Sometimes entertaining a toddler is a bit harder than you think it will be. My son enjoys lots of things that aren’t typically considered “toy” but that entertain him for long lengths of time. Sometimes the best toys for a toddler can be everyday items.
Here is a list of the best toys that my toddler loves. This list basically works for kids between 6 months old and 3 years old.
Related: Meal Prepping Before Baby 3
Everyday Items
Lids– it doesn’t matter if it’s a yogurt lid, a peanut butter lid, or a marker lid. If you have a lid to something hand it to your toddler and they will have a great time. My son has stacked lids on top of each other or made creations using different kinds of lids. He loves to put marker lids on his fingers. My daughter likes to chew on lids.
Cardboard boxes– my son loves boxes especially the boxes from Costco that last forever. Amazon boxes are great too. He loves to hide in them or put them on his head and walk around. He can draw on the outside or inside of them.
Pens/pencils/crayons/markers– whatever you are comfortable giving your child to draw with. my son loves to draw. It’s evolved from lines like tally marks to now be lots of circles and swirls. I’m excited for the next step.
Stickers– toddlers love stickers. Give them some paper to stick them on and let them have fun! Additionally, you can have a sticker book for them to put all their stickers in.
Pillows– kids love jumping on pillows, walking over pillows, or hiding under pillows. While you’re at it give them a lot of blankets and make a a fort to keep all the pillows in!
Kitchen items– give your toddler some pots, pans, bowls, and cooking utensils and let them have fun! Cooking items are a classic everyday item for toddlers.
Toys Designed For Kids
A ball– pretty much any kind of ball. A bouncy ball, a soccer ball, an exercise ball, any kind of ball is an amazing toy for toddlers. My daughter loves chasing after the exercise ball and my son is obsessed with bouncy balls. They both love this sensory ball.
Cubes– my son loves these! He likes to name the colors, count, and stick them on his fingers. Hopefully they can continue to be used as he gets older.
Foam letters– these can consume hours of my sons day. He likes to push out each letter than come tell me the letter, the sound it makes, and sometimes an action word (like jump for the letter J). My daughter loves to take them apart and chew on the middle pieces.
Magna tiles– these are great for working on some fine motor skills. Basically they’re colored plastic shapes with magnets bolted in and the edges stick together. I like to make houses with them, but they allow for so much creativity and hours of fun.
Legos– legos are classic. They last for years and you don’t need too many for your toddler to be entertained. My son loves to make tall towers while my daughter knocks them over. We have a lot of animal legos, a train, and many other pieces.
Homemade
Play dough– this is my sons favorite. He loves pressing the cookie cutters into the dough. He struggles with rolling out the dough himself. My daughter is yet to begin using play dough as this is yet another thing she loves to put in her mouth. You can make your own play dough check out my recipe here.
Sensory bins– beans, rice, noodles, water, and sand are all great for supervised play. I haven’t yet introduced my daughter to sensory bins as she loves to put everything in her mouth, but my son loves to play with these. They are frequently messy and get everywhere, but it’s so good for their development that it’s worth it.
Related: 40+ Sensory Bin Ideas
Containers– empty parmesan containers, coffee containers, wipes containers, any empty container is your child’s favorite toy! Depending on the container, cut a hole in it and let your toddler put things in it, straws, beans, cardboard, pens, whatever you can think of.
Your toddler doesn’t need all of these items. Just two or three would make them a happy camper. Household items can hold your toddlers attention for quite some time.
