Find the best gifts for toddlers including some simple non-toxic, screen free options! If you are struggling to find the perfect gift for the toddler in your life, but also want to find clean, low-tox options without breaking the bank, look no further. I know how hard it can be to find gifts your kids will love and play with, promote learning and are ALSO non-toxic. It’s tough! So I’ve compiled the best options with many that are not only non-toxic, but tried and true favorites of my own toddler!
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Wooden Gifts
When considering gifts for toddlers, I always choose wood if I can for a few reasons. First, wood is more durable than plastic and much better for the environment. Wood toys tend to be made much simpler than flashy, light-up plastic toys so they offer toddlers more open-ended play and encourage use of the imagination. Lastly, plastic can be toxic compared to wood so children playing with wooden toys have reduced exposure to chemicals like BPA and PVC. This doesn’t mean we have no plastic toys at our house, but we definitely look for wood options first.
Wooden Blocks
Blocks are a classic and we love these fun colored STEM stacking stones. They are made of pine wood and painted with a water-based non-toxic paint.
Wooden Musical Instruments
These might be a parent’s nightmare, but playing instruments helps toddlers with sensory development and gives them an outlet for creativity and emotions. So maybe add a pair of ear plugs if you choose this one!
Melissa & Doug Wooden Farm Set
Every toddler needs a farm set with animals. These promote language as they begin learning animal names and sounds as well as independent creative play. And they’re just a lot of fun!
Kitchen Standing Tower
We love this standing tower for toddlers. It will help you safely get your toddler involved in the kitchen and helping make food!
Wooden Climbing Set
My toddler loves this Montessori climbing set and I love it too! It offers him a way to climb safely, improve his coordination, work on balance and get movement.
Wooden Play Tool Workbench
It’s in children’s nature, especially little boys, to want to build and this toy encourages them in that. This tool bench will help them with their fine motor and problem solving skills!
Wooden Dollhouse
Every little girl needs a wooden dollhouse at some point and this one is adorable. It has 6 rooms and 29 pieces of furniture and is just adorable.
Learning Gifts
At the toddler age, learning through play and having sensory experiences is my main focus for my son to learn about the world around him. However, there are definitely some learning toys that we’ve invested in to promote focused learning on letters, numbers and shapes, etc.
Sensory Bins
Sensory bins promote sensory exploration in toddlers and help them to work on their motor skills. It keeps them busy learning, especially if they are playing with friends or siblings!
Wooden Beads Sequencing Set
This is a fun gift that will help your toddler with their sorting, sequencing and fine motor skills. Plus they will love playing with the fun shaped blocks.
Personalized Name Puzzle
Toddlers love puzzles and this one is no exception. This puzzle is great for toddlers who are learning letters and how to spell their own names.
Wooden Clock
We love this toy at my house. My son can practice shapes, numbers, colors and eventually he will be able to practice telling time.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Magnetic Letters
Every toddler needs some fridge letter magnets. These wooden ones are a better option than the plastic you may have had as a kid!
Wooden Reading Blocks
This is a fun learning activity for toddlers to identify pictures to learn letters and basic 3 letter words. This is more directed learning, but is very basic and helps children with language as well.
Alphabet Matching Game
I love a simple alphabet matching game with pictures to encourage my toddler to improve attention to detail and attention span! He can play this with his big brother and they both have fun!
Busy Board
This busy board is an easy, mess-free way to keep a toddler busy when you need to. It folds up nicely and takes up little space. It has been a life saver for us on trips!
Montessori Kitchen Utensils
I love these Montessori kitchen utensils. They encourage toddlers to participate in meal making. Studies show involving children in food preparation does influence them to be more likely to eat the food if they had a hand in making it.
Role Play Gifts
Role Play is a great way for kids to use their imagination and explore. It helps them make sense of real-life situations, builds cultural awareness and encourages their creativity. It can also help them grow their language and communication skills. Role play gifts for kids are probably some of my favorites!
Wooden Tea Set
Your little one will love to have her own tea party with this adorable set.
Doctor Set
Toddlers love to pretend with this adorable doctor set.
Explorer Kit
I love a good explorer kit, something my kids can use to get outside and start looking at the world through different lenses.
Dentist Kit
This dentist kit is a really great way to get kids familiar with dental equipment in a fun, safe play environment. It can help promote positive associations and help them feel more relaxed at a dental appointment.
Wooden Makeup/Salon Toy Set
This adorable set is an another way to promote imaginative play and allow children to gain confidence while modeling mom or a hairdresser.
Wooden Play Food Set
All kids need to have play food at some point. It helps them identify the foods they are eating and can even help model healthier foods for them!
Cleaning Supplies
Toddlers love to model what others do and this is a way to allow them to do that but also teach them some life skills early on. My son loves to help me clean and he loves having his own set of cleaning supplies so we can do it together.
Toddler Kitchen
This is another gift that encourages toddlers to mimic what they see mom and dad doing in the kitchen and spark their curiosity for real world activities. I’m a firm believer that all toddlers need a play kitchen at some point. it’s such a great way to facilitate their imaginative and independent play. I like this wooden one; it’s adorable and simple without plastic or too many frills.
Mini Karaoke Machine
A great gift for toddlers is a mini karaoke machine with 2 microphones. We have some adorable memories of our boys singing on these toys.
Kids Camera
If your child is anything like my youngest, he’s obsessed with photos and seeing pictures of himself and others. Gift him with this dinosaur kids camera so he can learn to take his own photos.
Bath Toys
Non-Toxic Mold Free Bath Toys
It’s hard to find bath toys that don’t mold, but these silicon boats are a hit in our house and mold-free thus far!
Mold Free Bath Toys
These toy trucks are great for the tub because they don’t have holes and don’t hold water or mold.
Mushie Sealife Bath Toys
These are anther option of mold free bath toys with no holes, but these are made of food grade silicone so great for the younger toddlers who tend to put toys in their mouths.
TRUKID Bubble Podz
These non-toxic bubbles make a great stocking stuffer! Many common brands of bubbles are full of chemicals but we love these Bubble Podz that have minimal toxin-free ingredients.
Honey Sticks Bath Crayons
These washable bath crayons are a huge hit at our house. They are made of beeswax and soy wax and colored with non-toxic food grade colors. They are tons of fun In the tub and can also be used on glass and mirrors.
Outdoor Toys
We love to incorporate as much outdoor time in our days as we can and being outside in the fresh air and sun encourages movement and health in children and adults. Most moms I know want their kids to be active and play outside as opposed to sitting indoors on a screen. Here are some classic outdoor gifts that will keep your toddlers busy and enjoying the outdoors.
Urban Infant Non-Toxic Sidewalk Chalk
What kid doesn’t like sidewalk chalk? This non-toxic version of the outdoor play staple is made with child-safe pigments and is also durable enough for little hands. The fun part of this particular chalk is that it includes a booklet of hopscotch games that you can draw and play with your little ones!
Gardening Set
Encourage your little one to work alongside you in the garden with this gardening set. This set comes with the tools to garden, 3 seed starter containers and 3 packs of seeds (tomato, strawberry & sunflower) amongst many other things. Gardening is known to be good for kiddos by enhancing mood and reducing anxiety, basically the same benefits adults get from gardening!
Basketball Hoop
Get your toddler outside to get some physical activity with a classic basketball hoop. Everyone in the family can play together while the toddler will be building social skills, and working on hand-eye coordination at the same time.
Toddler Trampoline
Trampolines are very popular but are not the safest for little people, especially those under 6. I’m personally ok with the little toddler trampoline and my son loves it. It’s a good way for him to burn energy and I monitor him closely. Make the choice that’s best for your family!
Water Table
A water table can keep a toddler busy for a while and is a good option to get your toddler excited to go outside and play. My son loves his table and I love that it promotes a sensory experience, imaginative and independent play.
Splash Pad
I often get my kids summer gifts at Christmas so we are ready and prepared with some fun options when the warm weather arrives. This splash pad is one I got my toddler last Christmas and once the weather warmed up, we got it out and he loved it.
STEM Gifts
Nat Geo Marble Run
This marble run is good for the older toddlers and keeps my little guy busy for awhile. he loves watching the marbles in the run and seeing how it all works. Definitely play with this with parents or someone older.
Handheld Microscope
Give your toddler a scientific adventure with this handheld microscope they can take outside and use to explore.
Retro Classic View Master
I love a classic toy and many of us had one of these view masters as kids. They were always so fun to use and you could see a wide variety of pictures. Keep the toys simple for your toddler!
Remote Control Robot
My son actually saw the video for this robot and was completely enthralled. He loves anything RC and talks about robots often so this brought two of his favorite things together and keeps him very busy!
Curious Minds Busy Bags – Human Organ Match
This may seem like a weird one, but this Montessori matching game helps children start to learn to look for details such as shape and color while also teaching them about the human body.
Arts & Crafts
LCD Doodle Pad
This drawing pad is a well-loved resource for airplane rides or car trips! We always keep it packed in our bag with a few other small toys and it has saved us a time or two on trips!
Kid Made Modern Beeswax Crayons
I love crayons, but prefer this non-toxic beeswax crayon over the more common paraffin wax crayons that can contain lead and even asbestos.
Melissa & Doug Giant Coloring Pad
The toddler on your list will need a jumbo coloring pad to go with the non-toxic beeswax crayons!
Honey Sticks Watercolors
I love to let my toddler explore his creativity with watercolors, and I also love that they are non-toxic and made with food grade ingredients!
Water Doodle Mat
I can let my toddler play on this mat and not worry about him writing on the walls because the pens are filled with water. He colors on the mat and it disappears after about a 3-10 minutes so he can start coloring again! For a toddler with a short attention span, this is a fabulous gift!
Veggie Baby Finger Paint
These vegan finger paints are organic veggies and even edible for kids older than 6 months! It allows your toddler the fun sensory experience of finger painting, but without the worry of them putting their fingers in their mouths. It’s a little messy for cleanup, but what finger paints aren’t?
Melissa & Doug Finger Paint Paper Pad
Be prepared and make sure you have a finger paint paper pad to go with your finger paints, otherwise you might have a toddler ready to paint the walls!
Play Dough
I am all about making my own things, and you can certainly make your own play dough, but if you are looking for convenience, this is a great option. This play dough is non-toxic and made of food-grade ingredients. It provides a fun sensory experience to facilitate your toddler’s imagination and creativity!
Melissa & Doug Decorate-Your-Own Wooden Craft Kit
These are inexpensive gifts that kids LOVE to play with. It’s something simple to get them being creative and then they have their own new toy to play with.
Books
Around the Farm by Eric Carle
We love Eric Carle’s books in my house and this is a favorite!
Psalm 23 – A Colors Primer
Invest in your toddler’s heart health with a book on Psalm 23 and colors. I love to incorporate Scripture or Biblical themes into anything my children receive and this set of books is a really awesome choice.
Our God – A Shapes Primer
Teaching about God and shapes at the same time. What could be better!
First Bible Words
Toddler Bible
Other Great Toddler Gifts
Piggy Paint Nail Polish
All little girls want to paint their nails like their mama’s. Feel good about the nail polish you are putting on your toddler and choose Piggy Paint, a lower tox nail polish for kids!
Toy Trucks
You can’t go wrong with a classic toy truck. My son loves any truck toy that is placed in front of him! This eco friendly brand is a better option made of recycled plastic with no PVC’s or BPA’s.
Baby Doll
Every little girl wants a baby doll and this beautiful handmade Waldorf doll makes a great gift that she’ll love.
Balance Bike
The balance bike is made for younger toddlers as it helps them practice balance and coordination as well as their confidence on a bike.
Dance Mat
We like to have dance parties at our house and any time my toddler hears music, he’s dancing. This is a super fun gifts for kids to keep them active and moving and having a blast.
Yoto Mini
This cool little contraption will allow your toddler to listen to stories and music without the flash and glare of a screen. This is a great way to keep your child busy with an activity you can feel good about while helping them focus on their listening skills.
Slumberkins Visual Schedule
This helps your little ones begin to learn about and practicing routines and healthy habits.
7-Piece Soft Foam Climbing Equipment
If you’re looking for some fun indoor toys to keep your kids active this winter, this foam climbing equipment is a great choice. It keeps them busy for hours being creative and having fun.
Playmate Rug
if you’ve got a boy who loves cars like I do, this is a fantastic rug for their playroom or bedroom. It serves it’s purpose as a functional rug, but creates a place for them to play with their cars as well!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully you benefited from this thorough list on your quest to find a great gift for the toddler in your life. If you are looking for other gift ideas, check out the gift guides below.
These are great gift options! Thanks for sharing!
Great list! I have my eye on the the kids knife set for my girls! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing! I am a sucker for wooden toys!