Toddlers are curious little creatures and in many cases, it can be tricky to pin down exactly what they are most interested in.
Choosing the right toy for your toddler this Christmas is harder than it looks.
Toddlers are curious little creatures and in many cases, it can be tricky to pin down exactly what they are most interested in.
When your toddler turns three or four you will notice them gravitating towards certain kinds of toys and they may even develop a fascination with a particular character or theme which makes toy buying a lot more straightforward.
The great thing about toddlers is that they like a whole lot of everything. There are few toys that will not hold their attention for a decent amount of time. In my experience, it works really well to go for general toys that you can add to as time goes on or that you know future children will get the benefit from too.
Here are some of my favourite toys for toddlers this Christmas.
1. The Ikea Wooden Kitchen
Or any kitchen at all for that matter. The IKEA one is just incredibly good value and it’s really sturdy too. The great thing about a miniature kitchen is that it provides years of fun. You can also pick up all sorts of attachments and plastic/wooden food as time goes on. In a practical sense, it is also teaching them a life skill. Many people put their children’s toy kitchen close to the real kitchen so that their toddler can mimic them as they prepare meals. This is a toy that all kids gravitate towards when they come over to our house. Well worth the money.
2. Mega Bloks
These award-winning bloks provide hours of fun for toddlers. They come in a handy zip up bag and are available in a variety of different colour options. They are designed with toddler hands in mind who just love to build and manipulate the blocks into different shapes and sizes. This is a great one for fine-motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination. They are also a good size for cleaning up. They are very quickly gathered up and placed back in the reusable bag. Highly recommend.
3. Lego Duplo
Much like Mega Bloks these are buildable blocks that encourage fine motor skills. Duplo is your child’s first introduction to Lego. They come in a variety of themed sets and my two-year-old loved the Duplo number train. It’s a great way to begin talking about numbers, colours and sequences too. This set is from 18 months-3 years and is still played with years later.
4. Vtech Toot-Toot Drivers Fire Station
Or anything similar will go down a treat. It is an interactive toy that comes with chunky cars that are perfect for toddler hands. It is a really engaging toy and involves lots of elements to keep your child interested. There are interesting sounds, levels and it can be arranged in many different patterns.
5. Mini Micro Scooter
These are the scooters that you have probably seen a hundred times and wondered about. These durable and stylish scooters start from aged two, feature a foot brake, rubber wheels for smooth scooting and they come in a variety of different colours. The smallest version comes with a seat which is a great way to start your toddlers scooting journey. They are stable, have adjustable height handlebars and you can pick up some adorable attachments to make your little one’s scooter really unique.
Written by Tracey Quinn staff writer at FFHQ who also blogs at www.loveofliving.ie.