15 Great Must Have Toys for Toddlers

These amazing must have toys will help toddlers develop their language skills, motor skills, social & emotional skills, imagination skills and more!

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more info.

I am a fan of all things toys but especially the ones that challenge them to use their different skills and really build them up. Toddlers are learning every day and learn from everything around them so making sure they have toys that challenge them and make them use their skills to the max are really important.

Our little one loves anything he can do with his hands. He has always had really great motor skills and has always been very quick on learning but I always make sure he has the tools (and toys) needed to develop them as much as possible.

He just turned 2 and this is such a critical time for him. Between ages 1 to 5, those are the most critical in developing and enhancing behaviors and skills which are necessary in his growth.

Any activity or toys that gets them away from the television and really puts their mind to work is my favorite. I love that these are challenge multiple different skills at once. All of these toys are sure to last through all of their toddler years and really help them grow which just makes them even better!

15 Must Have Toys for Toddlers

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.

1. Melissa & Doug Wooden Blocks

I love Melissa & Doug products so much! They have such a variety of different learning toys and they last so long! These blocks are so great for their motor skills and learning. It can teach them all about different shapes, sizes, and colors. They can use their imagination to build anything they want and learn how certain pieces fit better together.

Our oldest son had a set of these and he played with them for years!

2. ABC Blocks

Another amazing Melissa & Doug toy! These blocks are so much fun and come with a cute little wagon holder. They teach the alphabet, numbers, colors and animals. They are amazing for those motor skills while also building up their stacking and matching abilities.

3. Animal Safari & Play Mat

Our youngest son got this play set for his 2nd birthday and he has not put these down! Ever since we took him to the zoo over the summer, he has been obsessed with animals and these are so cute and so perfect for his age!

It comes with 14 different animal pieces and are the perfect size for his little hands. It also comes with this cute large playmat that looks like a zoo. It is made of soft non-woven fabric. I am not a fan of the playmats that are made of just plastic. I feel like those also get bunched up together and a lot harder to keep nice so this playmat is so soft and so nice.

4. Skoolzy Peg Board

This peg board set from Skoolzy is seriously one of the best! This was another present our little guy got for his 2nd birthday and he LOVES them. They are different shaped pegs that come with this foam board and you need to match the shape pegs with the shapes on the board. It comes in a little orange bag and he carries it around with him all over the house.

They come in 12 different colors with 12 different shapes and they are the perfect size for him to hold and stack together. It teaches him so many things at one time which is why this momma LOVES them too!

5. Skoolzy Rainbow Counting Bears

This is another Skoolzy toy that our little guy got for his birthday and they are AMAZING. It is all about teaching him colors and sorting! It comes with these adorable little plastic bears, matching cups, cute little plastic tongs and a die. You roll the die and see what color bear it lands on and use the tongs to sort those colored bear into the matching cup. It really is so much fun and can keep him entertained for hours!

6. VATOS Number and Alphabet Flash Cards

These flash cards from Vatos are one of the best sets of flash cards I have found. They are the perfect size and are perfect for toddlers through 1st graders! Each flash card comes with a corresponding letter or number and your little one needs to match the letter to the correct picture (Unicorn – U) or counting the amount of animals on the photo and finding the correct number (6 ducks on the photo – 6). It teaches them letter recognition, number recognition, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and so much more!

7. Coogam Wooden Blocks Puzzle Brain Teasers

This brain teaser puzzle is so much fun (even for your older kiddos!). It really puts their minds to work to get the pieces to fit together. To learn the different sizes and shapes. They need to use their fine motor skills and their little artist inside them to create different pictures.

8. LeapFrog LeapStart 3D Interactive Learning System

I have always loved anything LeapFrog. I think their products are amazing and are really focused on learning. This LeapFrog LeapStart Learning System is amazing! You can purchase multiple books (linked below!) and each book teaches them so many different skills. It is interactive and has a 3D screen which every kid will love! There is an endless amount of fun with this one!

9. CozyBomB Wooden Number Puzzle

I love this little set from CozyBomB! It comes in this cute macroon color and I am dying over these pastel colors! The 3-in-1 set comes with shapes, numbers and rings. Each shape and number are puzzle pieces that fit on the wooden board and the pegs get placed inside the holes and you need to sort and place each ring on the pegs. It is such a cute and fun game, your kiddos will be sure to be entertained for hours with this one!

10. ThinkFun Roll and Play Game

This roll and play game by ThinkFun is SO much fun! It comes with a large plush die with multiple colors and a deck of cards. Each color represents a different category. Just roll the die and choose the color coordinated card and do what the card says, It has Actions, Animal Sounds, Body Parts, Colors, Counting, and Emotions! Everything that your toddler is learning about every day! The plush die also has a large pocket to hold the deck of cards which is perfect for clean up!

11. NextX Button Art

I love this game because of how simple yet educational it is. It comes with multiple pictures and you need to put the correct pins inside the picture. It teaches colors, find motor skills, different shapes and words and so much more! This toy is sure to be a huge hit with your little one!

12. Fisher-Price Little People

Fisher-Price Little People has been around for so long and that is because kiddos love them! They are so simple but allow for your child to use their imagination constantly! They come with so many different sets and occupations, school buses, farm animals, etc. The possibility is endless when it comes to these which is why I had to include these on the list!

13. Wonder Forge Eric Carle Matching Game

I love Eric Carle and his books. I think he is so incredibly talented! These matching cards are all characters from his books and are so cute and fun. I love matching games for toddlers because it really gets their mind to think about where the matching card is and will keep them entertained for hours! It is a really great toy to play on family game night!

14. Melissa & Doug Geometric Stacker

I love this Melissa & Doug stacker! Instead of your typical stacker, it comes with rings, rectangles and octagons which are great for your little one’s learning mind. I love that you can stack them each on their own peg or play around and stack the different shapes together (but still needing to keep them largest to smallest or smallest to largest) so it will keep your little one’s mind going nonstop!

15. Wooden Toddler Puzzles and Rack Set

Our kids have always loved puzzles and these are a great first set! It comes with a 6 pack of basic learning puzzles (alphabet, numbers (math), shapes, transportation, fruits and animals) on a cute little stand so they are easy to store and keep track of. They are the perfect size with little knobs for their little hands. I just love this set so much! It is made out of really great quality that will last so long!

There are the top 15 must have toys that are also educational. They are seriously the best and your little one is sure to love them too!

xoxo,