Top Gifts for Toddlers

There are so many choices when you’re looking to buy a gift for a toddler.  You want it to be special but aren't sure how to decide. 

Here are five very popular toddler gifts and some reasons why kids love them:

1.  Rocking Horse

A rocking horse is perhaps one of the all-time favorite gifts for small children, and with good reason. They develop and encourage coordination and are just plain fun.  Plus kids often “adopt” their horse as a new best friend.  You can find seated rocking horses that are designed for kids who don’t yet walk.  And of course regular rocking toys are available for kids from 1 to well over 5 years.  Rocking horses are also a favorite baby shower or gift for a newborn.  Even though the little one can’t play with it just yet, it's an heirloom gift that is sure to make a splash.

2.  Dollhouses

Girls begin to love dollhouses at a very early age. Playing with dolls and a dollhouse allows children to act out and resolve issues from their every day life. Believe it or not, this is serious play! And don't rule boys out. They enjoy and benefit from imaginary play like this just as much as girls do. If you feel that a dollhouse wouldn't go over well as a gift for a toddler boy, consider any one of a number of miniature activity sets designed with boys in mind. You can find farm, castle, fire station and other play sets.

3. Jigsaw Puzzles

Yes, toddlers can do jigsaw puzzles.  In fact, they get quite good at it.  Start off with easy puzzles and soon they’re on to more and more challenging ones.  In the beginning, the simplest puzzles are appropriate, but a toddler who puts together a lot of puzzles can quickly outpace their own age recommendations.  Children not only get a big sense of accomplishment by completing a puzzle, they get the added benefit of enhancing their special and fine motor skills.

4.  Educational Toys

There are more educational toys available today than ever.  The great thing is that they usually clearly state what skills and age level they are geared toward.  This makes shopping for the right gift a breeze.  Also, many educational toys have a range of accessories that can be purchased to go with them.  This gives you the option of buying the base toy and/or accessories for a toy they already have.

5.  Crafts

These need to be age-appropriate, but toddlers love to create.  Different shapes, sizes and materials are exciting.  Try to keep the crafts simple and each using only a few items so that the child is not overwhelmed.  At this age, they can begin to glue (non-toxic glue sticks are great) and cut (child safety scissors only!), with adult supervision of course.