Best Toddler Toys: Tried and True Mom Recommendations

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These are going to be items that have grown with her throughout her toddlerhood, and I think are worth the investment. There are so many toys that are only relevant for a short season before they outgrow them and are ready to move on because they’re no longer challenging, stimulating, or comforting. Here’s a list of toys that we’ve used for more than one season and how we’ve adapted them as she grew.

The One-Year-Old Toddler

At one, we loved sensory activities that also worked on her motor skills and cognitive-development. Through a lot of play, we’ve also done a lot of sensory activities with various objects and tools.
Foam Ball Pit [ Link*]: We loved, and are still loving, our foam ball pit. It goes on rotation, just like the rest of her toys. During its “off-season,” we put it in a vacuum-seal bag, and the balls go back into the netted bag they came in for easy storage. I have a previous post [ here ] where I talk about how we used the ball pit during her first toddler year.
Cutting Board and Utensils [ Link* ]: We introduced the cutting board, which was around 1.5 years old, and practiced cutting toy fruits.
Toniebox + Tonies [Link*]: We use the Toniebox daily from year 1.5 to 2.5. We introduced it primarily to give her some independence and something to listen to and interact with, which wasn’t a screen.

The Two-Year-Old Toddler

We’re still loving many of the things from the one-year-old era, but re-purposed them to fit this new development phase. Our daughter is curious and craving independence - everything is “no, Evelynn do.” So we’ve adapted it to fill her independence cup and encourage problem-solving. The hardest part of this year was letting them do dangerous things, “safely.”
Foam Ball Pit: We still use the ball pit, but now we sometimes leave it out without any balls. We place a pillow in it, and she uses it as a cozy corner where she can hang out in the pit where she will watch TV from, “read” a book, or spend some of her allotted tablet-screen time.
Cutting Board and Utensils: At the top of turning two, we transitioned that same cutting board and knife to where we would work on cutting strawberries. A year later, she can cut them herself independently with adult supervision. She also helps make pancakes by mixing the batter and pouring it into the pan.
Toniebox + Tonies: The Toniebox is mainly used for morning and bedtime routines during this time. We started our day with Healthy Habits Tonie, and ended it with a story-time and bedtime music Tonies.
Lovevery Table [Link* ]: When we first got it, she didn’t understand that she had to turn off the water, and that once the water was gone, we were done for the day. This would lead to meltdowns and inconsolable tantrums, so we stopped filling the water container and left it as a pretend-play kitchen.
Tablet [ Link* ]: This is also the year we introduced a tablet for use outside of travel and allowed some screen time for educational games. Our favorite apps are Lingokids and PokPok.

The Three-Year-Old Toddler

We just entered the three-year-old phase, but we’ve already started introducing items she already had in a new light. She’s been wanting more independence and to help with everything, so to nurture that while building new skills, we’ve incorporated activities. We’re excited to see her grow as she masters the skills.
Foam Ball Pit: We still use it the same way as when she was two, and I don’t see it changing anytime soon in this season of life. I think we’ll rotate how we use it, from a ball pit to a cozy corner where she can hang out.
Cutting Board and Utensils: We will continue using this as we did last year, while introducing the peeler more frequently and new foods to cut.
Toniebox + Tonies: Recently, she has moved away from wanting it as part of her daily routine, but we still keep it on our screen-free days, and I still highly recommend it to all parents.
Lovevery Table: I plan to reintroduce the water and dishwashing part of this play set this year. Now that we understand the functions of a water faucet, I want to see how we’ve grown since last year and work on understanding, communicating, and controlling our emotions.
Tablet: We will continue to be intentional with the tablet and limit screen time. When we are at restaurants, we never start with the tablet; we do have “restaurant toys” that she plays with for most of the meal. If we are having a longer gathering or sit-down meal, where she isn’t able to get up and move around a little, we will play games or watch something on the tablet. Some games we have been enjoying at this stage have remains the same, since there are different “levels” for different ages.
Kinetic Sand: We are adding this to our mix, and let me say, it’s been a month of play, and so far we LOVE it! It’s a lot easier to clean than Play-Doh, so if you have carpet or rugs, it’s a breeze to vacuum up. I can do a more in-depth review later, but I know this is something we’ll be continuing. [Link*]

One day, you’ll miss this tiny version of them. Cherish even the hard days. 💕 - Krysti