Educational Learning Toys

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At a young age, how would you be able to start teaching your child? Have you ever wonder what would be the best things to introduce him when he’s starting to learn? These are just some of the questions that new parents ask. Thinking about what could help their child’s development is a crucial part of every new parent. Don’t you worry mom and dad, things are made easy for you because here are some of the things you will be needing to support your child’s development. So what are you waiting for? List some of them now!

What are Educational Learning Toys?

Educational learning toys are things that help children form their knowledge, enhance their imagination, and affect their behaviors. This includes toys such as 3D objects, puzzles, flashcards, and match cards to present shapes, colors, numbers, animals, fruits, and many more. [1]

Different educational learning toys also belong to a specific age group of children. For example, are flashcards that we know are not yet suitable for infants and toddlers. This kind of toy is mostly made for children with more developed thinking and is commonly introduced for preschoolers (ages 4-5). Let’s take a look at the age group where your child belongs to know what specific educational learning toys suit your child’s needs.

Why are Educational Learning Toys Important?

Educational learning toys are important for the development of your children’s creativity, imagination, and skills (May it be motor skills or problem-solving skills). With the presence of these educational learning toys, your child is motivated and shows determination in learning and exploring new things around him/her. That’s why in today’s generation, educational learning toys are being used by most parents, especially the new ones when it comes to teaching their child and helping their development. [2]

Best Educational Learning Toys for:

Infants (Birth to 1-year-old)

In this age group, educational learning toys are not yet really necessary. However, some parents want their child to grow as a smart kid that’s why as early as 1 year old they already introduce some educational learning toys. Take it, slow mommies and daddies. Your child will learn those at the right time and there is no need to rush their development. For now, rattles or teethers would be enough for them. Below are some of the best toys for your babies:

1.      Soft Book Cloth

The presence of soft books which are primarily made of cloth helps a lot of new parents in entertaining their newborns and at the same time starting to teach them about few things just like animals, colors, and shapes. These baby’s soft books made of cloth helps babies to respond to what their parents are saying and develop their alertness.

2.      Infant Shaker and Rattle Toys

By showing your babies different rattles and shakers having various shapes, you are slowly teaching them to learn and helps in their development as well.

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Baby Rattle Toys, Infant Shaker, Teether, Grab and Spin Rattles
This Infant Shaker and Rattle toy helps mommies and daddies get their baby’s attention and also calm them especially when they are having tantrums

3.      Soft Building Blocks

As early as this stage, parents can start teaching their children how to be organized. The presence of these baby building blocks helps your babies become creative and alert to details as well. It is a very helpful tool for your baby’s development.

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Mini Tudou Baby Blocks Soft
This building blocks helps your baby’s ability to become organized in his toys and will benefit mommies because their work will be lessened

4.      Contrast Baby Flashcards

It is so much appropriate for your newborn babies since, in the first few weeks of them, they can only recognize black and white shades. By providing and showing this kind of educational toy to them, it will help their development much faster. Moreover, you’ll have more time to interact and talk with your babies while presenting these toys to them.

Beiens High Contrast Baby Flashcard
This helps new parents get their babies attention and also enhance baby’s senses as early as a month old

5.      Educational Magnetic Calendar Board

This educational learning toy provides your child/children the ability to learn while they are playing. They can play with this magnetic toy every time they wake up and just guide your babies to set the date, month, weather, and others or they can also do this any time of the day. Remember to help your babies in starting it and they’ll surely do this every single day.

Children’s Educational Magnetic Calendar Board
It is best for babies to capture their attention especially when they are fussy and also a very good start for your baby to learn the day, weather, etc.

6.      Educational Light-Up Toy

This allows your child to start learning about numbers, colors and even listen to music. Also, as your child gets used to playing it, his/her memory is also boosted with the patterns that he is seeing.

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Mushroom Garden – Interactive Educational Light-Up Toy
It helps your child develop his concentration or focus on certain things and as well as his creativity and imagination

Toddlers (1 to 3 years old)

In this age group, several educational learning toys are already introduced. Most parents nowadays consider this age group as the period where educational learning toys should primarily be the things that their little ones are holding and playing. Since the creativity and imagination of most children start during this stage, it just right to support their development with things or toys that will boost it.[3] Listed below are some of the best educational toys for your toddler:

7.      Touch and Learn Activity Desk

With the help of this educational learning toy, your growing child will be able to practice writing and trying things in front of him/her. Your child will not just enjoy playing, but at the same time, he/she will discover new things and sounds as well.

Vtech Touch and Learn Activity Desk
It helps your child practice his/her vocabularies and try writing, drawing, made-up play and many more activities

8.      Interactive Alphabet Wall Chart

By the time your child reaches the toddler stage, interactive educational toys are very much advantageous for their learning skills. It is their stepping stone in learning because while growing up, the alphabet is one of the primary things that children need to learn.

9.      Word Book

Once your child already mastered the alphabet through the interactive alphabet wall chart or educational toys, it is now their time to showcase their reading skills. It may not be as perfect as others expect, but slowly mastering the reading skills with your help mommy and daddy.

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Leapfrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book
This book is perfect for babies when they are starting to read. It will also help moms in supporting their children whenever they are reading

10.  Art Activity Set

The presence of these educational learning toys promoted the creativity and imagination of your children, especially at this stage where their development starts to boost. You will slowly see your interest in your child when it comes to arts and crafts mommies and daddies. That’s why art activities are a very good pastime for your toddlers.

11.  Matching Alphabet Puzzles

When your child starts to identify objects and tries to match them with the alphabets where it begins, it is a good sign that your children are learning a lot from their educational toys. Also, that is because you are patiently guiding your children, mommies, and daddies. They will be bringing out their innate talents and skills as you introduce them to these educational learning toys. Watch out for more of what they can do as they grow older.

12.  Transport Car Play Toys

This educational learning toy develops your child’s eye and hand coordination. By assisting your child is playing this, you will help him understand the meaning and benefits of what he is doing.

Preschoolers (3 to 5 years old)

When your children are at this stage, probably there is so much happening in their development already. At this stage, you have to expect your child to show many emotional expressions, made-up play, and their curiosity in numbers, stories, physical or outdoor activities, and many more. That is why at this stage, the presence of educational learning toys is very important. Here are some of the best educational learning toys to introduce to your child/children.

13.  Counting Bears with Matching and Sorting Cups

After the time your child gets used to playing and learning the alphabet, shows his/her interest in arts and his/her ability to match, now his curiosity in numbers arises. It is best to start teaching them how to count using their fingers on their hands and toes mommies as this will help in the development of their numerical skills.[4]

14.  FlashCards

At this stage, introducing flashcards is best for your children as they begin to study. It also improves their knowledge of vocabularies and helps in the developing abilities of your children. [5]

BOHS Literacy Wiz Fun Game – 60 Flash Cards
Flashcards will help children respond more rapidly and enhance their vocabularies

15.  Phonics and Creativity Stem Toy

When your child is in this stage, exploration or discovering of new and exciting things are common to them. That’s why their creativity and imagination also boost during this stage because they are properly anchored with the most beneficial tools, and that is the presence of creativity toys.

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Osmo – Little Genius Starter Kit for iPad
This enhances your child’s imagination and resourcefulness that will contribute to their fast development

16.  Educational Counting Toys

As mentioned above, during this stage, the curiosity of your child when it comes to numbers increases. Not just because they are starting to know how to count better when they reach this age but also because it is well accompanied by tools or toys that are very useful for them to practice it. You may not notice mommies and daddies, but your child’s silence during his playtime means that he/she is internalizing the new knowledge he’s acquiring from his toys.

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Learning Resources MathLink Cubes
It is helpful in children especially that they are already going to school. They will be more familiar with the numbers by doing this.

17.  Science Lab Activity Set

It may look a little bit advanced as a toy for ages 3 to 5 or preschoolers, but this Science Lab Activity Set is an effective toy in building your child’s imagination and learning cause and effect factors. Not just those, it also develops their problem-solving skills and their critical thinking. See? It’s not an advanced topic for your child mommies and daddies, but just something that will make their development faster.

Learning Resources Primary Science Lab Activity Set
This is perfect for children to make-play on the things they want to do in the future

18.  Talking Microscope

This educational learning toy allows your child to explore and/or discover science on his own. This interactive learning toy provides facts and questions which your child/children can take away lots of knowledge. It will also help them in understanding the formation of life and life cycles of animals and plants.

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Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope
It is useful to expand your child’s vocabulary in science and help him/her to understand the beginning of a life of living organisms such plants and animals

Middle Childhood (6 to 8 years old)

During this stage, you have to expect that your children show a stronger and refined way of playing. It is the stage where they will have advanced thinking and physical skills. Because of that, you have to support your child’s development by providing them things or educational learning toys that would help them as their level of thinking increases. Below are some of the best educational learning toys to give to your children:

19.  Science Kits for Kids

At this age, your child is not just playing to have fun, but also to learn that these activities can be their future jobs or work. Especially if you are telling them or just by asking them what they can and want to be in the future, your child will surely have an interest in educational learning toys just like this “Science Kits for Kids”. Where he/she can practice the use of different tools and eventually learn from these through his make play.

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Galt Toys, Rainbow Lab, Science Kits for Kids
It is useful for your child’s problem-solving skills and critical thinking to be enhanced

20.  Interactive Map

Another educational learning toy that helps a lot for your growing child is this interactive map. From learning the alphabet to counting numbers, now it’s time for a higher level of exercises involved in the toys you need to introduce to your children.  With this interactive map, your child will be able to improve his/her memory and familiarization with the different states, countries, or continents in the world.

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Best Learning i-Poster My USA Interactive Map
It helps your child in familiarizing the countries, continents, and states in the world and expands his knowledge as well. This also lessens the work of moms and dads in creating visual presentations to teach their children

21.  Building Blocks

This toy allows your child to assemble his robot and other things such as carrier trucks and vehicles by just following the instructions on the manual provided. With this, your child’s creative learning, logical thinking, problem-solving, and motor skills are all enhanced. A very useful tool for your child’s growth and development.

22.  Math Flashcards

Once your child reaches the age of 6 to 8, they tend to show their competitiveness in school. That is why the use of flashcards when they are learning or studying helps them a lot in becoming more responsive and alert on answering mathematical problems. You’ll notice that your child will be able to answer mathematical questions more rapidly than the others who don’t practice with flashcards.

Math Flash Cards Set for Kids
It helps your child to respond rapidly and improve his/her mathematical skills

23.  Doodle and Draw

Providing your children tools just like doodle and draw is one of the most effective ways of bringing out their creativeness. They say that the creativity of a person might make him more open to others. In other words, people with a high level of imagination tend to be more honest because they show their emotions even in their work of art. [6]

Skillmatics Educational Game: Doodle and Draw
This Doodle and draw toy will help your children have an efficient past time with the benefit for moms and dads because they will be able to do their job at home since their child is busy

24.  Learning Clock

Although you can start teaching your child how to read the clock as early as this stage, it will eventually depend on how your child will respond. For first-time parents, it is best to start teaching your children the basics first before jumping into the higher ones. Just like reading the clock, wherein they should know or should be familiar with numbers first before teaching them how to read the clock for a much effective way of learning. After that, you will surely see how important it is to always start with the basics to a higher level when it comes to your child’s development.

Things to Consider in Buying Educational Learning Toys

In buying educational learning toys for your child or children, you have to take note of some important pieces of information and details. For example, is the presence of toxic materials which might explode is unsafe for your little ones. One more is the proper use of a certain toy for your child to avoid getting accidents which you surely do not wants mommies and daddies. You also need to read carefully the instructions and precautions of each toy that you will buy for your child/children. In every toy, there are warning signs which indicate the specific age group to where the toys are suitable to be introduced.

Final Thoughts

Introducing educational learning toys is the most effective way of helping your children’s development. Particularly to new parents out there, by providing your child the care they need to be accompanied by tools or things that will support their brain development and will bring out their skills, nothing can be more satisfying than that. For me, if there is one educational toy that I can rely on for my baby it is this product: Interactive Alphabet Wall Chart. It’s because it helps him with the basic information he needs to know plus it is very convenient to use.


[1] Yilmaz, Rabia M. “Educational magic toys developed with augmented reality technology for early childhood education.” Computers in human behavior 54 (2016): 240-248.

[2] Peirce, Neil, Owen Conlan, and Vincent Wade. “Adaptive educational games: Providing non-invasive personalised learning experiences.” 2008 second IEEE international conference on digital game and intelligent toy enhanced learning. IEEE, 2008.

[3] Ogata, Amy F., “Creative Playthings: Educational Toys and Postwar American Culture”. The University of Chicago Press Journals. Volume 39, Number 2/3

[4] Soylu, Firat, Frank K. Lester, and Sharlene D. Newman. “You can count on your fingers: The role of fingers in early mathematical development.” (2018).

[5] Taghizadeh, Mahboubeh, Shahin Vaezi, and Maria Ravan. “Digital games, songs and flashcards and their effects on vocabulary knowledge of Iranian preschoolers.” Studies 5.4 (2017): 156-171.

[6] Groyecka, Agata, et al. “On the benefits of thinking creatively: Why does creativity training strengthen intercultural sensitivity among children.” Thinking Skills and Creativity 37 (2020): 100693.

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Author

Vivian Perry

Vivian Perry

Mother of 3 kids. Enjoy reading parenting books and studied child care degree. Vivian loves to learn and write about parenting tips and help her kids to grow positively with grit mindset.

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