Toddlers are on the move and they definitely know the value of a good toy. As moms and pediatric therapists, we also know how powerful toys for toddlers can be when it comes to promoting gross motor, fine motor, and sensory motor skills!
Development-Boosting Toys for Toddlers
These toys can be awesome ways to boost developmental skills like body awareness, motor planning, grasping, coordination, balance, and more!
You can find all of these awesome toys for toddlers linked up and ready to shop here!
Gross Motor Toys for Toddlers
Tumbling Mat – Every child needs a mat to learn how to conquer a somersault or cartwheel, to practice jumping from color to color, or to prop up like a tent and hide under. Such a versatile toy that can be used just about anywhere!
Sensory Hoops Bath Toy – He shoots, he scores! Sensory Hoops Nubby Sensory Balls are easy to grip, even with wet soapy hands ensuring lots of long lasting, developmental fun!
Parachute – Grab our list of parachute games for kids and encourage cooperative play, strengthening and more with this gift that is good for any age!
Streamers – Streamers are great fun for movement activities and dance! A quick run-through of these activities for kids using streamers will target tons of developmental skills including: coordination, motor control, spatial awareness, and direction-following.
Sturdy Push Toy – This award winning Walker Wagon aids children in learning to walk. It includes a seat to push their favorite plush toy or doll and convenient pocket for toy storage. Motivating and fun!
Fine Motor Toys for Toddlers
Mr. Potato Head – This classic toy is awesome for building grasping skills and also gives kids a healthy dose of hand strengthening too!
Books with Flaps – Opening and closing the small flaps of a book is another good way to work on grasping skills and coordination.
Finger Puppets– Finger puppets are great fun and are also a nice way to begin working on finger isolation!
Activity Cube – Tons of toddler fine motor fun packed into one toy! This activity cube changes the playing field for wooden blocks. Not just a solid cube with carved sides, it is filled with fun activities, brilliantly colored animals and a roller coaster on top.
Snug Bugs Pop Toys – Perfect for small hands, these soft snug bugs are made of non-toxic plastic, and are meant to be squeezed, squished, chewed and loved as your child strings them together or stacks them up.
Sensory Toys for Toddlers
Touch and Feel Board Books – Filled with real-life animal photographs featuring touch-and-feel textures that help children develop their knowledge while increasing their use of senses, Baby Touch and Feel: Animals is the perfect size for small hands.
Instruments – Everything children need to form a marching band, launch a solo career, or just enjoy exploring music and sound is right in this box. Through hands-on play with the 10-piece set children get some great auditory sensory input and practice developmental skills like bilateral coordination and crossing midline! Win, win!
Water table – A few gallons of water, some cups and squirters…and you’ve got hours of awesome sensory entertainment!
Swings – Whether toddlers are swinging indoors or outside, they’re getting tons of beneficial vestibular input! Check out some of our favorite swing activities here!
Tunnel– Toddlers love the quiet space of a fabric tunnel and they get lots of great proprioceptive and tactile sensory input as they make their way from one end to the other, crawling or scooting on their tummies!
And last but not least, here’s one of our all-time favorites – the Block Set from Lovevery! You can see some of the other awesome toys from Lovevery here!
Latest posts by Lauren Drobnjak (see all)
- Rainbow Activities for Kids: Build a Rainbow! - February 26, 2023
- Gross Motor Color Match Game - February 21, 2023
- Valentines Fine Motor Activities: Punching Hearts Game - January 24, 2023