Between the ages of one and three years old, toddlers are inquisitive, social creatures! They are getting a handle on both their fine motor skills, such as grasping, holding and picking up objects, and their gross motor skills, such as walking, running and climbing. Their vocabulary is expanding to include favourite words and they are also able to understand that words represent objects.

Toddlers begin to understand simple concepts, such as imitating adult actions (holding a toy phone to their ear) as young as one year old, and understand more advanced concepts such as shapes, colours, and cause and effect in their second and third years.

Toddlers are very excited to explore the world around them, and are ready to learn by playing with toys that will help them do this. In fact, these toys for toddlers are designed to nurture curiosity and critical thinking:

For Your One-year Old

Hape Pound and Tap Bench

This musical bench is a symphony of colour and sound! Equipped with a hammer, brightly coloured balls and a removable xylophone your child will enjoy making sweet music while getting acquainted with colours and shapes.

Tengu 42 Piece Tint Set

Blocks are a time-honoured, traditional toy for a reason. Building stimulates the imagination while also honing the fine and gross motor skills that one-years are working to develop. Help your child develop patience and perseverance with this 42-piece building set that will allow them to create big and small creations. Plus, with wheels that click on and off, your child and their creations, can get moving! It’s no wonder this building set won the 2014 Toy Finalist Toy of the Year Award.

Vtech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker

With adaptive technology, the sit-to-stand learning walker will help your child develop their walking skills with the support of barnyard friends to cheer your child on. With five piano keys that play music notes, shape sorters, light up shape buttons, a telephone handset, colourful spinning rollers and gears, and a barn door that opens and closes, your child will develop visual, auditory, and motor skills all while gaining the confidence and impendence they need to support the move from crawling to walking. Plus, with a removable play panel, your baby can get the tummy time they need as they move from a crawling baby to a mobile toddler!

For Your Two-year Old

Learning Resources Build It Car, Boat & Plane Set

Your toddler can mix and match pieces to build either an airplane, tugboat, or car! Equipped with a screwdriver to attach large and easy to handle pieces, your child can practice their STEM skills, which boosts creativity and problem-solving skills.

B Toys Parum Pum Drum

With centipede drum sticks, ant bells, a bee maraca, and egg shakers, your child will love expressing themselves through music and sound while playing and having fun! Let their imagination soar while they develop the musical foundation that is critical to verbal, artistic, and mathematical development in later years.

For Your Three-year Old

Learning Resources Gears! Robot Factory Set

Your child can use gears and stickers to design and build her very own robot factory! This Robot Factory set encourages your child to explore a variety of different configurations, while focusing on attention to detail, problem solving, fine motor skills and patience.

Thomas and Friends Wood Engine

Thomas is a hard-working little tank engine who gets into lots of mischief while he learns important lessons on the Island of Sodor. Thomas is always quick to help, and you can connect this Thomas to other Wooden Railway engines and vehicles with magnet connectors like his good friend Percy. This is a must have for your Thomas & Friends™ Wooden Railway sets!

Melissa & Doug 60 Wood Blocks

Melissa & Doug is a brand known for durability and safety. These wooden blocks will keep your child busy for hours as they stack and build buildings, cities, and roads. With different shapes and sizes, the possibilities are endless. Plus, these blocks are easy to bring along to a grandparent or friend’s house and will keep your child engaged whether they’re at home or on the go!

Vtech Tracer Racer

The interactive Lightning Mcqueen Vtech Tracer Racer turns spelling and writing into a fun game. The screen detects your child’s writing and responds with encouraging feedback, helping to hone their fine motor skills and setting them up for success when they enter junior kindergarten!

Give your toddler the tools they need to satisfy their curiosity, expand their imagination, and explore the world around them with educational toys like these, that are designed to enhance skills like language, social development, self-regulation, and fine and gross motor skills.