10 Best Toys & Gifts for 4 Year Old Girls in 2018

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Wasn’t it just yesterday that your 4-year-old girl was learning to walk? Now she’s growing faster than ever. It can be tough to know exactly what toys and gifts are right for her. We know you want to give her the best toys that will not only keep her entertained, but will also help her reach critical developmental milestones. Luckily, we’ve done the research and collected the 10 best toys for 4 year old girls that are both educational and fun.

If you’re short on time, jump down to the 10 best toys for 4 year old girls list below. Otherwise, read on to learn about the most common developmental milestones for 4 year old girls that this list focuses on achieving.

You’ll notice that there’s an abundance of physical toys on this particular list. Since girls soar ahead of boys in terms of their fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and even social skills at this age, they tend to fall behind in regards to gross motor skills. Many of the toys on this list will help them improve in that area while they’re smiling and laughing and having the time of their lives!

4-Year-Old Developmental Milestones

Welcome to the year of “why?” It may help you stockpile patience to know that this is an expected, normal, and important developmental milestone. Her curiosity and questioning shows she’s building a vocabulary of more than 1,000 words and using complicated sentences that combine more than one thought.

At 4, your girl’s language skills are developing at an explosive rate. She’ll be able to make up stories and goofy words, rhyme, and sing silly songs. You’ll probably even notice that she can pronounce most sounds correctly – but maybe not so much s, w, and r sounds – follow simple, unrelated directions, and ask you the meaning of unfamiliar words. And try not to laugh at the utter cuteness when she vehemently argues with you even though her argument is completely illogical! It’s an important skill that she’s learning and will enable her to question and reason as she grows.

Your 4-year-old girl will now, sometime before her 5th birthday, be able to understand abstract ideas such as bigger, less, later, ago, and soon and know the difference between real and make believe. She can think in logical steps, focus on a task for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and see the consequences of an action.

And those gross motor skills that she’s working on? While 4-year-old boys may pull ahead in this area, she can still throw and bounce a ball, jump over objects and climb playground ladders, pedal and steer a tricycle or bike, do log rolls and somersaults, and even skip and trot. With a little encouragement and opportunity – even though she really loves painting or pretending or puzzles – she could soon break even with those boys, and maybe even outdo them!

The most enjoyable part of this year will be watching her hit her social and emotional milestones. Be aware that she’ll start telling small lies to get out of trouble, even though she knows it’s wrong, and do or say things she shouldn’t just to see what your reaction will be. And grab a Kleenex because you’ll need it when she shares, cooperates, tries to be helpful, and takes turns with others – especially when she finds an imaginary friend and plays the same imaginary games over and over. Most of all, enjoy your many belly laughs as she tells silly jokes and laughs herself silly over things she can now find funny!

Remember, though, that all children are different. While your 4-year-old girl should eventually hit all these milestones, they all do it in their own time and on their own terms. They all have different interests and talents that will manifest at different times. Sit back and relax and enjoy the process knowing that you’ve given her the best chance at developing in a healthy fashion by choosing the best toys for her development and happiness. Read on and choose your favorites to buy your 4 year old girl. And don’t forget to jump in and join her fun!

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 4 Year Old Girls

1. Flybar My First Foam Pogo Jumper

Watch as she masters basic skills such as hand-eye coordination, balance, and strength, and listen as she giggles relentlessly at the squeaking noise the foam makes every time she lands on it. What better way to encourage a healthy, physical lifestyle at the same time as allowing your 4 year old the freedom of endless fun?

One of the most highly rated toys of the year, this $17 jumper is a simple take on the pogo stick you enjoyed – even if you never did master it. Remember trying to beat your best count before you fell over? This junior version made with a soft durable foam base, strong stretchy bungee “spring,” and soft comfortable foam grip handles is great for any surface and will give her the skills and confidence to one day graduate to the big Pogo stick – or just to keep enjoying physical activity.

Buy for $16.99 on Amazon

2. Fisher-Price Little People Surprise & Sounds Home

Your 4-year-old girl still loves to mimic what she sees, and now she loves to play pretend because she knows the difference between real and make believe. Now she can play out scenarios – by herself or with her imaginary friend(s) – with this $45 fold-up home that includes mom, dad, and daughter characters and interactive additions such as the push-in alarm clock that pops the daughter out of bed as it rings and the bluebird you slide to see the kitty pop up in the window on one side – and what the weather’s like on the other! All the lights, fun phrases, and 4 songs will hold her interest for hours.

Younger children love this 5-star toy too, and so do older children – even mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa! No one ever gets tired of the alarm clock that pushes the characters out of bed or the flushing toilet!

Buy for $34.99 on Amazon

3. Fisher-Price Barbie Tough Trike

The age of 4 is the perfect age for her to enjoy learning to ride a bike like this. While older kids start to ride bigger bikes and lose their mastery of the different skill it takes to ride on one like this, your 4-year-old girl will thrill at the freedom and speed she discovers as she rides this up and down the sidewalk or driveway!

Now she can improve those pedalling and steering skills plus her physical activity level while you breathe easy knowing you only spent $30!

Buy for $29.99 on Amazon

4. Squigz by Fat Brain Toys

Simple name, simple concept! This attractive, multi-colored set of suction-cup balls will fascinate her for hours!

Squigz will help her develop her creativity, fine motor skills, interaction, and playful experimentation anywhere: a table, floor, bathtub, wall, window, anywhere that has a flat surface. And these suckers (literally!) defy gravity while leaving no trace that they were ever there. She can make any shape or creature she can think up, and when she’s done, she’ll laugh and laugh at the pop! sound they make as she takes them apart. At $28 for the starter set, you might find yourself losing some time creating too!

Buy for $24.95 on Amazon

5. Melissa & Doug Sweet Hearts and Butterfly Friends Bead Set of 2 – 250+ Wooden Beads

You’ll definitely be getting great bang for your buck with this $18 toy that will encourage her stringing, patterning, and designing skills, develop her fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and social skills. Stringing beads also requires a pincer grasp, which she’ll need to master before moving on to being able to achieve the tripod grip she’ll be developing next year so she can learn to write with a pencil and thinner crayon.

The 250 wooden, painted beads and 5 strings are just the right size for her hands and can make endless combinations of necklaces that she’ll love to proudly display. And when she tires of this kit, Melissa & Doug have many more string bead sets, big and small!

Buy for $17.19 on Amazon

6. See & Spell by Melissa & Doug

This toy ticks off most of your educational boxes plus her enjoyment boxes! Its 8 two-sided wooden play boards and 50 vibrant letters allow her to create 16 playful pictures. Your 4-year-old girl will be engrossed for hours fitting the pieces into each puzzle. Little will she know that she’ll be developing a whopping amount of skills: learning the alphabet, letter recognition, recognizing letter sounds, associating letters with words and objects, matching words to pictures, spelling, exploring the sounds of advanced vowel combinations, putting together short sentences, honing fine motor skills, and even building confidence.

The $20 you spent on this toy will be well justified when she comes to you and tells you the words she just finished putting together! You’ll know that you gave her that literacy edge before she even started kindergarten.

Buy for $19.99 on Amazon

7. Little Tikes TotSports T-Ball Set

You 4-year-old will be hitting home runs right before your eyes! Watch her improve her gross motor skills and build her confidence as she steps up to this sturdy, adjustable T-Ball set and smacks the oversized ball right past you with the oversized bat. And if she uses the bat as a mallet, hammer, or percussion instrument? It can take it! Playing T-ball even has the added benefit of letting her improve her running and coordination if you play a miniature, modified baseball game.

The best part about this $20 toy is that when she tires of it, the balls can snap right into their holder at the base. It’s even designed so you can hang it on the wall!

Buy for $31.79 on Amazon

8. Franklin Sports Teeball Recreational Series Fielding Glove with Baseball, 9.5-Inch

What goes best with a T-Ball set? That’s right! A made-to-last, just-the-right-size baseball mitt (with ball!) in colors she’ll love. She’ll have fond memories of her very first baseball glove when you give her this $20 pink, purple, lime, and yellow glove. You don’t even have to worry about breaking it in because the webbing was created to make the glove easy for little hands to squeeze.

Now you can play a time-honored game of catch with your 4 year old once she tires of the T-ball set, or during if you pull in the siblings and play that mini baseball game with her!

Buy for $19.01 on Amazon

9. Educational Insights Design & Drill Flower Power Studio

Power tools aren’t just for boys anymore! Let her get used to using power tools with this pretty pink drill set that lets her make beautiful garden-inspired pictures. This $28 set will help her develop her hand-eye coordination, matching, patterning, problem-solving, construction skills, fine motor skills – and her imagination!

Winner of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold and Toy Insider awards, this drill set comes with not only a power drill but also a fold-up flower board, 60 bolts, 6 designer plates, a butterfly clasp, a Phillips bit, a flower bit, and a guide with 12 patterns. It’s never too early to encourage STEM learning, and she can take this kit anywhere – just like her dad’s drill kit!

Buy for $27.69 on Amazon

10. School Zone – Big Preschool Workbook

And now for the grand finale! What top 10 toy list would be complete without a book designed to prepare her for starting school? This book is different from most other getting-ready-for-school books in that it doesn’t begin with letters and letter recognition, it starts with circles and all the other shapes that come into play when writing letters. Its eye-catching illustrations and color-coded sections make it easy and inviting where others are quite often intimidating or boring.

The $20 you spend on this book will be the best investment you ever made, and she’ll enjoy every one of the more than 300 activities as they unfold in a continuing journey. She’ll never know she’s gaining a readiness in so many important basic skills, including colors, shapes, the alphabet, basic phonics, early math, and more. The best part is the activities appear in order of increasing difficulty so she’s always challenged and never overwhelmed.

Buy for $9.15 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of great educational toys for girls is a strong start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us: editor@smartparenting.co.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical 4-year-olds – understood.org

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 3 Year Old Girls in 2018

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Are you looking for the perfect toy or gift for a special three-year-old girl in your life? Finding the right toy can be difficult. You want one that’s not only fun but also beneficial for their emotional, cognitive, and physical development. Where do you start? Luckily, we’ve done the research and found the 10 best toys for 3 year old girls that help them reach key developmental milestones without breaking the bank.

If you’re short on time, jump to the complete best toys for 3 year old girls list below. Otherwise, take a moment to learn about the developmental milestones typical 3 year old girls are expected to achieve that factored into this list.

3 Year Old Developmental Milestones

Your 3 year old has graduated from toddlerhood and is becoming increasingly skillful on every front. Her fine motor skills are improving, allowing her to play with toys that have small moving parts and buttons. She’s becoming more and more talkative, and asking lots of questions – “why” being a big one.

Physically three-year-old girls are working on using their hands and feet in brand new ways. They may learn to draw a circle with a crayon. They also improve their gross motor skills and begin to walk and run without tripping, jump, hop, stand on one foot, and even walk backwards. They are able to climb stairs one foot at a time, kick and throw a small ball, and catch larger ones.

Cognitively three-year-olds are developing their creativity, memory, and problem solving abilities, all while learning more and more about the world. They may be able to name the colors in a box of crayons, count to 10 and have a basic understanding of time. They can also follow 3-step directions. Toys that introduce shapes, colors, numbers, and letters are important.

At 3 years old, your little one’s language abilities are advancing in big ways. Three-year-olds will be able to speak clearly enough that strangers can understand them and even have 2-3 sentence conversations. While they do make lots of mistakes, they have a basic understanding of grammar. And you’ll notice their vocabulary expanding every day.

Emotionally and socially they can now show a variety of emotions other than just happy and sad and show an interest in playing with other children. They may be cautiously interested in new places and things and show concern for an unhappy friend.

With these developmental factors in mind, enjoy this list of 10 great toys that are both fun and developmentally enriching for your 3 year old girl.

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 3 Year Old Girls

1. LeapFrog My Own Leaptop

This highly rated pink laptop set will help your three-year-old start to recognize letters and animals. She’ll be drawn to the small moving parts and buttons, and will get a kick out of typing away just like her mom and dad. You can even configure the Leaptop to teach her how to spell her own name. The activities and buttons are specifically designed for a three year olds dexterity and development.

Buy for $24.99 on Amazon

2. Gymnic Rody Horse Gymnastics Equipment

Your little three year old girl is bursting with energy. Give her this super cute bouncy horse toy. It gets her active and developing core strength and gross motor control. She’ll be overjoyed pretending to ride a real horsey. This toy is the modern, safe, equivalent of the old rocking horse toy most of us grew up with. Note, check to see if this toy is the appropriate size for your three year old. Gymnic offers larger sizes, but naturally they’re a little more expensive.

Buy for $49.94 on Amazon

3. Smart Wallaby Musical Instruments Set

Musical play can be a large part of a 3-year-old girl’s day. Give her the opportunity to learn about rhythm and timbre as she explores the various musical instruments in this compact set by Smart Wallaby.

Giving a child an instrument set like this is magic. Your girl will experience tons of sensory stimulation while also improving her fine motor control and cognitive abilities.

Buy for $31.99 on Amazon

4. Merax No Pedal Balance Bike for Kids

Keep your toddler active with the Merax No Pedal Balance Bike Walking Bicycle. Your three-year-old is working on her gross motor skills including walking, running and jumping. With all of that energy, you’ll want something for her to channel it into and having her practice using a bike is a great way to do that. The great thing about this bike is that it can be used up to five years old and makes an excellent transition to pedal bikes later on.

Buy for $29.95 on Amazon

5. VTech Touch and Learn Activity Desk

The VTech Touch and Learn Activity Desk truly has a wide variety of developmental benefits if you are encouraging your three-year-old to develop in many different aspects. The desk has an interactive top which allows your little girl to practice her numbers, letters, animals, and colors. The desk also includes vocabulary words so your little one can practice her developing language skills. The desk then flips up into an easel, where your toddler can explore her creative side and practice those oh-so-important fine motor skills. As an added bonus this desk is intended for children up to six years old, and with lots of content it is sure to keep your child entertained for years to come.

Buy for $49.99 on Amazon

6. AMOSTING Color Matching Mosaic Pegboard

This unique toy will help your three-year-old girl to enhance her fine motor skills while also working on her color recognition and creativity. This is a great way to foster creativity without leaving behind a huge mess to clean up or have to worry about markers on the walls. And at only $19.99 it won’t break the bank.

Buy for $16.99 on Amazon

7. Leapfrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart Play-set

As your toddler turns 3, she will become increasingly able to follow simple instructions. Three-year-olds can follow up to three-step instructions, for instance brush your teeth, wash your face and clean your hands! Encourage their ability to follow instructions with the Leapfrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart Play-set in which your three-year-old will be asked to follow instructions to build treats for customers. This will help with her memory as well as her emotional skills as she also learns to role play like the adults she sees at stores.

Buy for $39.95 on Amazon

8. LEGO My First Bricks Building Kit (80 Piece)

Lego is a classic gift for the young one in your life. As always Lego encourages fine motor skills and better understanding of shapes and color. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be starting your little girl off in a career as an engineer. This is the perfect beginner set of Lego and will be sure to last for hours and hours of playtime as your little girl shows you all of the wonderful creations that she has made.

Buy for $19.95 on Amazon

9. Magnetic Blocks Building Set for Kids by idoot – 56pcs

Get your three-year-old girl interested in magnets early on and see how fascinated she becomes with them. This set builds fine motor skills and fosters creativity as well as working on color identification. It comes with its own storage bag and the magnets make for an easy clean up as they all stick together!

Buy for $27.99 on Amazon

10. Crayola Inspiration Art Case: 140 Pieces

This is another classic gift for children. As your three-year-old develops her fine motor skills she is now able to draw a circle with a crayon. She is also able to name the colors in the set. Why not start your child out early on a creative path, leading them towards colorful drawings for years to come!

Buy for $18.26 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical 3-year-olds – understood.org

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 2 Year Old Girls in 2018

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The sheer joy that a toddler shows when they get the perfect new gift or toy can make anyone feel like a million bucks. On the flip side, if your 2 year old doesn’t love the gift you’ve gotten them, they’ll have no trouble letting you know. With so many toys on the market, it can be a challenge to find ones that are fun, developmentally appropriate, and able to withstand the tough life they’ll have in a toddler’s toy box. If you aren’t sure what toy or gift to get the 2 year old girl in your life, the task can seem daunting. But, fear not! We’ve reviewed hundreds of toys and have compiled a list of the 10 best toys for 2 year old girls, so you can be sure to get something she’ll love.

2 Year Old Developmental Milestones

With so many new milestones on the horizon for your 2 year old girl, it’s a great idea to use gift giving occasions as opportunities to provide developmentally appropriate toys that will help them reach their physical and cognitive development milestones.

Physical milestones can be broken down into two groups, gross motor and fine motor. Your 2 year old’s ever-improving gross motor skills will include; running, jumping with both feet, throwing and kicking balls, climbing stairs, and even balancing on one foot. In the fine motor department, you’ll see your toddler becoming more independent in simple selfcare tasks with each passing day, but she’ll still need your help along the way. She’ll be able to brush her teeth and hair, and become more efficient at eating with utensils. These fine motor advances can also be seen in activities like coloring, where she’ll be able to hold crayons in a writing position rather than with a fist.

Cognitively, you’ll find it easier to communicate with your 2 year old as many children will know 200+ words at this time. Additionally, they’re now able to follow 2 step directions, which should make it easier to get out the house (in theory). During this year, you can also look forward to conversations becoming much less one-sided. Expect to hear lots of questions like, “What’s that?” and “Why?” when you’re reading to them or talking with them about their developing preferences.

While creating the 10 best toys for 2 year old girls list, we made sure to factor in each of these developmental milestones. Each toy we’ve chosen is designed to be enjoyed by your child while helping her make developmental strides.

Note, this list is also great for 2-year-old boys. as the developmental standards are the same. Many of the products in the list are gender neutral or have color variations for both boys and girls.

1. Fisher-Price Barbie Tough Trike

Your toddler’s world is getting bigger every day. So, why not give her a set of wheels so she can explore? A tricycle is a great way to help your 2 year old improve her gross motor skills while having a blast outside. The Fisher-Price Barbie Tough Trike has a sturdy construction and is designed for children between 2 and 5, so she’ll be cruising for years to come. We also love the under-the-seat storage compartment where she can store any treasures she finds along the way.

Buy for $29.99 on Amazon

2. LeapFrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket

This parent favorite has over 1,500 five-star reviews and for good reason. The LeapFrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket tics a lot of boxes: imaginative play, shape sorting, and sharing. This fill and spill toy will provide your 2 year old with hours of solo-entertainment, but it’ll also be a big hit at playdates. With two of everything, your toddler will be all set to share a pretend picnic with a friend.

Buy for $16.59 on Amazon

3. Touch & Teach Word Book

Help your little one develop a love of learning with the interactive Touch & Teach Word Book. Throughout 12 detailed pages full of fun illustrations your child can simply press an image to hear the corresponding word for 100 everyday words in categories like clothing, household items, food, toys, and more. Beyond vocabulary, this interactive book has three other modules focused on letters, matching, and music. This Vtech book isn’t just great for language development, it’s also wonderful for practicing fine motor skills. Best of all, it’s travels easily and is perfect for long car rides!

Buy for $17.99 on Amazon

4. Melissa & Doug Food Groups – 21 Hand-Painted Wooden Pieces and 4 Crates

Pretend play is essential to toddler development. The act of pretending to cook chicken for a friend or share an apple helps your 2 year old work through emotions, problem solve, and better understand social cues. Common activities like cooking, that children see their parents taking part in each day are often the foundation of imaginative play. That’s why we love the versatility of Melissa & Doug food groups. With 21 food items ranging from fish to watermelon, your child will be able to work on identification, sorting, learning the basics of nutrition, all while making meals for family and friends.

Buy for $13.27 on Amazon

5. Mega Bloks Big Building Bag

No playroom is complete without building blocks. If you’re looking for the perfect starter set, we are big fans of this 80-piece Mega Bloks Building Bag. Mega Bloks are colorful and large so they’re appealing and easy for little hands to work with. Your junior architect will love building tall towers and tunnels with you, but in our experience, they’ll enjoy knocking them down even more. As a bonus, the reusable bag makes it highly portable and easy to keep organized.

Buy for $14.92 on Amazon

6. Manhattan Toy Wee Baby Stella Sleepy Times

Has bedtime with your toddler become a bit of a battle? Let your 2 year old practice their bedtime routine on Wee Baby Stella! Dolls are so great for imaginative play and are one of the best ways to help toddlers work on their nurturing skills. Stella comes with a bottle, pacifier, teddy bear, and story book so your little one will have all she needs to help her little one get ready for a good night’s sleep. If bedtime is no trouble, consider the original Baby Stella which is larger, and comes with a pacifier and removable cloth diaper.

Buy for $15.32 on Amazon

7. The Learning Journey My First Match It – Things That Go – 15 Self-Correcting Vehicle Matching Puzzles

Learning Journey’s My First Match It is a great way introduce jigsaw puzzles to your 2 year old while they improve their vocabulary and understanding of the world around them. Each set comes with 15 two-piece puzzles and they are available in several categories including, Things That Go, Things I Eat, Dinosaurs, and At the Ocean. Assembling these puzzles will help them boost their problem solving skills and patience, as well confidence. We think these puzzles are especially fun when played with a parent or grandparent and are ideal for wind down play before naps or bedtime.

Buy for $9.66 on Amazon

8. Bigear Aqua Magic Mat

The list of benefits of arts and crafts for kids is a long one that includes improved coordination, better self-esteem, and enhanced executive functioning (not to mention, fun!). Of course, arts and crafts projects do have their drawbacks…primarily the mess. The stains, the drips, the spots; it can sometimes feel like setup and cleanup take longer than the art itself. Thankfully, that’s not the case with the Bigear Aqua Magic Mat. This 34” x 23” mat changes colors when wet, so your toddler can make beautiful and temporary art with just water. The mat comes with a set of markers to fill with water, but you could also use paintbrushes, sponges or whatever you have handy.

Buy for $16.99 on Amazon

9. Fisher-Price My First Dollhouse

A dollhouse can provide hours of independent play as it aids in increasing creativity, empathy and dexterity. My First Dollhouse comes with a Daddy, Mommy and Baby doll in a two-story home complete with a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and nursery. Watch as your 2 year old gets lost in a world of her own as she role plays and imitates what she sees going on around her each day.

Buy for $43.87 on Amazon

10. Simplay3 Kids Outdoor Storage Bench/Sand and Water Activity Station

We all know there are huge benefits when it comes to outdoor play for toddlers. Physical activity is a big part of it, but on top of burning all that energy, toddlers learn so much through their senses. Feeling the warm sunshine, smelling the freshly cut grass, or hearing the birds singing are all wonderful sensory experiences for your child. Sensory play is thought to build nerve connections in the brain’s pathways, which is one of the reasons we recommend the Simplay 3 Sand and Water Activity Station. Having both sand and water provides two fantastic sensory experiences for your child, which also makes for a great parallel play area for young toddlers. And, if your little ones want to take a quick snack break, the Simplay folds easily into an adorable bench.

Buy for $99.99 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for girls, check out our other great articles:

Best toys for 1 year old girls

Or get inspired with the best toys for boys:

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical 2-year-olds – understood.org

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 13 Year Old Boys in 2018

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13 year old boys undergo a lot of changes and can be notoriously difficult to shop for, especially when it comes to toys. Luckily, we’ve researched the crucial developmental milestones and educational standards that 13 year olds are expected to achieve so that you don’t have to, and used that knowledge to assemble a list of the 10 best toys and gift ideas for 13 year old boys.

Pressed for time? Jump straight to our list of 10 best toys for 13 year old boys below. Or, take a few minutes to learn about the big changes and milestones that you can expect at this age.

13 Year Old Developmental Milestones

Age 13 is a time of huge changes in your son’s life. He’s in middle school, and his body and mind are going through quite a growth spurt. Physically, 13 year olds are all over the map, so don’t be too concerned if your son is a late bloomer. That said, many will be in the throes of puberty, so rapid growth in both height and weight is common.

Because 13 year olds grow so rapidly, coordination and agility often play catch up to strength and speed. At age 13, physical growth often outpaces cognitive growth, which is an important fact for parents to keep in mind. As with every age, getting enough physical activity is a must for 13 year olds.

Your 13 year old will experience many cognitive developments. In middle school, kids tend to readily soak up information and also dive into specific topics in far more depth than before. Age 13 is a common time for kids to become more informed on current events, and worry about how those things might impact them and their world. 13 year olds gain a more developed worldview, and tend to question information rather than accept everything they’re told. Overall, a 13 year old will be more flexible in his approach to problems, and learn to change strategies as needed. This is also the age where many kids decide they want to earn an income of their own.

In middle school, language skills really take off. Most 13 year olds become much more sophisticated with their language use than they were even 1 or 2 years ago. They routinely use sarcasm, humor, and metaphors in everyday speech, and love to engage in lively discussions—and, to many parents’ chagrin, arguments!—just for fun. When communicating with others, 13 year olds are much more adept at picking up on nonverbal cues, like changes in tone of voice and body language.

During middle school, you can expect big changes in your teen’s social and emotional growth. 13 year olds often branch out into a specific hobby or interest, and “try on” different personas in their attempt to figure out who they are and how they fit in. It’s common for 13 years to start valuing their friends’ opinions more than yours, as peer relationships become very important in middle school. Their developing values will at times come into conflict with peer pressure. 13 year olds tend to think that everyone is always looking at them, and can become very wrapped up in other people’s opinions, so it’s no wonder that this is a time of both confidence and self-doubt.

10 Best Toys for 13 Year Old Boys

1. Pandemic

Pandemic is an intense board game where players work together and strategize to find cures for 4 deadly diseases before all of mankind is decimated. This is a sophisticated game that requires the kind of cause and effect logic that 13 years olds are learning, and forces them to prioritize and use their newfound flexible thinking skills. Pandemic also provides a great way to spend time with peers.

Buy for $35.99 on Amazon

2. The Manual to Manhood

In The Manual to Manhood, author Jonathan Catherman provides instructions on 100 life skills that boys will want to know, from planning a date to changing a tire to tying a tie. As 13 year olds hit puberty and start experiencing more self-doubt and concern with how others perceive them, this book provides a great way to instill confidence and ensure that your son is adequately prepared for just about any situation.

Buy for $10.34 on Amazon

3. Apple iPod Touch

What gift list for a 13 year old would be complete these days without an iPod? This Apple iPod Touch contains 32 Gb of storage, is available in multiple colors, and comes with accessories like a stylus, Apple earbuds, and a USB charger. Teens can use iPods to stay in touch with friends, play music, and also research any and all newfound interests. Really, this iPod will give your 13 year old boy the gift of instantaneous access to the world’s information.

As a bonus, the Apple iPod Touch gives parents with Apple products a great way to keep track of their new teen’s whereabouts, and communicate with them when they’re on the go as long as there’s wifi around.

Buy for $234.99 on Amazon

4. Guitar for Dummies Acoustic Guitar Starter Pack

As we mentioned, 13 is an age where kids want to distinguish themselves with a special talent or hobby, and where they have the attention span and focus to really dive into specific tasks. This guitar starter pack is a great way for your 13 year old to learn a skill, build self-confidence, work on coordination, and hone his focus. Plus, they can impress both their peers and potential dates with their musical prowess.

Buy for $92.99 on Amazon

5. Quest Super Cruiser Longboard Skateboard

Skateboards have been a staple for teen boys for decades now, and this Quest Super Cruiser Longboard Skateboard is sure to please. The Quest Super Cruiser is a 44 inch longboard with a maple and bamboo deck, comes in different colors and patterns, and is designed in Southern California, the skateboarding motherland. This skateboard provides your 13 year old with an easy way to hang out with friends, all while getting that ever-important physical activity and working on coordination and agility. Just be sure to also get a helmet and pads.

Buy for $64.27 on Amazon

6. Holy Stone HS200 Drone with HD Wifi Camera Live Feed

This Holy Stone drone comes with all the gadgets, including a live-feed camera, at a reasonable price. Learning to fly this toy will tap into your 13 year old’s new critical thinking and focus skills, and help him work on flexible thinking as he trouble shoots flying mishaps and how to avoid them going forward. The Holy Stone drone is also great for sharing with friends, as everyone will want their turn to fly.

Buy for $99.99 on Amazon

7. Spikeball 3 Ball Sports Game Set

The Spikeball 3 Ball Sports Game Set comes equipped with a playing net, 3 balls, a rule book and a carrying case, making it perfect for the backyard, park, or beach. This fun Shark Tank game encourages physical activity, coordination and athletic skills, and fun with friends. Spikeball will help make your 13 year old the life of the party, all while logging some exercise time and interacting with peers.

Buy for $59.99 on Amazon

8. Catan

Catan is a clever board game about settlers and trading that changes with every play. With multiple Game of the Year awards and even a Game of the Century honor, this game will engross 13 year olds by engaging those crucial flexible and critical thinking skills, and prompting them to consider how current choices impact the future. It’s also a fun way to spend some time with friends.

Buy for $44.10 on Amazon

9. Creative Whack Company Roger von Oech’s Ball of Whacks

This mentally stimulating Ball of Whacks inspires hours of creative and problem-solving play. 13 year olds will enjoy reading the illustrated guide book, as well as dreaming up creations of their own. The Ball of Whacks is a great way to flex those growing cognitive skills, and of course, teens will love encouraging their friends to squeeze it so that the ball “explodes” and has to be reassembled.

Buy for $26.87 on Amazon

10. PlayStation 4 Console

This next one comes with a steep price tag, but if you want to coax your 13 year old into hanging out at home with his friends so that you can help monitor risky situations and peer pressure, then the PlayStation 4 is a great investment. This package comes with a console and a PS4 controller, and while all parents have been warned about the dangers of excessive video game time, some games are seriously great at honing critical thinking and strategizing skills. Also, your 13 year old can play with friends even when they aren’t physically present, which is a nice plus for socially driven teens.

PlayStation 4 is also one of the first consoles to add VR support. If you haven’t tried VR before, it’s transformative. VR experiences are highly immersive, and are only starting to transform society.

Buy for $395.00 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for kids, check out our other great articles:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of the best educational toys for girls is a great start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical middle schoolers – understood.org

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 1 Year Old Girls in 2018

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Walk in any toy store or do a quick internet search and you’ll be inundated with toy & gift ideas for that sweet 1 year old girl in your life. With all the lights and sounds and colors it’s hard to remember that you wanted to buy her something educational as well as fun.

How can you cut through the noise and cheap plastics and feel confident that you’re buying something she’ll love and something you’ll love?

Easy! Check out the 10 best toys for 1 year old girls on this list. They’re all highly rated, safe, educational, and lots of fun. Each one is also guaranteed to strengthen, improve, and encourage more than one of the developmental milestones your little one is expected to be achieving this year. And as a bonus for you, we’ve made sure they’re all affordable.

But more importantly, these toys will all give that little girl hours upon hours of fun, smiles, and even some giggles! And if you’re curious about some of the developmental milestones your 1-year-old girl will achieve this year, have a quick read below before you go through the toy list and start shopping.

1-Year-Old Developmental Milestones

Whether you’re a first-time parent or an old hat, you still always find yourself wondering if she’s learning what she needs to learn, and doing what she should be doing for her age.

While all children develop differently, especially at this tender age, it still helps to put your mind at ease by understanding the common developmental milestones children reach from 12 to 24 months.

Round about your daughter’s first birthday, she’ll be really ramping up her gross and fine motor skills. Scooting around on her bum, pulling herself up, walking, and pulling toys behind her are things she’ll start doing in this year. She may even dare to climb up stairs or help you dress her by popping out an arm or a leg!

You’ll even get to enjoy teaching her to drink from a sippy cup, pick up Cheerios, and scribble this year! But watch out because while she’ll learn to pick things up with her pincer grip, she may also use that pincer grip to pinch you! Good thing she understands words such as stop now, right?

After she turns 1, her cognitive skills will also develop at an explosive rate, and you’ll start to see her think, explore, learn, and solve new problems. Watch and remember this year as she starts doing the cutest things that make you smile: blowing kisses, using a spoon, feeding a doll, and reacting to her favorite songs and stories. But you may also have to find your patience as she learns cause and effect by throwing her cup on the floor over and over again!

Now she’ll start to babble and express herself with different sounds, point to things, and lift her arms up to be picked up. She’ll even recognize words and start to say a few easy ones such as the timeless mama.

But the best part of this year will be watching her show affection and react to the feelings of others, whether with a smile, a laugh, a cry, or a hug. And that clinginess she shows when you’re finally heading out for that long-awaited date night? It’s a perfectly normal social development skill that shows up at this age. Or that temper tantrum she threw when you gave up on the pick-up-the-cup game? Also a perfectly normal development that shows how well she’s progressing.

Now that you feel better about what you should be looking for after your daughter turns 1, read through our list of the top 10 toys that she will love to play with and you will know are helping her to learn, grow, and develop.

10 Best Toys for 1 Year Old Girls Reviewed

1. VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker

This walker encourages the development of every milestone your 1-year-old is working on this year: gross and fine motor skills, cognitive, language, and social skills. Few toys can make that claim, and that’s why this is our favorite toy on this list.

Your baby will love zooming around the house, faster and longer every day with the help of this durable walker. And when she gets bored with that, she can crawl or walk around to the front and find something new to grab her interest – and work on another developmental milestone. This unique walker showcases 5 piano keys that play musical notes, 2 colorful spinning rollers, 3 shape sorters, 3 light-up buttons that develop motor skills, and a pretend telephone for added fun.

This is one toy that will keep her entertained and developing for a long time to come. That’s a great investment for under $50.

Buy for $34.97 on Amazon

2. Leap Frog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket

Little ones at this age love nothing more than to mimic their parent or caregiver. This fun new toy lets them do that as they learn to practice their social, cognitive, and fine motor skills as they mimic and make believe. The 6 food items, 2 plates, 2 cups, 2 forks, blanket, and basket will keep them transfixed and entertained. Even lifting the lid will hold their attention because it not only has sound effects but it plays instrumental music with every opening.

You even get to join in the fun, and when you do, you can teach them about sharing, pretend, and manners. Even older siblings will love it! This one is oodles of fun for less than $20!

Buy for $16.59 on Amazon

3. Mozart Magic Cube

You may have to remember to share this one with your 1 year old because it’s so intriguing! This 6-sided cube features 6 large, easy-to-push buttons in different colors to represent different instruments. When they push one, a Mozart tune begins to play, and every time they hit another button, they can add or subtract a new instrument (harp, French horn, piano, flute, or violin). Hit the special orchestra button and they can listen to the song in its entirety. It even has lights that flash along with the tempo!

Ordinarily, musical toys drive even the most patient of parent nuts after a while – even though you know it’s an important skill they’re learning – but this one won’t with its high quality sound and classic song. For only $35, your little girl will be strengthening her hand-eye coordination, understanding of cause-effect relationships, reasoning, and interest in investigating how things work, all while fulfilling her innate desire for repetition.

Buy for $24.99 on Amazon

4. Playskool Busy Poppin Pals

Your little 1 year old is busy discovering and learning at this age, and as a result she’s learning that things that disappear really are still there – and they come back! This toy lets her play around with that fascinating new concept at the same time as it develops her understanding of cause and effect, problem-solving skills, and fine motor skills – even her memory!

With 5 different animals that pop up once she masters how to maneuver the matching buttons and disappear when she closes their lids, this is one toy guaranteed to grow with her. It’s well worth the $20 price tag!

Buy for $20.51 on Amazon

5. Pull Along Happy Dolphin

As much as 1 year olds love to push things right now, they love to pull things just as much –maybe more! Using this new-found walking skill they’re just discovering keeps them entertained, learning, and engaged, and nothing is more fascinating than pulling along a cute little dolphin whose ball of blocks turns as his wheels turn! And when she gets tired, she can take a sit-down break and work on her problem-solving and fine motor skills as she pops the animal shapes (dolphin, coral fish, and sea turtle) into their slots. Then she can jump back up again and take her toys on a new adventure!

And you can rest easy with this fun, educational toy knowing that it cost you only $20 and is BPA-free and nontoxic.

Buy for $19.95 on Amazon

6. Whale Island Bathtub Toy

Is bath time battle time at your house? Many 1 year olds just do not want to take a bath, whether it’s because they don’t like the water or they just don’t want to be taken from their other activities. Whatever the cause, this toy will make bath time fun time instead!

The island toy comes with 5 different figures that can be put on the fountainhead to create wondrous different fountain effects. Listen to your 1 year old giggle as they make a magic fountain!

This a great toy to teach that inquisitive 1-year-old girl hand-eye coordination and color recognition at the same time as she’s learning that water can be fun and not scary. Bath time is sure to be a more fun, peaceful experience with this toy around.

Buy for $28.68 on Amazon

7. Honeysticks 100% Pure Beeswax Crayons

Believe it or not, a 1 year old can now enjoy creating art! They can strengthen their fine motor skills and improve their imagination when they scribble different colors and shapes on a giant piece of paper, whether the paper is taped to the floor or a table or hanging on an easel.

As parents though, we haven’t been keen on giving our little ones traditional crayons, both because of the ingredients and the size of the crayons. Now we can give them crayons in good conscience because these crayons made from nothing but 100% New Zealand beeswax! The best part is these $23 crayons (for a pack of 12) are chunky enough to fit nicely in baby’s hands, and they won’t break.

Buy for $22.99 on Amazon

8. Take Along Shape Sorter

This portable update to the traditional wooden shape sorter cube comes with 12 different colored shapes (triangle, square, octagon, star, pentagon, hexagon, oval, clover, rectangle, trapezoid, diamond, and parallelogram) to fit in their matching slots. While there are lots of shape sorters out there, most of them made by well-known brands such as Fisher Price and Playskool, this one is different in its portability, durability, and the extra shape activities on the back of the container. She can even carry it with her wherever she goes!

Encourage your little one to improve her fine motor skills, visual-spatial skills, color learning, and shape matching with this under $20 investment.

Buy for $16.99 on Amazon

9. Edushape See-Me Sensory Balls

What 1 year old doesn’t love a good old, ordinary ball? A toy as seemingly simple as this knobby, colorful, and translucent ball will give your little girl hours, days, and even years of fun and development.

The knobby spikes surrounding each one of these balls in the $11 set of four encourages and delights her tactile senses while squeezing, rolling, throwing, and kicking the balls teaches her hand-eye coordination and improves her gross motor skills. And she can even safely chew on them if she has some teething discomfort as they’re nice and squeezable and can be made even more so with the inflation/deflation pin. She’ll even learn social skills when you play with her!

Buy for $10.89 on Amazon

10. Green Toys Dump Truck

Girls love all sorts of toys, not just dolls and dishes and dress up! They too love to dig in the dirt or sand, get dirty, and tote and push things around. Plus, while it’s important to encourage 1 year olds to develop their gross motor, fine motor, cognitive, language, and social skills, it’s also important to allow for free play so they can work on their imagination and sense of self. Besides, filling up and pushing around a dump truck actually does help develop their fine motor and cognitive skills as a secondary benefit.

The beauty of this 5-star rated dump truck is that not only does it come in different colors – including pink and purple for those really girlie girls – but it’s made from 100% recycled milk cartons. What a great way to be a role model and let your daughter’s imagination run wild for just $20!

Buy for $19.99 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for kids, check out our other great articles:

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical 1-year-olds – understood.org

10 Best Gifts for 12 Year Old Boys in 2018

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Are you looking for a toy or gift that’s both fun and developmentally appropriate for the 12 year old boy in your life? With so many options out there, it can be tough to pick the perfect gift. But, you’re in luck! We’ve reviewed and researched hundreds of toys and have put together a list of the 10 best toys for 12 year old boys. These toys are designed to help them reach their developmental milestones all while having a great time.

If you’re in a hurry, you can skip directly to the top toys and gifts list below. Otherwise, read on to learn about the 12 year old developmental milestones that set the context for this list.

12-Year-Old Developmental Milestones

12 year old children are at both a challenging and exciting time in their young lives. At this age, you’ll notice that your child is undergoing big changes both inside and out. Physically, you may notice that your child’s hand dominance is more apparent and their fine motor skills are dramatically improving. These physical developments along with the big changes of puberty also mean that your child may have both an increased appetite and an increased need for sleep.

Cognitively speaking, kids in this age range are now able to more easily understand abstract ideas. Grasping the finer details of cause and effect relationships and being able to understand more than one side of an issue are two more developments to look forward to. Your 12 year old may also become more responsible and aware of their household role.

Emotionally, it’s all about independence this year. Your son will become increasingly independent from the family and have more interest than ever in their social group. Their relationships with friends will become more complex and stronger than before. Internally, many kids struggle with self-esteem during this time and may also have their first crush.

With these big developmental milestones in mind, here are the best toys for 12 year old boys to help them grow into well-rounded and independent adults.

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 12 Year Old Boys

1. Nintendo Switch

Few individual toys can match the huge developmental power and fun that the Nintendo Switch console can provide. This dynamic platform is full of kid friendly games like Mario, Sonic, and Zelda that will have your 12 year old enthralled for hours, days, and weeks. While many fearful parents clamor how bad technology is for kids, in our opinion, technology is massively beneficial as long as it’s used with balance.

Zelda, in particular, for the Nintendo Switch is not only one of the highest rated games of all time, it’s also one of the most developmentally beneficial. It’s full of hundreds of challenges that take real intellect to overcome. Your 12 year old boy will need to memorize terrains, mark points on maps, and simultaneously complete multiple interwoven projects.

The Nintendo Switch console is great humans of all ages, including those much older and much younger than your 12 year old.

Many fearful parents argue that technology is bad for kids. The argument is that excessive usage (8+ hours a day) restricts physical activity, limits development, promotes obesity, causes depression, addiction, and many other bad things. If you’re worried that this gift will have a negative influence on your child, simply limit their usage to an hour or two every day. We believe the benefit of the stimulation provided by the Switch far outweighs the downsides. You as the parent can ensure this developmental tool/toy is used appropriately.

Buy for $299.99 on Amazon

2. Circuit-Test Robotic Arm Edge Kit with Wired Controller

What 12-year-old doesn’t love robots? Give them the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of robot technology with the Circuit-Test Robotic Arm Kit. Your child will be able to build a robotic arm that uses five motors and five joints to grip, close, reach, rotate, grab, and release. As a note, this kit is great for a mechanically-minded child, but may require some parental involvement to assemble.

While this robot arm won’t be doing your dishes quite yet, it is an excellent introduction to robotics for your 12 year old boy that could inspire a lifelong passion in technology and computer science.

Buy for $48.95 on Amazon

3. JOOLA Inside Table Tennis Table with Net Set

Help your 12-year-old boost their coordination and develop good sportsmanship with this easy-to-set-up and durable table tennis set. JOOLA’s competition-grade table with net set can provide hours of fun with family and friends. Or, your child can change the configuration to Solo Mode and practice serving and rebounds. We love this set, but it should be noted that at 9’x5’, this table does require a large open space to get the best gameplay out of it. Also, if you’re on a budge, consider picking up a used table on Craigslist or similar listing sites.

Buy for $399.99 on Amazon

4. Art 101 142-Piece Wood Art Set

During your child’s pre-teen years, self-expression can be a bit of a challenge. They may have a hard time expressing themselves at school or within their peer group as they are still developing a sense of self. That’s why we love the Art 101 Art Set; it gives your child a safe space to experiment and create while honing their fine motor skills. This set comes with watercolors, pastels, and colored pencils, so they have plenty of opportunity to figure out which mediums they like best.

Buy for $24.52 on Amazon

5. Metal Brain Teaser Set by Small Fish

This simple set of 4 metal puzzles is a big hit for kids as young as 6, to adults as old as dirt. The puzzles stimulate and improve childrens’ IQs, problem solving, and creativity. At under $10, it’s a wonderful, affordable birthday or holiday gift for your 12 year old boy.

Buy for $8.95 on Amazon

6. Kan Jam Ultimate Disc Game

Get your 11 year old boy active and socializing with this highly rated 2 on 2 frisbee game. You child will improve their strength, fine motor control, and critical thinking as they throw and deflect the disc to victory. The game is dead simple to learn, and outrageously fun. Plus, your 11 year old boy will learn the skill of throwing a frisbee.

This toy can be played by people of all ages, and parents will enjoy it as much as their kids.

Buy for $39.99 on Amazon

7. 4M Crystal Growing Experiment

Children are fascinated by watching things change over time. We think this Crystal Growing Experiment Kit could be enjoyed by most anyone, but it’s perfect for any budding geologist or science-minded 12-year-old. The crystals begin growing immediately and continue to grow for 7-10 days, long enough to be entertaining without the risk of becoming boring. The experiment requires following instructions carefully as they’ll need to precisely mix the compounds for each of the 7 crystals. Once the crystals are grown, they will last indefinitely in their individual display domes.

Buy for $12.00 on Amazon

8. Mattel Blokus Strategy Game

With nearly 1,000 five-star reviews, this strategy game is a favorite among parents and kids alike. But, Blokus isn’t just a fun addition to your family game night rotation. It also promotes healthy brain activity, which is why it’s received a Mensa Select Winning Games award. This multi-player game is easy to learn and is designed to help your 12-year-old develop their critical reasoning and social skills.

Buy for $15.29 on Amazon

9. Thames & Kosmos TK1 Telescope & Astronomy Kit Science Kit

Perfect for your curious 12-year-old, the Thames & Kosmos telescope and astronomy science kit helps them expand on what they’re learning in school in an independent setting. The refractor lens makes it possible to see planets and their moons, various nebula, and countless constellations. Weighing in at 9 lbs., this telescope is lightweight enough to pack up and take on any stargazing adventure!

Buy for $133.93 on Amazon

10. Ibanez 6 String Acoustic Guitar Pack

Encouraging your child to play an instrument is a great way to help them improve their coordination, memory, patience, and even their math skills. We think this Ibanez Acoustic Guitar pack is a great mix of quality and value that will provide hours of entertainment and the foundation of a lifelong hobby. This guitar comes with everything they’ll need to get started, including a tuner and a gig bag. However, we’d also include this book, Teach Yourself to Play Guitar to help them learn the basics.

Buy for $129.99 on Amazon

Honorable Mention

Elite Hookey Ring Toss Game

A safe alternative to darts (both for players and your walls), the Elite Hookey Ring Toss Game is a fun game for your child and their friends to play when they’re hanging out at your house. Just like with traditional darts, one of the hidden benefits of the game is the quick math required to keep score. We also like that the Hookey board, unlike a dart board, will last forever.

Buy for $29.99 on Amazon

LEGO Harry Potter Aragog’s Lair Building Kit

Even in their earliest years, blocks are considered some of the best toys for a child’s development. But, the benefits of building far outlast the toddler and preschool years. Spatial reasoning, problem solving, and learning to visualize 3D objects are critical skills that your 12-year-old can develop all while having fun with the Hogwarts crew. The LEGO Harry Potter Aragog’s Lair Kit takes an exciting scene from a beloved series and blends it with classic LEGO fun.

Buy for $12.93 on Amazon

Wham-O Hamper Hoops

If you struggle to get your 12-year-old to clean their room, this gift will at least encourage them to keep their dirty clothes off of the floor. The Wham-O Hamper Hoop is a basketball-themed clothes hamper that may seem like just a fun way to practice their dunking skills, but it will also help them develop good habits and a better understanding of personal responsibility.

Buy for $17.99 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for kids, check out our other great articles:

We hope you’ve enjoyed this list. While we don’t suggest that these are the only toys your child will ever need, we do think this list of the best educational toys for boys is a great start. If you have any suggestions or feedback, please reach out to us.

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical middle schoolers – understood.org

10 Best Gifts for 11 Year Old Boys in 2018

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It can be tough to find just the right toy or gift for kids, but it can be especially hard to find one as they start getting older. Tweens can be notoriously fickle when it comes to toys at this age now that they’re developing new relationships and social skills and maybe even feeling some insecurity. They need to have the same things as their friends so they feel they fit in, especially if they’re fighting with low self-esteem.

At the same time, they’re still kids yet, and they have the same need to continue to learn and grow as their younger counterparts. At 11, boys are still developing their fine and gross motor skills and their cognitive and mental skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking. Add to that the additional physical and social changes that come with being an 11-year-old boy, and it’s easy to see that they really could use some fun!

The toys on this list will have them smiling and laughing and learning while you’re saving money because these toys are highly rated award winners and easy on the budget. Skip to the list of toys if you’re short on time, or continue reading to learn about the developmental milestones that factored into the list.

11-year-old Developmental Milestones

That 11-year-old boy in your life can be a study in contrasts. Active one minute, withdrawn the next, full of opinions or completely silent. Don’t worry, this is all normal for that tween boy on the cusp of adolescence.

It’ll start to seem as though he only wants to eat and sleep – all the time! It does, after all, take a lot of energy to fuel all the growing and changing he’s going through. Now you’ll start to notice that he’s showing a lot of physical changes as begins his journey through puberty. You might even find he complains of cramps or pains – especially in his legs. And of course, now that he’s discovered video games, his hand-eye coordination is developing at light speed!

His thinking skills have been improving at about the same rate. He’s developing a sense of responsibility, he can see consequences, and he can see how things are connected. And he’s definitely discovered social media! Along with this new social and self-awareness comes a greater need for independence, perhaps some insecurity, and a need to keep some things private. On a more positive note, he could also form a stronger sense of himself, stronger relationships with friends, and maybe even a crush or two!

This can be the development stage that’s the most fun though. While they’re still developing their fine and gross motor skills, their language skills, and their cognitive skills, they’re also learning about the world and how others see it. They’re even learning that there can be more than one side to an issue, and they’re learning to debate, push boundaries, and develop self-confidence. Abstract thinking is a new concept for them as well, so creating, inventing, and studying larger issues such as climate change and war may well be new hobbies for them.

But boys will still always be boys! They like to play sports with their friends, which helps develop their gross motor skills and builds their self-confidence. They like to build towers and cars and robots, never knowing they’re improving their fine motor skills and cognitive ability at the same time. And some of them even still like to read books and learn more about the things they love.

Armed with the knowledge of developmental milestones unique to 11-year-old boys, read on to learn our top 10 most entertaining picks to keep these guys learning and growing without knowing it.

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 11 Year Old Boys Reviewed

1. Perplexus Maze Game

Perplexus is a challenging and fun interactive maze game contained in a sphere. Your 11 year old boy will get a huge thrill conquering 100 challenges by finely rotating and balancing the sphere. If they mess up, they start over. This game is great for developing analytical thinking, fine motor control, spatial reasoning, and simply having a great time.

Buy for $19.99 on Amazon

2. The New World Champion Paper Airplane Book

This “book” is, in reality, it’s so much more than just a book. It features 16 tear out model planes printed on regulation weight paper stock, including the world champion design!

Sometimes traditional works best! This paper airplane book is guaranteed to get and hold their attention for hours. And they’ll be honing their fine motor control and cognitive skills without even knowing it.

Buy for $14.24 on Amazon

3. Mattel Bloxels Build Your Own Video Game

Can’t get your 11 year old to stop playing video games all the time? Now you don’t have to! With Mattel’s Bloxels Build Your Own Video Game, they won’t rot their brains, they’ll develop them.

Toy Insider’s STEM 10 winner allows users to physically and digitally create game rooms, characters, and game art using the 13″ x 13″ game-board and 320 blocks in eight different colors. Then download the free app on any tablet, smartphone, or computer and bring their game to life! Teach them the basics of video game coding for under $30, and they’ll come away from those video games knowing more than how to shoot the bad guys. There’s even a social component with the app that allows you to share your game and coding.

Note that this toy will require kids to have access to an Android or iOS device. The physical toy pairs with a Bloxels Builder free app.

Buy for $24.40 on Amazon

4. Star Wars Origami

There’s a good chance your 11 year old has seen a Star Wars movie and loved it. Get them an amazing Star Wars origami book that will have them building Yoda, Princess Leia, or R2-D2! This great book isn’t just a gimmick. It teaches the basics of origami and various folds. Your 11 year old will be developing their attention spans, spatial reasoning skills, fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, problem solving skills and more.

Buy for $12.89 on Amazon

5. Sara, Book 1: Sara Learns the Secret about the Law of Attraction

Some gifts a child does not know to ask for. But if they are open and allow a gift like this book to come in to their lives, it will fundamentally change their nature forever. The messages in this book are powerful and positive. They teach children about positive and negative emotions, what they mean, and how to use emotion as a guidance system. In short, this book teaches children how to pursue their desires while still being happy even when those desires are not yet manifest. Parents who don’t know about the law of attraction will benefit just as much from this book as their children. Without getting into the details, this book is highly effective at generating appreciation, happiness, and good feelings. If you want to give your 11 year old boy a deep understanding of the universe and their place in it, as well as give them the techniques to achieve lifelong happiness, then give them this book.

Buy for $14.95 on Amazon

6. Djubi Classic

Get them outside and active again with this re-creation of a simple game of catch. Even at 11, they still need to work on their gross motor skills, and this is an easy game that consists of just two netted racquets and two balls. Let them hurl their balls at each other and try to catch them while they improve their hand-eye coordination and balance. Even those that aren’t athletically inclined can play – and enjoy!

This one is worth a shot for less than $25…and maybe they won’t even mind playing with you for a while!

Buy for $21.80 on Amazon

7. LEGO Chain Reactions

What top toy list would be complete without LEGO on it somewhere? Well, this one is no different. However, the difference is this NAPPA Silver Award winning LEGO set is teaching more than just the usual building and creating lessons. This one even teaches them physics!

Using the 78-page book of instructions, 33 LEGO elements, 6 LEGO balls, 2.2 yards of string, 8 paper ramps, 2 paper pop-up signs, paper funnel, paper flag, paper bucket, and platform that comes in this $22 kit, kids can learn about physics by creating and watching chain reactions.

Buy for $14.86 on Amazon

8. Forbidden Islands Board Game

Board games are great developmental tools, and Forbidden Island is an especially good one. This highly rated cooperative board game will have your 11 year sitting on the edge of their seat as the forbidden island crumbles at the end of the game. This game is easy to learn, takes 30 minutes to play, and helps develop strategic thinking, problem solving, and social skills. It’s also a 2010 Mensa Favorite Brainy Games Winner.

Buy for $14.29 on Amazon

9. Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Discovery Kit

Just like sports and video games, many 11-year-old boys are drawn to and intrigued by all things electronic or mechanical. With Snap Circuits Jr., they can mess around with both.

This 30-piece kit lets them build a flashing light, photo sensor, and a siren – with alternating volume – allowing them to develop their imagination, curiosity, creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills. This National Parenting Center-Seal of Approval, Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products, Dr Toy Best Educational Products winner is well worth the $22, and you can upgrade to the more advanced version if it proves to be well-loved.

Buy for $22.00 on Amazon

10. TrueBalance

This fun and deceptively challenging game will keep any 11-year-old occupied. It will help to develop their coordination, focus, and fine motor skills while they’re busy trying to master it. And if they get frustrated, this sturdy toy can handle anything they throw at it.

Another award winner – this time the Creative Kids 2018 Toy of the Year – this game will fascinate kids for hours while only setting you back about $25, and it was created and designed in cooperation with occupational and physiotherapists.

Buy for $24.99 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for kids, check out our other great articles:

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical middle schoolers – understood.org

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 10 Year Old Boys in 2018

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Are you looking for toy or gift ideas for a 10 year old boy in your life? In this year of rapid change, choosing the right toy may be more challenging than ever before.

10 year olds boys are still kids, but they are definitely not young children anymore. They may look and sound different, could be developing their first crushes, and may be drifting further and further away from family.

With so much going on in his life, what toy or gift will he find both fun, and developmentally rewarding? We’ve done the research and curated the 10 best toys for 10 year old boys that are beneficial for helping your boy reach developmental milestones.

Read on for a brief overview of what developmental milestones we considered for this list, or jump right down to the 10 best toys for 10 year old boys list below if you’re short on time.

10 Year Old Developmental Milestones

In their earlier years, development was more clear-cut. Now that puberty is on the horizon, there are varying levels of growth. Some boys in his class may have squeaking – or even deepened – voices, some may need to start using deodorant and/or face wash, some may be taller, and some may stay exactly the same. While the following changes may not apply to your 10 year old boy today, they may experience these changes soon.

The average 10 year old boy will see the most development physically. They are growing rapidly, and it shows in many ways. Their steady growth results in growing pains, increased appetite and more sleep. Their growth may affect them physically in other ways too – for instance, this is the typical age when you may find that your boy needs glasses.

Their bodies are changing and they may not understand it. As their hormones begin to rage, your 10 year old boy may have more pronounced mood swings. Feelings of insecurity usually arise at this age, and their self-esteem may take a hit.

Now more than ever, your 10 year old boy seeks more acceptance from their friends than family. They may do things that are uncharacteristic, just to fit in. It’s common for 10 year old boys to develop crushes (or pretend to, to fit in). Don’t be surprised if you find that they want to create a social media account (if they haven’t already). They have a deeper understanding of intrapersonal relationships and develop more complex friendships – those that are no longer solely based on interests.

They also have a better understanding of how they see the world. They can better predict the consequences of their actions, and see the many different sides of one issue. They are now more responsible, and have more demanded of them in school with increasingly independent coursework. They are more independent physically as well – better able to perform tasks and can even begin tinkering with tools.

We’ve chosen toys that enhance collaboration with their peers, while encouraging them to explore their increased intelligence and independence. Read on to see our best educational & fun toy picks.

10 Best Gifts for 10 Year Old Boys Reviewed

1. Holy Stone HS200 FPV Quadcopter

Your 10 year old boy will be the talk of the neighborhood when they find out he is the owner of this quadcopter. This cool technology records impressive footage in HD quality, making your kid interested in and exciting about emerging technologies.

There are an intimidating amount of quadcopters for sale, from tiny toy drones, to industrial size behemoths. We’ve chosen a feature packed, highly-rated drone, that’s under $100.

The HS200 Quadcopter is stable and has a 720p camera that streams right to your phone. It also has an altitude hold feature, and a return-to-home button to ensure your investment isn’t lost.

As an added bonus, after your child records some great footage, they can learn to edit their footage and publish it to YouTube, a worthwhile activity that can turn into a source of livelihood.

Buy for $99.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

2. Caster Board by Ripstik

The Caster Board is like a skateboard, but to move forward you carve it like a snowboard. Learning to ride one isn’t easy, but that’s what makes it such a great developmental toy for 10 year old boys.

With this Caster Board, your kid will have improved balance, better muscle tone, and look really, really cool in front of his friends. He’ll also have an opportunity to teach others his skills, a hidden developmental perk.

Buy for $69.51 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

3. Harry Potter Paperback Box Set

While non technically a toy, this Harry Potter 7-book set is an absolute treasure for any 10 year old to receive. Harry Potter is a world renowned children’s book series that’s the perfect gift to motivate your 10 year old to read. The writing is simple enough for a 10 year old, and the story is highly addictive. Once children get going on Harry Potter, they have a hard time stopping until the last page is turned.

Developmentally, this set will help your 10 year old improve their vocabulary, and reading speed. It will also allow them to connect with the vast portion of our society that has ready Harry Potter.

Buy for $52.16 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

4. Gili Construction Engineering Building Set

This building set is impressive. It consists of 361 pieces that your 10 year old boy can assemble into an airplane, working dump truck, or any number of creative machines. This set allows them to flex both their creativity and analytical thinking.

Buy for $29.69 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

5. Monopoly Classic Board Game

What childhood would be complete without memories of someone crying over a game of Monopoly. Just kidding… kind of. This classic game teaches kids about business and economics, while also getting them to practice mental math. Players move around the board buying properties, and paying rent when they land on someone else’s property. Someone wins when all other players are bankrupt.

Children as young as 8 years old can play Monopoly, but 10 year olds are more likely to understand the dynamics to play competitively.

Buy for $14.59 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

6. N-Strike Elite Precision Target Set by Nerf

Your 10 year old boy still has huge bursts of energy. This target set is way more than just a toy. With the N-Strike Elite Precision Target Set, they will expend their energy while improving their hand-eye coordination, reflexes, focus, accuracy and precision. They’ll also just have a blast.

Buy for $21.82 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

7. The Boys’ Book of Survival – How to Survive Anything, Anywhere

10 year old boys may be in a different headspace, but reading is still important. This book makes reading fun again – it frames everyday situations as those of survival (for instance, one chapter makes a how-to guide out of the traumatizing situation of shopping with his mom). It also includes actual survival situations, preparing him to become a well-rounded man in his near future.

Buy for $21.82 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

8. 4M Crystal Growing Experiment

If your 10 year old boy is interested in science and geology, this is the perfect toy. The 4M Crystal Glowing set includes seven different experiments that encourages them to follow instructions and promotes patience. The kit also includes display cases to show off their work once the crystals have grown.

Buy for $21.82 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

9. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set

This set of 10 impressive, yet easy-to-master magic tricks is great for helping 10 year old boys improve their fine motor skills, while building confidence. They’ll get a kick out of not only learning a trick, but also performing it for you and their friends.

Buy for $27.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

10. EpochAir Wall Climbing Remote Control Car

He’ll be begging for a car in a few years – why not give him some training wheels? This awesome remote control car looks luxurious, and drives great. The EpochAir Remote Control Car will provide your 10 year old boy’s hand-eye coordination and accuracy, while giving them something to take care of and feel responsible for.

Unlike most remote control cars, this one has a special feature: it can climb walls. It’s great fun for kids and adults alike.

Buy for $21.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Honorable Mention

Shadows In The Forest Board Game

This award-winning game isn’t your average board game. It’s a play-in-the-dark one. Using creative strategies to travel around a dark forest (armed with a mini lantern – batteries included!), kids learn cooperation skills and the basics of light-and-shadow science for a one-of-a-kind playing experience.

Buy for $24.99 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Minecraft The Dungeon Building Set

Your 10 year old boy is probably familiar with the super-popular Minecraft video game. Get him away from the screen and in to the making impressive detail of this lego set. Best of all, the Dungeon Building Set is interactive, so your 10 year old boy can let his imagination soar, even after building is done.

Buy for $41.53 on Amazon

See parent reviews >>

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for kids, check out our other great articles:

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical fourth and fifth graders – understood.org

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 9 Year Old Boys in 2018

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It doesn’t feel like much time has passed since you just celebrated your son’s eighth birthday, but here you are, another year older, balking at all the toy options available. And here he is, turning nine, and he’s beginning to feel bored and unchallenged by the toys from his younger years. What’s a parent to do to keep their child entertained and learning?

The good news is, you don’t have to look any further than this article to find out what’s what in the toy world. We’ve curated the 10 best toys for 9 year old boys that are both educational and fun. If you’re short on time, jump to the top toys list below. Otherwise, read on to learn about the developmental milestones that typical 9 year olds are expected to reach that were considered for the list.

9-Year Old Developmental Milestones

It should come as no surprise that your nine-year old boy is going to go through some big changes this year, but they’re integral to his continued development as he transitions into his preteens.

At this age, you might notice marked improvements in his hand-eye coordination, which come in handy if he wants to take up sports. You can encourage growth in this area with a number of options that test the limits of dexterity while providing an understanding of how to use certain tools.

Bigger than the physical changes you’ll start to notice is a child’s growing understanding of the world. This is the age he’ll start to recognize others’ opinions as being separate and valid from their own, though he may still confuse fact and opinion. This understanding provides a basis for more effective discussions about rules, and your child will better connect effects with their causes. As he starts to think for himself, his inclination toward independence will rise, and he’ll be more comfortable with less supervision. This development is important, because it dictates what sort of toys will most cater to his interests — you’ll need to pay attention to whether his activity requires another person.

Cognitively, your 9 year old will be learning many critical life skills like multiplication and division, which require a solid foundation of addition and subtraction. To succeed, they’ll need to move on from counting and begin developing mental math skills, which is the ability to do math in their head. 9 year olds are also expected to spell at least the 300 most common words, and to write in complete sentences and have a basic understanding of grammar. It’s important to help your 9 year old master the 3rd grade math and English standards, so they don’t end up falling behind through the rest of their education.

In this exciting year, you can do what you’ve always done and bolster his growth not only through your teachings, but with great educational toys that will keep him moving forward. Consider getting any of these 10 top toys which are educational, fun, safe, and affordable.

10 Best Toys & Gift Ideas for 9 Year Old Boys

1. Gravity Maze

Gravity Maze is a prize winning spatial recognition puzzle game that’s both fun and challenging. 9 year old boys create a tube to allow a marble to be dropped in a hole at the top and reach the bottom in one move. The kit comes with 60 challenge cards varying in difficulty and challenges a child’s sequential reasoning skills. The game helps them think ahead and envision what paths will work. And, with a little imagination, once the challenge cards are beaten, a child can continue to build marble tracks to further test their reasoning skills.

Buy for $26.49 on Amazon

2. SmartLab Toys Electronics Lab

This toy provides a solid introduction to electricity, which will put your child ahead of the curve during these units in school. No, the toy doesn’t delve into Ohm’s Law and some of your other high school physics class nightmares, but the resistors, diodes, lights, switches, and dials included with the kit enable all sorts of experiments to be completed. The best part? The kit comes with instructions to create a quiz show game, an electronic drum kit, and several other interactive projects.

For hands-on learning with real-world applications, this toy is one of your nine-year old’s best bets that they’ll love for years.

Buy for $36.90 on Amazon

3. Rubik’s Cube

Over 350 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold since their invention in 1974, and since then, they’ve frustrated the entire world at some point. Only a few can master the cube, but with such a simple idea — just get all squares of each color on one side — anyone can enjoy the challenge.

At nine, your son might be a little ways off from learning all the algorithms to solve the cube in under a minute, but this toy can keep him occupied for years until he figures it out. Just mix up the colors once, and he’ll try start turning the sides around for hours.

This toy is good for spatial recognition and developing courses of action based on potential outcomes — an exceptional match for a mind beginning to understand abstract thought.

If your son gets frustrated and can’t solve the puzzle, that’s normal. Point them to any number of resources online for how to solve a Rubik’s cube. They’ll feel even more accomplished when they can show of their finished cube to their friends.

Buy for $8.28 on Amazon

4. Ivan’s Hinge

Ivan’s Hinge is an ingenious band of foldable triangles that appears simple, but is actually very difficult to master. 9 year old will bend and fold the toy to try to match the design on one of 50+ challenge cards.

The small moving parts allow your child to continue development of his hand-eye coordination, but more importantly, your 9 year old boy will be challenging his spacial reasoning and problem solving skills.

Note, this toy is very challenging. Many adults can’t solve the puzzles, so if your 9 year old doesn’t get a hang of it, just put the toy away for a year or two until their minds develop further.

Buy for $12.95 on Amazon

5. Engino STEM Mechanics, Gears and WormDrives

Encourage your child to learn about engineering with this kit that teaches the fundamentals of numerous applications of physics. This highly interactive set encourages your son to build structures that exemplify how momentum, force, and friction influence an object’s movement. Twelve working models are included in this set, and each model is easy to build and teaches something different about how force can be applied on an object. Your 9 year old boy will love building a helicopter, vise, hand drill, scissor lift, and more.

Buy for $29.99 on Amazon

6. Keva Contraptions Plank Set

This set is another take on marble runs, but rather than providing the challenge of a puzzle, it allows a child to be creative and make their own courses. “Tunnels, funnels, ramps, and chutes” provide for any number of options for your child to play with, all while teaching your child basic engineering concepts like structural stability and balance. The more they play with this toy, the more complicated their tracks can become, all while providing a generous sense of satisfaction for overcoming new obstacles.

Buy for $19.95 on Amazon

7. Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad

At some point in many adult’s lives, they stop drawing and become frumpy, serious adults. Don’t let this happen to your child. Give them this great light up tracing pad to help keep their creative spirit alive while developing their fine motor control, hand eye coordination, and spatial reasoning abilities.

The toy comes with a few tracing sheets, as well as blank sheets, so your 9 year old can draw whatever they most enjoy.

Buy for $24.99 on Amazon

8. 4M Solar System Planetarium

Many children are fascinated by space, and the more they learn about it, the more they want to know. Your son may or may not actually become an astronaut, but they can explore space with this moveable solar system planetarium.

Everything you need to build your planetarium is included with this kit, including glow-in-the-dark paint! However, be weary of purchasing this if your nine-year old has a younger sibling, as there are many small parts included in this kit.

Buy for $10.80 on Amazon

9. Disgusting Science Kit

A lot of boys love gross things, and they love to gross people out — why not let them practice these abilities? With the Disgusting Science Kit, your son will learn all about some of the grosser bodily functions, all through wonderfully realistic recreations. Not only is the kit interactive, but it comes with little fact cards that allow your son to learn exactly what it is they’re creating — and it might give them an insight why Mom ran away screaming when she saw the fake blood.

Buy for $11.06 on Amazon

10. Active Dodge Tag by Diggin

Let loose with some body-driven target practice. This is a new take on traditional dodgeball with two velcro-lined mesh vests that the included ball set stick to. Players may take turns firing at one another to build hand-eye coordination, or a more dynamic form may be played where players are always on the move, trying to hit their targets.

The game is easy to pack for any outing, and it can be enjoyed by players of all ages. The only downside is that it is for no more than two people, unless multiple sets are purchased.

Buy for $19.99 on Amazon

Honourable Mention

Pinewood Derby Cars

Participating in the pinewood derby as a kid was a shining moment in your childhood, why shouldn’t it be for your own son? This toy doesn’t break the bank and every step of building the car teaches your child something new. When you start with a solid block of wood, your child begins to hone their abstract thinking abilities, considering all the options that their car could look like — realistic? Futuristic? Conceptual? Just the planning can take plenty of time, but when they finally decide on a design, he can put his idea into action by learning the basics of common tools, like saws, sanders, and hammers. Then when they’re finally done with making the car’s chassis, you can help him paint it into the hot rod of your — or, his — dreams.

Note, you will need to buy sanding, and wood carving tools in addition to this set.

Cost-friendly accessories are available, too, to make this vehicle one of the sweetest-looking, fastest racers out there. Find yourself an incline, and you can both watch it ride.

Buy for $10.97 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for kids, check out our other great articles:

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical fourth and fifth graders – understood.org

10 Best Toys & Gifts for 8 Year Old Boys in 2018

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Are you overwhelmed by the idea of shopping for an 8 year old boy? With the endless sea of toys to choose from, that’s no surprise. Don’t stress, though—we’ve done all the research for you. By assessing the important developmental milestones that 8 year olds are expected to reach and researching the appropriate toys for each milestone, we’ve assembled a list of the top 10 toys for 8 year old boys.

If you’re in a rush, jump down to the best toys list below. Otherwise, take a moment to learn about the developmental milestones that were factored into the list.

8 Year Old Developmental Milestones

Eight year-olds have a lot of growing to do, in myriad ways. When your child enters second or third grade, count on some big changes headed their way.

Physically, 8 year olds tend to grow several inches and achieve significant increases in strength and endurance. Fine motor skills, such as tying shoelaces and drawing intricate shapes, improve, as do sports-related skills such as throwing, kicking, and dancing. These changes, along with improvements in coordination, contribute to noticeable growth in athletic skills.

Cognitive growth accelerates during the eighth year, too. Second and third graders begin to master the precursors to multiplication, like counting by 2’s and 5’s. Addition and subtraction skills take off as well. Most 8 year olds can recognize patterns and count to one thousand. Eight is a common age for kids to gain a keen interest in money, and how to save and spend it.

Language-wise, 8 year olds are learning to speak with proper grammar and a more advanced vocabulary. They experience improvements in reading comprehension and vocabulary, and learn how to decipher the meaning of unknown words based on the surrounding text. This is around the time that many children start reading for pleasure. At this age, children begin to write evocatively and add more details into their stories, though written grammar tends to lag behind spoken grammar.

During the eighth year, peer relationships gain importance. 8 year olds begin to value the opinions of friends more and more, and consequently, issues with peer pressure may arise. At this age, children possess a developed sense of self, try to become more independent, and enjoy working in groups or on teams. Most 8 year olds can also follow rules, set goals, and enjoy complex fantasy play. Eight can be a tough age in terms of dealing with frustration and impatience, which sometimes leads to dramatic outbursts as children learn how to cope with disappointment and manage emotions.

When your child turns eight, expect a lot of changes as they reach important milestones. Luckily, we’ve assembled a list of the best age-appropriate toys and games to pique your 8 year old’s curiosity and encourage his development and growth.

10 Best Toys for 8 Year Old Boys

1. K’NEX 100 Model Building Set – 863 Pieces

Give your 8 year old a head start in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) while letting his imagination run wild with this K’NEX model set, which includes over 863 pieces. The instruction booklet demonstrate how to build 100 different models, most of which have moving parts, like wheels that roll or amusement park rides that move. Your child can follow one of the specific blueprints included or create his own vision. Building each model requires the use of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, while also developing problem-solving techniques and spatial awareness.

After they’re done building the models in the instruction book, 8 year olds can let their imaginations run wild and build an unlimited number of their own fantastic contraptions.

Buy for $47.78 on Amazon

2. Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids

This easy-to-read book is a crowd pleaser, because, who doesn’t love a good joke? Not only will this book teach your 8 year old some fun jokes to share, it will also encourage him to read for pleasure while simultaneously working on his reading skills. Jokes are a great way for kids to interact with peers and feel confident, and eight-year-olds will love the independence of learning and telling jokes all on their own.

Buy for $4.45 on Amazon

3. RipStik Castor Board

Any toy that encourages a child to be active is a win in our book, and this one fits the bill. The RipStik Castor Board combines a skateboard and a snowboard into a self-balancing toy with wheels. The deck is specially designed with 360-degree rotating casters, making it perfect for learning all kinds of stunts. The RipStik is cheaper and safer than a hoverboard, and the perfect way for 8 year olds to work on their balance, coordination, and motor skills, all while showing off new tricks to their friends. Adults may have a hard time picking up this method of transportation, but 8 year olds love the challenge.

Buy for $69.51 on Amazon

4. Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Discovery Kit

Challenge and promote your 8 year old’s budding curiosity in science with this educational STEM toy. Snap circuit toys teach kids about physics, in a fun, hands-on way, as they learn to design their own electrical circuits. Work your 8 yr old’s fine motor skills while putting their newfound knowledge of patterns and math to the test. This toy provides a great base for learning the underlying concepts of how electricity works, and kids will be wowed when they successfully complete a circuit that turns a light off and on, or triggers a siren.

Buy for $22.00 on Amazon

5. Melissa & Doug Suspend Family Game

Do you love family game night as much as we do? Then make sure to nab this easily portable game of balancing dangling rods for 1-4 players. Melissa and Doug’s Suspend requires focus and coordination, and provides a great way for 8 year olds to play with friends and work on their peer relationship skills, all while learning how to cope with disappointment and impatience. The game also requires players to use their fine motor skills and strategize, making it an excellent fit for this age group and fun for all ages.

Buy for $12.99 on Amazon

6. Scientific Explorer Poof- Slinky Magic Science for Wizards Only Kit

This science set comes with instructions and test tubes, color tablets, and the more obscure items that your child will need to add to common household chemicals to create amazing experiments. Boys will love creating magic through mixing and combining ingredients, and parents will love that their children are discovering the fun in science. The Scientific Explorer Magic Science Kit encourages reading proficiency, a sense of intellectual curiosity, and appeals to 8 year olds’ desire to be independent in their explorations. (even though parents will need to supervise). While playing with this kit, kids will build on basic math skills as they follow directions on how much of each ingredient to add to create the desired reaction.

Buy for $11.35 on Amazon

7. Kanoodle

Ready for a brain tease? Kanoodle is just the thing. This one little box contains hundreds of puzzles and hours of play. Challenge your 8 year old to recreate 2-D and 3-D puzzles, all while developing his problem solving and critical thinking skills. Beware, though—this solitary-play puzzle set tends to ensnare both children and adults alike.

Buy for $12.99 on Amazon

8. LEGO Minecraft the Cave

What toy list for an 8 year old boy would be complete without a LEGO set? With the way they promote fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, problem solving and creativity, LEGOs are always a good bet for this age group. What’s especially nice about LEGOs is that they work great both for both solo play and as a toy to share with friends. The LEGO Minecraft the Cave set is perfect for parents who want to indulge their 8 year old’s love of video games while also promoting some crucial electronics-free time.

Buy for $41.41 on Amazon

9. Goodminton – The World’s Easiest Racket Game

When your child turns 8, introduce him to racquet sports with Goodminton. Kids will enjoy working on motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they swing and connect. They’ll also get some important outdoor time and exercise. This simple game will help grow their athleticism, and makes for a perfect afternoon with friends.

Buy for $16.99 on Amazon

10. Bananagrams

This versatile word game is a crowd pleaser, and perfect for encouraging 8 year olds to expand their newfound reading and spelling skills in a fun way. Bananagrams can accommodate 1-8 players, as competitors race against each other to create crossword grids. With its handy banana carrying case, Bananagrams makes an ideal choice for learning-on-the-go.

Buy for $14.49 on Amazon

Toys for Other Age Ranges

For more toy and gift ideas for kids, check out our other great articles:

Criteria for Placement

While listing the best educational resources is never an exact science, we’ve done our best find products that rank highly on the following criteria:

Developmental impact: Many toys out there like plush dolls are somewhat limited in their developmental impact. We’ve critically evaluated the toys on this list for their impact on physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development.
Safety: All toys on this list are safe to use, free of toxic compounds like lead and BPA
Durability: Children love to throw, jump on, and touch everything in sight. The toys on this list are fit to withstand the bumps and hard landings.
Price: Parenting doesn’t need to be outrageously expensive. We looked for the cheapest products that still meet our developmental and quality requirements.

References

Developmental milestones for typical second and third graders – understood.org