Either you buy your children’s toys or they are gifts, I’m sure you don’t want toys that take up space at your house and don’t benefit children.
Parents prefer toys that not only keep children busy, but also, stimulate their learning and development.
Nevertheless, we ALL have toys that we have regretted buying.
In this post you will find a list of the best educational toys for kids of all ages.
Some of them are classic, some of them are open-ended…
But I reassure you that they are all simple, popular and educational!
They are all tested and approved. I’ve seen how popular these toys are, not only at my house, but also at the Preschools I’ve worked the past 15 years.
This list includes the best educational toys for kids that can be used for years.
Babies and toddlers can grow with them.
The importance of STEM toys
We were all amazed, when we recently went to a science centre as a family. One activity reminded me how excited it was for me and my siblings as children to play in front of the fan. We were experimenting with ribbons, fabrics and the robotic voice we could make. Now, our children are fortunate to visit centres and museums that set up amazing STEM experiences.
STEM is a broad term and it stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
In other words, children learn and develop through activities and experiences that integrate these four areas. The benefit of STEM activities is the learning that take place and the development of life-long skills. Some of these are critical thinking, flexibility, collaboration and leadership. Moreover, children develop curiosity and they get motivated to explore their world around them as these activities get their attention easily. Educational toys develop and stimulate their imagination and creativity and cultivate your child’s skills, such as hand-eye coordination and problem-solving. Moreover, younger children learn to identify colors and shapes, count and sort things and learn though trial and error.
Some of the toys in the list are also open-ended.
This means that these toys encourage independent play and requires children’s active engagement. Children imagine, think and create for years as open-ended toys don’t have a single way of use and play. The opposite of open-ended toys are close-ended toys, flashy toys or “one and done” toys that usually look great on a shelf, but limit children’s imagination and creativity. Yes, children might learn the alphabet, the colours or a song, however we can’t doubt the benefits of open-ended toys. Of course, children will play with objects and toys that have batteries and buttons, lights and sounds, as technology is everywhere around us. However, giving children the opportunity to play with simple toys as well is important for them to explore without many distractions.
5 main categories of simple educational toys for kids
These are my favourite categories of educational toys that I would buy again and again. I have tested and approved all of them at home and at work.
1. Montessori inspired toys
This category is appropriate for babies and toddlers. Classic toys such as a stacker and balancing toy encourage babies to develop as they try to reach and play with the colourful rings. Later on, they will stack them based on the rings’ sizes. When they are older, they can explore balance, different weights and concepts related to physics. As an open-ended toy, it can be used for dramatic play or part of a building creation with blocks. Some versions of this toy are a stacker and balancing toy with clowns and a classic game like this balancing toy with wooden animals.
A climbing and rocking board can help children improve their mental focus, functional strength, proprioception and balance. They can obviously balance on it, but also, they can push it, spin it, flip it and slide or sit on it. You can get it on its own or with climbing frames if you have enough space indoors (or outdoors). This wooden climbing arch ladder comes with a blue mat and a reversible ramp for kids to climb or slide!
A classic rainbow stacker is another favourite toy at our house since my son was a baby. I have seen wooden rainbow stackers in e-ve-ry Preschool I’ve worked and children can become very creative with those. Also, there are wooden rainbow stacking toys that include small wooden people and colored building blocks of different shapes that create squares and circles.
Last but not least, nesting cups are very popular from babies to older children. This set includes 7 colourful bath cups that link, stack, strain and pour water. We have been gifted plastic nesting cups, which we play with at the park, at the beach and even during bath time! Just to note here that you can also find silicone or wooden nesting or stacking cups, if you are a Montessori parent.
2. Play in the dark toys
This category includes simple things such as glow sticks, night light for kids and simple torches. I don’t mean overstimulating toys though.
Children can learn about topics of interest using a projector torch/flashlight. For instance, I bought a projector torch about solar system, which is my son’s favourite activity before sleep at the moment. It helps him a lot to wind down before sleep.
I’m also a big fan of light tables/panels. They might be a bit expensive, but they so worth the money if you can afford them. They are always a big hit in Preschool and Kindergarten rooms. You can place on them translucent objects, blocks of different shapes and so much more.
Waterproof light strips are also an amazing learning material for children that they can use, while they are building creations with blocks. Just build a blanket fort and let children’s imagination run wild.
In regards to younger children, some night lights or toys with lights might be safe for babies to play with. Otherwise, they can engage in supervised play with lights in sealed plastic containers. Ideally, I would avoid toys with lights, sounds and vibration at the same time as they are overstimulating for babies.
3. Mirrors
Mirrors are great for babies, toddlers and older children. It doesn’t sound like an educational toy for kids to many parents, but, trust me, it is! According to research, children start to recognise themselves around 15 to 24 months old, but mirror play can start while they are just babies. Mirrors give different perspective on toys and the space around. Little ones can observe their movements and improve their coordination. Also, children can develop their visual senses and self-awareness through mirror play. Toddlers and older children can improve their social-emotional learning and explore and learn about ideas related to geometry, physics and maths.
I find the 3 panel mirror amazing, as I’ve seen it being used in so many Kindergartens for various activities. If you think it’s bit pricey or you don’t have the space for it, there are other options as well.
Personally, I chose to buy a set of mirrors tiles that give me flexibility. I stuck them all on the wall next to the play mat area, when my son was a baby. Later on, I stuck some of them on tables, pans and trays for activities. At the same time, we used some of them in the bathroom for independence during tooth brushing.
A mirror reflection building toy is also another great idea. It can raise spatial awareness and children are able to observe a three-dimensional object from different angles.
4. Construction toys
Construction toys include various toys such as train sets, magnetic tiles, various blocks, mobilo and marble runs. They are open-ended educational toys for kids that boost their fine motor and cognitive skills among other benefits.
Marble run game and train trucks are super popular in many Kindergartens and in our house. However, I need to mention here that small parts and marbles can be a choking hazard for little ones.
There are so many different blocks for construction. Some children love duplo blocks and Lego, while others prefer using mobilo for their constructions. I find these rainbow acrylic blocks and wooden blocks with water great, as they look nice and children can experiment with light, colours and shapes. Similarly, magnetic tiles offer learning opportunities and, among other benefits, children learn about concepts related to magnets. Coordination, thinking, math and creative skills are all essential for developing early brain connections. As children grow, you can buy more magnetic tiles for bigger creations and add slides and other features. Another construction toy with magnets is geoform magnetic that includes geometric pieces and they are magnetised. If you want constructions to continue during bath time or water sensory play, then water building blocks are for you.
Another cool open-ended toy is a fort building kit, which can spark your little ones’ imagination. They can build castles, tunnels, rockets and towers and play in them! This is usually a toy for Kinder to Primary school-age children. Younger children might need help from adults to build a creation, but that doesn’t mean that they will not love playing and hiding in there. Also, I’m sure if you build a tent with this for your baby, you cover it with a fabric, add lights and hang toys, your baby will enjoy it too! Here is a glow in the dark building kit with so many reviews!
5. Toys for sensory activities
Why should we buy “one and done” toy, when we can get a few materials for endless opportunities of play and STEM learning? I mean even as a gift to a friend’s child. There are toys for outdoor or indoor sensory play. You can find affordable and expensive toys. The only thing I can guarantee is that children love sensory activities and they stimulate their development in different ways than other toys! It could be water, ice, sand, slime, shredded paper, playdough, soap or bubble foam, you name it. If you’re worried about the mess, the easiest options are to do these activities outdoors, use a wipeable splash mat or a big towel on the floor. Here you can find my favourite recipe for homemade playdough without cream of tartar.
Here is a self-contained sensory bin in case you don’t have much space or you prefer a quick buy. Also, I love the idea of a folding sandbox playset on the go (I’m literally ordering it, while I’m writing this sentence)!
Sensory play tables
This is a cool 4-in-1 water and sand table. Literally you can use it for various sensory activities or you can even do gardening! You have so many options that I’m sure you’ll use it for years. And this sensory picnic table is SOOO cute! Your sensory activities can be set up and ready to be used any time. It is a table and when you lift the wooden panel, the sensory play can start right away! You can also use big containers, bowls and tubs that you already have at home. I even use a suitcase for sensory play with shredded paper and it’s always ready to play with.
Tool sets
Fine motor tool sets are great for sensory play. I’ve got a set that includes a gator grabber, a twisty dropper, a handy scooper and a squeezy tweezer and we use them for various activities. This set or another one with wooden sensory bin tools are amazing for low-cost and open-ended activities! These tools can be used to experiment, for example, with gravity, while they are playing with water and light and heavy objects. Also, the dropper is great for playing with water and ice, which has been coloured with food dye. It is a great activity for learning about temperature, changes that are caused due to cooling and heating and mixing colours!
->Briefly more ideas for simple STEM educational toys for kids:
- Slides & things that roll e.g. balls, marbles, vehicles.
- Toys that elevate or move things e.g. small or big diggers, elevators, forklifts, cable car with 2-gondolas and station kit
- Outdoor toys that “fly” e.g. kites, frisbee, boomerang, soap bubbles, flying fox, swings.
- Things that spin e.g. fidget toys, windmills, carousels.
In other words, some playgrounds are just perfect for STEM learning!
Don’t forget, books are always a good way to discuss and extend children’s learning.
Optical Physics is my favourite science book for kids, but there is a range of Baby University board books for children and grown ups to read together. We can admit that sometimes it’s hard for parents to answer kids’ questions and we might need some help particularly explaining complex STEM ideas. You can read books before or after they explore ideas through playing with educational toys.
Toys are tools for children’s development and choosing the right toys can maximise children’s learning.
This post was all about simple educational toys for kids to grow with.
These toys can boost their curiosity, spark their imagination and cultivate so many skills.
Children of different ages can explore and learn various STEM ideas through playing with them.
I promise that your kids will thank you one day!!
