Last updated on January 10th, 2019
When you’re a child, the entire world is filled with wonder and excitement. For a toddler, several things happen to be true. For instance surprise is around every corner, the idea that animals should be able to talk is entirely plausible, and there’s a reasonable expectation that magic is totally real. That kind of vivid imagination is truly unique to the experience of being a kid, and few things will spark that imagination like our kids’ favorite toddler toys.
We at Net Parents know that being a parent is a full-time job, and being as busy as you are, you may not have time to scour the web to find the perfect toy for your young one. Well cast aside your worries, because we’ve already done all the work for you! We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the very best toddler toys 2018 has to offer. Furthermore all of the products we’ve selected to be on our prestigious list meet or exceed the safety standards set by both the ASTM and the JPMA.
Whether you’re looking for some toddler gift ideas, the best educational toys for toddlers, or just some really cool toddler toys, this article will have what you need. So now it’s time to put up your feet, grab a delicious cup of tea or coffee, and relax as you peruse our list of 10 top toddler toys for 2018.
Best Toddler Toys at a Glance
Let’s be honest, nobody has time to memorize a million different facts and features about all the products that are out there. Yet still, it’s handy to know all that stuff. That’s why we’ve made this super convenient table for you! Now you can cross reference all the features that are important to you, so you can find what you’re looking for even faster.
| Age Range | Style | Skill | Electronic | Our Rating | Amazon Rating | Price |
| Vtech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker | 9-36 Months | Walker | Motor, Music,
Creativity | Yes | 9.4/10 | 4.7/5 | Check Price |
| Vtech Smart Shots Sports Center | 12-36 Months | Sports Activity Center | Motor, Counting, Shapes | Yes | 9.0/10 | 4.5/5 | Check Price |
| O Ball 1-Piece Rattle & Roll Car | 3 Months and Up | Grip and Roll Car | Motor,
Teethable | No | 8.8/10 | 4.3/5 | Check Price |
| Little Tykes Cozy Coupe 30th Anniversary Car | 18-60 Months | Sit-in Foot Powered Car | Advanced Motor | No | 9.2/10 | 4.4/5 | Check Price |
| Mega Bloks 80-Piece Big Building Bag | 12-60 Months | Building Blocks | Motor,
Colors,
Building | No | 9.6/10 | 4.8/5 | Check Price |
| Nuby Octopus Hoopla Bathtime Fun Toys | 18 Months and Up | Bathtub Buddy | Motor, Hand-Eye Coordination | No | 9.0/10 | 4.4/5 | Check Price |
| Vtech Drill & Learn Toolbox Toy | 24-60 Months | Handy-Kid Tool Toys | Motor, Colors, Numbers, Repair | Yes | 8.5/10 | 4.0/5 | Check Price |
| LeapFrog My Own Leaptop | 24-48 Months | Kid Style Laptop | Language,
Spelling,
Music,
Animals,
Computer Literacy | Yes | 9.8/10 | 4.3/5 | Check Price |
| Play22 Magnetic Wooden Train Set | 36 Months and Up | Wooden Train Set | Motor,
Building,
Colors | No | 9.5/10 | 4.7/5 | Check Price |
| Sesame Street Talking ABC Elmo Figure | 18-48 Months | Talking Elmo Doll | Language, Alphabet,
Music | Yes | 9.4/10 | 4.3/5 | Check Price |
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Carly M
Our 8 months old son kept pulling himself up before we received this amazing walker. He loves standing up by using it and playing with the board. It’s nice to see him develop confidence that he can do it without our help.
This amazing product from Vtech is a fantastic developmental toy for toddlers. It will encourage both fine motor skills as well as color association. Kids will love it because it’s a fun toy for a toddler, and adults will love it because they’ll see their little one’s walking ability grow by leaps and bounds.
The Good
- Vtech Walker is a great learning toy for toddlers, because it promotes multiple areas of their development
- Makes learning to walk an easy and fun experience for your child
- Includes a plastic phone for those fun role play moments
- Toddler activity board is fully detachable for carrying around the house
The Bad
- Parents may have to help their little one to stand before walking with this toddler toy, as it is not designed for a child to pull themselves up from a sitting position
- Vtech Walker requires some assembly
Expert Tip
This hugely fun walker comes in pink as well, making it a great choice as a toddler girl toy
Final Thoughts
This is hands-down one the best learning toys for toddlers as it not only promotes musical creativity and color recognition, but will also strengthen your child’s ability to walk. We definitely think this super cool toddler toy deserves a bipedal medal!
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Kim K.
It was hard to find a toy that would keep our son entertained for hours until we came across this Vtech toddler sports toy. He loves that when he puts the ball in the hoop, it plays a song that he can celebrate his goal and dance to!
When it comes to toddler sports toys you can’t go wrong with this incredibly fun toy from Vtech. With LED lights that light up when a basket is made, and a scoreboard counter to go along with it, your little tyke will have a blast with this interactive toy for toddlers.
The Good
- Comes with both a kid-sized basketball and soccer ball, for twice the fun
- Play center of this cool toddler toy will light up and play music when a basket is made
- In addition to the basket feature, your child can engage the gears and buttons for additional sounds and phrases
- Accurate scoreboard helps develop counting and numeracy, which makes Vtech Sports Center one of the best educational toys for a toddler
The Bad
- Requires 3 AA batteries
- This fun toy for a toddler will require some assembly
Expert Tip
Investing in rechargeable AA batteries will save you loads of money in the long run. Best batteries to buy are sold by Energizer or Duracell
Final Thoughts
If your little kiddo has shown an interest in anything sports related, then this ideal toddler boy toy could be exactly what you’re looking for! If you have all girls at home, but are looking for some toddler gift ideas for maybe a nephew or a family friend’s son, then this is one of the top toddler toys to get.
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Erica J.
My 5 months daughter loves this rattle car! She’s currently teething and the material on the top helps her alleviate some pain. I’m surprised the car still looks great after she bit on it so many times. It’s a fantastic kids’ toy car!
If you’re looking for the perfect set of toy cars for toddlers then look no further! These durable and inexpensive rattle & roll style play cars are a time honored favorite. Whether you’re getting them for your own family, as a gift for a toddler boy, or even as a gift for a toddler girl, these fun cars are sure to please.
The Good
- These cool toddler toys come in a variety of assorted colors, and they’re so inexpensive its a cinch to collect them all
- Small size and soft materials make it perfect for even young toddlers to grip and play with
- Rattles in the wheels make sounds when the toy is played with, encouraging play and helping to develop fine motor skills
- Appropriate for kids ages 3 months and up, so this is one toddler toy that’s good to get early on or buy as a gift for toddler boy or girl
The Bad
- Rattles in wheels might be a noise distraction for some parents
- These toy cars for toddlers do not have a spring-loaded roll-back feature
Expert Tip
The soft material of the dome is designed for teething babies, adding some very helpful versatility to an already fun design
Final Thoughts
There is a good reason these mini-cars are such popular toddler toys. They’re adored by kids, and favored by parents for their strong, safe construction, and their soft materials. Boys especially love to play with these, so if you’re looking for some good gift ideas for a toddler boy then we definitely recommend pickup a few of these up.
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Teresa C.
The best push toy car ever! My children had these and now my grandkids do too. I’m glad these amazing memories can be passed down generations. It’s a very durable toy.
This incredibly fun toy for toddlers is an age old favorite. While Little Tykes came out with this unique toy for toddlers just recently, the Cozy Coupe, in one iteration or another, has been a staple in millions of homes over the last 30 years. Adored by all, this is one of the best toddler girl toys out there, and the same remains true for boys as well.
The Good
- Designed to work when pushed by a parent, but also doubles as a foot powered toy
- This toy car for toddler sports a high-backed seat for extra comfort and safety
- Handle on the back makes it easy to be grabbed and controlled by parents
- Has a fully moveable ignition switch and a gas cap, making it a cool interactive toy for toddlers
The Bad
- This fun toy for toddlers requires some assembly
- Since it’s built for kids, tall parents will have bend down to push the Cozy Coupe
Expert Tip
It’s highly recommended that your child wears close-toed shoes when operating the toy car with foot power in order to protect their feet
Final Thoughts
This is the perfect kid-sized toy car for toddlers to drive around in. Whether it’s for your own family, or for a kids’ party as a toddler gift, you’ll know you bought the best toddler gift when this toy car becomes the envy of the party.
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Ken F.
Our little boy loves building things, so we got him Mega Bloks. These toy blocks are everything we wanted them to be! He lets his imagination run wild and we love watching him make his ideas come to life.
These Mega Bloks are the very same blocks that you and I grew up with as kids, and they’re as fun and relevant as ever! Never mind that they’re the best building toys for toddlers, but they’re also one of the best educational toys for toddlers because of how they teach kids about structure, geometry, and basic concepts of building.
The Good
- Mega Bloks 80-Piece set means the building possibilities are endless, making it one of the best toddler gifts
- Fun colors and easily interlocking shapes makes it simple for your little one to grasp the concept of building
- As a great learning toy for toddlers these Mega Bloks are all in primary colors in order to strengthen color recognition
- Comes with a very convenient storage bag, so that parents aren’t always stepping on the blocks by accident
The Bad
- Only meant for children 1 year old and up
- As this is a great introduction to engineering toys for toddlers, less mechanically inclined children may not find much to enjoy in these blocks
Expert Tip
Mega Bloks are available in larger 250-piece sets, as well as pink, and trendy colors which make them a great gift idea for toddler girls as well as boys
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to wrong with a classic set of building blocks like these. They truly are the perfect building toys for boys, as well as for girls.
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Erica G.
My daughter loves her toy octopus! She never liked the bath, so while she holds and bites the toy, I quickly wash her. Best toy for bath time. Absolutely recommend!
This Nuby octopus is a hugely fun and interactive toy for toddlers. Its purple coloring and cute features are what make this bath time pal one of the best toddler girl toys, and boys are sure to love it too. This tentacled treasure of a toy is sure to become a prerequisite for your child before they even consider getting in the bath.
The Good
- Besides the adorable floating octopus, this cool toddler toy also comes with three floating rings that your child can use to toss onto the octopus’ tentacles
- Helps to develop your toddler’s fine motor skills
- Encourages the daily routine of bath-time by providing a fun, floating pal that doubles as a ring toss game, which turns this cute octopus into an interactive toy for toddlers
- This plastic toy product is 100% BPA free
The Bad
- Only recommended for ages 18 months and up, so depending on the age of your child you may have to wait a bit before buying this
Expert Tip
For families with more than one child, you have the option of buying in packs of two for double the fun
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been having a hard time getting your toddler to take their nightly bath, then this toddler toy could be the answer to your prayers. We highly recommend this for your home, or as a toddler present.
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Jean C.
This is by far our favourite toy! It’s so realistic! Even the drill works like a real one and my son loves squeezing the handle to get the screws to tighten and loosen. Great price too.
For all of those miniature contractors and handy-kids out there who want to fix things just like daddy does, this is definitely one of the most entertaining mechanical toys for toddlers, as well as one of the best gifts for toddler boys (just in case you’ve been struggling to find a good one). Your toddler is sure love all the fun features this interactive toolbox provides.
The Good
- As one of the best toys for toddlers boys this product includes an entire toolbox full of play-tools such as a wrench, hammer, and a drill
- Pressing the drill trigger repeatedly will cause the drill bit to spin, great for role playing and imaginative play
- The light-up buttons of this mechanical toy for toddlers trigger cheerful sounds and music
- Also comes with double sided activity cards for even more role playing fun
The Bad
- Requires 2 AA batteries
- Not recommended for children under 2 years old
Expert Tip
All of the tools and accessories easily fit inside the toolbox, so your toddler will also learn the value of cleaning up after themselves
Final Thoughts
This toy toolbox is sure to put a smile on any toddler who aspires to fix things, and be just like daddy or mommy. All the options of this fun and interactive toy for toddlers will keep your child entertained for hours on end, and with over 125 different sounds and musical tracks it’s unlikely even parents will get tired of hearing it.
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Lisa K.
My 2 year old niece is obsessed with this toy. I gave it to her as a present and now she pretends to be like mommy by imitating how she types on her laptop. This toy laptop helps her learn the alphabet and feel like a big kid.
This LeapFrog Leaptop is without a doubt one of the greatest educational toys for toddlers, and while it makes a very unique toddler gift, it’s also guaranteed to be loved by both child and parent. Its large variety of features, educational value, and price point are why it deserves the highest rating on our top 10 list as one of the best educational toys for toddlers.
The Good
- This cool toddler toy is an excellent way to grow your child’s language and writing skills
- Fun games reinforce your toddler’s knowledge of the alphabet, as well as animal association
- Fully customizable interface, your child will learn computer literacy while learning to spell their own name
- Comes with 4 learning modes as well as 16 different songs and melodies
- LeapFrog Leaptop toddler toy is a winner of an Amazon’s Choice award
The Bad
- Requires 3 AA batteries
- Recommended to be used only under direct supervision of an adult
Expert Tip
Also available in pink, which makes it one of the best gifts for a toddler girl, or for your daughter at home
Final Thoughts
Simply put, this Leaptop is a great buy for so many reasons. Not least of which is how much “quiet time” this will buy you as a parent. Your child will love it because of how fun this learning toy for toddlers is, and you as the parent will love it because it will enhance your child’s language and computer literacy skills.
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David W.
Great set of toy trains and it fits on our wooden tracks very well! My twins play with them all the time. This toy is definitely worth every penny!
We are pleased to reintroduce you to a toddler toy you’re probably very familiar with yourself, but may have forgotten about. Train sets for toddlers like these are a perennial favorite, and have withstood the test of time quite well. Compatible with a wide variety of wooden tracks, these train toys for toddlers are a fantastic buy.
The Good
- This train set for toddlers comes with every type of train car imaginable, from engines to caboose
- Magnetic fronts and backs are kid safe and entirely lead free
- Play22 train set is compatible with major brand names of wooden tracks
- Not only amazingly fun for kids, but also collectable and inexpensive
The Bad
- Train cars do not have a roll-back wind-up feature, must be used by hands
- Included wooden gift box does not come with a lid
Expert Tip
Additional tracks and cars for this fun train toy for toddlers can be purchased to create an entire convoy for the ultimate conductor role play experience
Final Thoughts
For all those little train engineers out there, this train set for toddlers is a clear win. With so many ways to build and play it’s easy for parents to get in on the fun too!
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Martha S.
My baby loves Sesame Street cartoons and we wanted to get her Elmo. It arrived very quickly and instantly became her favourite toy! Elmo has the ABC song and many other phrases. My girl is happy and so are we!
Last but not least is another classic toddler toy. This Elmo toy for toddlers will help your little one practice their ABC’s while also providing them with joy and entertainment for hours. Attractively priced and handsomely dressed, this adorable Elmo toy will make even you feel like a kid again when you hear your child laughing along with him.
The Good
- Has a soft and huggable body, perfect as a daytime and bedtime companion
- In addition to singing the ABC’s this unique toy for toddlers also says 14 fun and distinct phrases
- Your toddler will be singing the alphabet all on their own in no time, making Elmo one of the best educational toys for toddlers
- Hasbro-made with only safe and rigorously tested materials
The Bad
- Only has an automatic off switch
- Clothes are not removable, nor are additional clothes sold separately
Expert Tip
A similarly priced Cookie Monster doll is also available that sings his 123’s, in case your child feels that Elmo needs a friend
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to go wrong with a classic like this. A lot of us remember watching Sesame Street growing up, and this Elmo toy for toddlers is a great way to get your little one to experience the magic first hand. Definitely a worthy buy.
The Bottom Line
Choosing the right toddler toys can feel surprisingly daunting for us as adults. We’ve been grown-ups for so long that we’ve done the one thing we once swore we’d never do, forget what it’s like to be a kid. In that regard we at Net Parents hope you’ve regained some of your inner child after having explored some of these amazingly fun toys for toddlers, and that your decision has been made an easy one. The 10 best toddler toys we’ve selected were chosen based on their value and quality, but mostly we chose them because they’re just so darn fun. Not only are these fun toys affordable, but they’ll also help your little one develop the particular skills they’ll need the start their young lives off right.
This time our favorite product awards go to the LeapFrog Leaptop for its perfect blend of fun combined with skill development, and also to the big ol’ bag of Mega Bloks for its propensity to allow imagination and creativity to flourish.
We’d like to thank you all for stopping by and taking the time to peruse the results of our research on a hunt for the best toddler toys. We wish you and your family all the health and happiness in the world. Until next time.
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“Parenting is a breeze!” – Said no first-time mom EVER. Look we get it: Sleepless nights, lonely days, sore nipples, constant hunger, and the never-ending parenting advice from grandparents, friends, and strangers. When ALL you really want is to enjoy your new baby and get some much-needed sleep. That’s why we at Net Parents spend countless hours scavenging the net and doing our due diligence to find you the best baby must-have items, parenting tips and hacks to make your life just a tiny bit easier. So get some rest, mama, because we got your back!
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