Must-Have Toys and Supplies

In my opinion, there are good toys and bad toys. I want toys that can be played with for years, that can be used in many different ways, and that inspire creative, sustained, independent play. With all of the options out there, it can be hard to know what to buy or what to recommend to loved ones for gifts. I decided to compile a list of toys (based on my experience as a play therapist, preschool teacher, and mom) that would make up the perfect playroom. I’ve broken it down into categories and listed my absolute favorites. The toys and supplies below are either items we love and use all the time or things I’ve researched thoroughly for our wishlist. All are of good quality and I marked more expensive items as “big ticket items.” All of these toys will span several years and can be used in a variety of ways. I know we all have limited space and are looking for things that will sustain our kids’ attention - these will. If you have concerns about age-appropriateness, please email me!

You can now shop for all of these items (and more!) on my Amazon Storefront.

Blocks & Building

• Stack & Roll Cups

• Nesting Cups

• Foam Blocks

• Cardboard Blocks

• Megabloks

• Duplos

• Legos

• Wooden Blocks

• Magnets (big ticket item)

• Train Tracks

People

• Fisher-Price Little People Set

• Family Representation

• Multicultural

• Diverse Abilities

Imaginative Play Essentials

• People (see above)

• Basic Dollhouse

  • I love this one from IKEA

    • This furniture set fits the IKEA house perfectly

  • Or this Melissa and Doug House (big ticket item)

  • Both of these houses are basic enough that they can also be turned into a school, an office building, a hospital or whatever you need.

  • Children process their experiences through play and so much happens within your home, so a house is an important playroom staple.

• Doctor/Vet Set - incredibly important for preparing for a doctor’s appointment or processing their experiences at the doctor’s office.

• Scarves - so many uses! Scarves can be grass, water, a tablecloth, a blanket, a cape…

• Animals

  • Pets (this set contains small parts)

  • Farm

  • Sea

  • Jungle

  • Bugs

• Kitchen (big ticket) or Tabletop

  • Food

  • Pots and Pans (I also like this set from IKEA)

  • Coffeemaker, Blender, & Mixer - choose add-ons that represent gadgets you use often in your real kitchen

• Cash Register

• Tools

• Office Supplies - pretend laptop, notepads, pencils, old phone, old remote control

Vehicles

• Fisher Price Little People Vehicle Set

• Cars

• Trucks

• Garbage Truck

• Ambulance

• School Bus

• Fire Truck

• Police Car

• Hot Wheels/Matchbox Cars

Puzzles & Fine Motor

• Chunky Puzzles

• Peg Puzzles

• Magnet Puzzles

• Floor Puzzles

  • Interchangeable Floor Puzzle - I love this puzzle for kiddos who are ready for a more advanced puzzle, but not quite ready for a traditional, rectangular floor puzzle.

• Shape Sorter

• Stickers

• Lacing Beads

• Links

• Peg Boards

Gross Motor

• Foam Balls - these are perfect for redirecting indoor throwing. They can also be used in the bath or outside as an alternative to water balloons.

• Balls

• Tunnel

• Push/Ride-on Toys

• Slide

• Trampoline

• Scooter (big ticket item)

Art

• Rock Crayons - the perfect first crayon

• Jumbo Crayons

• Crayons

• Colored Pencils

• Paper

• Stickers

• Dot Paint

*I’m not a huge fan of markers for Max. They require constant supervision and don’t develop fine motor skills as well as crayons and pencils do.

Books!!

Favorite Store Bought Activities

• Water Wow

• Puffy Stickers

I usually keep these in the diaper bag for restaurants or road trips, but they have come in handy for quick quarantine activities.

Activity Supplies

• Painter’s Tape

• Paper

• Counting/Sorting Bears

• Waterbeads

• Bowls, Containers, Scoops

Household Items

• Kitchen Helper (big ticket item - worth it!)

I avoid buying character toys and toys with an assigned identity (ie police car with lights and sounds) because those toys can only ever be one thing. Buzz Lightyear can only ever be Buzz, but a generic doll figure can be Buzz, a firefighter, a teacher, a friend…The same goes for cars and trucks - a police car is only a police car. We do have special toys like this and Max loves and plays with them often, but if you are looking to streamline your playroom, you can cut those toys out.

As always, please reach out with questions or concerns. 💙💚❤️💛

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.