So…..? how do YOU choose a toy as a new parent for your little one?

Play is the art of a child, to aid in mastering this art there are millions of toys that have been created. These toys vary according to one’s intended purpose and age. Some of the factors which I have given importance to, to say they are the best toys will be in relation to developing physical skills, enhancing speech and language,e and general toys to stimulate cognitive development. I will be referring to them all under ‘educational toys’. However, there are many other factors we must also consider before choosing the right toys, to ensure we provide learning opportunities to have fun and provide enabling and stimulating environments for children to explore, play, and develop learning skills.

Trying to decide what makes a toy educational can be very confusing. To help you solve this confusion I will List the best educational toys that will help children learn and keep your little ones busy and entertained for longer than normal periods!

To discover the amazing world of educational toys, I suggest YOU KEEP READING!….

Joyreal Wooden Busy Board

Educational purpose: hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Age suitability: 2+ years
Best age: 30 months
Size and weight: 19.8 x 11.2 x 5.5 cm; 320 g 
Batteries x2 AAA (Not included)

The Iconic and versatile busy board, alternatively known as an activity board, sensory board, and Montessori busy board, are all words used referencing a busy board. The main aim of this board is to allow children to explore real-life objects safely independently, along with making it interesting and exciting for them to stay focused for longer periods. That is exactly what this wooden busy board would do for your little ones, it stimulates the brain to keep trying to plug the keys in and switch the lights on and off as it’s exciting to see the lights switch on and off. Dr Maria Montessori an early famous Educator, believes having all kinds of household appliances on a busy board benefits a child’s intellectual, verbal, sensory, and physical development.

This particular board is aimed mainly at early 2-year-olds as it has just enough on it, which will be a challenge at first at the same time it’s fun with the features it offers of rotating the plugs and the colorful lights.

This board has soft rounded edges which makes it safe for a child to play with it on their own and it’s not too big either, it can be taken with you in the car and on holiday to keep those little fingers and minds busy on long journeys.

Desire Deluxe Magnetic Building Blocks Tiles Desire Deluxe

Educational purpose: spatial awareness, learning to build and name colours, social skills
Age suitability: 2+ years
Best ages: 2-8years 
Size and weight: ‎10.16 x 18.54 x 22.35 cm; 1.77 kg Box
Batteries None

So what’s the hype about these multi-functional magnetic tiles, you must have seen them all over social media, in shops, schools, and nurseries. Let me enlighten you on them, this is one of my personal favorites, as it brings out all that creativity that you never imagined you had.

These magnetic tiles are colorful with soft edges so safe for children aged 2 to play with independently. Due to their versatile properties, younger children stay entertained for longer as they are easy to take apart and join together.

They come in simple shapes so children can start to learn the names of shapes along with using them to build amazing structures. These magnetic tiles can be used as a family favorite and in group settings which motivate children to work together and communicate their ideas. They aren’t only a success for physical skills but also for social skills.

Talking Flash Cards

Educational purpose: Reading, building vocabulary
Age suitability: 3+ years
Best ages: 3-10years 
Size and weight: ‎ 8.9L x 6.1W cm,
Batteries: 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included)

This amazing machine is so simply designed yet is one of the most useful tools for parents and teachers to use, to help children learn the names of different things and even learn to read the words on the flash cards.

This exceptional device benefits early phonics as it gives the sound of animal noises, car horns, and much more, which helps in developing listening skills and ultimately getting children ready for phonics in formal schooling settings.

A great device to start with when homeschooling also, due to the sound feature on the device it attracts the 2-3-year-olds to listen, hence helping to develop attention span and furthermore, increasing vocabulary. It is a great tool to enhance cognitive ability without the use of an iPad, tablet, or TV, it aids in reducing screen time.

LeapFrog LeapStart Electronic Book

Educational Purpose: Get ready for School, Maths, reading, getting interactive, language skills, problem solving
Supports the British National Curriculum
Recommended by 97% teachers
Age suitability: 2+ years
Best ages: 2-7years 
Size and weight: ‎ 4.59 x 28 x 27 cm; 1.02 kg
Batteries: x3 AA batteries (not included)

Wow! This great product is so interactive for children to kick start their learning journey in a fun, exciting and stimulating way. This leapfrog, leap start is aimed at age 2, at first some activities may be challenging, however, due to its soft and colorful features the 2-3-year-old will stay engaged and learn new words and concepts easily.

This great item compliments the British national curriculum from nursery up to year 1. As children grow older you can also get higher-ability learning books which you can install by just using Windows or Mac software and an internet connection.

This comes with an attached stylus (Interactive pen) which is easy for children to hold and has its own storage space attached, with easy-to-hold and carry-on-the-go handles. This amazing electronic learning book helps with learning to read and write and much, much more.

It is a great product for home-schooling parents, as it’s a guide for both children and parents on what children should be learning at certain ages and stages. This product can be passed down once and used with multiple aged children at the same time such as for siblings.

Aquadoodle Super Rainbow Deluxe Large Water Doodle Mat

Educational Purpose:  Writing skills, Drawing skills, creativity, language development
Age suitability: 18+ months 
Best ages: 2-7years 
Size and weight: ‎27.94 x 5 x 34.01 cm; 309.01 g

This large doodle mat is an artistic haven for your little ones, as they can be engaged for hours as they scribble, draw, and design. The pen will need to be filled with water and then used to draw so you can see the beautiful colors appear as you get busy in the world of Aquadoodle.

This doodle mat is safe for children aged 18 months as it only requires water and no real paint, it comes with a paintbrush, to help toddlers kickstart their fine and gross motor skills and early learning journey. Once it’s dry, the drawing fades away and you can start again. This makes a great gift for any occasion as it’s suitable for children as they grow up too.

AIYAPLAY Trike with Adjustable Seat

Educational purpose: Developing gross motor skills, exploring outdoors, learning safety (EYFS)
Age suitability: 2-4 years  
Size and weight ‎ 70.5 x 53 x 58 cm; 4.6 kg‎
Batteries: None

A modern design and neutral-colored tricycle that has this unique feature of an adjustable seat, the benefit of this trike is it will grow with your child, so they can use it for longer period of time. At the same time, it is designed to ensure the utmost comfort.

It also has this cute basket at the front, so whether you go on a walk to your local shops or ride to the nursery it can carry a few personal items, which help children take responsibility for their belongings. Parents say, it is a sturdy and easy-to-put-together bike and like that,t it comes in a few different colors. The best part of the tricycle is that it has a bell, so children will learn safety on the road at an early stage, as they can alert others as they are riding past.

Qukir Bowling Set Kids

Educational Purpose: Early Maths, PSED Development through taking turns (EYFS)
Age suitability: 1+ year 
Best ages 2-6years 
Size and weight:‎ 14.5 x 9 x 28 cm; 320 g ‎
Batteries: None

Is your child active and always wants to run around and throw things? Then why not get them these awesome soft bowling pins? Which will assist your toddler’s instincts to throw and run. They will get a chance to make their throwing purposeful, the balls and the bowling pins are soft, so children can play without getting hurt. This bowling set will help children to improve hand-eye coordination as well as their gross motor skills and fitness, as they aim to throw the pins. It will also aid in learning to recognize written numbers and counting consecutively 1-10 which is also a requirement in the EYFS curriculum.