Toys For Every Stage of Development in Early Childhood

The best toys don’t just take up floor space; they meet your little ones where they are developmentally and help them build skills while they play.

Whether it’s a baby reaching for a soft toy, a toddler stacking blocks with the utmost concentration, a preschooler turning a cardboard box into a spaceship, or a school-aged child figuring out how to make a marble run actually, finally, stay together, the right toy can support motor skills, language, creativity, and problem-solving in a way that feels fun and natural.

Best Toys for Young Infants

For young infants (0-6 months), play is mostly about two things: stimulating the senses and encouraging tummy time. This means choosing safe toys that encourage them to reach, mouth on, shake, and stare at. Toys like...

• Rattles 

• Black and white contrast cards 

• Soft balls

• Rings

• Board books with textures

• Baby-safe mirrors

• Soft/crinkle books

• Teethers

  
  

And some of the best “toys” aren’t toys at all. Measuring cups, containers, and washcloths can be surprisingly delightful. They’ll even learn that their hands and feet are just as interesting as anything else! The bottom line is, at this stage, babies do not need fancy.

Best Toys for Older Infants

At around 7 to 12 months, most infants are on the move — sitting, scooting, crawling, pulling to stand, and eventually walking. At this stage, the best toys help strengthen the muscles that support those movements while also helping little ones make sense of the world around them and build an early understanding of cause and effect.

Great toys for older infants include:

• Soft foam blocks to crawl over

• Nesting toys

• Things they can drop and take out (for example: a few balls and a basket)

• Water toys

  
  

Best Toys for Toddlers

One thing toddler parents know all too well? Toddlers are little investigators, using repetition and exploration to understand how things work. Whether it’s dropping, stacking, sorting, dumping, pushing, or pulling, doing these actions over and over...and over again is their M.O. at this age.  Toys that can be especially beneficial for toddlers include:

• Blocks

• Shape sorters

• Simple puzzles

• Push toys

  
  

This is also the age when creativity and curiosity really begin to take off, and the following toys can help nurture those developing skills.

• Kitchen sets

• Play food

• Dress-up clothes

• Dolls with accessories

• Puppets

• Chalkboard and chalk, and washable crayons and markers

  
  

Best Toys for Preschoolers

Around ages 3 to 4, children enjoy being stimulated and challenged to learn new things. Their attention spans are longer, they’re more physically capable, and they’re beginning to get the hang of shared play. The following toys can help encourage development at this age:

• Toys that use large and small muscles, like small and large balls for throwing and kicking, wagons, and tricycles.

• Art supplies like playdough, small and large paintbrushes and paint, child-safe scissors, and colored construction paper

• Detailed picture books

This is also when imaginative play starts to get louder, more elaborate, and (as a parent or caretaker) more entertaining to witness. And while playsets, puppets, and dress-up clothes are all still useful, pretend play doesn’t always need tangible toys to support language, creativity, social skills, and problem-solving skills. A basement, backyard, or even a classroom can become a whole imaginary world for a preschooler.

Best Toys for School-Aged Children

As children get older, play becomes more complex. School-aged kiddos often want projects with a goal, a plan, or at least a little challenge involved.

Think Legos, board games, science kits, craft supplies, and puzzles with more pieces and more patience required. These toys help build problem-solving skills, persistence, and confidence, especially when a child gets to figure something out without an adult jumping in too fast.

Games and group projects also become more enjoyable at this age, helping kids practice things like cooperation and negotiation. 

A Note for Parents

You don’t need a house full of expensive toys to support healthy development. In fact, some of the best playthings are simple, pretend, or already sitting in your home. The beauty of play is that children can turn ordinary things into something magical.

At Jelly Bean Junction, we believe the best toys are the ones that give little ones room to explore, try again, and grow. Each of our classrooms features developmentally appropriate, safe toys that encourage curiosity, confidence, creativity, and all the messy, meaningful learning that happens through play.   

Schedule a tour to see our classrooms in action.