The Best Toys for Busy Toddlers

August 8, 2016

Today I am going to break it down and give you the best toys for busy toddlers. Bennett is now 15 months old and he is constantly on the go.?He is not even walking yet, but he is always moving and exploring. Since I work from home, I sometimes need him to play independently (or with me when I can!) so I have compiled a list of some of our favorite toys that keep his attention and that he really enjoys using.

#1 FISHER-PRICE LAUGH & LEARN SMART STAGES HOME PLAY SET

AGES: 6 months- 3 years old

This is BY FAR the best toy we have. Bennett received this ?for Christmas when he was 7 months old and he literally plays with it every single day. Its a bit pricey ($89) but I’m telling you, its worth every penny. This toy has so many features and it has 3 stage settings depending on the age of your child. It also has activities on both sides of the house, so there is plenty to keep your busy toddlers entertained. Bennett’s favorite features are the the shape sorter/mailbox, the light switch that turns the table lamp (and door light on the other side) on and off and button that sings songs like “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and “Patty Cake.”

Bennett loves crawling through the door and opening and closing it as well (There are sound cues like “You opened the door!” and an opening and closing sound.) Now that he can stand (not quite walking yet), he likes to stand up and put the shapes in the their proper shape slots?and then pull them out.

#2?VTECH ULTIMATE ALPHABET TRAIN

AGES: 12-36 months

Bennett received this as a gift for his first birthday. This is another one of those toys that really grows with your toddler. The train itself can be used for floor play as?a ride on toy or a stand up walker. The train has 13 double-sided alphabet blocks that are interactive when you place them in the slot. Sometimes Bennett will ride the train or push it, but he really enjoys just playing with the blocks. Its difficult for him to get them into the interactive slot, so I help him with that. He also likes to drop them in the top hole that counts them out loud and sends them into the train trailer.

#3?MEGA BLOKS FIRST BUILDERS BIG BUILDING BAG?and MEGA BLOKS FIRST BUILDERS MIKE THE MIXER BUILDING SET

AGES: 1-5 years old

?Bennett also ?received these for his first birthday. They are a little mature for him, but they still can keep him occupied for a short amount of time. This toy is better used when someone helps your toddler build. First of all, Bennett loves to dump out the entire bag of Mega Bloks onto the floor and then kicks his feet around in them. He likes taking the Mega Bloks out of the bag, but doesn’t quite grasp the idea of putting them together to build something yet. If I sit down on the floor with him and start building, he will hand me pieces or try to stack them (although I have to ultimately put them together). He likes taking them apart as well, so this keeps him busy for now. As he gets older, I know he will continue to use them and build things with them.

Mike the Mixer just comes with a few blocks?in the back of the truck. Bennett doesn’t really pay too much attention to this toy. He likes to take the lid off and on, but that’s about it for now.

#4 FISHER PRICE BRIGHT BEATS DANCE & MOVE BEATBO

AGES: 9 months-3 years old

Bennett got this toy for Christmas when he was 7 months old and he loves it. Bennett loves music and dancing, so this toy is right up his alley. Beatbo’s stomach lights up and he sings, dances, and encourages your toddler to move! All the lights and songs ares perfect to keep a toddler mesmerized. It also has a feature that allows your toddler to record his own voice and Beatbo will sing it back and dance. Bennett actually figured out how to do this on his own at 7 months old, so I was pretty impressed!

Beatbo also has a game of “Freeze Dance” that he will play. Bennett doesn’t quite understand that yet, but when he is up and walking around, I know he is going to love this!

#5 B.ZANY ZOO WOODEN ACTIVITY CUBE

AGES: 1-3 years old

We actually just got this toy. This is a $59 toy and we got it on sale today for $15!! I even told a set of grandparents buying toys for their one year old grandkid behind me in line today about it (apparently they weren’t as excited about it as I was, lol) Bennett has only used the door feature so far. He is OBSESSED with opening and closing things so he literally sat there today opening and closing the wooden doors for at least 10 minutes.

As you can see, the cube has five sides of activities for your toddler. I am hoping Bennett will continue to check out the other sides as well!

Some other toys that we really like (and keep Bennett occupied) that are not pictured are the VTech Musical Rhymes Book, VTech Drop and Go Dump Truck, The Little Tikes Gas ‘N Go Mower (its NOT a bubble mower) and the VTech Discover Activity Cube.

I hope this was helpful for you. Bennett is our first and only child so far, so buying toys for each age group and stage of development was totally new to us. If you don’t have children and you are reading this, I hope you at least got some ideas on what to buy a child for their first birthday! (another thing I was always clueless on!) Have a great week!