Preschoolers are fabulous fun to play with but the increasing number of options for toys can make it overwhelming to decide what to put in your playroom. We will try to assist you with picking right toys for your preschoolers that will help with their development. Check some of the guidelines and ideas inside this list of the best developmental toys for preschoolers.
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The world for preschoolers will have expand well beyond the house and community. They will have vivid imaginations and develop individual interests in a wide array of topics.
What you put in your preschool playroom will depend largely on two factors. The first is the developmental needs of preschoolers; increasing fine motor goals, new cognitive goals to learn letters and numbers, more complex social skills, and more. The second, however, is your child’s interests.
Children, in fact all people, learn best when they are interested. Curiosity and hunger for knowledge is an incredible motivator. Unlike toddlers, whose interests are fairly predictable (trains, babies, food, trucks, animals) the broader world of preschoolers means that their interests are also more varied. If your child is fascinated by trains, fairies, or dinosaurs, having a huge floor puzzle of a fire truck is not likely to grab their interest.
WHAT PRESCHOOLERS NEED FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT?
In their play environment, preschoolers need:
- Engaging materials that stimulate curiosity, vocabulary, open-ended play.
- Open ended toys that can be used to explore mathematical concepts, create, and imagine.
- Materials to continue developing fine motor skills, such as cutting and writing.
- Play materials placed on low open shelves so they can play independently.
- People who will respond to their needs and interact with them.
So what does this mean for your playroom?
If you have been following along with the Playroom 101 series you have a clean, attractive space and you are ready to add toys for your toddler. Now, what toys should you have available for them to play?
Toys for Building and Related Materials
Building is an excellent activity for developing hand-eye coordination, early math skills, and problem-solving skills. Blocks, Duplo’s, and Magna tiles are all excellent toys for this age, just as they were for toddlers. Preschoolers are capable of building increasingly complex constructions and will likely start to pretend more with what they build. Have baskets of Matchbox cars, trucks, Little People, pretend animals or trains in baskets nearby the building toys to encourage this play. Here are some suggestions:
This classic wood block set includes 100 solid-wood blocks painted bright red, blue, yellow, and green. A versatile variety of shapes are included: rectangular prisms, cubes, cylinders, half circles, arches, and two different sizes of rectangular planks and triangles. A set of wooden blocks provides an opportunity for a child to pass the hours constructing towers, castles, towns, and more; Designed for children ages 2 and up, this set offers the opportunity for younger kids to practice their fine motor skills and experiment with the laws of physics while giving older kids an outlet for their creativity. Find here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Motivate young minds with this toddler-friendly assortment of LEGO DUPLO bricks and pieces. With endless hands-on creative possibilities, the developmental benefits are enormous. Fuel imaginations with 85 colorful bricks including fun pieces, such as a window, car, and 1-2-3 number bricks. With such a versatile toy, kids will never stop playing and learning. Find here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Each tile edge is magnetized so you can connect them to build anything you can imagine. If you can click it, you can create it! Not only are MAGNA-TILES fun, but they also help develop fine motor skills as kids stack, build, count, match and click together their creations. Find here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Toys for Creating
Art materials are an important part of a preschool play. Preschoolers have increasingly developed fine motor skills so along with the crayons, markers and dabbers of toddler-hood, they will now also be interested in using scissors, glue sticks, pens, pencils and more. If you did not already have art materials available at all times for your toddler, I highly encourage you to devote a shelf or cabinet to art supplies that your child can access now. This is also the age where you want to start a collection of loose parts. These are excellent for counting and other number activities, creating, imaginative play and more. Some ideas include gems, beads, craft sticks, small wooden cubes, ceramic tiles. These can be added to the block area, art shelf, or pulled out for invitations.
My favorite art material for young toddlers is Dot Art Markers or Bingo Dabbers. They are washable, easy to use, and produce brilliant colors. If you aren’t comfortable with having them out and available at all times, put them on a shelf or in a cabinet nearby and make sure to pull out an art invitation at least a few times a week for your toddler. Find here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Toys for Pretending
Preschoolers will move into more advanced pretend play. Their play will now have more complex themes, often involve more people, and require more materials. This pretend play helps to develop social skills, language skills, and explore concepts they are exposed to in everyday life. Materials for pretend play can be largely created or can use recycled materials or items you find around the house. You can also purchase some fun materials like the mailbox kit above or a wide array of costumes and props for different themes.
The My Own Mailbox Activity Set is a sturdy wooden mailbox with a bright red flag, hinged door, and roomy interior. This classic set includes letter and number stickers, 2 reusable postcards, a reusable ruled letter and envelope, and wipe-clean crayons. Kids can use colorful letter and number stickers so kids can decorate it with their name, address, or a special message. Find here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Toys for Fine Motor Play
Puzzles with more pieces, small beads for lacing, peg boards and tools like the ones pictured below are examples of great fine motor toys for preschoolers. These are materials that will help develop hand-eye coordination, tool use, and problem-solving skills. Preschoolers are also ready for a simple writing station to practice uses pencils and pens to “write.”
Help strengthen hands and fingers in preparation for when your kiddo starts to write on their own. The fine motor tool set can be used for just about everything. Like picking up bugs or just playing with other toys. We used this set for activities like ice cream fine motor play, galaxy sensory bin and apple scented sensory bin. Find here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Games for Learning
Board games are another new way to play in the preschool years. There are many excellent ones that will help practice skills such as math concepts, literacy skills, social skills like turn taking and cooperation, and more. Some of our favorites are Dominoes, Press Here: The Game, and Hoot Owl Hoot.
In this color coordinated matching game, players cooperate to help the owls fly back to their nest before the sun comes up. Help all the owls home before sunrise and everyone wins! Kids learn simple strategy, following directions & taking turns. Two levels of play allow the game to grow with your child and lets older kids play with younger ones too. Find here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom
Both Fiction and Non-Fiction Books for Preschoolers
Books are a must for all ages. Preschoolers need quality non-fiction and fiction picture books. There is a a whole world of children’s literature that opens up to kids at this age. Look for books that talk about your child’s interests and wonderful stories to engage and amuse your child. Once you find an author you love, explore their collection of books.
A big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck–all parade across the pages of this delightful book. Children will immediately respond to Eric Carle’s flat, boldly colored collages. Combined with Bill Martin’s singsong text, they create unforgettable images of these endearing animals. Find here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom
From zippy little pebbles to big strong boulders, the rock friends get together to play and roll around their favorite hill, only to find that one of their friends, Ricky, can’t roll with them. Unlike all of the other rocks, who are all round, Ricky can’t roll because he’s flat on one side. Find here: United States | Canada | United Kingdom
OTHER TOYS FOR YOUR PRESCHOOLERS
Hopefully, you found some ideas for your preschooler on this page. If you want to focus more on a certain aspect of development, take a look at these collections of best toys depending on type:
- educational toys
- toys to promote gross motor skills
- pretend play toys
- toys to promote fine motor skills
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