Great Toys for Toddlers

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

29 Jun 2009 05:35 AM

Toddlers can be a difficult bunch to shop for when it comes to toys. Some of them still put a lot of things into their mouths, they are very mobile, they are past the baby stage, but still not ready for complicated toys, their attention spans can be short, and they have a tendency to fall down. Keeping all of these things in mind, here are some great toys for toddlers.

Wagons and wheels

Toys that have wheels are pretty good at keeping up with a toddler. Things they can push, things they can ride and things that zoom across the floor on toddler power are all great ideas. Ride on toys are very popular, and they can help improve gross motor skills. At this age, though, you want to avoid anything motorized or with pedals. Wagons are wonderful, too.

Little Monkeys

Most toddlers love to explore the art of climbing. But since they have a tendency to fall down, you want to redirect them away from the kitchen cabinets and toward safe climbing toys. Give them toys that allow the opportunity to explore their natural need for climbing. Even with climbing toys made for toddlers, you need to supervise. Also, don't purchase something that your child will grow into. You'll just spend a lot of time saying "no" or worrying about falls. Some of these toddler climbers can get pricey (up to $599), so look for them at yard sales.

Little Explorers

Toddlers are just built for exploring and trying new things. So toys that allow them to do this are wonderful. They can explore texture, cause and effect, color, etc. They will also pick up language skills as they learn to describe artwork or learn opposites, such as wet and dry, hard and soft, etc. While I like to call this creative play, others may call it messy play. Some examples of good exploring toys include play-doh, sand boxes, water (let them play in the bathtub with cups, water wheels, etc), finger paint, blocks and more. Creative toys are very open ended. There is no one right way to play with them.

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Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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