The Ultimate Toy Gift Guide

We have baby-and-toddler-friendly toys for every munchkin on your list — many specially designed to develop your child’s cognition and motor skills.

We’ve put together a comprehensive list of toys for tots that both kiddos and parents will love.

So, let’s dive in!

Handheld Toys

Some of the best first toys for babies are ones they can hold in their curious hands (and likely in their mouth too):

• PLUSH TOYS: A plushie is often one of baby’s most beloved and cherished childhood toys due to their loveable quality and sheer squishiness. A perfect plush toy is the Bashful Bunny with its soft fur. Bonus points as it can be tossed into the wash when needed. For more useful care instructions, click here.

• DOLLS: At some point, a doll is every child’s best friend and the Bonikka Doll from Tikiri can be just that. With over 25 characters to choose from, you can be sure your child will love sharing every adventure with this soft-body rag doll. 

• WOODEN TOYS: Traditional wooden toys such as blocks are excellent for children to learn their ABCs and easily hold in their tiny hands. The Sweet Cocoon Cart with ABC Blocks supports baby’s first steps with its 3-in-1 cart that includes blocks of letters, numbers, shapes, and an abacus. For more info on wooden toys, check out this article. 

• BATH TOYS: Bath time should always be fun for kids, with exciting underwater adventures that would make Jacques Cousteau jealous! The Sea Life Bath Set is a great gift option that includes a shell, starfish, dolphin, and sea turtle to make taking baths fun. For more bath time gift ideas, take a read here.
  

Moving Toys

Toys that involve movement are captivating for children. By moving their body during use, they’ll develop their motor skills faster and become more attuned to how their body can impact their environment.

• VEHICLES: Having a 4-wheeled toy they can push around is a childhood staple that triggers a child’s imagination to fantastical places! The wooden Poppy Racer car from Tegu is a magnetic toy that can be joined with other Magnetic Racer cars (or various Tegu products) to super-size it into a car train. 

• RIDE-ON TOYS: A ride-on toy is an excellent way for children to begin developing muscle strength throughout their entire body, and the Scoot Around Balance Bike from Hape will do just that through hours of wheeling around the house! It doesn’t get much more fun than that! 

• PUSH-PULL TOYS: This type of toy gives children a friend to play with and helps them develop compassion as they pull their buddy along with them wherever they go! The Pull-Along Chameleon from Janod is a fun wooden gift that brings a touch of the tropics to your winter wonderland! 

• MUSICAL TOYS: Instruments are one of the best ways to marry baby’s body movements and thinking skills with artistic expression. This soft-rubber Hedgehog Accordion has bright colours, textured details, and is easy for them to squeeze while discovering the joy of making music.
  

Interactive Imagination Toys

A child’s imagination is a powerful thing, and these toys encourage it through interactivity and immersion:

• SENSORY TOYS: Sensory toys are designed with a variety of textures and features that stimulate baby’s senses. The Silly Snail Sensory Book from Manhattan Toys is a multi-textured treasure including soft boa fabrics, crinkle sounds, vibrant colours, embroidered designs, a squeaker, and a crinkle strawberry.
  
  
• ON-THE-GO TOYS: When you’re running errands or travelling long distances, it’s handy to have a toy to bring along with you to keep your child’s attention. The Silver Lining Jitter Stroller Toy from Skip Hop helps your child practice hand-eye coordination while satisfying their curiosity. 

• ACTIVITY TOYS: Activity toys are fantastic for helping little ones discover the world around them. With the Cozy Spot Activity Gym, you’ll get a soft-as-a-cloud reversible duvet for baby to stretch out on! It can also be folded and carried in a storage bag for easy travel. 

• CLIMBERS AND PLAY STRUCTURES: Kids can feel like the king of the world when scaling climbers or using play structures to developing their muscles and imagination. The Recycled Fabric Play Tent from 3Sprouts is an easy to assemble structure that's  lightweight and transportable, and designed to inspire your child’s fantasy and social play. 

• PRETEND PLAY TOYS: Playing make-believe is something kids love to do. Brands like Janod make a variety of pretend play toys that will keep your child entertained for years to come. For more great pretend-play options, check out this article.

Learning Toys

Gift-giving doesn’t have to be about the latest and greatest baby gadgets. Consider a learning toy to help children discover things about the world around them.

• EDUCATIONAL TOYS: Give your kids a leg-up with a toy where they can learn while having fun! Kids will enjoy playing with the beautifully-designed Weather Watch weatherboard and learning about the four seasons, wind speed, rain, and temperatures. Snuggle Bugz has a wide selection of educational toys. Check out more fun options in this article.  
  
  
• BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TOYS: Any toys that involve building or constructing something are ideal for developing a child’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The Stacking Rocket is made of colourful wooden rings that stack on top of each other to form a mighty rocket that can then “blast off”!
  
  
• PUZZLES: Interlocking puzzle pieces are perfect for little kids to learn shapes, matching, and using their hands. The Little Lion Chunky Wood Puzzle from Petit Collage is a fun, five-piece problem-solving toy made from chunky wood for stubby little fingers!
  
  
• BOOKS: Books are an invaluable learning tool for kids where they can look at pictures, learn words, and flips pages on their own. The ABC Board Book from Make Believe Ideas comes with flaps, pop-ups, and sliders to keep them entertained and engaged!

Gifts That Keep on Giving

Children love toys of any kind, but if you can give them something to benefit their development, all the better! With a large selection of toys here at Snuggle Bugz, you should have no problem finding something they’ll enjoy learning and growing with for years to come.

For age-specific ideas, be sure to check out our Gift Guides.