This blog post gives you detailed suggestions for buying age-appropriate toys for your kids. So Read On!
Toys are age-specific i.e there is a minimum recommended age for each toy.
Many parents fail to consider this while making the decision to purchase.
If you buy a 3-year-old a rattle he’d probably throw it away and never use it.
To make it easier, we have compiled a list of age-appropriate toys so you don’t have to go hunting and spend hours.
In this blog post we list down toys by age for your child so your job is made simple.
1. Toys For 0-1 Years old
Toys for 0-3 months old
The newborn baby does not need toys at this stage.
She will only want to look at things that are closer to her since she can only see clearly until 10-12 inches from her face.
The baby likes bright colors at this stage since it is easier for her to recognize.
She would like things that make gentle noise and move slowly.
Windchimes/Hanging Rattles
Babies like soft music. Place a wind chime near her crib so that she can look at the chime while it produces that sweet soft sound.
You can find some great options here:
Sock and wrist rattle
Kids can’t stop moving their legs and hands. Attach a small rattle to her hands and watch her get entertained by the sounds.
You can find some great baby rattles
A Play Gym
Play some soft music for the baby on a Play gym or on mobile. Babies like soft sounds and love bright lights.
We recommend these two products:
Toys for 3-6 months old
At this age baby develops grasping and holding abilities and wants to grab onto everything she can.
She will start holding your fingers for longer and can hold smaller objects too.
At this age you can buy her a few more toys.
Squeaky rubber toys
Get her some of those cute animal-shaped rubber toys that bathe with her and make squeaking noises when pressed.
She would love them. As the toys make noise after squeaking you can expect your baby to happily squeal.
Make sure these toys do not contain PVC.
Since the kids keep putting these toys into their mouth it is important that the toys we choose are safe for the child.
We recommend these
Stuffed Toys For Kids
Get her a couple of soft and cuddly toys.
Make sure that the soft toy does not have any buttons, ribbons, etc.
These can easily come off and be ingested by the baby.
You can find some great stuffed toys here:
Age Appropriate Toys Toys for 6-12 months old
Story Books
At this age the kids start developing language skills, it is essential to read to them. Buy her a storybook and read it to her. Make it fun and interactive.
We have written a detailed piece about storybooks for kids. You should read it here: 5 Bedtime stories For Kids
Balls
Get her a silly ball that makes sounds and bounces. This will certainly light up her face with a smile and laughter.
We went through multiple pages and found some great options here:
Soft toys
Soft toys are still good and a favorite of the babies at this age. Buy her a couple of cuddly teddy bears or tigers.
You can find some nice stuffed toys here:
Open-ended play
We have written about open-ended play earlier and we personally believe that it is one of the best ways for a child to grow mentally, socially and physically.
Give your baby some household items like a small cup, a plastic bowl, a small cardboard box, etc. and watch them smile.
This will keep the baby occupied and happy for hours.
Push Walker
As the baby starts to move around on the floor she would want a companion.
Buy her a sturdy push walker that helps her in moving around. (Not that she’d need any motivation)
Some of the best selling push walker can be found here:
However, we personally use and recommend Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Smart Stages Learn with Puppy Walker
Shape sorters
This is one of the most useful toys for kids this age. It helps develop problem-solving and shape identification skills in the child.
There are great options for this toy type.
The best ones are here
Blocks
Just like shape sorters, blocks are also a great toy for kids at this age.
These toys help her stack and build shapes.
Start off with simple wooden blocks for kids and finally graduate onto more complex ones.
We recommend
2. Age Appropriate Toys for 1-2 years old
At this age the baby becomes a toddler and it’s hard to keep the sitting still.
You should expect good exercise chasing her across the house and keeping her out of trouble.
The child is super curious about everything around it and toys are no different.
Let’s take a look at some toys that are best suited for kids aged 1-2 years.
Push and pull toys
Push toys like wagons are ideal for kids this age since they can lean on and start to walk around the house with its help.
Make sure that the toys you buy are heavily weighted otherwise the kids may topple over.
Generally, toymakers take that into account and most push and pull toys are safe for kids.
Here you can find some great
Large building blocks
Now that the kid has mastered the basic blocks, it is time for them to graduate into the larger blocks where they can make houses or walls and can break them in the end.
Find some great options here:
Crayons and Paper (washable crayons preferable)
Your child is now old enough to scribble and draw.
Give her a nice place to work (or she’ll find the walls anyway), put up a large sheet of paper in front of her and give her a couple of crayons.
She will soon immerse herself in the world of art and draw herself a masterpiece. Hang it up on the fridge for everyone to see.
Find here some great and cheap
Ride-on toys
Kids love ride-on toys. They are fun because kids can power them and move around wherever they like.
Do not buy electronic ones just yet; let the kids exercise their leg muscles.
You can choose from a wide variety here:
Books with pictures
Children’s books with pictures are a new favorite with kids at this age.
They will start recognizing familiar objects and activities.
They’ll even bring their favorite book for you to read.
Find some
Musical Instruments
They can start developing interest in music.
Who knows, maybe you can spot the next musical superstar right in your living room.
Puzzles
Choose puzzles with pieces that are big and cannot be swallowed.
Puzzles help develop memory skills and problem-solving skills in the child.
Puzzles are a fun activity to do alone or in a group and kids thoroughly enjoy it when they get it right.
Find some
Train sets
Trust us, not only the baby but you will also enjoy playing with the train set.
It is uniquely satisfying to watch a train toy move around on its track.
You can buy one that moves around with the help of a battery or one that moves with the force of the hand.
Find some top quality here:
Balls
Balls are a favorite among kids of all ages.
At this age, kids are old enough to kick, roll and throw the ball.
Kids will make full use of the newfound strength and coordination. Encourage the child to play with the ball in the garden.
3. Age Appropriate Toys for 3-4 Years Old Kids
So your little one is growing up fast? At this age, they have started speaking and increasing their vocabulary day by day.
Bicycle
Get the child a small bicycle that is age-specific and not very tall.
The bicycles are supported by two small wheels on the back tire so that the children don’t fall due to unbalancing.
This is the phase when the children will learn about motion and balance.
We have written a detailed post on Bikes for kids this age here otherwise you can find the top-selling bikes:
Puzzles
Almost 80% of brain development has taken place by this age.
The kids are smart and take an active interest in solving puzzles with a theme.
Keep challenging your kids to solve the puzzles and progress sequentially onto tougher ones.
Find some exciting puzzle games here:
Pretend play
Be it a
A child will talk to the action figures as if it were one of them.
Drawing
This is for kids who love to draw and paint. Get them a
This is an excellent play for young kids and they learn a lot of new things by drawing.
They learn to express themselves and to draw mom and dad and grandma. Hang that drawing up where everyone can see.
Lego
Lego’s are super awesome and super fun.
It is not just the kids that will be building it, get ready to help out with the building.
Start off with the smaller sets so that the child does not get confused by the bigger sets.
Let him take his time and help him build the castle of his dreams.
But a word of caution here, be prepared to find stray pieces all around the house and be prepared to call the Lego helpline for replacement parts.
Check out these awesome sets from Lego:
Educational toys
Educational toys are an excellent choice for kids this age.
These toys not only entertain but educate in a discreet way and help the kids develop vital skills.
Some examples of educational toys for this age group are alphabets memory, sorting cubes tiny microscopes, etc.
We have written 2 detailed posts on Educational Toys. You can read them here: Educational Toys for kids and Educational Games For Kids
Here are some
4. Age Appropriate Toys for 5-7-Year-olds
Sports Equipment
The children are all grown up at this age. They are already playing outside with their friends.
This is the right age to get them a sports kit. This could be a baseball kit, a soccer kit with a small net to be erected in the backyard or maybe a basketball and a ring.
Find a place in the backyard or in the neighborhood where the kids can go out and play.
Take time out once in a while to accompany them and play with them. It is great fun.
Find here some
Cycles
Cycling is so much fun that you should get one for yourself too if you don’t have one yourself.
If you have two kids in the house of buying them a pair because cycling is more fun in a group.
This is also the age where kids should be taught about basic road safety rules like which side to be on while riding and how to keep to the cycling lane.
Whenever you buy a cycle for the kid, always buy some safety gear too.
Kids should be taught about the importance of safety first right from the first day.
Find some
Educational toys
For kids aged 5-7 years, we should look at buying toys that teach the kids about basic scientific/mathematical concepts.
Education toys come in a wide variety and do just that. They can invigorate the curiosity of the children and can demonstrate difficult concepts in an easy practical way.
Read our detailed post on educational toys here
Board Games
Well, Board games are a perfect family entertainment recipe. Now that the kids are older they can understand different rules and can start playing the game.
This is exciting since now the family can play together in teams. The kids can themselves forms group and play with their friends too.
A board game or a couple of board games is a must-have in any family’s toy inventory.
Read our detailed post on Board Games for families. This will give you a great understanding of why exactly board games are great.
Find bestselling
5. Age Appropriate Toys for 8 – 11 Years
- Scooter
- Cycle
- Sports
- Musical instruments
- Board games
- Educational toys
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6. Age Appropriate Toys for12 years and above
- Drones
- Nerf Toys
- Video games
We hope you liked this compilation of our choice for toys by age for your kids.
Buy these games on Amazon for best price and reliable delivery
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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