Way To Grow Pediatric Therapists Weigh-in on the Best Developmental Toys to Add to Your Child's Holiday List
It’s that time of year! Black Friday is around the corner and holiday shopping lists are being made! Many thoughtful parents have mentioned that they want to find developmentally enriching toys to add to their child’s holiday list. From pediatric therapist viewpoints, we are major proponents of open-ended toys and play activities.
OPEN-ENDED TOYS
What are open ended toys and play activities you ask? Open-ended toys are ones that can be used in a multitude of ways depending on the child, their imagination, and desires. These toys are ones that foster creativity, pretending, and originality—often, these types of toys will ‘grow’ with the child as they can be used in new ways as the kiddo develops. Open-ended toys and play activities are NOT “one and done” toys. Toys that light up, are flashy, ask a lot of the same questions, and sing songs are fun for a very limited period of time, but lose their novelty quickly and most certainly do not grow with the child. In play-based therapy sessions we preach that the flashy toy (or any toy for that matter) should not be the most exhilarating part of the play activity. Rather, the way that the child engages with others during play and can exercise creativity and imagination skills is what makes toys so fun.
WAY TO GROW’S Recommendations for Developmental Toys
Based on requests, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite open-ended toys! Be sure to click on the green hyperlinks to see examples!
1 year olds:
Shape sorters
Large knob puzzles + chunky puzzles
Musical instruments—wrist jingle bells, drums, xylophones, egg shakers, tambourine
Bath toys
Window clings/stickers
Baby dolls
2 year olds:
Dress up clothes
Art supplies—we especially love the ‘Water Wow’ mess- free paint sets for on-the-go, dot markers, mess-free magic paper + markers
Kinetic sand or sand box
Play dough
Pretend kitchen set/appliances + cookware— this set is super fun as the coffee pot, blender, + mixer are all functional for little ones
Dollhouse
Toy cars + race track/car ramp
Mr. Potatohead
Train table
Smaller knob puzzles + matching games such as this cupcake game
Pretend food to cut + manipulate, like these fruits or these cookies or this pizza
Small indoor trampoline with handle bar
Fishing game like this puzzle or this fishing pole set
Balance Bike
3-5 year olds:
Toys with latches like this barn or this house
Basic board games- Hungry Hungry Hippos, Hi Ho Chery-O, Candyland, Don’t Break the Ice, The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game, Elefun, Memory Game, Get Ready To Write Gumball Game, Headbanz Jr., Twister
Legos
Magnatiles
Marble Run
Stand-up art easel
Lincoln Logs
Doctor’s Kit
Sensory Slime
Experiential Gifts:
Gift cards to music, dance, gymnastics, ninja, swimming lessons/classes
Passes to the zoo or parks— check out The Fondulac Farm Park or Wildlife Prairie Park if you’re local to Central Illinois
Passes to the Children’s Museum- check out The Peoria Playhouse, Children’s Discovery Museum, or Discovery Depot all in Central Illinois
Movie theater passes or a gift card to a theater production
Gift cards to the trampoline park— Elevate in Peoria + East Peoria as well as Skyzone + Altitude both in Bloomington-Normal
Passes to the swimming pool
Subscription Boxes such as Kiwi Co, Cratejoy, Green Kid Crafts, or Sensory Theraplay Box
· Kids Magazine Subscription (for 3+) such as Highlights
Interactive Books:
‘That’s Not My....’ Series—excellent sensory books
Repetitive books such as ‘Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See?’ + ‘If You Give a Pig a Pancake’, ‘Chicka Chicka Boom Boom’ + ‘Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed’ + ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’
‘All Better!’ with interactive bandaid stickers
‘Kisses, Cuddles, + Good Night’ with interactive stuffed animal stickers
‘Little Bear Needs Glasses’ with interactive eyeglass stickers
*To search other awesome Usborne book titles other than what’s listed, use this link: https://t7800.myubam.com/?fbclid=IwAR1OUbH4ZsqjtI3UgDjvAeECo1yfaSFxsgfGoo3Y5fNmDphTfnGL0mDHMdA
Happy holiday shopping! And just remember, the simplest of objects tend to be the most fun toys!