds a charming touch. Its versatile mobility allows it to move seamlessly on various surfaces, from carpets to paving slabs, ensuring entertainment indoors and outdoors. Available at Smyths and Amazon, the VTech Chase Me Casey is an excellent choice for active playtime and early learning.
Hape Take-Along Activity Box, £32.49 – Great for Hand-Eye Coordination
The Hape Take-Along Activity Box is a versatile 21cm-high, 5-sided activity center designed to enhance hand-eye coordination in children aged ten months and up. Crafted from wood and finished with water-based paint, this durable toy features moving gears, balls, blocks, a maze, and a mirror, providing various engaging activities to stimulate young minds.
We love it: This compact activity box is carefully designed to captivate curious toddlers while withstanding rough play. Its sturdy construction ensures it can endure being knocked over or thrown without damage. Our favorite aspect is the side with the maze, which encourages problem-solving skills. Our child tester was enthralled by the twisty-turny painted animal gears, highlighting the toy’s ability to keep children engaged and entertained. Available from Amazon, the Hape Take-Along Activity Box is a fantastic choice for promoting young children’s cognitive development and fine motor skills.
Conclusion:
Here are our top picks for toddler toys, vetted by kids and rated by parents. From the educational Little Tikes Learn n Play Learning Activity Suitcase to the active VTech 3-in-1 Sports Centre, each toy offers unique benefits for toddlers, whether it’s the interactive Melissa & Doug Blue’s Clues & You! Wooden Take-Along House or the sustainable Grimms Green & Blue Stacking Wobble Tower toys cater to various developmental needs. Whether sensory play with the Lamaze Activity Centre or fine motor skills with the Hape Take-Along Activity Box, our selection ensures quality, fun, and learning for toddlers.
