2023 Toy Shopping Guide for Kids
My favorite part of being an occupational therapist is helping adults find great toys and games for kids! It’s so important to support physical and cognitive development through play.
I’m sharing a 2023 toy shopping guide for kids that contains Amazon affiliate links. (Please see below for more info.)
Amazon makes shopping so convenient and easy. No need for busy stores, long lines, or unavailable items.
When you make your Amazon wish list or when you shop, please avoid screens and techy toys!
For gift buying ideas to address specific child development skills, check out Develop Learn Grow’s previous posts. There are great ideas for classroom centers, indoor recess, outdoor recess, and for earning free time.
- Best Educational Toys and Games for Kids 5-10+ – toys and games are categorized under different skill areas. (Visual skills, auditory skills, strategy, and motor.)
- Best Toys for Fine Motor Skills – my favorite games and toys to help develop hand strength and other fine motor skills.
- Skill Building Outdoor Games for Kids – find gross motor and movement activities for indoor or outdoor recess or for at home. The post includes easy DIY games, movement games, and gross motor coordination games.
- How to Improve Reading Skills with Auditory Activities – find games and activities to help improve listening skills.
- Art Project & Crafts for Kids – A Great Way to Support Learning and Development – this post shares fun and important arts and crafts for kids. There are so many great indoor, quiet, mindful ideas… be sure to check them out!
- How to Improve Reading with 15+ Visual Skills Activities – more visual activities and games… they’re so important for learning!
Amazon Categories – Top Picks from Develop Learn Grow
Amazon always makes it easy when shopping.
Help your kiddos brain and body development and stay away from those techy toys and screens! Stick with basic toys that support development.
Make a classroom wish list, shop for a teacher, or shop for your kids. Or, wait until after the holiday and use your gift cards!
Here are my top favorite categories to help your kids develop, learn and grow!
Sports & Outdoor Toys
Get your kids moving! This sports and outdoor category should be a top priority. After the pandemic, it’s been so evident that kids are not getting as much movement and physical activity as they used to.
This is so important for learning and behavior! Favorites in this category are the Indoor Scooter Board for extra movement and heavy work, the Basketball Hoop Set for a closet door, and the Exercise Trampoline for a corner of your room! The Obstacle Course in a Box is fun for indoor recess.
Encourage bikes and non-motorized scooters for home!
Arts & Crafts Activities
Spark creativity through Arts and Crafts!
Help kids work on fine motor skills, attention, sensory development and visual motor integration.
Grab an Art Easel for your room and add a Lite Brite or Kinetic Sand Treasure Hunt Set to your shelves.
Building Toys & Blocks
Make sure your learning space has building toys and blocks to help improve fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, visual perception and creativity.
Some of my top picks: the Tinker Toy Retro Building Tin (in the image) works on many developmental skills.
My personal favorites with my kids were Lincoln Logs, Lego’s, and wooden blocks. At work, I love the Magnetic Building Blocks – they’re great for hand strengthening.
Board Games for Fine Motor Skills, Social Skills, Following Directions, and Patience!
There are so many amazing games you can add to your learning environment! Amazon has an entire Hasbro Games section.
Some highlights: Skillmatics Found It, Guess Who?, and Memory & Matching – I Never Forget a Face (my youngest son loved this and I’ve used this for work many times.)
And of course… Twister Ultimate!
STEM & Learning Games to Boost Brain Power
STEM games and activities and brainy learning games are wonderful for kids! Just be sure to avoid the techy ones in this category!
Keep it simple to focus on more areas of body and brain development. For example, rather than an app or digital program where they sit and stare at an educational lesson, try View Master Classic Deluxe Edition (with Discovery Kids Reels.) This simple little toy shares wildlife / endangered species while working on – posture, bilateral coordination, shoulder stability, eye muscle focusing, finger strength on the lever, etc!
Some great picks in this category: Genius Tangram and Skillmatics Educational Brain Games – reusable activity mats (see the image in this category.)
Games and Puzzles for Kids
Games and puzzles are great for kids. I especially love the puzzles in this category.
Simple puzzles like the Shape Shifting Box are great for bilateral coordination, problem solving and fidgeting.
Classic activities such as Search and Find and Melissa & Doug Dinosaurs Jigsaw Puzzles are important for kids.
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