The best educational toys for young children

Whether your little one has started at nursery or school, is enjoying school holidays or has yet to enter an early years setting at all, there are plenty of educational toys to help encourage their learning at home and keep it exciting. But did you know that children are ready for educational toys from as early as six to nine months?

Here, we look at the best educational toys for kids – whatever their age!

For babies and toddlers, educational toys should encourage those ‘firsts’; the moments that will live with you forever more. Our Learn and Play range is designed to create special memories in every first milestone your little one reaches, from six months to six years and beyond!

Designed to grow with children from six months to three years old, My Buddy is an adorable elephant plush that gives the best cuddles. Choose between Lalaphant (in pink) and Triumphant (in blue) and watch as your little one and their new best friend experience lots of fantastic firsts together, from discovering textures and sensations (from six months in age) to learning about the alphabet, counting, musical instruments and how to follow directions (from 18 months old).

When it comes to encouraging gross and fine motor skills, our award-winning Activity Garden provides plenty of opportunities for growing tots to get moving and safely explore the world around them! Perfect for children aged between six months to five years old, the Activity Garden can be transformed from an enclosed play environment for babies, to a two-sided play centre for toddlers. Featuring a crawl-through archway, interactive telephone, shape-sorter, music, spinning toys, mirrors and clickers, the skill-building and role play possibilities are endless.

At four years old, little ones thrive in role play. Their big imaginations and growing understanding of job roles and responsibilities make for adorable play scenarios! Look to toys that encourage that role play – pretend kitchens and construction benches, for example. For this age group, we recommend our Rescue Tales Scrub ‘n Groom Bathtub, which comes with a real working grooming tub, shower handle and scrubber – and it’s just perfect for fun water play! From shampooing and grooming their pup to keeping them entertained in the tub with a rubber duck and even wiping away their tear, this super-cute role play toy helps boost empathy and fosters social skills and imagination.

Our fantastic Cape Cottage is based on similar role play themes. Little ones love playing ‘home’ and in this contemporary playhouse, with working doors and windows and a letterbox, they can really stretch their imagination! Roleplaying in a ‘playhouse’ setting like this is also fantastic for improving social skills and interaction with others, as well as expanding dialogue.

The best early learning toys for five-year-olds prioritise fun and engagement, which helps them learn essential skills like language, communication and problem solving. At this age, choose toys that will build upon what children are learning in class. Learning should be fun, and educational toys are a great tool for reinforcing that learning at home.

Here at Little Tikes, we love our Tobi^™ Robot Smartwatch because of its exciting sound effects, moving arms and legs and over 100 expressions! But when it comes to educational toys for a five-year-old boy or girl, we believe you can’t beat this innovative robot smartwatch. It encourages kids to get active, developing their physical skills and co-ordination, with a dance game and built-in pedometer! It also encourages their numerical and mathematical skills as they learn to tell the time on over 50 analogue and digital watch faces. Plus, Tobi^™ can help develop their organisational skills (parents can set reminders!) and is packed with other fun features, including two cameras to take silly selfies and videos! Find out more about Tobi^™ Robot Smartwatch.

“Learning journey” takes on a whole new meaning with the Learning Activity Suitcase! The pretend play aspect of this versatile toy will help six-year-olds develop their imagination, social skills and vocabulary as they day trip, staycation, head off on hols or enjoy a playdate at home. Jam-packed with fun guided activities, six interactive maps, boarding pass, passport and more than 60 songs, sounds and travel phrases, the Learning Activity Suitcase makes the perfect educational gift for a six-year-old girl or boy, and will ensure that every day is a holiday, for years to come.

Do you have an entrepreneur in the making? The 3-in-1 Garden-to-Table Market allows budding business owners to set up shop. Have your little one incorporate growing veg and flowers from scratch, then making and selling their produce, into their role play. From learning about healthy eating and the environment, to practicing those early maths skills with the working weighing scales, the educational benefits of this beautiful role play toy are .

Creativity knows no bounds with the Tobi™ 2 Director’s Camera! Two high-definition cameras capture all the action, while aspiring film makers and photographers can get super-inventive with the green screen and 40 built-in backgrounds. Editing is a doddle with the camera’s controller, and taking selfies is great fun thanks to the flip-out camera, selfie stick and auto timer. There are games to keep little ones entertained for hours, and the camera even communicates with the Tobi™ 2 Robot Smartwatch as a remote control! See the full Tobi™ 2 range for more interactive tech toys.

Take the time to find the right educational toys for your kids and watch as they thrive in their learning and develop their ever-growing imagination. They’re never too young to start that wonderful voyage of discovery! Shop our full range of toys.