Learning at Home

The 18 Best Educational Toys and Games

ByBig Ideas Educator March 11, 2021November 26, 2022

Maybe you’ve taken the time to read my previous post about why your kids won’t play with their toys, and now you’ve got a better grasp of what makes a great toy. Hopefully you’re working on minimizing and organizing your kids’ current stash. If your toy collection could use some improvement, here are some of our favorite educational toys and games. These favorites get played with at least weekly in our household.

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train tracks

Train Tracks

These tracks create endless fun! We play trains at least once a week, configuring different tracks. Multiple ages can play with them at their own developmental level.

Find it on Amazon

kinetic sand

Kinetic Sand

Is your little one acting a little overtired and overstimulated? Some quiet play with kinetic sand can be very soothing. Keep a broom nearby for clean up at the end. It’s cheap enough that you can toss dirty sand right in the trash – this stuff lasts forever.

Find it on Amazon

floor puzzle

Melissa and Doug Floor Puzzles

These Melissa and Doug floor puzzles are such high quality. Beautiful, education pictures, sturdy cardboard pieces that can withstand much abuse, and HUGE. We have five Melissa and Doug floor puzzles and love them all.

Find it on Amazon

Do your kids not even play with their current toy stash? I can help with these tips!

marble run

Marble Run

We switch back and forth between two marble runs. This one is the more traditional one you might remember from your own childhood – plus glow in the dark marbles! This is a perfectly sized starter set.

Find it on Amazon

scooter

Scooters

These scooters are excellent! Kids need movement to grow their brains. We love taking these on long walks! They are adjustable and grow really well with the kid. Our 2 year old loves his as much as the 6 year old.

Find it on Amazon

ukulele

A Ukulele

This ukulele is the perfect starter instrument for kids! It’s affordable and REAL. Take it to lessons or queue up some Youtube videos for learning time!

Find it on Amazon

Ready for more? Check out this post: Our All Time Favorite Chapter Books for 2nd Grade Girls.

picasso tiles

Picasso Tiles

These are Picasso Tiles – basically a knock off, but equally outstanding Magna Tile set! We LOVE these and they have provided countless hours of play.

Find it on Amazon

brain flakes toy

Brain Flakes

These are wonderful for any child with enough dexterity and fine motor skills to handle a Lego. Our daughter is still playing with these weekly, even after two years!

Find it on Amazon

balance bike

Balance Bike

Both our older kids have benefitted from the balance bike. We believe our three year old is mere weeks away from riding a bike without training wheels. Our more cautious, older daughter finally mastered riding without training wheels within a week of trying the balance bike. This one is outstanding.

Find it on Amazon

loom

Melissa and Doug Loom

This is a great starter loom if you have a crafty kid looking to learn a new hobby! I think the repetitive back and forth hand motion helps with fine motor skills and it teaches persistence, too.

Find it on Amazon

sorting toy

Melissa and Doug Sorting Toy

This is one of our first baby toys, but our three year old is still working on sorting the shapes and colors into different piles and reassembling it properly! It lasts a long time, and I love a good wooden toy.

Find it on Amazon

balancing moon toy

Moon Balancing Toy

This one teaches taking turns, balancing different sized wooden blocks, and rolling a dice. It was actually pretty fun for me to play, too! Our three year old boy loves this, and his 6 year old sister is happy to play with him, too.

Find it on Amazon

I love this list from We Are Teachers, too. I noticed that this website chooses stuff that’s legitimately educational, instead of just whatever the latest and greatest gadgets may be…

earth science kit

National Geographic Science Kit

This activity box was a big hit. The volcano is the main attraction, but our kiddo loved checking every day to see if her crystal was forming, too. We also enjoyed chipping away at the blocks to discover fools gold and other gemstones. This is a one-and-done, but at least when the projects are complete, you don’t have to store the toy!

Find it on Amazon

magnetic marble run

Magnetic Marble Run

We are currently growing into this Picasso Tile marble run. Our oldest is 6, and she CAN snap the pieces together, but gets a bit frustrated. My youngest loves for me to build him a marble run, so he can play with it. I think the sweet spot is probably 6-10 years old. It’s sooooo cool! Bonus: these marbles are not a choking hazard. They are BIG.

Find it on Amazon

spirograph

Spirograph

They THINK they’re just creating beautiful designs to share with friends, when actually, they’re getting in a bit of math, too. It’s so sneaky, old school, and fabulous!

Find it on Amazon

Check this out! Our favorite picture books are here.

shapes puzzle

Shapes Puzzle

This game is so fun for both my three year old and six year old. The pieces are sturdy and the images are adorable. Pro tip: if you ever plan to have two playing together, you’ll need two sets. Otherwise, they’ll have to take turns.

Find it on Amazon

ms bernard is a wild card

Ms. Bernard is a Wild Card

This game is fun even for me! Kids get to make funny sentences using the different parts of speech, and you can’t win until you’ve got a rhyme in there. Plus, they need to add points at the end of their hand.
This is a perfect game for upper elementary and works on both math and ELAR skills. They’ll never know it, though, because you’ll be laughing so hard!

Find it on Amazon

sloth in a hurry

Sloth in a Hurry

Sloth in a Hurry is so cute, because kids have to act out different scenarios – for example, they spin the wheel once and get “sloth in a hurry,” and then have to add in “underwater.” It’s great fun, and players reward each other with little cardboard stars for great performances.

Find it at Walmart.com

Since writing this post, we’ve discovered the Yoto player. It’s my all-time favorite educational toy!

educational toys and games

Big Ideas Educator

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Learning at Home

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Learning at Home

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Learning at Home

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Learning at Home

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