Recommended Toys for Children (Birth to Age 8+)
compiled by Joan Spoerl, M.A.T.
Since young children learn through all of their senses and by interacting with their environment, it is preferable to provide them with materials and experiences that have lasting value and engage their imagination. Toys related to television programs, movies, video or computer games are often limited in their value and limit a child's imagination in play. Seek toys that will engage a child for an extended period of time and/or development.
Also, rotate and reorganize the toys periodically. This will likely recharge a child's interest and perhaps extend the toys' usefulness in your home.
Infants and Toddlers:
Board books
Rattles
Linking toys
Pop beads
Balls of various shapes and sizes
Dolls
Foam or cloth blocks
Stacking rings
Pop-Up Toys
Nesting Blocks
Simple wooden puzzles
Balls
Pretend props (broom, dishes.)
Shape Sorters
Vehicles and push toys
Preschoolers and Above:
Markers, Colored Pencils or Crayons
Watercolor Paints
Stamps and Stamp Pads
Stencils
Collage materials & Glue or Gluesticks
Children's Scissors (Fiskars for Kids are particularly good)
Stringing materials (beads, blocks, etc.)
Pipe Cleaners
Origami paper
Felt
Paper Punches
Craft Sticks
Fuse Beads
Playdough
Clay
Puzzles (level of complexity depends upon child)
Lacing cards
Wooden blocks (unit blocks, etc.)
Plastic or Wooden Animal Sets
Pattern Blocks
Geoboards
Sorting materials
Clay and accessories
Matching games
Pegs and Pegboards
Magnets
Magnifiers
Pretend dishes/kitchen accessories
Musical Instruments - see: www.larkinthemorning.com or kindermusik.com
Puppets
Dolls
Railroad Tracks
Pretend Vehicles
Connecting Toys (links, thistle blocks, duplos, k'nex, etc.)
Building materials (Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys, etc.)
Games (dominoes, checkers, board games, playing cards, mankala, bingo, etc.)
Accessories for pretend, block, railroad play
Balls, frisbees and other games for outdoor play
Water table/toys for water play
Cooking tools/apron A big cardboard box
Of course, rummage sales are great places to find toys. You can also create your own (e.g., I'm using cardboard boxes to serve as an oven/stove and refrigerator for my son.) And children love everyday household items - leftover food containers/cups (for bath/water/sand play), cardboard tubes, scrap paper, other containers, pots and pans, etc.
You can sometimes find the above at stores such as Target, KMart, Toys'RUs, TJMaxx, teacher stores and craft stores. Also, teacher supply companies are good sources. For example, Discount School Supply has a huge selection at reasonable prices (www.DiscountSchoolSupply.com or order a catalog at 1-800-627-2829). Other teacher supply companies include Constructive Playthings, Lakeshore, and ChildCraft. A company called "Family Pastimes" makes many interesting cooperative games (www.familypastimes.com).
Other good gift choices:
A library card. Make a big deal out of going to get it.
Orchestra, concert, theater or dance tickets or subscription - a special outing.
Museum or other such memberships.
A membership to the Heights Parent Center Toy Lending Program or the Shaker Family Center Playroom.
Classes (music, art, dance, yoga).
Magazine subscriptions:
The National Wildlife Federation has magazines for infants through school-agers; National Geographic has a children's magazine; Zoobooks is excellent for preschoolers and up; Visit www.cricketmag.com for magazines for various ages. Kids Discover is another.
A commitment of time spent together - reading books, doing a cooking project, making playdough, hiking, going on a family field trip, etc.
Create an art/construction center that provides masking tape, clear tape, hole punches, scissors, string, cardboard boxes, paper & t.p. rolls, bottle caps, other art materials mentioned above, other items of interest you might find here and there, etc.
Activity books (science, cooking, papercraft) and the materials necessary for some of the projects. Pledge your time/undivided attention for helping with one or more of the activities.
Planting activities: amaryllis, paperwhite, hyacinth or other forced bulbs; plant seeds or other plants; make a terrarium.
For the child who has everything, let the child choose which animals he or she would like to donate to a family through Heifer International (www.catalog.heifer.org). Explain how/why it works.
Books, books and more books. The list of 500 great books for children I developed for my former employer (school) is available for viewing at www.chicagometroaeyc.org (it's a bit outdated but they will always be good books). You can buy activity and other great books at my website: www.ubah.com/B2142.
Just a Few Recommended Books
The links are to amazon.com, but if you can, please support your local bookstore
Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers:
by Margaret Wise Brown
by Margaret Wise Brown Pat the Bunny (Touch and Feel Book)
by Dorothy Kunhardt
by Donald Crews
Color Farm by Lois Ehlert
Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert
In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming
In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming
Barnyard Banter by Denise Fleming
Vegetable Garden by Douglas Florian
Good Morning, Chick by Mirra Ginsburg
Across the Stream by Mirra Ginsburg
The Baby by Eloise Greenfield
Big Friend, Little Friend by Eloise Greenfield
I Make Music by Eloise Greenfield
My Doll, Keisha by Eloise Greenfield
Good Morning Baby by Cheryl Willis Hudson
Good Night Baby by Cheryl Willis Hudson
I See; I Smell; I Taste; I Touch by Rachel Isadora
Joshua's Night Whispers by Angela Johnson
Joshua by the Sea by Angela Johnson
Say Goodnight by Helen Oxenbury
Tickle, Tickle by Helen Oxenbury
Have You Seen My Duckling? by Nancy Tafuri
Where Does the Brown Bear Go? by Nicki Weiss
More, More, More Said the Baby by Vera Williams
Brothers & Sisters set by Debbie Bailey & Susan Haszure
My Mom & My Dad set by Debbie Bailey & Susan Haszure
Just A Few Recommended Authors for Preschoolers and Kindergartners:
Verna Aardema Byron Barton
Eric Carle Donald Crews
Mem Fox Gail Gibbons
Pat Hutchins Ezra Jack Keats
Leo Lionni Arnold Lobel
Bill Martin, Jr. Ann Morris
Joanne Ryder Dr. Seuss
Ellen Stoll Walsh Charlotte Zolotow
The Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Series
Chapter Books for older preschoolers and up:
In my kindergarten class, we read a chapter or two out of a long story or novel each day before naptime. The children loved these stories and the story time. If you are not already doing so already, I highly recommend the adoption of a bedtime reading ritual with any of the books or novels below. It may even help the child look forward to bedtime and relax him/her in preparation for sleep. Remember, you may need to edit parts of these. In my experience, it’s best to read it to yourself first to determine what editing you think is necessary. However, since I’ve read all but the last two multiple times, you could likely get away with editing as you go. Though some are out of print, hopefully, all are easily accessible in your local library.
Title Author
My Father’s Dragon Ruth Stiles Gannet
Elmer and the Dragon Ruth Stiles Gannet
The Dragons of Blueland Ruth Stiles Gannet
Catwings Ursula LeGuin
Catwings Return Ursula LeGuin
Alexander and the Wonderful Catwings Ursula LeGuin
A Ride on the Red Mare’s Back Ursula LeGuin
The Stories Julian Tells Ann Cameron
More Stories Julian Tells Ann Cameron
Julian’s Glorious Summer Ann Cameron
Julian Secret Agent Ann Cameron
Tatterhood and other Tales Phelps, Ethel Johnston
The Lord of the Rushie River Cecily Mary Barker
Simon the Swan Cecily Mary Barker
The Reluctant Dragon Kenneth Graham
The Courage of Sarah Noble Alice Dagliesh
Small Fur Irina Korshunow
Adam Draws Himself a Dragon Irina Korshunow
My Friend the Monster Clyde Robert Bulla
Kneeknock Rise Natalie Babbitt
Charlotte’s Web E. B. White
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C. S. Lewis
Little House in the Big Woods Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Cricket in Times Square George Selden
Rabbit Hill Lawson, Robert
The Search for Delicious Natalie Babbitt
The Mouse and the Motorcycle Beverly Cleary
The Land of the Blue Flowers Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Trumpet of the Swan E. B. White
James and the Giant Peach Roald Dahl
Paddle to the Sea Holling C. Holling
I don't recommend the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis for kindergartners, but think they might be acceptable for 1st graders and up. They're a great read for adults, so consider reading them to yourself first and make your own decision. I recommend reading them in the order in which C.S. Lewis wrote them (not in the order in which the publisher is currently numbering them).
2/20/2007
Joan Spoerl, M.A.T.
Early Childhood Consultant
E-mail: joanspoerl@sbcglobal.net
Usborne Books website: www.ubah.com/B2142
(c) 2007 by Joan Spoerl. All rights reserved