Top Toddler Toys

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Toddlers...there is a lot to say about toddlers. They are these adorable little humans that will have you laughing, crying, screaming, and wanting to just lay down and sleep all within a 15-minute time frame. I still wouldn't trade mine for the world. It's true what they say about little boys having a special bond with their mama Braxton is my best friend...most of the time. I will admit we are going through a little bit of a power struggle at the moment. This pregnancy has been a very rough one and has caused me to be a little bit lax with my parenting style, Braxton has taken full advantage! I swear over the last few months he has become this tiny little boss of me, I'm not okay with it at all but I'm also too exhausted at 34 weeks pregnant to do much to change it, please don't judge. The only way we have gotten through this phase in life without me killing my toddler daily is with the great selection of toys we have.

Now before we get into the toy selection let me just start with, I am more of a minimalist than some parents in the aspect of we don't buy a lot of small noisy toys. I try to be very conscious of the toys I buy and make sure they will last for the next kid we add and they will hold up to rough play which often means they are a little pricier but they last for a long time and have multiple ways to play. My husband also grew up in a very low-income family so it's hard for him to buy toys and things that aren't the essentials for our kid and I try to respect that as much as possible.

Lovevery

First up on the list is my absolute favorite. Lovevery! They are amazing, high quality, and work with your child's development for the age group they are in. We signed up for Lovevery when Braxton was 5 months old so we don't have the complete set but I plan on getting the first couple with this next baby to complete the set. He is 2 years old (28 months) and they remain the highlight toys of choice. The way the toys are designed has helped Braxton with every phase of development, his fine motor skills improved, his imaginative play grew and his critical thinking started to come into play with real-life situations. They offer a parent guide with each box that gives you a timeline of when to introduce each item of the box as well as other ways to play with each item than the ways you would think. The toys are bright and colorful, and they are made with high-quality wood and other materials that make them safe for babies and last through very rough toddler play.

Nugget Couch

Next up is the glorious nugget, the most simple design that creates hours of fun for all ages of kids. I was skeptical when we bought this for Braxton, it's a little pricy and in my mind, at the time I thought it was crazy to pay that much money for essentially a toddler couch. Let me tell you, it is worth it! There is a reason it's a craze and people have two or three sets of nuggets for their families, it's because they are amazing. We got ours before Braxton was walking and it was so great at helping him with crawling and learning to climb. It is also great for imaginative play and obstacle courses. We used to set it up as a slide off of our couch and into the ball pit... this was a huge hit! It's a little harder to pick up all the balls now with this giant pregnant belly so we have retired the ball pit temporarily. The nugget is still used daily for activities to get some energy out, I set it up as a long jumping pad, as a slide, and tumble track to work on his summersaults. The cover is easy to wash, they also have extra protective covers if you need them. They have an amazing selection of colors and a pattern collection. Trust me they are worth it and you should just get it!

Play Kitchen

Play kitchens are such an amazing way to inspire imaginative play, they are also adorable and add a finishing touch to any playroom. Braxton LOVED playing with other kids' kitchens so we were super excited when he got one for Christmas from his Mimi and Papa. We had purchased a few Melissa and Doug play food items to go with and voila his little dream kitchen was set up and ready to go. He loves to play with the pots and pans and the little ice cubes that came with the kitchen, but his favorite has been practicing his cutting skills with the fake food. He will sit there for almost 20-30 mins cutting his loaf of bread sticking it back together and repeating the process. we have also started to let him help us in the kitchen with his little wooden knife, he helps with watermelon, cheese, or any soft food really and loves it! He also eats more when we involve him in preparing it which is a huge plus for picky eaters!

Trampoline

This one may not be for everybody but it has been a huge hit and the best for getting energy out when I don't have any to take him to the park. A mini Trampoline we got ours off of amazon on sale so it was only $50 and that's pretty much all we got him for his 2nd birthday. It lights up, plays music, has a support bar for when they are just starting out and it folds up to be stored away. This was a Godsend when my morning sickness was at its worst, I brought it inside and set it up in front of the couch, and while I slept and silently died of nausea my kid happily jumped and thought it was the best thing in the world. Sometimes I would add the nugget in front and whoa whole new adventure jumping from one thing to the next finishing with a big butt bomb!

Ball Pit

Last but not least a ball pit. This is one for the moms with a ton of patience and doesn't mind A. either picking up balls all day long, or B. don't mind balls EVERYWHERE! This was my awesome idea for his first birthday which I quickly regretted. That being said it is still one of his favorite things to play and explore with, I just really had to learn to let it go and be okay with the balls everywhere for a while. He is now at the point where he picks up his toys so it makes it a lot easier. Our ball pit came from amazon as well as the 600 balls... yes you read that right I got 600 balls. We started with 300 but I wanted it to be almost full so he could jump and bury himself in there. They are anti-break balls and have held up so far. To clean them I dump them in the bath and hose them off then add some soap soak them for a while and rinse again. Braxton's new favorite way to play with it is to hide the dog toy in the bottom and giggle as the dog digs through the balls to find it.

There are so many amazing toys out there for kids and we have a lot of educational books, puzzles, and activity books that Braxton enjoys, but all the ones in this list are the big long-lasting staples of our playroom. They encourage so many different ways to play and get lots of energy out with simple activities. As we all know with toddlers is an essential part of surviving the day with them. I swear Braxton is the little energizer bunny until all of a sudden he isn't and needs a nap like that second or all hell breaks loose, but with the help of these toys we make it through the day with lots of fun and learning. So hopefully these awesome toys help make parenting a little easier for you too!