Educational toys for toddlers & babies

We’ve taken a look at some of the best educational toys for toddlers and babies that will help to boost their development and make rainy days at home a bit more fun for both you, and your children.

Educational toys for toddlers…

Bath pipes from Nuby | £10.99

This interactive toy from Nuby makes bath time fun, as well as developing creativity, motor skills and language development. Watch as the water flows from the top, out of the octopus’s tentacles, out of the crab and steams out of the top of the whales head! Any little one will love watching the animal figures come to life!

100 Animals Book from Leapfrog | £20 at Argos.co.uk

In the colourful pages of LeapFrog’s brand-new book, your little one will be absorbed in the diverse habitats of 100 animals. Touch each picture to hear the unique sounds of each animal – I promise this is going to be a lesson for most parents too – wait until you hear the giraffe. There’s three learning songs and a Fun Fact mode.

Classic World Multi Activity Cube | £81.50

The Classic World range from hippychick is made from wood sourced from sustainable forests. They have a wide range of toys avbailble, however there are three that really stand out, which are beautifuly designed toys in their wooden range and aimed specifically at the 2+ age group, including the Classic World Multi Activity Cube, Classic World Pyramid Activity Box and Classic World Rainmaker.

Sand & Water Activity Set | £23.99 from Edx Education

Featuring play funnels, a pippete set, spray and pump bottle, different sized hoses and jugs and a multitude of spoons and cups; your child will have hours of fun experimenting with this fun water and sand set from Edx Education whilst also learning how different tactile materials can be measured and poured.

For a really magical experience, why not add a drop of food colouring to the water and create a colourful water tube with the funnels and hose. The possibilities for imaginative play are endless! Children can use the variety of utensils for hands on learning through play.

For the bigger kids…

Toniebox Starter Sets | £69.95 smythstoys.com

Toniebox, a child’s entry ticket to a whole new world of adventures! Instead of staring at the TV, iPad or phone all day – the Toniebox allows children to experience educational audio fun, keeping them entertained for hours! 

The portable box is safe to use as its soft to the touch, and features dozens of downloadable ‘Tonies’ related to a different character, so your child can be transported to a different story-book world of adventures each time they place a different ‘Tonie’ into the toy.  Another great feature is an app that users can record audio for their child to play through on the linked-up Tonies, so for parents or grandparents who are away from their little ones it offers a great opportunity to reconnect.

Mighty Magnifier | £14 Learning Resources

Suitable for ages 4+, the GeoSafari Jr. Mighty Magnifier from Learning Resources gives your little explorers the chance to see their own world up close. These hands-free, magnified, explorer glasses give kids the chance to flip between 2x and 8x magnification and get a closer look at nature. The magnifier also includes a soft double eyecup for comfortable support and a built in LED light to ensure clear and easy viewing during the day and at night.

Downloadable Board Games by Asmodee | Free Download

Asmodee, a leading global games publisher and distributor, has released a set of free downloadable board games as part of its new “Print & Play” initiative. Anyone can print out and play with members of their family within the safety of their home. The current list of six titles include Asmodee’s acclaimed range of family-friendly board games, from the colorful matching card game, Dobble (also known as Spot It! in North America), to the escape room-themed riddle game, Unlock!

Step-A-Stones from Edx Education | £55

These super-colourful stepping stones won’t just brighten up your outdoor space, but they also help to improve your little one’s coordination and teach better balance in an supportive environment. They can also be used to encourange creative play: why not help your toddler create their own obstacle course using a mix of cushions, chair tunnels and pillow cases for sack races to keep them entertained and having fun.

Sleepy Sloths Game | £9.99 John Lewis

Suitable for 2 years plus. This fun first sound and performance game for toddlers will keep them entertained for hours. By making enough noise to wake up all the sleepy sloths, it encourages matching and memory skills and imaginative play.

Little cooks boxes |£8.33 per month

If you want to use this time to start baking with your kids, Little Cooks Co is a monthly subscription based recipe kit that’s posted through the letterbox, direct to kids, in a neat 100% recyclable box with compostable packaging. The box is packed with all the natural and healthy dry ingredients of that month’s delicious and nutritious recipe for kids to bake in the home. 

The recipes have been designed by a registered child nutritionist, so each monthly kit’s ingredients are free from all refined sugar and processed ingredients. There is also a giving back element; Every box bought pays for a vulnerable school child in the UK to receive a healthy breakfast through its partnership with the charity Magic Breakfast. 

And for the little ones…

Parents of babies, it can be even more difficult to entertain tiny kids while you’re staying at home all day so the key is to have lots of little items that they can explore at their own pace.

Mizzie Gift Set with Sound Book | £25.50 mizziethekangaroo.co.uk

Stimulating the senses, developing fine motor skills, teaching cause and effect, encouraging the love of reading and singing are among the many benefits your children will gain during their Mizzie play time! All Mizzie baby toys and toddler toys were designed with love by parents.

Bickiepegs teething solutions: £8.99

Bickiepegs Peggie the Penguin is both a sensory toy in the friendly shape of a penguin, as well as an effective teether, delivering satisfying relief to gums. Designed to stimulate touch, vision and oral development in your baby, Peggie the Penguin supports the good oral formation of gums,
teeth and jaws – whilst stimulating tongue control. Peggie is cleverly designed to reach both the front and back gum areas in the mouth – enabling your chomping baby to find relief even when the first molars start to appear. Buy online at www.bickiepegs.com.

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