Dana Gutkowski
Latest posts by Dana Gutkowski (see all)
- How can I be a good aunt? - May 19, 2021
- Aunt Quotes - March 19, 2021
- End Your Silence. Support Black Lives Matter - June 29, 2020
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I’d like to share with you my goto list of gifts for toddlers and preschoolers. I’ve both purchased and played with these toys with my nieces, nephews, and other little ones throughout the years. They hold the attention of most and will most certainly be a fan favorite with the parents.
When you’re shopping for gifts for toddler and preschoolers there can be a lot of confusion centered around what to buy. There are a lot of options out there, but what do you buy for a little person with little to no attention span – aka toddlers and preschoolers. Sure they’ll love their electronics and anything that lights up with bells and whistles. But there are also many traditional toys that’ll spark their imagination, improve their cognitive learning, and enable them to develop their motor skills. Most importantly, they can play with these toys independently!
Here are my top 7 goto gifts for toddlers and preschoolers
Even if they have something similar at home and you don’t want to repeat, I would still suggest buying these toys. When babysitting or have you niblings over for a visit, it’s good to have toys at your house for them to play with! Melissa and Doug are one of my favorite manufacturers so that’s why they appear several times on my list. Their toys are well made, sturdy, and kids always love them.
Melissa & Doug Geometric Stacker – Wooden Educational Toy
Toddlers LOVE to stack! These stackable toys introduce and reinforce colors, shapes, and let them work on their fine motor skills. These are made proportionate to the size of toddlers hands so they’re easy for them to manipulate. The price is great too. It’s just under $15 for the standard set, and for an extra $12 you can get it personalized. That’s a nice add-on if it’s being given as a gift!
What to be aware of before purchasing – some customers complained about the paint chipping which isn’t surprising since it’s a wooden toy, not plastic.
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pounding Bench Wooden Toy With Mallet
During early childhood development, it’s quite common for children to be quite physical and even rough at times. Let them channel that energy with a specific task in mind, like hammering pegs! They’ll be able to explore their sensory skills with targeted action. There’s something very satisfying associated with pounding!
The mallet is freestanding, so keep that in mind when storing this toy. If the mallet is left out, your child might take to hammering something other than the pegs.
Melissa & Doug Jumbo Extra-Thick Cardboard Building Blocks
These lightweight blocks are a perfect stacking, building, and creative play. Every toddler I’ve ever encountered gets a kick out of building things, but what they like even more is to destroy their creations. It’s hours of endless fun! Since they aren’t solid they’re less likely to harm your walls, furniture, or any of your other belongs while playing with them.
Word of caution, since young children aren’t exactly the most mindful people, they might try to stand on the blocks. These aren’t that type of toy. They’re hallow in the middle, so they can’t handle that type of pressure.
Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House Dust! Sweep! Mop! 6-Piece Pretend Play Set
One of the best parroting qualities of little kids is that they love to clean! Wouldn’t it be great if that all stayed that way? They’ll be mimicking all behaviors and you’ll be constantly cleaning up after them, so why not allow them to help? Put those little hands to work. It’s not a chore for them at this point in life, it’s just play.
Since they’ll most likely truly cleaning with these toys, they’ll get dirty quickly so watch out for them putting these in their mouths. Yuck!
Goobi Juniors 40 Piece Construction Set Large Building Blocks Developmental Play Sticks
One key aspect to take into consideration when trying to promote independent play is the difficulty level. Children have a result based mentality. If they can see that they can easily accomplish something, they’re more likely to capture their interest. For that reason, I highly recommend anything that’s magnetic. These play sticks are a perfect toy that functions with ease keeps their attention.
Don’t over think it – it won’t matter that they can’t make something that looks like picture. Once they get older, this toy will still hold their attention because their brain development will allow them to get even more creative!
B toys by Battat – Bazillion Buckets Nesting Cups – 10 Colorful Stacking Cups
Buckets are simple and multi-faceted. They can be used to stack, hide things, can be used both inside and outside, They can be filled with balls, water, or heads. Yes, I often resort to using a bucket for a hat. Because they are so multi-faceted their often a fan favorite for kids of all ages. These won’t be outgrown and they’re durable by design. Don’t dismiss them due to their simplistic design! Sometimes the best things are the simplest ones. Stack ’em up, knock ’em down, repeat.
Fisher-Price Baby’s First Blocks Playset
Spacial awareness is a crucial component of childhood development. Children will sit down with this bucket of goodies, dump out the different shapes on to the floor and work to fit the right pieces in the right holes. They take to this because it has to fit just right in order for it to go in. Upon first discovering this toy, they may just play with it while the lid is off – still fun. As their age and their coordinating improve, their engagement and interest with this toy will last in longer.
I hope that you enjoyed my list of gifts for toddler and preschoolers. If you found this information helpful, you might also enjoy:
Cutest Onesies for Harry Potter Aunties
List of Items Every New Aunt Needs!
