Given how huge the toy market is, it can be surprising how few are suitable for kids under the age of 3. Choking hazards are the main issue: toys for toddlers must not contain any parts below a certain size, so a lot of playsets just won’t work. Unfortunately, online retailers and global marketplaces often use misleading language in product descriptions which makes it hard to identify at a glance what actually is suitable. I’ve seen so many products listed as “baby toys” or even included in search results for 1 or 2 years olds, only to discover “not suitable for children under 36 months” in the small print. You’ve got enough going on without having to worry about that, so I’ve done the work for you. All the toys here come from trusted brand that carefully label their products and certify for use from 6, 12 or 24 months, so you know your baby or toddler can play safely.
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1. John Lewis Wooden Hammer Bench
It’s easy to get carried away with toy tool sets and end up buying huge sets that take up half the bedroom/living room/playroom. Am I speaking from experience? Perhaps! The truth is, all most kids want to do is bang something with a hammer, and this is a controlled way to do so. John Lewis’s wooden toys are really great value and can be handed down to siblings, cousins or friends for sustainable play.
2. VTech Sports Centre 3-in-1
I’ll admit that VTech’s rainbow-coloured toys aren’t the most aesthetically-pleasing for parents but the primary colours, cute images and carefully designed interactive elements keep babies and toddlers entertained like nothing else. For the budding sportsperson in family, this 3-in-1 set allows them to shoot hoops or score goals, with lots of music and interactive features. It’s great for developing motor skills.
3. Mega Bloks First Builders Build ‘n’ Learn Table
Mega Bloks are a bit of a no-brainer once your toddler is ready to build their first towers and vehicles: they’re really robust and click together (and apart) with ease. This table keeps everything neat and tidy, and is great value: I’ve found it on offer for under £25. A top tip for building a bigger brick collection: I see the jumbo bags of Mega Bloks in charity shops all the time, and buying second-hand is a great way to minimise environmental impact.
4. Tomy Hide and Squeak Eggs
Simply known by parents-in-the-know as “the eggs”, if you don’t already have these in your baby toy collection, I can’t recommend them enough. In one small box you get multiple play options for babies who’re just discovering the world: they can take the eggs in and out of the box and put them back in, mix and match their lids, or push the eggs inside to make them squeak. These have been around for years and there’s a reason they’re always a bestseller. Simple but brilliant!
5. Toomies Fountain Rocket Bath Toy
This bath toy was gifted to my son when he was a baby (thanks, Jenni!) and we’ve given it to loads of friends since. It’s got a really simple mechanism that wows toddler and little kids alike: submerge the rocket underwater, and when you lift it out the green plug at the bottom drops and creates a big fountain of water down into the bath. You can use this to help with a hair wash, or just play around swooshing and refilling the rocket over and over. It lasts well too: we still play with ours years later!
6. Le Toy Van Honeybake Tea Set
A tea set is a great toddler toy as it taps into their obsession with pretend play, but also teaches life skills that’ll be useful in the future – in this case, how to balance food and drink on a tray (which they’ll need once they’re getting school lunches). I love this fun twist on the toy in quality wood with polka dots, jammie biscuits and even a little teabag included. There are even doily coasters!
7. Janod Dinosaur Sorting Table
Janod’s lovely wooden toys are all gorgeous, but this one is a real highlight – a super-cute activity table that’ll help crawlers to build the strength in their legs to start walking, while developing their fine motor skills too with tracks, cogs, eggs and all kinds of dinosaur-themed activities. It’s quite small, so good for smaller homes or flats, but that compact size doesn’t mean it has any less impact.
8. Toot Toot Drivers Police Station
For kids who love vehicles, this is one of the only ranges that’s suitable from toddler age, due to the slightly larger size of both the vehicles and the tracks. You can build huge worlds by combining sets and tracks, or buy the cars invidually. They’re hugely popular, so it’s always worth checking out Facebook marketplace or Vinted for second-hand sets, but if you want to start a collection with something new, this one is great value and which toddler doesn’t love a police-themed set?
9. Jacques of London Shape Sorter Board
This is a great puzzle toy that teaches kids about shape recognition, while also giving them an early lesson in colour theory on the side. Although it looks simple, it actually has loads of opportunities for open-ended play. The individual pieces can be put into the base at different angles or in a different order, so your child can play around with building the shapes in different ways, rearranging the board for loads of different options. At under £15 it’s a great gift for a first birthday.
10. Lamaze Freddie the Firefly
This cute little guy is up there with Sophie la Girafe when it comes to magical baby toys. It was the first toy we ever got for our son, and went with us everywhere. Each wing and body segment is a different high contrast colour and texture, with crackly, crinkly and shiny surfaces for tiny hands to explore. There’s also a built-in teether, squeaker and clicking rings, making it brilliant for little explorers.
11. Matchstick Monkey Bathtime Slide Set
Another fun bath time toy, the slide sticks with suction on to tiles or the edge of the bath, then three monkey “rocks” can be rolled down and into the water. It benefits from Matchstick Monkey’s “Biocote Antimicrobial Protection”, which is also used in the brand’s teethers. It aims to reduce microbes on the surface, reducing the likelihood of mould or mildew, so this toy should last longer than some other bath toys.
12. Little Dutch Activity Spiral
A great space-saving option, this has a lot of similar elements to a larger activity cube/table in a smaller, more transportable toy. The wood is also robust, so if it gets chucked out of a pushchair it’ll probably survive! Little Dutch’s attention to detail is unparalleled, the farm animals in this set are adorable and your baby will have great fun exploring them and building fine motor skills.
13. Lovevery Play Kits
Lovevery’s play kits take the guesswork out of knowing which toys work for each stage, with developmentally-appropriate sets from 0 months right the way up to age 3, designed for each stage of growth and development. They’re very expensive, but could be the only toys you need. The sets work on a subscription basis with a new one sent every 3 months, but there’s no commitment: if you buy one and decide you don’t want any more, just cancel.
Why are the prices in the links different to the ones on the image at the top?
As a general rule I list the full RRP on the image as this is how I categorise products into price ranges. However, brands and retailers often hugely discount toys, especially in the run-up to Christmas. I try to find the best deals to actually link to, so l will share the cheapest price I’ve found for you to shop.
