With thousands of options to choose from, shopping for toddlers can be down right overwhelming. I am grateful to receive a lot of gifts for Evan through my blog, which also means I have a pretty good sense of what toys will be played with vs which ones are enjoyed for all of 1 day before being discarded and forgotten about. Of course, all toddlers are different and have a range of interest, but below are tried and tested products that I’m confident will stand the test of toddler time.
One of the most popular kids gifts, I guarantee these magnetic building tiles will be a hit with toddlers (and adults!). If you’re looking for a similar, more cost effective option I recommend these.
Easel with Chalkboard & Magnetic Whiteboard
This particular easel is my favourite for a few reasons. Not only is it double sided, with a chalkboard on one side and a magnetic whiteboard on the other, but there is a roll of paper at the top making painting & clean-up a breeze. It also comes with three holders for your paint, and is adjustable so it can grow with kids.
Nitin & I always joke that we need shares in Mattel because Evan has more Hot Wheels that we know what to do with. I love this set because it’s colour changing, so a little extra fun for kids.
Always a favourite of mine growing up, we bought this for Evan and I am so excited to play it with him.
Another Khosla family favourite! We take this wagon to farms in the summer and use it as a sleigh in the winter by changing out the wheels with the ski runners. While the wagon itself doesn’t fold up, the handle tucks under so it fits perfectly into our trunk.
Thomas & Friends 2-in-1 Transforming Playset
I received this for Evan as part of a campaign I was working on last year, and it’s one of his most loved, played with toys. We build the track together and have endless fun playing with the trains. The best part (for parents), is that all the pieces are easily stored within the Annie and Clarabel cars, making both clean-up and storage hassle-free.
I personally prefer Kinetic Sand over Play Doh because it’s non toxic, hypoallergenic, and it doesn’t dry up or stick to things.
These play kits have been on my Holiday Gift Guide for years now, and are still one of my most recommended gifts for babies and toddlers. Each play kit is carefully curated with eco-friendly, age-appropriate, Montessori-inspired toys.
This set folds up, making it perfect for storing and also for taking with you if you’re heading to the grandparents or someones house. It comes with multiple vehicles and accessories, inspiring the imagination of little ones.
We do a lot of puzzles around here, and the ones from Crocodile Creek are always a hit, including this Above & Below one.
Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box
I found in the last year or so Evan has outgrown his Duplo lego and prefers playing with Nitin’s old, classic lego pieces. We got him this set for Christmas so he can use his imagination and build his heart out.
This food set gets more use than any other one we own. Evan loves using the cutting board and knife to cut through the velcro pieces, and serves up the most delicious meals ;).
I like rotating Evan’s toys out, but this goal set has earned itself permanent real estate on our main floor. If you follow along on Instagram, you probably see how often we use this. Evan pretends to be Sidney Crosby, while I make the play-by-play commentary. We did purchase a couple additional plastic hockey sticks to use for our family games.
Simple yet endless fun, these bath crayons are easy to clean up and store and make for a fun stocking stuffer.
Always a classic, you can’t go wrong with Barbie! This summer one of our neighbours, who is around 6 or 7 years old, brought out his Ken dolls. Him & Evan had a blast playing with them, so I couldn’t resist picking up this one for Evan.
Folkmanis is one of my favourite brands for stuffed animals/ puppets. Not only do their animals look extremely realistic, but they are incredibly soft and durable.
Happy shopping!
xo, Kiki