Here is a list of my favorite toys that my children have had over the years! It was a bit difficult to narrow the list, but I did! The items listed below are toys that have taught my children so much; they are toys that my children rarely seem to tire of, and they are toys that are durable enough to withstand my crazy kiddos. I hope this list gives you a few great gift ideas! 

 

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A Few Practical Mentions 

I searched for many years, and went through several products, to finally find this baby walker. It is my favorite for when my little one is first learning to walk. It is well made, easy to assemble and it has a tension nozzle in order to adjust the wheels for the speed of your child. Plus, my older kids love playing with it too!  Wooden Baby Walker 

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I have owned this toddler cleaning set for years. It is still in fantastic condition and now my five-year-old and seven-year-old love to use it to clean for real. I love teaching my children real life skills and I think this product is a must have if that is your goal. 

Cleaning Set  ​

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Gross Motor Skills

My #1 pick to develop gross motor skills is the Pikler Triangle Set. I have been gifted several triangle sets over the years, and I love having something like this in the house. Unfortunately, the company that makes mine is no longer selling them, and I hate posting something that I have not purchased, but I wanted to link an option that I would try if I was in the market for a similar product. Find something like this for your baby; it is especially great for indoor activity during the cold, winter months! Pikler Triangle Set 

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Here are a few other favorites of mine, especially for indoor activities that build gross motor skills, and that get that endless energy out of little people! This Rainbow Tunnel is great and has been used during many obstacle course challenges in my home. 

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These Hoping Stones are a favorite of my children, and they use them to make up many of their own games. I like having these especially for my son, who needs extra development with balance and coordination. This product is very durable and I love the bright colors! 

 

Every week I run my kids through a gymnastics routine to build their balance, strength and coordination. These two items were a must-have for me, and I was super pleased with this brand! We have used these for years, indoors and outdoors, and they are still holding up strong!

​ Folding Incline Mat - Gymnastics Mat

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 Musical Instruments

Music! Music! Music! Music is vital for your child's development. At the very least, you must be playing great music for your children! Not only do children naturally love music, but it is a foundation for language and reasoning skills. I use the Prodigies Music Program, which all of my kids love! These are the recommended instruments:

Boomwhackers - Desk Bells

And here are some baby instruments I use when first introducing music to my baby. ​

Musical Instruments 

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Educational

Of course, every home with children needs one ABC learning toy. I love this puzzle made by Melissa & Doug; it is visual; it is kinesthetic, and I have yet to be disappointed by one of their toys. ​

ABC Puzzle 

These bath toys are so neat! I bought them over a year ago, and they are still a favorite in the bathtub. It is fascinating watching my children learning preliminary engineering skills with just a few simple bath toys!

Bath Toys

This next item is so simple, yet so valuable. A magnifying glass can be used in countless learning experiences with your children. My kids love to take theirs exploring outdoors, to use it to study all their toys, they have even used it when we are cooking in the kitchen to get a better look at certain ingredients. This one in particular is super durable and great, especially for small children. 

 Magnifying Glass

Learning Resources is another great brand; one that I can always count on for having quality items. This cash register is great; ours has been dropped a bit and is still going strong. It is a perfect tool when learning calculator skills, especially during a family game of restaurant. 

Cash Register 

Teach your children anatomy while playing a game that they love! This hands-on game is great for learning the inside of the human body and facts about its functions. It is more geared toward older kids, as there are smaller parts that are not safe to leave around little children. 

 Anatomy Game

Finally, I had to add this talking microscope. My kids love to know about everything. This toy has many cool slides that your children will find fascinating. From my two-year-old to my seven-year-old, all my children enjoy and fight over this activity. 

Talking Microscope 

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Creative Play

Creative, independent play is so important. During the week, I make sure that my children have an abundance of creative, imaginative play. Aside from Legos, which my children also enjoy immensely, there are a few other favorites that my children play with for hours. 

​Castle Blocks - These blocks are awesome! They take a little time to put together, but they are incredibly durable for being made of cardboard. 

 Magnetic Tiles - After Legos, magnetic tiles are THE most played with toy in my house. There are endless things that can be built with them. We have owned them for six years and my children are still coming up with creative things to show me. Again, this is a toy that entertains all my kids, whatever their age. 

Building Block Set - These blocks are a classic. I had similar toy blocks as a kid and they are just so much fun. I like having these to offer my kids a little variety, and I bring them down when they need something fresh and fun. Again, Melissa & Doug does not disappoint!

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The Great Outdoors

There is not much convincing to be done about buying a pool for kids during the summer. However, after blowing through several pools, I found the one most durable! This pool is a great size; it folds up and stores nicely, and it has provided my kids with tons of summer fun three summers in a row. A truly great purchase!  

 Kid Pool 

This next item is a "just for fun" purchase. It came from my mother-in-law, and we love it! The kids have used it to toss plastic colored balls around, and to run and hide under. But, the best thing we love using it for is our climbing dome. When I spread it over our climbing dome, it creates such a great space for imaginative play or an afternoon of reading. 

Play Parachute

The exact saucer swing made by Swurfer is not currently being sold, but there is a PAW Patrol version they are selling. How do I say that this is a must-buy?! Um, it is a must-buy. The swing that we own is well-made, and I love that we can put several of our children on at a time. The kids love it, and I may have even enjoyed a swing a time or two. 😉​

Outdoor Swings

Last, but certainly not least, is the strider bike. Guys, you have to own this bike. After my first child, we read up on the benefits of a strider (again, discovered by my mother-in-law)(she's pretty great), and proceeded to get rid of our other beginner bicycles. Around 18 months of age, our children will straddle the strider bike and sort of walk with it. After about a year, they will begin to go short distances with it, slowly learning to balance on the bike. For one, it looks like a real bike and the little kid feels like they are just like the big kids who are riding their own bikes. For two, our kids have all learned how to ride a bike around the age of four with minimal assistance from me or my husband. The strider does such a great job that it basically teaches the child to ride a pedal bike!

Strider Bike

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