Best Toys For Toddlers That They'll Grow With

How To Choose Great Toys Your Child Will Love Forever

"Play is the work of childhood" and the toys we choose for our children help them to shape the world around them. As your infant grows into a toddler, they start to observe the world around them in a new way. They've reached a stage where they develop new skills and build their knowledge base by familiarising themselves with everything in their surroundings. To keep sparking this wonderful curiosity, engaging and educational toys for toddlers help to make that exploration exciting. Open-ended, creative toys that young children can play with independently make the perfect gift for toddlers, especially at Christmas time.


Toys are not just ways to keep children playfully distracted while parents are busy. Choosing imaginative and educational toddler toys that they'll play with again and again allows them to use their imagination and develope their own littler personalities. Sensory toys, music toys, and outdoor toys for toddlers hold a wealth of developmental benefits. Toys are the key to building your child’s skills in various ways while challenging and nurturing them.


Why Do Toddlers Need To Play With Toys?

By the time a child reaches the toddler stage, every activity they indulge in becomes a learning experience. For instance, as they try different foods, they discover varying tastes, shapes, textures, and smells. The same goes for toys. Depending on which senses or skills you'd like to nurture, toddler toys can help them develop and practice new experiences at their own pace.

So, what are the best educational toys for toddlers?


1. Toddler Toys To Build Creativity

Through creative arts and crafts, your child will learn about different colours, patterns and shapes. They will also enhance their hand-eye coordination skills as they paint, colour, build, or draw. Non-toxic paints and bathtime crayons, as well as colouring books and wooden play toys, can help your toddler to express themselves. Any kind of crafting will help them develop skills, think critically and enjoy socialising. 


blocks for toddlers


2. Toys To Encourage Imagination

By buying miniature versions of everyday items, your child gets to have fun and practice being a grown-up. Kids love to copy. For instance, with a mini gardening set, your child can mimic you while they play and learn simultaneously. For older toddlers, fire their imagination with their first learning tablet or flip and learn phone where they can sing along, play educational games or learn about numbers, letters, shapes and colours. 


Learning tablet for toddlers

3. Toys To Enhance Thought Processing Skills

Try and help your youngster build their critical thinking and problem-solving skills through puzzle play. It could be simple jigsaw puzzles or wood puzzles, blocks, and playsets, where they need to figure out which pieces go where. Through open-ended toys like building blocks, your toddler will be encouraged to create their own games. They can choose to build cars, boats, houses, and so much more based on where their imagination takes them. 

Unicorn puzzle for toddlers


4. Toys To Encourage Reading For Toddlers

Reading stories together with toddlers is invaluable. Many books come with vivid illustrations that your child can easily interpret, even when they’re alone. Fun titles, animal counting books or educational subjects like science will all capture their attention. Pictures, numbers and simple words help them learn sounds and build their vocabulary with ease. For items like books and picture cards, simple words with lots of bold, colourful pictures will keep them engaged and engrossed. It’s the first step towards inspiring them to copy, write and draw what they see. 

sound book for toddlers


5. Toys To Improve Movement And Coordination

What are some toddler toys to enhance motor skills? Toddler years are all about physical development, so interactive toys are excellent options. Fun stacking and building toys or push and pull toys will soon get them moving. Anything that can be rolled, bounced, thrown or caught will build young muscles and develop coordination. Cute baby floats are a perfect choice for the pool or holidays as they can grip, kick and splash in the water.


Pool toys for toddlers


Picking Safe And Age-appropriate Options

While choosing toys for toddlers, always have their age and safety in mind. Don't immediately go for the cute, trending items, but take a little time to research. Toddlers are at a stage where they're eager to explore, learn and discover when they're in a playful mood. However, because toddlers put everything in their mouth, some toys are a better fit for older children to ensure they are not a choking hazard. Bear this in mind when considering whether a particular toy is appropriate.


What to look for when choosing the best toys for toddlers in Australia.


  • Is the toy made using sturdy material, or can it easily break?

  • Are all moving parts connected securely, or can they get taken apart?

  • Does it have pointy or sharp bits which could hurt?

  • Are pieces of the toy small enough to become choking hazards?

  • Is it made with any toxic substances or paints which can be harmful?

  • Has your child reached the right age to enjoy the toy fully?

  • Is the toddler able to understand how to operate/play with it?


These pointers will guide your choice enough to make the right decision based on your interactions and the things your toddler loves to do. To make things easy, many toys also come with age limits as a guide. However, since every child's growth curve is different, you'll still need to do your own assessment about the item's suitability.


What are the best toys for a 1 year old?

Discovering the world around them is so much fun! And choosing good toys for a 1 year old boy or girl is the best of fun for proud parents and grandparents alike. Sensory toys, soft toys, and wooden toys for toddlers are perfect at this age. From 12 to 18 months, toys should be easy to grasp or nice to cuddle. Choose things to stimulate and surprise them for extra giggles. Bath time fun and water toys are other great options for toddlers learning to swim.


roly toy for toddlers


What toys are appropriate for a 2 year old?

When shopping for toys for a 2 year old girl or boys, the bigger and more interactive the toys, the better. So if it's building blocks, puzzles or jigsaws, choose large options with fewer pieces that link securely together. If it's crayons or paint sticks, chunky options that are easy to grip will give them a hassle-free experience. Water play and outdoor toys for toddlers are wonderful at this age, and dinosaur toys are all the rage. 

water toy for toddlers

What is a popular toy for a 3 year old?

As your toddler gets a little older, the complexity of the toy can be increased, and you can introduce problem-solving. Good toys for a 3 year old boy or girl include educational, construction toys, and STEM toys. These are all popular choices as they can also encourage sharing, problem solving, and team work. Toys and costumes that foster pretend play will fuel their imagination, and engaging board games will encourage group activities. Books can get more creatively illustrated, showing actions and greater detail with complex narratives.


globe for toddlers


Browse Through Our Fun Toddler Toy Options

At Gifts Australia, we have a whole collection of toys geared towards creating fun and educational activities for your toddlers. From interactive board games to challenging puzzles, construction sets and classic storybook sets, there's something to help them grow. Watch them have a world of fun while learning how the wonderful world around them works. Of course, toddlers also adore cuddly toys, so we’ve got an adorable range of those too! 




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