Best Educational Toddler Toys

We all love to treat our children to the best toys there are on the market. Fancy electronic gadgets, colourful gizmos, toys with flashing lights, action figures that talk and dolls that walk.

Many of us agree that what we’d really like is to buy those toys that truly help our child develop in some way, rather than spending big money on the newest toy craze, which invariably has massive toddler appeal but very little worth in terms of education.

So what is an ‘educational toy’? It’s easy to spot an educational toy that is geared towards an older child. A chemistry set, number and word game, or set of books, can be called an ‘educational toy’. But for younger children, it’s not as simple to identify what toys can truly be called educational.

Toys for children who have grown out of babyhood but are not yet ready for school tend to be developmental, designed for teaching physical skills and creating a foundation for learning by introducing analytical thinking, logic, reasoning and cognitive ability.

At this stage, children need to play with toys that encourage constructivism, which means they create their own knowledge by being active in the learning process. What that means is, you should be looking for toys for them that allow them to create their own context for play and use their imagination.

Essentially, when a child is engaging in ‘pretend play’, he or she learning more and developing the imaginative part of the brain more actively. The types of toys that allow a child to focus more on creativity and improvisation are ‘low realism’ toys like blocks and toy figures, rather than ‘high realism’ toys like dolls and action figures based on a particular story or TV show.

Here are our six top picks for educational toddler toys:
1. Megabloks

These brightly coloured blocks are great for getting your child using his or her imagination, as there’s simply so much room for creativity. Building towers, castles, trucks, mountains – there is literally no end to the fun that can be had with a big set of blocks.

2. Turn and Sort

This toy is a variation on the typical shape stacker, and requires a slightly higher level of dexterity, making it suitable for toddlers rather than babies. Your child will have sort and choose the correct disc, and then twist or screw it into place. Though simple, this wooden toy encourages fine motor development, spatial awareness, and recognition of color and shape.
Best Educational Toddler Toys in your family you

3. Number Puzzle

Puzzles are also great for teaching logical and spatial skills, as well as hand-eye coordination. We love this number puzzle by Mothercare which allows you to teach your child about numbers, shapes and colours as you assemble it.

4.Jungle Animal Set

An animal set is the perfect example of a ‘low realism’ toy, as it encourages the child to engage in creative play. Let your child act out jungle scenes, or pretend to set up his or her own zoo. Use other props to make the scene bigger – an empty cardboard box could be a shed or a cave, a tub of water could act as a watering hole – get creative!

5.Nursery Rhyme Book

Everyone knows books are a fantastic learning aid, and colorful nursery rhyme books are great for toddlers as they respond better to rhythm and pattern than complicated stories. They also love repetition, so the more times you repeat each rhyme, the more they’ll love it!

6. Dinner Set

Role playing is another great way to get your child playing creatively. Luckily, children have an in-built instinct to copy what they see, so your toddler will automatically pick up a cup and saucer and imitate you making tea, or laying the table. This durable dinner set is great for acting out entire tea parties, including the ‘cooking’ and preparation.

These are all great educational toys, and there are many, many more available today which can benefit your child and help him/her develop essential skills.

The important thing to remember, though, is that a toy alone cannot lead a child onto the next developmental stage. Play with a parent AND the new toy maximizes the benefits of the toy, as the interaction between parent and child is vital to growth and learning.