Learning Toys
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Enormous Cardboard Boxes
Appliance boxes can make some of the best total-immersion toys imaginable. Involve kids in the planning and execution, and it's a learning opportunity, too.
Puzzle Bundle
Alphabet, numbers, animals, and transportation puzzles and peg puzzles that are easy for very young hands to hold and place. Fun way to introduce kids to learning.
Soft Books
Tough plastic or cloth pages teach babies and toddlers that books and stories are colorful, fun things to enjoy with parents and by themselves.
Classic Wood Building Blocks
Nothing teaches young children about 3-D better than a set of traditional building blocks. A must-have for young children. Small, colored blocks, here.
Large Colored Blocks
Very young children don't yet have the fine motor control to handle a smaller set of blocks; these large colored blocks do the trick nicely.
Alphabet and Number Blocks
Another must-have learning toy. These alphabet blocks teach upper and lower case letters, numerals, and much more. And who doesn't love a good wagon toy?
Sorting Cube and Sorting Board
Classic ways for toddlers to learn about size, shape, color, and correspondence. Can you name the polygons and other shapes? Which fit where?
100 Wooden Magnetic Letters
Finger-tracing, naming, recognizing, and sounding-out letters are great pre-reading activities.
Tinker Toys
For generations, Tinker Toys have endowed youngsters with an instinctive sense of 3-D design and construction through play. Classic wooden set here (buy two).
I Spy
The "I Spy" series of picture books teaches young children patience, persistence, and mindful observation in a light and entertaining way.
Where’s Waldo?
The "Where's Waldo" series picks up where "I Spy" leaves off. Challenging for children and adults alike.
Matching Game
48 card "Life on Earth" memory challenge sharpens recognition and focus, inspires conversation. A favorite learning game.
Jumbo Lacing Beads
Lacing builds fine motor skills in young children. Beads, buttons can be used to learn colors, shapes, sorting. More jumbo beads here. Shapes here, buttons here.
Our World Puzzle
Toddlers develop a sense of delight and accomplishment by completing (with help, at first) simple puzzles that reveal beautiful pictures. Cool 3D puzzle tower here.
Wiggling Worm
Classic learning toy for infants that promotes creativity and exploration, cause and effect (and it's just fun).
Shape Sorting Clock
Reinforces counting, numerals, shapes, colors, multiples of five, analog time keeping, more.
Lego Chain Reactions
Lego meets Rube Goldberg and fun meets gravitational physics in this one-of-a-kind Lego set for curious kids.
Rubik's Solids Set
Easy, medium, and hard Rubik's Solids. 2x2x2 and 3x3x3 cubes plus 5x5x5 pyramid takes puzzle solvers from the rudimentary to the sublimely complex.
Mega Blocks
Light weight plastic nesting blocks, safe for toddlers. Think huge Legos crossed with classic wooden building blocks.
Sorting and Matching Box
Classic toy for young toddlers promotes fine motor development while teaching shapes, colors, matching, puzzle solving.
K'nex
Future engineers create early prototypes with K'nex. Takes Tinker Toys to the next level. Early version for pre-schoolers here.
WITKA Magnetic
Geometry is never more interesting than when learned through 3D play at an early age. Kids gain valuable 3D sense while learning about magnetism, form, design.
Number Snail
What better way to learn the meaning of numbers than by ordered placement of marked pieces into a fun snail puzzle?
Alphabet Dragon
Same idea, only this time it's alphabetical order and a dragon (i.e. snake) puzzle. Both are perennial toddler favorites.
Hidden Picture Puzzles
Those of a certain age will fondly remember Highlights Magazine's hidden picture puzzles; a fun activity for building attention span, focus, patience.
Connect the Dots
One of the best ways for young children to learn numbers and counting. Play online or print out worksheets to complete and color offline.
Color by Number
Another fun way for introduce kids to fun with numbers. Use on-screen paint tools or print hard copies for offline completion.
Pots, Pans, and Nesting Plastic Containers
Add a large wooden spoon for banging, and kids learn about size, shape, nesting, cause/effect. Ear plugs for adults are a welcome accessory.
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