Hape Pound & Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone

If you have a toddler in your life, then you know how important play is for their development. Toys can help toddlers to work on their fine and gross motor skills. They can also help toddlers to learn colors, numbers and letters. The kind of toys you choose for your toddler not only keep them occupied — they help them gain valuable skills that are an important part of their development.

Toddlers have wild imaginations, and the toys they play with can help them spark new ideas. Choose toys that can be used in several different ways. This enables toddlers to explore their creative side. For example, a set of blocks can be used to build a house, train or tower. Give your toddler the opportunity to use their imagination through their toys.

Growing up is a part of life, and toddlers seem to change every day. They learn new skills and gain a new understanding of the world daily. That’s why it’s important to choose toys that grow with your toddler. That way, they can play with them for many years. For example, a dollhouse is a good choice for a range of ages. A two-year-old child may use it to line up all of their figurines, while a four-year-old child may use it to act out a scene with their dolls.

Building spatial relation, hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills are important milestones for toddlers. The toys they play with can help them to work on these elements while having fun. For example, puzzles and nesting blocks are great choices to help toddlers learn how different pieces fit together. Paint and crayons can help kids to master their hand-eye coordination in a creative way.

Playing pretend is a key part of being a toddler. They love to imitate adults in their lives. Allowing them to dress up in fancy clothes or providing them with “real life” toys can encourage their growing imaginations. For example, a play kitchen helps toddlers “cook” just like their parents, while a princess costume is something they can use to emulate a character in a storybook they enjoy.

• One of the most important things to consider when buying toys for toddlers is the age group the toys are designed for. Picking toys in the right age group is important for developmental reasons so that the toy can properly engage your toddler. Plus, safety is a consideration as well. Picking a toy that has small parts or pointy edges can be dangerous for some toddlers. The Vtech KidiBeats Drum Set is designed for kids between two and five years old, whereas the Munchkin Fishin’ Bath Toy is best for kids that are over 24 months of age. Other building tiles and magic mats are best for children over three years old.
• For many shoppers, it’s important to buy their toddlers a toy that aids in the development of important skills. This way, the toddlers are doing more than just having fun. The Vtech KidiBeats Drum Set enables toddlers to work on their sensory development. The toy has three drum pads and a cymbal, each with its own unique sound. Toddlers can learn which pad makes which sound to create musical patterns. The drum set has four modes of play: free play, letters, numbers and follow-along. The Munchkin Fishin’ Bath Toy has a magnet fishing rod and three underwater bobbing characters. This toy helps toddlers improve their gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Magnetic building tiles help toddlers to work on their math, science, spatial and tactile skills, in addition to sparking their creativity. Toddlers can build any number of things with the geometrically shaped tiles, learning their shapes in the process. Magic doodle mats are interactive toys that help toddlers fuel their creativity. They can draw anything they like on the unique mat without making a mess. They’ll also learn about cause and effect. They fill the pen with water and draw on the mat, and after a few minutes, the drawing disappears and they can draw on the mat again.
• Toddlers change every day. They constantly learn new skills that shape the way they interact with the world around them. As such, it’s important to pick toys that change with them and can be used for a number of developmental stages. The Vtech KidiBeats Drum Set is great for kids with musical inclination. Not only can they work on rhythm, but they can also learn their letters and numbers as they get older through the different modes of play on the toy. Many magnetic building tiles are designed to grow with your toddler until they are well into their school years. These magnetic tiles can be used to build any number of things, which can get increasingly complex as the child gets older. School-aged children can also learn about how magnets work and start getting into geometry.