Ask a child and they will always say, “You never have enough toys!”. Well, that’s absolutely true. Because every toy brings joy to a child for some time – yes, you heard it right – Only. For. Some. Time. And then creeps in the boredom. Or the child outgrows it. All in all, this doesn’t work well, either for our pockets (they come with an added expense) or for the environment (materials used, packaging).
But as you would agree, there’s no better way to help your child discover new things than by learning through play. As far as education goes, play is one of the most important ways in which toddlers, preschoolers, and young children develop new skills and gain essential knowledge, providing them with the best start in life. And here, age-appropriate toys do come in handy.
Moreover, with the onset of the pandemic where kids (and adults) are getting to spend so much more time at home, I think I have realized the importance of toys more than ever!
The problem however is, we buy and buy and buy for our kids hoping we will find toys that keep our kids busy and they never get tired of playing with. In the end, we just wind up with tons of clutter. And it’s always disappointing to see toys sitting unused on a lonely shelf in the playroom. But what if you cut down on the clutter you have to clean up every day? You can do this by only buying a few toys. And here is a list of toys to keep kids busy for years to come. We grew up reading these panchatantra stories, Did you?
10 Toys Your Child Will Enjoy Playing With For A Long Time
1. Mega Bloks
Build, stack, and explore endless construction possibilities with these bright, colourful, chunky blocks. Mega Bloks are the most amazing block-building toy for beginners. These are super easy to grip and easy to put together. The little one can build anything they imagine when they use the blocks and special shapes to create tall towers, crazy castles, funny animals, or whatever else they dream up; the possibilities are endless!
Perfect for little hands, these blocks help develop:
- Creativity
- Hand-eye coordination
- Fine & gross motor skills as they grab, stack, and build
Made for growing minds, little builders can practice focus, concentration, and problem-solving as they build and learn through classic construction play!
When playtime’s over, cleanup is easy too. Just load the blocks back into the handy storage bag and store them neatly or take them with you wherever you go. Ideal for ages 1 to 5 years.
2. Pretend Play Kitchen Set
For better or worse, your toddler watches everything you do, and if you’re like me, about 90% of what I do every day is in the kitchen. With this adorable neutral-coloured play kitchen, your culinary cutie can pretend to sauté, sear, and simmer, just like Mom or Dad. Add in some bottles, spatulas, pots, and pans, so little chefs can have the full ‘cooking experience’ with enough practice, maybe you can even train them to cook dinner for you. Ideal for ages 2 to 8 years.
Pretend play is great for kids as it promotes:
- Endless hours of creative fun
- Encourages kinesthetic development as your child cognitively develops role-play skills
3. Kick Scooter
In our home, to date, this is the most used toy. From foggy winters to long summer holidays, from smoggy days to lockdown days- this kick scooter has helped us sail through all those days when kids have not been able to step outdoors. By far the most versatile play equipment I have seen that can be used both outdoors as well as indoors makes it a definite must-have!
To this day, my kids still love to ride their scooters around the neighbourhood. Scooters give them an alternative to their bikes but they can still keep up with everyone else. We did have to upgrade to a bigger size at one point, but if you want your kids to get outside and do something, then a scooter is perfect for that. Scooting, besides being just a lot of fun, comes with many benefits, especially for kids as they learn and develop. Ideal for ages 3 years +.
Learning and developing a sense of balance are key to any child’s development. That’s why scooting is so great.
- Helps fine-tune their motor skills
- Kids riding scooters are developing their muscles every time they ride- this includes, foot, abdominal and lower back muscles
- Hand-eye coordination
Believe it or not, riding one of these kids’ scooters requires critical thinking and decision-making skills. Every child riding a scooter is tasked with choices that need to be made quickly- when to slow down when to stop when to turn, how much to lean into the steer without falling over. Scooter is an active toy as it is a kind of exercise for the kids, it helps in toning the muscles. Building their stamina and increase their heart pumping rate.
4. Doodle Board
Drawing is such a fun part of childhood, and also such an important part of child development! When young children draw, they are using their imagination. They are also working on fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, as well as gaining confidence as they draw that picture to proudly show you. For a child, drawing is super important!
For endless drawing fun, doodle boards are great. They come with a stylus and a few stamps. Once done, just move the button along the bottom to erase and start all over again.
Eco-friendly, travel-friendly, and mom-friendly (yes, it’s totally mess-free!) – need I say anything more? Ideal for ages 3 years – 7 years.
5. Action Figures & Collectibles
Figurines are an instant ticket to imagination land for kids. Once you have a lion in your hands, ROAR! It’s off on a safari. Found a fairy? Suddenly you are singing along with her in a lush, magical forest. And best of all, who’s in charge of these thrilling adventures? That’s right. The kid. Ideal for ages 2 years +.
Incredibly, there are a bunch of benefits to playing with figures and I’m not just talking about keeping kids engaged and playing while you catch up on your emails.
- Figures are definitely a top banana when it comes to encouraging creative play
- Figures are a wonderful part of an emotional intelligence toolbox
- Kids ‘practice’ emotional situations with figures
- Help in language and vocabulary development
Figures appeal to a wide variety of ages – even adults! They thus have a great play value.
Zillion options available in stores, Barbie, Marvel, Pokemon, just to name a few.
6. Magna Tiles
Magna Tiles are one of the bestsellers when it comes to STEM toys for kids. They not only ignite creativity and imagination in children but also these sturdy and easy-to-build magnetic building blocks are tactile. They are sized just right and easy to use, whether creating designs on a flat surface or building in 3D use them for guided activities or hours of open-ended fun and exploration. You can use it to create pretty much anything you want while learning about shapes, colours and building skills. The brand is not wrong when it says Magna Tiles are suitable for ages three to 99, as these simple building tiles can get anyone stay hooked. Ideal for ages 5 years +.
7. Air-Hover Football
Another great toy that one can never get bored of. Plus it comes in handy for physical activity for kids while indoors too (just what we need these days!). The softly padded bumper, goal posts, and LED lights make up for a perfect football field at home. This durable toy can be played on any flat surface and gets hours of unending fun for kids. Ideal for ages 1- 7 years.
8. Lego
LEGO. Enough said! Honestly, there’s no skill set that is not impacted by Lego play. Spatial skills, engineering skills, problem-solving, creativity, language, social skills, and perseverance are some crucial aspects of development that children learn through Lego. Ideal for ages 4 yearrs +.
9. Tangrams & Block Puzzles
A perfect tool to build beginner math and STEM skills in growing kids, Tangram is a wonderful versatile toy to own. It’s one of those toys that actually grows with the child. In the early years, talk about colours and shapes. Then move to learn geometric vocabulary and acquire a precise vocabulary for manipulating shapes (e.g., “flip,” “rotate”). These puzzles can be enhanced with age, but the classic 7-piece Tangram works great too. Ideal for ages 3 years – 7 years.
10. Jenga
There’s a reason why Jenga is often referred to as “Classic Jenga”. This pack of 54 precision-crafted hardwood blocks promises lots of challenging fun for kids. The toy works primarily on critical thinking & balancing skills for children (as well as adults). It’s a wonderful birthday party game too! Ideal for ages 5 years – 99 years.
And hey! How could I miss the most important toy that will forever be a hit with kids! Empty cardboard boxes that these toys come packed in! Honestly, the one thing my kids never get tired of is the boxes these toys come in. Give them a box that they can get in or make a house out of and they are entertained for hours!
I hope you enjoy indulging in some silly yet learning fun with your little one with these toys.
Go Mommy!
