As children transition from newborn to toddler stages, they encounter many developmental milestones. From smiling to cooing and moving around the room, their bodies and minds are in non-stop growth mode.
As a leader in early childhood education for the past 50 years, Kaplan knows that when children play, they learn, which is why we work closely with educational experts, teachers, and our manufacturers to deliver durable, safe, and developmentally appropriate toys to classrooms and homes throughout the United States.
You can support all stages of infant and toddler growth by gifting them one or many of the engaging, educational toys on this list.
Ages: 12 months and up
This Hippo Ride-On toy combines building fun and active play, perfect for toddlers who are always in motion. The 26 bright, chunky blocks are easy to grasp as children stack, sort, and build colorful structures. Once the building is complete, they can hop on the hippo, press the button on the handle, and listen to 6 silly songs as they ride around the room.
Skills Taught: Children will build their fine motor skills by grasping the blocks to build, stack, and clean up. They will also strengthen hand-eye coordination, balance, and problem-solving skills as they climb on and off the hippo and drive it around their play space.
Gift Companions: To enrich your child's play time, pair this Hippo Ride On with a set of Rubbablox™ Just Triangles or any of our toddler-approved active play items.
Ages: 2 years and up.
The doll-lovers on your list will get a thrill out of this Plush Water Baby Doll & Bathtub Set. That's right, this water-safe doll can join children during bathtime routines and, once dry, can cuddle up for a nap or a good book. The tub set includes all the bathtime essentials: soap, shampoo, tub toys, and a washcloth. Machine wash if the doll gets dirty, and tumble dry on low heat.
Skills Taught: Dolls and pretend play sets provide children with opportunities to role-play and practice skills such as empathy, communication, and care-taking. Not to mention, as children pour water, play with tub toys, and cuddle the doll, they strengthen fine motor skills and emotional development.
Gift Companions: A plush doll goes best with a Doll Carriage or Wooden Doll Wellness Kit.
Ages: 2 years and up.
Sunny the Giant Sensory Sea Turtle is the perfect companion for children who love snuggles, cuddles, and cozy retreats. With soft, foldable arms for gentle hugs, and a multi-textured, removable shell for tactile exploration, Sunny is sure to soothe and comfort. This is no ordinary oversized plush turtle. Sunny is large enough for children and adults to lie on, making it an excellent addition for playrooms, therapy rooms, or at-home classrooms. Due to Sunny's large size, we recommend spot cleaning spills and stains.
Skills Taught: More than a cute, cuddly friend, Sunny the Giant Sensory Sea Turtle encourages gross motor development as children climb on it, sit on it, move the shell around, and more. The soft textures also support tactile development and help children regulate their emotions and feelings.
Gift Companions: Give children various plush items to cuddle and cozy up with by pairing this oversized plush turtle with a Plush Sea Star Pillow or any of our Warmies® Microwavable Plush critters.
Ages: 2 years and up.
Get ready for farm-fresh play with the LEGO® DUPLO® Caring for Animals at the Farm playset. This toy will spark hours of play as children create stables, chicken coops, haylofts, and other barnyard scenes. This 74-piece set includes farming tools, food, two horses, a sheep, a cat, a cow, a chicken, and even baby chicks! Children can use the bucket, brush, and faux food to feed and care for the animals.
Skills Taught: This and other LEGO® sets offer countless ways for children to flex their imaginations, practice role-playing, and work on storytelling. As they build barn-themed structures and move the animals around their play area, they work to strengthen fine motor muscles they'll use for future tasks such as writing and tying their shoes.
Gift Companions: Pair these blocks with a set of Jumbo Farm Animals or any of Kaplan's infant and toddler block sets to give children more ways to build and play.
Ages: 18 months and up.
Give the gift of even more animal-themed fun with a set of Mix & Match Magnetic Animal Cars. This charming set features wooden animals such as a cow, bird, and chicken, each with unique farm-themed cars. All pieces are interchangeable, allowing children to create a variety of fun car combinations each time they play.
Skills Taught: With so many ways to play with these magnetic cars, children will easily build creative thinking and problem-solving skills. They'll use their fine muscle strength and hand-eye coordination as they connect the animals and cars together and pull the pieces around the room.
Gift Companions: Children can use their imaginations to create all sorts of magnetic combinations when you pair the Wooden Animal Cars with a set of Push-Along Dinosaurs or Wooden Magnetic Train Cars.
Ages: 2 years and up.
No ordinary blocks, the Jelly Blox Stash' N Stack Set features 30 colorful and squishy blocks for hands-on construction fun. Some blocks also feature sensory fillings such as sand, foam balls, and mini stars to bring sensory excitement into playtime. When flipped upside down, the storage container doubles as a building plate. Rest assured, these blocks undergo rigorous safety testing to ensure they are child-safe, no matter how much they are pulled, squished, or twisted.
Skills Taught: Each squishy block offers tactile experiences that engage the senses while children play. Stacking, disconnecting, and even placing the pieces side by side help strengthen fine motor, spatial reasoning, and problem-solving skills—all of which children will use later in life and as they go to school.
Gift Companions: A gift including Jelly Blox isn't complete without the Jelly Blox Super Truck & Build Set or any of our infant and toddler block play toys.
Ages: 12 months and up.
Do you have a young puzzler on your holiday gift list this year? Give them a gift they won't stop playing with: a set of Chunky Wooden Puzzles. These durable, child-safe puzzles feature exciting themes like farm fun, transportation, and dinosaurs. The pieces of each puzzle are easy for toddlers to grasp and manipulate.
Skills Taught: By playing with these chunky puzzles, children will improve their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving abilities.
Gift Companions: Pair this chunky puzzle set with a Chunky Alphabet Puzzle or one of our fine motor toys for infants and toddlers.
Ages: Birth and up.
Who doesn't love cute and cuddly cows? This Warmies® Microwavable Plush Cow makes a great huggable friend for children of any age. Warm it in a 1000W microwave for 60 seconds to release a subtle lavender scent that will calm irritable little ones, soothe sleepy time stresses, and ease uncomfortable tummies.
Skills Taught: Adults can use the plush cow during nightly story time to enhance early literacy skills. It's also a great calming tool to use throughout the day when infants and toddlers feel uncomfortable or need help falling asleep. This cow also makes a good pretend play prop for children as they learn to care for others and develop empathy for living things.
Gift Companions: A soothing cow pairs perfectly with a trio of Silicone Teething Mittens or any of our soothing infant and toddler toys.
Ages: 2 years and up.
Cruise into holiday fun with the Steering Wheel with Lights & Sounds. Featuring realistic car sounds, flashing lights, and interactive features, this toy steering wheel is perfect for long car rides, strolls outdoors, or adventures in a playroom. Children can learn the rules of the road by turning the wheel to activate signal lights and playing games involving traffic lights.
Skills Taught: Given its lifelike features, this steering wheel can enrich toddler play by allowing imaginations to take charge. Adults can get in on the fun by prompting their children to "beep the horn two times" or "crank the engine" to strengthen children's instruction-following skills and critical thinking.
Gift Companions: Pair this steering wheel with a Campout Campfire and S'Mores Soft Camp Set or any of our other toddler dramatic play toys to create non-stop adventures.
Ages: 18 months and up.
Car lovers on your list will be ecstatic when they unwrap the Rollin' Ramp Car Lift. Bright, colorful ramps start at the top of the car park, swirling and twirling as they go down. Children can send any of the three included cars or balls down the ramps to see how fast they will go before reaching the bottom. A manual lift on the side helps children easily bring cars or balls back to the top for hours of engaging fun.
Skills Taught: As children race the cars and balls from top to bottom, they'll develop their motor skills and problem-solving abilities. They can even work on math skills and color recognition by counting or naming colors as the cars and balls roll down the ramps.
Gift Companions: For more gift ideas, pair this ramp with a set of Rattle and Roll Sensory Balls or a few transportation-themed board books.
You can find more exciting gift ideas by browsing the Kaplan Toys That Teach Holiday Gift List. It includes gifts for children of all ages and developmental stages. Happy shopping!