30 Toddler Toys

Clemens Wan
Life in Lists of 30
4 min readMay 12, 2020

Random Observation/Comment #663: It’s been long enough that “now” is the new normal and “then” was the “good ole days.”

Why this List?

We’re trying not to just plop our 2-year-old in front of a TV (see 30 Non-TV Toddler Activities). We also tried to keep a manageable-size toy chest by leveraging everyday stuff as toys (see 30 Random Toys for Evie). We did buy some main baby gadget must-haves, but we’re tired. We totally caved into buying these so they’re good for a few hours/days of peace and quiet.

Note: I am not paid to sponsor any of these toys. These are just the ones we bought or got as a gift.

Since these are all toys on Amazon, here’s a shared list: List of 30 Toddler Toys

  1. Magna-tiles — She loves these from daycare
  2. Lego blocks — These larger blocks are great for stacking
  3. Dry erase board — Great for drawing and tracing + Markers — We write our schedule on one and do tracing activities
  1. Large foam blocks — Thought this would be overkill, but a nice replacement for Little Gym
  2. Wooden train track set — A must-have that’s also fun for the parent if you have the floor space
  3. Cardboard barn — We draw all over it. Mostly for hide and seek.
  4. Sticker workbooks — These are awesome. At least 45 minutes (although 1-time use)
  5. Big activity marker workbook — This is a little advanced, but we circle things
  1. Child’s jigsaw puzzles — Wooden ones with a reference picture. She’s able to do one in 15 minutes.
  2. Floor jigsaw puzzle — Slightly harder and needs more room
  3. Steer and stroll tricycle — Helps with learning how to pedal
  4. Chiapet — A bit of a fail because the seeds just molded
  1. Ballpit set — Definitely overkill, but so much fun. Probably a germ pool.
  2. Balls for ballpit — Don’t forget to buy this or else you just get a mesh pit
  3. Washable paint — She loves doing some arts and crafts. We paint some of the rocks we pick up from walks.
  1. Craft pom poms — With some glue and paper plates, this is an awesome 30 min activity
  2. Slide playset — Fun for a 30 min outside since parks are closed
  3. Let’s go Fishing game — Super annoying that it needs a 1.5V battery, but it’s fun without it. I taught her grouping by color and counting sets.
  4. Stickers — We have stickers everywhere. Need to make a sticker book of parchment paper so she can collect the ones she likes.
  5. Art kit — Lots of markers. Make sure to get construction paper to go with this.
  6. Toddler soccer ball — Kick the ball around in the backyard. So happy she’s finally old enough to do this.
  7. Uke — Good for just strumming and you can learn some chords too. We actually have a keyboard back at the apartment.
  8. Kid’s stroller toy — She loves pushing this around with her stuffed animal inside
  1. Foldable canvas teepee — She loves this teepee. Thanks, Uncle Angus and Auntie Kayla!
  2. Bubble toy gun — Pretty entertaining for the summer
  3. Bubble pack — Necessary ammo for above
  4. Magnet drawing board — Not really necessary, but novel toy for a short amount of time
  5. Kid’s kitchen set — Good for learning names of different foods and having tea parties
  6. Kid’s all terrain red wagon — Really easy to pull and great for getting the outdoor exercise
  7. Kid’s Bath bombs — Recommended for bath time!

Yes, we now have too many toys. At the end of the day though, you can do a lot with a little creativity and free play. Invest in the tools for building new things and make sure you donate it forward!

~See Lemons Buy Toys

Originally published at https://seelemons.com.

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Clemens Wan
Life in Lists of 30

Solution Architect @consensys and "guy that likes to write lists of 30"