Quality Toys for Young Children

Toys for 1-year-olds

· Board books with simple illustrations or photographs
of real objects
· Recordings with songs, rhymes, simple stories, and
pictures
· Things to create with—wide non-toxic, washable
markers, crayons, and large paper
· Things to pretend with—toy phones, dolls and
doll beds, baby carriages and strollers, dress-up
accessories (scarves, purses), puppets, stuffed toys,
plastic animals, and plastic and wood “realistic”
vehicles
· Things to build with—cardboard and wood blocks
· Things for using small and large muscles—
puzzles, large pegboards, toys with parts that do
things (dials, switches, knobs, lids), and large and
small balls

Toys for 2-year olds

· Things for solving problems—wood puzzles
(with 4-12 pieces), blocks that snap together, objects
to sort (by size, shape, color, smell), and
things with hooks, buttons, buckles, and snaps
· Things for pretending and building—blocks,
smaller (and sturdy) transportation toys, clothes,
dolls with accessories, puppets, and sand and water
play toys
· Things to create with—large non-toxic, washable
crayons and markers, large paintbrushes and finger
paint, large paper for drawing and painting, colored
construction paper, toddler-sized scissors with
blunt tips, chalkboard and large chalk, and rhythm
instruments
· Picture books with more details than books for
younger children
· Things for using large and small muscles—large
and small balls for kicking and throwing, ride-on
equipment (but probably not tricycles until children
are 3), tunnels, low climbers with soft material underneath,
and pounding and hammering toys

Toys for 3 to 6-year-olds

· Things for solving problems—puzzles (with 12-
20+ pieces), blocks that snap together, collections
and other smaller objects to sort by length, width,
height, shape, color, smell, quantity, and other features,
collections of plastic bottle caps, plastic
bowls and lids, keys, shells, counting bears, small
colored blocks
· Things for pretending and building—many blocks for
building complex structures, transportation toys, construction
sets, child-sized furniture (“apartment” sets,
play food), dress-up clothes, dolls with accessories, puppets
and simple puppet theaters, and sand and water play
toys
· Things to create with—large and small crayons and
markers, large and small paintbrushes and finger paint,
large and small paper for drawing and painting, colored
modeling clay and playdough, modeling tools, paste,
paper and cloth scraps for collage and instruments –
rhythm instruments and keyboards, xylophones, maracas,
and tambourines
· Picture books with even more words and more detailed
pictures than toddler books
· Things for using their large and small muscles—large
and small balls for kicking and throwing/catching, rideon
equipment including tricycles, tunnels, taller climbers
with soft material underneath, wagons and wheelbarrows,
plastic bats and balls, plastic bowling pins, targets
and things to throw at them, and a workbench with a
vise, hammer, nails and saws.

Taken from NAEYC publication “Good Toys for Young
Children”, www.naeyc.org/journal/goodtoys.asp

Musik-Go-Round

Mrs. Vaughan suggests the gift of music for
Christmas. New studio classes begin in
February. For more information see www.musikgo-
round.