We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! 150-Piece Building Set that's so fun to build with and wayyy less painful to step on than Legos (ouch). If your kiddo isn't quite ready for tiny blocks, these will keep your little builder busy for hours!
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
Promising review: "I bought this for my son when he was 3. Two years later, I’ve come back to write my unbiased review so you have one to trust. At the time, I bought these on a whim and had no idea what I would unlock. For more than two full years now, these gears have been played with DAILY. Every. Single. Day. They have held up to crashed airplanes, tidal waves hitting sea creatures, and have been catapulted into castles. Very rarely have they been played with as shown on the product pictures, as my son uses them to build different things every day. Dusty Crophopper (plane), Lightning McQueen (race car), and so much more. Our only regret is sometimes we don’t have enough pieces to build an entire fleet. These creations have an entire shelf for display in his bedroom to feature what he builds each day. This toy is durable, open ended, grows with the child, fits a variety of abilities and ages, and is only limited by imagination. I could not recommend this toy more!" —Traveler
Get it from Amazon for $49.57.
2. A sensory swing so your tiny acrobat will be able to swing and bounce up and down to channel all of that energy they have after a really good nap.
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
Rest Nets is a small biz based in Israel started by a mom who created these hammocks as a way to give parents "an extra pair of hands" for entertaining kids.
Promising review: "My 4.5-year daughter loves this swing! We have it installed in a French doorframe and has been very secure. She loves to swing while we are cooking or hanging out. I anticipate it will get so much love over the years. We love having it indoors during the winter since playgrounds aren't as practical. It was one of her favorite Christmas presents." —Chris Wiegand
Get it from Rest Nests on Etsy for $98.60 (originally $116; available in 10 colors).
3. Or a rainbow-colored saucer swing because rain or shine, your child can spin and swing without a trip to the park. This will be your kid's new *hang* out.
Recommend for ages 5 and up. Maximum weight is 260 pounds.
Promising review: "Very, very sturdy and easy assembly. We had a reunion and this swing kept the kids busy for hours. I definitely will be buying another." —msbakwudhic
Get it from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in two sizes).
4. A race track that'll help develop your toddler's fine motor skills as they try to figure out how to get the car through the obstacles. Your kiddo will have to use levers and buttons to get to the end where there's a magnetic helicopter waiting to pick up the vehicle. And, it doesn't require batteries!
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
The track includes a toy police car, ambulance, and fire engine.
Promising review: "This toy completely captured the attention of my 4-year-old grand-nephew, right from the get-go. He probably played with it nonstop for the first three hours, and again later in the day. Thankfully, the pieces fit well, the cars run smoothly on the track, and all the motion buttons work well — so far. Considering how nonstop he plays with it, I'm hoping it will last for a long time. I love that he is so intensely focused and engaged with it for hours; he tries his out-of-the-box schemes to make the track work differently than it was designed to do; and he's using his fine motor skills to test the different adaptations he wants to make. It's a wonderful toy and incredibly engaging. I only hope it can endure such long playing time!" —Bernie C.
Get it from Amazon for $39.99.
5. A foam pogo jumper so your never-tired toddler can burn off some energy while you sit back. This is a safer alternative to a traditional pogo stick that your kiddo will love bouncing around on.
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
Promising review: "I was happily astonished upon receipt of this pogo stick. It kept my 4-year-old grandson busy for hours at a time during the bitter cold days of this holiday season. It is well made and adjustable as children grow in height. It encourages developing a fine sense of balance. The material is tough enough to withstand use outdoors, but gentle enough to be used on hardwood floors or rugs. It is a great birthday gift for any child 4–8 years old." —frankie
Get it from Amazon for $12.72+ (available in 17 colors).
6. A Magna-Tiles set that parents are raving about (including myself) because kids and adults can't stop playing with them. Whatever your child creates will look like a work of art with these tiles.
Recommended for ages 3 and up.
Promising review: "Seriously the best gift we have ever gotten our son. He has these at his preschool and, since Christmas, at home too and he never tires of them. In fact he plays with these almost every day and his creativity astounds me. He learns so much about how to put things together and his imagination runs wild. He would play with these for hours if he could!!" —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $49.99 for a 32-piece set or $109.95 for a 100-piece set..
7. A Melissa & Doug ice cream station so your kiddo can run their own ice cream shop (minus the sugar rush) and dive into pretend play. Your child will love taking your order and scooping ice cream into cups and cones.
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
The wooden ice cream counter comes with eight ice cream scoops, six toppings, two cones, cup, scooper, tongs, wooden spoon, reusable menu card, and six pretend dollar bills.
Promising review: "My newly turned 3-year-old daughter instantly fell in love with this set! She loves seeing how high she can stack the ice cream cones and pretending to serve Mom & Dad her creations. She's been obsessed with climbing things around the house and we *desperately* needed a distraction to get her to stop, and this is working so far — she plays with this thing for HOURS!" —West Family
Get it from Amazon for $54.99.
8. A flower-building activity set because your *budding* genius will be able to tap into their imagination and build amazing flower displays. This STEM activity comes with hundreds of pieces for endless possibilities
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
Promising review: "I bought this flower garden as a gift for my 3-year-old daughter. She absolutely loves it! She has always enjoyed blocks and this is something different that has kept her engaged for hours! We highly recommend this product to others!!" —Ashley Petersen
Get it from Amazon for $11.98+ (available in two sizes).
9. The Nugget foam play couch, so you're toddler will be able to reconfigure the four parts to create forts, obstacle courses, or whatever they can imagine without rearranging your entire living room. It's also the perfect rainy day activity that'll keep them entertained when the weather isn't ideal for outdoor play.
Nugget Comfort is a small biz based in Butner, North Carolina, that specializes in play furniture made out of foam cushions.
Promising review: "My 3-year-old and my nearly 5-year-old have played with this thing constantly. Sometimes they are just lounging around on it but mostly it’s part of their adventure play. It’s been a boat, a castle, a camp, and so much more. They are gonna freak out when they get a second soon." —Tabatha C.
Get it from Nugget Comfort for $249+ (available in 22 colors/patterns).
10. A sports center for your tiny all-star because they will love that it has an LED scoreboard, gears, buttons, and plays 50+ songs, sounds, and phrases.
Recommend for ages 1 and up.
Promising review: "I bought this as a Christmas gift to my 16-month-old grandson. He loves it...we can spend hours kicking the ball or playing basketball. It was definitely his favorite toy and it is great for keeping him busy. It is also educational as it teaches kids how to count and ABCs. I highly recommend this item." —Maurice Horn
Get it from Amazon for $44.99+ (available in two colors and two packaging options).
11. A three-in-one tent, tunnel and ball pit that totally takes me back to my childhood when ball pits were basically at every fast food restaurant. This set will transform your home into an exciting play area where you toddler will be able to crawl through a tunnel, jump in a sea of colorful balls, and have a ~blast~ in a rocket.
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
FYI: this set does not include the plastic balls, but you can purchase them here.
Promising review: "I got this for my 1-year-old and she loves it! I love that we have the option to take it apart and use the tent, ball pit, or tunnel separately. We got 500 plastic balls from Walmart to fill it with (pictured) and I think it’s a great amount, but you could get less and I think it would still be fine. It took about 10 minutes to set up the first time: I had to crawl inside the tent to put the poles up (which I actually fit in pretty easily), and there are about 20 little ties to hold it all together that took some time to do, but the more times I set it up the quicker it gets. I would definitely recommend this toy!" —Kala Terry
Get a three-piece set from Amazon for $34.99+ (also available in one- and five-piece sets and in various styles).
12. A 100 Words Book — an interactive book that will help your child learn the alphabet and different words. It has fun sounds, images, lights, and activities to prevent that *boredom meltdown.*
Recommend for ages 18 months and up.
Promising reviews: "My 10-month-old nephew gets so entertained by it. I love watching him play with it. It’s pretty cool because, when he touches the picture it actually teaches him something about the picture. One setting teaches him about the sound of the picture he touches and the other setting tells him what the picture actually is. It covers, vehicles, animals, food, vehicles...etc." —Vanessa
"One of the best gifts we bought for our 1-year-old on his first birthday!! This is an amazing electronic book for toddlers or little ones that are learning their first words. It is also something they can continue to learn with as they grow because there are different settings. I couldn’t believe how nice it was for the price. Great buy and very educational/fun!" —slowdown&lookup12
Get it from Amazon for $18.57+ (available in seven styles).
13. A personalized wooden puzzle so your tyke can learn how to spell their name and enjoy an activity away from their tablet. It'll also help them develop fine motor skills while still feeling like playtime.
Recommend for ages 1 and up.
Child Universe is a small biz based in in Ukraine that specializes in wooden toys and nursery decor handmade using the highest quality wood and nontoxic paints.
To personalize the puzzle, carefully go through photos and description and write the name, color palette, and text on the back (if any) in the personalization box before adding to cart.
Promising review: "ABSOLUTELY adorable! This puzzle is crafted to be literally the cutest thing you’ll ever see. My friend is In absolute love with the puzzles I gifted her twins for their first birthday! Thank you so much for the beautiful puzzle!" —Sam
Get it from Child Universe on Etsy for $1.34+ (available in a variety of styles).
14. A musical doll, if your child is totally obsessed with Cocomelon and knows all the songs by heart. Now, they'll be able to jam along to their fave tunes with their new BFF, JJ!
Recommend for ages 18 months and up.
Promising review: "Bought this for my grandson as 'baby coco' is one of his fave shows and I’m so happy I did. Listening to him sing along to the song and watching him fall asleep holding it is the sweetest most adorable thing ever." —Crystal Smith
Get it from Amazon for $12.50+ (available in two characters).
15. A splurge-worthy bumper car that I'm so jelly I didn't own as a child and now I feel totally deprived thinking of all the fun I would've had with one! Your little driver will have a blast cruising around in this, and reviews say it's so much fun and easy to control.
Recommend for ages 18 months and up.
Promising reviews: "The car is nicely made with great touch and feel. Our kid really enjoys riding on it. Either starting or stopping is very smooth. It won’t move super fast and the bumpers work just well to avoid hard hitting. Plus it comes with a remote control that parents can use if having safety concerns. Overall we feel it’s a great entertainment for our little one, especially when seeing him happy and safe." —Amazon Customer
"Easy to assemble! My 3-year-old quickly figured out how to control it himself. Such a nice toy to play with daily! Highly recommended." —Rinley Xing
Get it from Amazon for $119.99+ (available in three colors).
16. A Little Tikes Spiralin' Seas Water Table because your child will be able to splish and splash all they want. They can use a funnel, squeeze squirt toys, drop balls down a spiral tube, and turn a ferris wheel to catch balls. Oh, did I mention it has over 10,000 5-star ratings?! And, speaking from experience here, my daughter had this when she was 2 and 👏 it's 👏 worth 👏 every 👏 penny!
Recommend for ages 2 and up.
Promising review: "What toddler doesn't LOVE to play in water? And when they're just tall enough to pull themselves up and splash around, this provides entertainment for hours. My daughter had one and we kept it for four years!! Now I provide it as gifts at every 1-year-old birthday we're invited to." —R. Morehouse
Get it from Amazon for $46.44.
17. An InnyBin to challenge your little thinker as they try to push shapes through elastic bands and try to get them back out. It comes with six blocks in various sizes and textures to keep your child entertained. And, as a bonus, it builds fine motor skills.
Recommend for ages 6 months and up.
Promising review: "We purchased this gem for my then-12-month-old for Christmas and it’s absolutely one of her favorite toys! I like to hide some of her Sesame Street figurines in it too to encourage her to 'help them escape.' I love that it gets her brain thinking in how to get each toy out and then how to place them back in. It’s fun watching her challenge herself, and when she gets them out she’s so proud! Very engaging." —Online shopper
Get it from Amazon for $25.95.
18. A wooden 2-in-1 truck and shape sorter that'll really get their ~wheels~ turning when they try to figure out how to get the shapes through the cutouts.
19. A handcrafted wooden lawnmower push toy because it scoops up brightly colored balls as your kiddo pushes it. It's kind of like a toy vacuum. And, maybe it'll teach them to clean up — one could only hope!
This durable rolling tumbler is made with nontoxic paints and oils.
Heirloom Kids USA is a small biz based in West Point, Georgia that specializes in handcrafted wooden toys for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Promising review: "Very well made toy. It was the perfect first birthday gift for our daughter. Communication with the seller was always quick. Definitely recommended." —BE
Get it from Heirloom Kids USA on Etsy for $49.
20. A cuddly Gund animated elephant stuffie that can flap its ears, sing, and play peek-a-boo. I mean, if it also asked for snacks every half an hour, it would basically be just like your little one. Your child will be completely captivated by this stuffed toy and reviewers say it's "great for toddlers."
Recommend for ages 6 months and up.
Promising review: "This little elephant’s voice is so sweet! It sounds just like a little kid playing peek-a-boo and singing songs. My 15-month-old niece was completely mesmerized and cuddled her elephant each time he sang and played with her. For not much money, this little toy has already brought hours of enjoyment. I was pleasantly surprised that her older brother (4 years old) also found the elephant charming and watches her play with it."—Meredith
Get it from Amazon for $21.95+ (available in six other styles).
21. The Pigeon Needs a Bath waterproof book so your soon-to-be reader will be able to take this hilarious book everywhere without you worrying about it getting wrecked. Your little one can take it in the bathtub, have in nearby while they're eating, and even on the potty because the pages are durable and won't get wet.
Recommend for ages 2 and up.
Promising review: "We purchased book for our grandson years ago and now frequently give as a gift to toddlers. It has great illustrations and starts with the pigeon finding excuses not to bath and ends with 'Can I stay in the tub forever?' It always brought a laugh rather than reluctance to bath. Sometimes even as a 10-year-old our grandson will quote, 'Too hot, too cold, too wet' when going to take a bath!" —MJohnson
Get it from Amazon for $5.99 (also available in a hardcover format) or from Bookshop for $8.36 to support local bookstores.
22. A handcrafted Red & Olive Mr. Beary + Beanie Set because what are BFFs if they can't be all matchy-matchy? This set comes with a stuffy and a matching beanie that'll fit your kid from ages one through 10!
Recommend for ages 1 and up.
Red & Olive is a Peruvian- and American-blended family and a woman-owned business that supports woman artisans through flexible schedules and fair wages for their ethically, handmade dolls and hats. 10% of sales go to Starlight Children's Foundation benefitting seriously ill kids all across the United States.
Promising review: "Love this dude of a doll! He’s very well made and a great size for my toddler to carry around and play with. Even I enjoy changing his shirt for the holidays!" —Toni C.
Get it from Red & Olive for $88.
23. A set of Boon bath pipes that suction to walls so your tiny genius will be able to configure them into all kinds of different circuits and mazes for water to go through.
Recommend for ages 1 and up.
Promising review: "These were a great addition to my 1-year-old's bath toys. He LOVES watching and playing with the water coming out of the pipes, and especially loves the two which have spinning wheels. This toy will last for a long time. Right now I am the one that pours the water in and my child just watches and plays with the water coming out, but as he gets older he can pour the water himself, and move/organize the pipes so that one leaks into another, so you have a chain that fills. It is fun, but it is a very educational toy as they can keep experimenting and learning as they grow older. Highly Recommend." —NotaDuck
Get a set of six from Amazon for $15.99+ (available in two color sets).
24. A baby shark bath toy because the song is already stuck in all of our heads and you're kid will 🎶 doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo 🎵 just about anything to have one to splash around with during bath time. It swims as soon as it's touches water (thanks to special sensors) and sings those famous songs we all can't escape.
Recommend for ages 1 and up.
If you're looking for more kids' bathroom accessories, look no further!
Promising review: "This is my son's favorite bath toy! It does sing the baby shark song over and over again so if that would be annoying to you, that is something to consider. It does stop after so long (I'm not sure exactly how long) but it isn't endless. It starts back up again if you lift it out of the water and place it back in. It really does swim in the bath as it is singing and it is just absolutely adorable." —Lisa
Get it from Amazon for $11.99+ (available in three colors).
25. A whale ball popper that lights up and plays music so your toddler will be thoroughly entertained. Your kiddo will be fascinated watching the balls slide down the whale's spiral tail and if they press the starfish, the balls will pop out of the whale's head!
26. A Wiwiurka wooden trapeze bar for your little gymnast, which can be used indoors or outdoors. They'll be able to climb, spin, and swing to their heart's content.
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
Note: Mounting hardware not included.
Wiwiurka is a Mexican woman-owned business located in Tepoztlan, Mexico that creates sustainable children's toys using water-based paints and non-toxic materials that are inspired by Pikler, Montessori, and Waldorf’s educational standards.
Promising review: "My kid won’t get off this trapeze! He loves it and he is getting so much better at his 'tricks' every day. When we ordered it we hopped it would keep him busy but we never imagined how much time he would spend on it. It’s beautiful, high quality and so much fun. I wished I would have had one as a kid." —Montserrat K.
Get it from Wiwiurka for $75 (available in three colors).
27. A whale bath toy so your toddler can have a ~whale of a good time~ in the bath. This toy lights up automatically and sprouts water when it's placed in the tub.
Recommend for ages 3 and up.
Promising review: "My grandson LOVES this! He has so much fun! Loves the colors and how it squirts the water. Really cute for a 1- or 2-year-old. Heck I think it's fun and cute! Definitely a must-have for bath time!" —Faye
Get it from Amazon for $14.98+ (available in three colors, two rechargeable versions, and a four-mode version).
Your toddler in a nutshell:
