Looking for the best educational toys for your children? You are at the right place!
Are you parents to a fun-loving and curious toddler? A kid who loves to snatch your phone away since he/she is so intrigued by the motion pictures and vibrant colors the screen exhibits?
Surely, you might be reluctant to hand your phone and tablet over to them primarily because excessive screen exposure is highly dangerous for little kids and also because your heart comes into your mouth every time they casually drop your expensive gadgets!
Lo and behold! You do not need to worry since I am here to suggest better alternatives to you for your kids that are going to help them have fun as well as learn a thing or two while they are at it!
Following is the list of some of the best educational toys for children:
- Fisher-Price Game and Learn Controller
- Leapfrog 100 Animals Book
- VTech Musical Rhymes Book
- Playskool Sesame Street Elmo’s On The Go Letters
- Leapfrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket
- VTech Spin and Learn Colour Flashlight
- YO-YO STORE Child’s Interactive Cellphone
1. Fisher-Price Game and Learn Controller
Fisher-Price has been known to manufacture incredible baby gear and toys for quite a while. The brand molds things from the real world into toys that can be handled by kids so that they see the real world through them and learn to develop important skills like dexterity and motor movements. It is true to its word and worth purchasing!
Features
This little controller for young gamers is hands down the best educational toy you can get for your little ones! It has all that is required to engage young minds, like colorful buttons, toggles, bumpers, and a joystick that lights up with the song that is being played.
While your child aimlessly presses all the intriguing buttons, he/she is also being introduced to basic concepts of color, shapes, and letters. Efficient pressing helps with the dexterity and development of fine motor skills, along with giving kids the confidence they need in the early stages of their life. The device encourages early role-play and fosters the kid’s imagination as well!
Pros
- Promotes early development of fine motor skills and dexterity by the pretend-play.
- Good manners and behavior are encouraged by the polite audio instructions and other responses.
- Arrangement skills are fostered with a sense of responsibility in children.
- Helps interaction with parents as there is room for two to play.
Cons
- Exhibits a limited number of activities.
User Reviews
Parents have been vouching for the product since it allows their kids to play with it like real play station controllers. The functionalities operated by simple toggle buttons are fun to watch and learn from. Children have loved the product by Fisher-Price so far. Even though the parents get the same thing time and again, children are in awe every time they receive the controller!
2. Leapfrog 100 Animals Book
When it comes to effectively arouse a child’s curiosity and help them educationally answer their innocent questions, Leapfrog is the brand for you! It has made its mark in the industry by manufacturing innovative educational toys that help expand their knowledge and imagination by effective play pieces, so if you want your child away from iPads but still learn something in a fun way, Leapfrog is at your service!
Features
Children and animals go well together. This fact is made use of in Leapfrog’s 100 Animals Book, which helps toddlers to learn about different animals as well as habitats. Kids cannot help themselves but touch everything they possibly can.
Well, this book has the solution for it where your kid can touch the book all he/she wants and also learn basic facts about animals at the same time, that too in two languages!
Pros
- Basic and fun animal facts, as well as habitats, can be learned in the book, which keeps the children engaged and helps in learning too.
- It comes in two languages, English and Spanish, so you can switch according to your preference.
- Books are vibrant and colorful, keeping the children’s interest piqued.
- Comes with three learning songs too.
Cons
- The touch feature of the book might be too sensitive.
User Reviews
Parents have mentioned how their children have been invested in the product ever since they bought it. The colorful and vibrant vibe of the book attracts children and expands their creativity and imagination by introducing them to different animals. The touch feature is said to be sensitive and plays the previous page if pressed too hard.
3. VTech Musical Rhymes Book
VTech is one of the renowned brands in the world of children’s accessories and gadgets which also includes educational toys for toddlers. With award-winning and innovative products, it has carved its mark in the industry with millions of customers worldwide. If you are looking for innovative and fun toys for your kid to play with, I highly recommend VTech to you!
Features
Children love to listen to peculiar sounds playing on their toys which are also vibrant and a treat to their eyes! This is exactly what VTech’s Musical Rhymes Book offers. It has an easy-to-turn page that helps in developing your child’s fine motor skills as well as helps them identify basic colors and sing along the nursery rhymes.
Watch your kid shriek with delight when they discover the additional light star feature and delightfully press the twist-and-turn buttons to discover the piano as well as a virtual teacher to teach them all the fun colors, without a shred of boredom!
Pros
- Aids in development of fine motor skills when the child curiously twists and turns the play pieces.
- Educational – since the basic colors, some nursery rhymes, and instrument sounds are being taught and recognized.
- The play pieces and the pages of the book are easy to turn and play with, allowing the children to take control.
- Not easy to break, so it withstands the atrocities of aggressive kids. Such a relief, right?
Cons
- The volume needs better control, and the lowest is still said to be quite loud.
User Reviews
With a 4.8 rating, parents have been complimenting how easy going the toy is. The kids have been occupied with the Musical Book and have been super intrigued as to how the flashlight, music, and sounds come from. People have, however, been complaining that they cannot control the volume, and the lowest it can go is still the loudest.
4. Playskool Sesame Street Elmo’s On The Go Letters
Playskool is one of the renowned names in the world of companies producing child gear and accessories. The brand has kept its promise of bringing innovative products for toddlers and young children that help them with basic educational activities while keeping them fun and light-hearted.
Features
For preschool children, this product is the best you can get them! Sesame Street Elmo’s On The Go Letters are perfect for teaching alphabets to the kids. Why? Because it has attractive and vibrant imagery for little fellows to learn from.
Moreover, these letters can be taken out and placed in their place again or can be used to construct small words. You can even find names of objects starting from the letter underneath it, so more and more ways of learning the simple alphabet before your little one goes to school!
Pros
- Effective in teaching the alphabet since the children are intrigued and excited to learn.
- Helps in constructing new words.
- Easy to carry around, so it can be carried by your kid anywhere easily.
- The letters are easy to store in the case.
Cons
- The alphabets might be difficult to remove.
User Reviews
The kids have been super fascinated by the product, and while they are having fun, they get to learn the alphabet too. 26 vibrant and colorful letters pique the interest of kids and enable them to remove and place the letters on their own. All in all, it has been reported to be a very effective and good educational activity!
5. Leapfrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket
I have introduced the brand earlier and can vouch for it! Leapfrog, with its award-winning educational toy pieces, has carved its mark and is present in almost every toddler’s home. The brand focuses on providing the kids with some educational activity that does not bore them, rather pique their interest and curiosity.
Features
The educational and fun basket provides optimal space for your children to learn the basics from their elementary school but not in a conventional manner! This all-in-one learning basket makes sure that your kid enjoys the experience and also begins recognizing different shapes and colors and also pretend to play and stack pieces.
This enhances their leading capabilities and helps them increase their motor skills to a considerable extent. With almost 30 audio responses, your child feels validated and enjoys the entire learning process.
Pros
- Helps build up independence and confidence in children since they learn to align and arrange things on their own.
- There is room for two so that an elder sibling or a parent can join them hence teaches sharing.
- Compact, an easy-to-keep toy so that your child can carry it anywhere he/she wants.
- Polite audio responses and instructions also encourage obedience and good manners.
- With time, the kids begin to recognize shapes and colors because of the excellent visuals of the toy.
Cons
- Some pretend-play utensils might be too big for small hands.
User Reviews
Customer experience has been nothing but positive with this cute and compact basket. Not only the kids but their parents have been delighted to come across this handy toy that has helped their kids develop newfound interest and passion for learning while playing. Fun picnics and pretend-play while learning new things every day is what they appreciate the most.
6. VTech Spin and Learn Colour Flashlight
As stated earlier, VTech has proved its worth time and again in the world of children’s gadgets and accessories. With a 40-year history, it has made sure that top-quality and creative products are provided to its customers that help them get their little ones occupied with things that are enjoyable and educational at the same time.
Features
If you are looking for a vibrant and compact all-in-one learning source for your kid, this is it! With bright, flashy colors for your child to learn color recognition, it also offers more than 70 sweet melodies to enjoy.
By pressing on the cutesy ladybird, your child can operate the flashlight, which caters to their curiosity and helps them adapt to the newly recognized grip reflex. The catchy toy helps your kid identify basic colors, answer simple questions and also learn more about animals! Pretty fun, right?
Pros
- Battery-operated, which turns off after 45 seconds of inactivity.
- Three play modes are given; learning colors, playing music or asking simple questions.
- The vibrant flashlight intrigues the child’s curiosity and interest.
- Easy-to-grip handles enable your children to operate the toy themselves.
- Helps children recognize different r colors as well complemented number count, keeping the educational activity fun and light.
Cons
- Flashlight and songs play simultaneously since there it is not optional.
User Reviews
With a 4.6 rating, parents have been the happiest since they bought this toy for their little ones! The all-in-one feature has been complemented by the parents. The flashlight with vibrant colors is appreciated since it piques their children’s interest, and they enjoy playing with it; however, some users have complained how using the light and playing the songs simultaneously is not optional and gets annoying after a while.
7. YO-YO STORE Child’s Interactive Cellphone
The list is incomplete without mentioning YO-YO STORE. The brand has been manufacturing toy pieces and other accessories for children that have won the hearts of both the kids and their parents. Innovation and creativity reflect in their products. Especially how the brand replicates things from real life so that kids feel included and develop a sense of responsibility and belonging in them.
Features
Is your toddler attracted to your phone? Snatches it away and does not let it go no matter what? Well, I have a piece of good news for you. YO-YO STORE has introduced your child’s very own cellphone that helps their cognitive abilities by different functionalities. It comes with 20 children’s songs and ten sleeping songs for your little ones to enjoy.
It is characterized by eight different modes and encourages the children to learn through sight, sound and touch. The edges of the screen glow up with visually stimulating colors, making your kids squeal with delight.
Pros
- The toy is quite similar in looks to actual cell phones, making it one of your child’s favorite things to play with.
- It comes with around 30 melodies and rhymes for your kid to enjoy whilst they learn about colors on the device.
- Intriguing features are present, like flipping the switch will make it ring, whereas pressing the picture is going to operate responses, which makes it an interactive play piece for your child.
Cons
- The app stickers on the phone do not last much longer.
User Reviews
As much as the parents are happy about a phone duplicate to hand over to their kids, they are also thankful for the educational purpose it offers. Children are intrigued by the flashy colors their ‘momma’s phone’ offers them! However, the users have been complaining about the app stickers that do not last long and rub off easily.
Buying Guide for Best Educational Toys for Children
Toddlers and young children are very tricky to deal with. Parents would agree with me, right? You have to choose products for children wisely and think over your choices multiple times since kids are sensitive than adults, and things that seem petty to us might have drastic effects on their naive minds.
Here are certain factors that you need to keep in mind while purchasing educational toys for your children:
Helps with learning
Obviously! This is our prime goal when purchasing toys for children. Brands and companies that deal with children’s toys and accessories have been working on new ways to incorporate education and the development of new skills in their products to help kids develop an interest in learning before they are even eligible for school! Different toys influence children in various ways so the way of fostering good habits and activities must be constructive.
Safe to use
Some products contain constituents that are dangerous for toddlers and young children, like batteries, especially those that begin leaking! It is important to consider this fact since kids are all about putting everything they get hold of into their mouths. Go for safe products and the ones that have the batteries all covered.
Can be used in several ways
Kids can never let anything stay in its place. They are always taking things out, putting them back in, changing places, and constructing haphazard figures that we fail to understand, frankly speaking. This is why go for a playing piece that helps them with their restlessness and promotes fine motor skills at an early age. It might seem trivial, but trust me, it is necessary!
Does not get old
Oftentimes, kids play with a thing for a day or two and leave it because of boredom. You would want to invest in toys that will last longer and grow old with them. For this to happen, choose the ones which will serve a purpose at all the developmental stages of children.
Helps kids explore their imagination and creativity
As your child grows, so do his mental capabilities. Kids tend to start recognizing things as they age and engage in problem-solving, so it is of utmost importance to get toys that help them explore their imagination and creativity. Pretend plays help children in building their language and dilemma-solving skills while being fun at the same time.
Helps them recognize basic elementary concepts
When alphabets, numbers, shapes, colors, and other important concepts of elementary school are introduced in things they love the most; toys, it becomes an awesome educational and fun combo! These concepts are otherwise too dull for children, so incorporating them into vibrant and catchy toy pieces is a clever thing to do. They learn and be occupied while you are free from the constant babysitting!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Question 1: What to consider before buying an educational toy for children?
Answer: There are many factors to consider when purchasing educational toys for children. It should be safe to use, which means no harmful constituents are present, and even if they are, they should be covered well. The toys should serve the purpose of education as well as fun at all developmental stages and enables them to recognize basic elementary concepts as preschool learning.
Question 2: What toys help in learning?
Answer: Toys and accessories that encourage children to develop their motor skills and explore their imagination and creativity are the ones worth buying for toddlers and young children. Toys that have additional perks like music and rhymes with flashy lights aid this process of learning.
Conclusion
I hope this article helped all you parents to make an easy decision as to which educational toys to get for your children. As simple as this task may seem, it is a very tricky and difficult one since you have to consider so many things before concluding. The products need to be safe and easy to handle, fun and educational, as well as serve the purpose of helping them with their developmental skills with time.
It gets super hard when you go out to purchase child gear and see multiple options on the aisle, all attractive and vibrant, ready to be picked, but it is of utmost importance to select the ones that are safe and age-appropriate for your little one!