Top 5 Best Christmas Gifts for Toddlers | 2016 Reviews
It’s nearly time for everyone’s favorite holiday: Christmas! Have you gotten your shopping list ready? Well, if you haven’t, you have come to the right place because we have all sorts of list of gift recommendations for all ages.
Right now we are talking Christmas gifts for toddlers and older babies.
It can be a little tricky to look for the right toddler toys for this age but with a little help from us, you should be able to find the perfect match. How do you choose the perfect toys for toddlers?
Toddler age, which is anywhere between 1 and 3 years, is usually the time for a lot of milestones including walking, running, jumping, eating on their own, getting potty trained and so on. Kids at this age love playing with colorful items particularly those that have a lot of colors or those that will move around and make sounds.
It is also a good idea to give out Christmas toys that help in their physical and mental development. This could be those items that encourage and enhance both gross and fine motor skills as well as those that will teach them to recognize colors, shapes and so on.
You will have to be careful about giving out toys for 2 year olds as some of them can present a choking hazard. Make sure that they do not have small parts that could pose a risk to the kid playing it. As much as possible, the best toys for toddlers are those that are composed of very few parts and are large enough that it cannot fit inside their mouths.
Are you now ready to check out our list of cool Christmas presents for toddlers? Here are the top 5 best Christmas gifts for these kiddos.
Quick Comparison Table
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Mega Bloks Big Building Bag |
Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack |
VTech Drop and Go Dump Truck |
Crayola Large Washable Crayons |
Fisher-Price Little People Surprise and Sounds Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 |
 |
 |
 |
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$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
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12 months to 5 years |
6 months to 2 years |
6 months to 5 years |
1 year onwards |
12 months to 5 years |
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Mega Bloks Big Building Bag
When looking for the best toddler toys, you can never go wrong with building blocks. They provide endless fun and entertainment for kiddos, both boys and girls.
But, what is even better about this Mega Bloks building bag is they come with huge blocks that are just the right size for tiny hands to grip on. That means there are no small parts to worry about and thus no risk of choking your kid in case they stay unattended even for a short while. It is also a huge plus for parents who hate stepping or would never want to experience stepping tiny blocks in the middle of the night.
This bag contains 80 pieces of huge building blocks, which is enough to build castles, towers, animals and so on. It helps out stretch your kid’s creativity and encourage fine motor skills and also provides hours of open-ended play, which is essential for their development. Its handy storage bag makes it possible to bring along the toys wherever you go.
These building blocks are the perfect toys for toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children alike. They can start out with stacking at least two blocks together and eventually move on to using more and even creating complicated structures through a pattern or on their own. The beauty about this gift for toddlers is that it can be used for years! You can also add more blocks to your collection to create even bigger structures.
There is probably nothing negative that parents and kids can say about these huge building blocks. They are easy to grip, use, stack together and take apart. They are easy to store and take out. They also do not pose a choking hazard and will not hurt your foot in case they get stepped on in the middle of the night.
For all these plus points, we are putting the Mega Blok Big Building Bag into the top spot of our list.
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Details of the Mega Bloks Big Building Bag |
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|---|---|
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Weight |
3 pounds |
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Dimensions |
12 x 6 x 14 inches |
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No. of Pieces |
80 |
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Recommended Age |
12 months to 5 years |
Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack
Bright colors, shiny reflections and swirling beads are sure to stimulate a toddler’s visual development and will definitely catch their attention for a long time.
The colors are enough to keep a baby busy, even those younger than six months, and they will enjoy it even more once they start learning how to stack the rings. Putting the rings on the post will help improve their motor skills as well as their eye-hand coordination. It is a great toy for all-around development for young kids of any age.
Perhaps the only biggest flaw that is preventing the stacking rings from becoming the best gift for 1 year old is that it has tiny holes in each of the pieces. You definitely cannot take them out and use as a bath toy; in fact, keep it out of the water as much as possible, as the water could get trapped inside and mold could build up without you knowing it. Before playing, make sure to wipe the surface clean to get rid of any contaminants.
There have been reports about the blue dye coming off from this product but it could be because the consumers having these complaints received the knock-off product. Make sure to check where the product was made (opt for Mexico and not China) and buy only from trusted sellers that will guarantee high-quality products.
Otherwise, there is really nothing else to say about this toy. It’s a classic that many generations of babies have enjoyed before and new babies should continue enjoying this product as well.
We love that they are fun and easy to use and they do not take up a lot of space and weight when they are brought around during travel. Plus, this toy is a very cheap investment for something that is durable and would last long. Still, we would have to place this one at the second spot in our list.
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Details of the Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack |
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|---|---|
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Weight |
1.1 pounds |
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Dimensions |
11.4 x 10.4 x 9.8 inches |
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No. of Pieces |
6 |
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Recommended Age |
6 months to 2 years |
VTech Drop and Go Dump Truck
Toddler boy toys are all about going rough and that is probably the main reason why drop and go dump trucks are a big hit for them. Looking for such a toy? Well, here’s one you should check out.
This truck will let the little boys drop rocks, balls or small toys into the back of the truck, which is a great way for learning numbers and counting. They can then turn it into a push and pull toy which will allow the little ones to hear the little rocks rumble and tumble around inside. It might not seem much but this little toy truck also helps develop motor skills as learn to lift the hinged bucket and unload the contents.
The set already comes with plastic balls that can fit through the hole on the truck. What we love most is that it teaches the kiddos to count as the little boulders get inside. It also has three colorful buttons that can be pushed to play melodies, phrases and teach tools and colors. It combines a lot of playing options making it one of the best toys for 2 year olds, 3 year olds and even older.
This construction toy is best given for kids between 6 months and 3 years old as this will give endless hours of fun and entertainment. You can even bring this one outdoors so your child can scoop, dump and unload sand in the beach or the playground. Of course, you will have to make sure that it doesn’t get wet as it does have electronic parts inside.
Perhaps the biggest concern with using this product is its string, which can be a potential risk to the kid using it. Make sure it does not get tangled around their wrists, ankles or even their neck or better yet, cut it off to prevent any untoward incidents from happening. As such, we are pushing this toy truck to the middle of our list.
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Details of the VTech Drop and Go Dump Truck |
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|---|---|
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Weight |
1.9 pounds |
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Dimensions |
7.6 x 9.9 x 5.4 inches |
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Batteries |
2 AAA |
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Recommended Age |
6 months to 5 years |
Crayola Large Washable Crayons
Although this might be considered as one of the best toys for 4 year olds, washable crayons are still great Christmas gift ideas for younger kiddos.
What is great about this set of crayons is that they come in large sizes, perfect for a toddler’s tiny grip. It can be difficult to teach the pincer grasp which will come useful when they start learning to write and this is among the best ways to teach such skill.
Another thing we like about this product is that it comes off very easily. Just a quick wipe using wet wipes and you can take it out from floors and clothes right away. This is a huge plus for parents who have kids who constantly scribble on walls, floors, furniture and other surfaces inside the house. At least parents do not have to worry about cleaning up after their children. However, there are also a few minor flaws that we found about these great gifts for toddlers. For one, it melts very easily so even if you just place it near something warm, it would already start to get soft. But, even using it in the gentlest manner could already lead to it breaking. We noticed that even if the crayons are not being pressed too hard or thrown, they break off very easily.
This then leads to having very small particles around when they start breaking off. It gets around very easily: hands, face, surfaces and it becomes scary for parents because the little ones might place it in their mouths. We suggest allowing smaller toddlers to play with these washable crayons only when supervised. Anyway, parents will have a great time watching them scribbling their heart out.
These crayons provide great entertainment for kids without having parents worry about cleaning up after their mess. And, while it is made of non-toxic material, there is still a huge concern about kiddos placing the crayons inside their mouths which is why we will have to put this on the fourth position in our list of best Christmas gifts for toddlers.
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Details of the Crayola Large Washable Crayons |
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|---|---|
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Weight |
3.2 ounces |
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Dimensions |
0.8 x 3.8 x 4.7 inches |
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No. of Pieces |
8 / 16 / 24 / 36 |
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Recommended Age |
1 year onwards |
Fisher-Price Little People Surprise and Sounds Home
The last in our list is certainly not the least but we just have to rank it in the fifth position because of other considerations.
This Fisher-Price Little People home is the perfect gift for 2 year old girls and onwards. Little girls love playing pretend and playing house and this is just the right toy for them. The front door can even be opened and closed making it very interactive.
Of course, there are also little people that can be moved around as well as other accessories inside the toy house. The little girls – and boys – can touch around as well as listen and sing their hearts out along with the sounds, songs and phrases that this toy house plays. There is even an alarm clock that will let Little Emma flip out of bed! Other interactive places around the house include the oven and refrigerator doors and toilet seats.
Parents will have to be careful about letting the young ones play with this one as it does come with little parts which could be a potential choking hazard. Make sure that they stay supervised during play and that the batteries are made hard to access for the little ones.
Pretend play using this little toy house can be made fun and even more enjoyable because of the interactive parts. You might just enjoy listening to your little girls as they create stories and conversations using the little toy people. It would be fun to see how kiddos reenact their routines at home through this toy!
We love that the toy home can be easily packed and stored so they are great for bringing during short travels to a hotel or to grandma’s house. The only biggest concern is the small parts that might travel into the mouths of the little ones. So, after weighing all the pros and cons, we will have to put this at the bottom of the list.
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Details of the Fisher-Price Little People Surprise and Sounds Home |
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|---|---|
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Weight |
5.6 pounds |
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Dimensions |
24.2 x 5 x 15.8 inches |
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Batteries |
2 AA |
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Recommended Age |
12 months to 5 years |
Conclusion
Whew. Did you enjoy our round up of the best Christmas gifts for toddlers? We sure hope so. We have carefully put together this list so that it is able to cater to both boys and girls within the toddler age range.
If you are giving a gift for someone else’s kid, make sure to check with the parent if they already have the item you are planning to buy to avoid duplicates. You might also want to ask the parent to see what preferences and favorites the kiddos have as it could help you find a better match for them.
Now have fun and enjoy shopping for cute toys for toddlers! We also have a list of Top 5 Best Christmas Gifts for Infants.
Originally posted 2016-09-06 08:16:49.
The post Top 5 Best Christmas Gifts for Toddlers | 2016 Reviews appeared first on ParentsNeed.
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