30 Best Preschool Toys for Kids: Educator-Approved Gift Ideas for Learning and Fun
As an educator with over 15 years of experience working with thousands of children, I’ve seen firsthand which toys spark joy, creativity, and growth. That’s why I’ve put together this ultimate gift guide for preschoolers. From sensory toys to STEM kits, these 30 carefully chosen items are guaranteed to delight and inspire the young ones in your life! Plus, many of them are just as fun for the kids at heart, too ;) If we only had 30 toys in my house, these would be the essential ones!
1. Fat Brain Toys Squigz Starter Set
Price: $29.95
Say hello to your new favorite toy! Squigz are flexible, colorful, and irresistibly engaging. (They’re even surprisingly fun for adults.) Kids can build, stick, and pull apart these squishy toys, improving their fine motor skills and encouraging creativity. They’re awesome for bathtime and car rides, too!
Price: $19.99
This playset features 10 vehicles that are perfect for pretend play. Your preschooler can create bustling towns, reenact real-world scenes, and develop social skills. Kids love driving mini vehicles, and pretend people are essential to any kid’s toy box!
Price: $16.91
Make some noise with this 10-piece musical instrument set! It's a great way to introduce rhythm and sound exploration while developing hand-eye coordination. If you know a kiddo that can’t stop grooving when they hear a good tune, this is an awesome toy option.
Price: $19.99
Encourage responsibility and imaginative play with this cleaning-themed set. Your child can help around the house while learning essential life skills. You might think it sounds strange to gift a child a cleaning set, but every kid I’ve seen use these loves them!
Price: $65.99
For the budding Picasso, this adjustable art easel includes a paper roll, chalkboard, and whiteboard. It's a fantastic way to spark creativity and fine motor development, and a great way to keep the mess of creativity to a minimum ;)
Price: $23.99
No play area is complete without some pretend food! Your preschooler can "cook" up a storm, practice cutting, and learn about healthy eating. Plus, it builds matching and sorting skills, too!
Price: $11.98
This trivia card game is perfect for teaching critical thinking and animal facts. It’s compact and ideal for on-the-go fun. A great stocking stuffer idea.
Price: $16.49
This award-winning game teaches preschoolers color recognition and strategy while keeping the giggles coming with its squirrelly theme. It’s a blast to play and definitely a step up from Candyland.
Price: $24.99
Bring the fun of bowling home! This set improves hand-eye coordination and provides endless entertainment for family game nights. Great for rainy days spent indoors!
Price: $49.99
For the active little ones, this adjustable basketball hoop makes a slam-dunk gift. It encourages physical activity while building coordination and confidence. Another great one for inside play, but just as easy to bring outside for better weather!
Price: $19.99
This sensory bin is perfect for hands-on learners who love to dig, build, and explore. It’s a great way to encourage fine motor development through play.
Price: $14.39
This drawing guide makes a wonderful gift for kids who love to doodle. It’s easy to follow and helps build creativity and confidence. Young kids are learning how to draw everything and while some are content to draw blob cats forever, lots of kiddos will appreciate having the easy step-by-step instructions in here. Plus, it’s great for brushing up your drawing skills as an adult, too!
Looking for more book gifting ideas for kids? Check out my post 10 Picture Books Kids Will Love: Gift Recommendations from an Educator.
Price: $18.58
Packed with crayons, markers, and more, this art set is a travel-friendly gift that will keep kids entertained anywhere. It keeps the supplies well organized and is perfect for car rides or weekends with the grandparents!
Price: $29.74
For the craft-loving child, this kit includes everything they’ll need for endless art projects. It’s the ultimate rainy-day activity gift. You’d be surprised by all the cool things this kit can help create.
Price: $7.99
A classic for a reason! Play-Doh sparks creativity and provides hours of sensory fun. This bulk pack makes a great gift for any little artist.
Price: $39.99
This STEM toy (one of my personal favorites) lets kids design and build their own forts and other structures, encouraging problem-solving and teamwork. It comes with a little booklet of ideas and has provided SO many hours of fun to all the kiddos I know that have them.
Price: $33.99
Magnetic tiles are a gift that’s always a hit. Kids can build towers, bridges, and more while learning about geometry and engineering. This set has tons of pieces so lots of potential for the “tallest tower” competitions!
Price: $15.99
Pair this toolset with Play-Doh for even more creative possibilities! It’s perfect for kids who love to create and explore textures, and great for practicing letters and numbers, and even beginner words.
Price: $6.99
These colorful scarves are lightweight and perfect for dance, rhythm, and movement activities. A simple yet endlessly fun gift with lots of possibilities! They can be become doll clothes, hats, rope, blankets, food- whatever!
Price: $21.57
This pre-reading game is great for building language and matching skills. It’s easy for kids to play on their own, but fun even for adults (especially if you get to slide the card dispenser!).
Price: $22.79
This pretend play set encourages empathy and imaginative caregiving. What kid hasn’t had an owie and then practiced putting a band-aid on a doll afterward? They’ll have everything they need in this kit to practice being the doctor of their dreams.
Price: $27.99
Bring the great outdoors inside with these realistic animal figurines. They’re perfect for storytelling and imaginative play, and even better since many of the animals are more realistic to what they’d see in nature near them.
Price: $15.99
Puppets make storytelling extra fun! This set is a great way to encourage creative play and build communication skills. Plus, when you need to practice manners, sharing, and other cooperative skills, puppets are a great way to help kids understand the language better.
Price: $27.60
Large, colorful puzzles like these are a perfect gift for kids. They help with problem-solving and spatial awareness, and the space and underwater themes are just fun and beautiful.
Price: $32.90
This wooden archery set is a unique gift that encourages coordination and safe active play. It’s great for indoor or outdoor fun.
Price: $22.79
For little builders, this tool bench set is perfect for hands-on construction and imaginative play so kids can get actual practice using tools. They’ll be fixing everything in the house before you know it!
Price: $8.69
A classic game that’s simple, fun, and perfect for teaching turn-taking and strategy. A great stocking stuffer!
Price: $15.39
This STEM toy is perfect for kids since not only can you build out the puzzles that it comes with, but the shapes can be used to create endless other patterns as well. It’s a great way to build problem-solving skills and a nice quiet-time activity.
Price: $7.95
Introduce kids to safe cooking with these child-friendly knives. A wonderful gift for budding chefs (and a great help for parents too!).
Price: $9.15
This cookbook combines the magic of Disney with easy, kid-friendly recipes. It’s the perfect gift for a little foodie. The recipes are a great mix of healthy and fun foods, and each page has a princess so it’s fun for kids to look through and choose the recipes they want to try.
How to Pick the Perfect Gift for Preschoolers
When choosing a gift, keep these tips in mind:
Know Their Interests: Consider whether the child loves to build, create, or pretend play.
Think Educational: Choose gifts that help develop important skills, like problem-solving, creativity, or coordination.
Make It Last: Look for toys that offer multiple ways to play or that grow with the child.
Final Thoughts
The holidays are the perfect time to surprise the kids in your life with thoughtful, educational gifts they’ll love. Whether it’s a STEM building kit, a creative art set, or a pretend play favorite, the toys on this list are sure to bring smiles to little faces. Happy gifting! 🎁
Warmly, Miss Sarah
Affiliate Disclosure:
Hey there, awesome parents and gift-givers! Just a heads up—this post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase through these links. Think of it as your way of helping me keep the coffee flowing while I bring you more helpful and fun recommendations. Thanks for your support! :)
