7 Best Toddler Boy Toys & Essentials (And 3 to Avoid)
Any boy mom knows the struggle is all too real when it comes to finding the best toddler boy toys.
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I’ve bought games that I thought my son would LOVE, only to see him more excited about playing with the box. I’ve ordered the cutest plushies with the best of intentions (a mindfulness rabbit! complete with a feelings book set!) only to see the poor thing cast off under the sofa (fine! I’ll cuddle with the mindful rabbit!). I’ve unveiled super cool toys I was sure would rock his world, expecting excitement, hours of entertainment, and frankly, praise/adoration, before watching in despair as he shook his head and used his favorite phrase for a long time:
“Nope!”.
Ouch, bro.
Fortunately, Amazon was my main source for these epic fails, and they make returns pretty easy. And through extensive research and serious trial and error, I found some toys that checked all the boxes (safe and fun, with staying power, for example). I also found a few that I would definitely recommend skipping.
This post is all about the best toys for toddler boys.
The Best Toddler Boy Toys and Essentials
And a disclaimer: Of course, every child is different and there’s no guarantee your little one will love these. But in terms of quality and quality time spent, here are some toddler toys for boys that definitely became part of my son’s childhood and earned a place in my heart!
1. MVP, Best All Around Toddler Boy Toys: Little Tikes School Bus Climber
Ok, so this was actually a gift from my mom. And I was at first… wary. Like, this big yellow plastic thing is now to be the first thing I see when I walk in my living room/playroom?
But I honestly was impressed by how easy to assemble and sturdy it was. And then I was even more surprised my how much he LOVED it. There was so much for him to do: climb up, sit in the seat, slide down. Slide other things down. Try to slide the cat down (the cat actually loved exploring it, too – especially when it was safe at night).
The bus became his “home base” in the playroom. I could tell it was really a place for safe exploration for him; he’d experiment with skipping steps; bring a book up to read in the seat; watch different small toys and how they rolled differently down.
In terms of practicality, it has a lot to offer, too: it moved easily and wasn’t super heavy. The slide was perfect: not too high to feel nervous, but enough for him to have fun with. Even when he had sort of outgrown sliding, he enjoyed using it as a ramp for trucks and cars.
2. Best Simple Toddler Boy Toys: Fat Brain Toys Whirly Squigz Spinner
These were such a memorable part of my early toddler mom years 😂 Again – a gift from a grandparent (my grandmother MIL) that was a great surprise. These came with a few other Fat Brain selections from her, but were definitely the winners of the bunch. From day one, my son was in love with setting these up and watching them spin. It also has a cool STEM aspect, as he would experiment endlessly with these: setting them up on different toys and surfaces, layering them to see how the spins were effected; seeing the changes in slow vs. fast spins. For years, these went everywhere with him and were always nearby at home when he was playing.
I was amazed at how many different scenarios he enjoyed testing them out in, and how adaptable they were: he loved spinning them as a baby, and he loved using them for play as a toddler.
3. Best Playard for Spacious Baby Play and Outdoor Chilling: Joovy Room² Large Portable Playpen
My son was picky about his playards (ok, honestly he’s picky about literally everything). He pretty much rejected the first two playards we got. I invested in this one because I liked how much room it gave him, and also because I read it was pretty easy to put together and move around.
It was the best investment!
My son loved having the extra room, and something about the design just really worked for him. I loved putting in the kitchen with me and getting some householding and me-time in. But actually my favorite use of this was bringing it outside on nice days and getting the best fresh air time. I’d sit at a table, sipping my smoothie and watching him play, knowing these would be moments I’d want to remember forever 🙂
4. Best Baby and Toddler Floor Mat: Skip Hop Baby Reversible Play Mat
I’m a pretty big fan of Skip Hop, especially their baby stuff, and this reversible mat was another purchase that I was happy with for years. When my son was learning to crawl and walk, it was perfect – plenty of room for him to explore and stumble. As a toddler, it was a great soft area for him to play on and provided a bit of “zoning” for our big playroom/ living room combo. It was really easy to clean and could (obviously) easily be rolled up and moved.
5. Best Learning to Walk Toddler Boy Toys: VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker
Another gift that I wasn’t necessarily psyched about at first. It seemed so loud, so busy, so..red. But my son loved it from the moment it arrived (and it really did come in “frustration-free” packaging as advertised, which…IYKTYK, means something in the baby and toddler years!). And it worked! Before he was walking, he liked playing with the front station and its shapes and sounds, and when he was ready to take steps, he went for it, confident with this walker.
6. Best Surprising Pick for Toddlers: Leewadee – Comfortable Japanese Floor Mattress – Thai Floor Bed
We originally bought this for our yoga & meditation space, but my son (of course) took it over and it became a beloved part of his play space. It folds up to easily fit into a small space and he liked playing around with the different folding styles, too. A great spot for reading and lounging! It comes in a lot of different colors and patterns, too.
7. Best Baby-to-Toddler Investment: Grow-With-Me SkipHop Activity Center that Converts to Chair & Table Set
Another cool Skip Hop product. We spent a lot of time picking out the “perfect” stationary activity center and this was definitely the right choice. As a play center, it was comfortable and sturdy. The toys on top were enough to keep him interested, without being overwhelming to too busy. Everything can be moved around and the discovery window was fun for him. The bottom foot area is also adjustable.
I was REALLY impressed with the table that it converted to when it came time. He did use it to hold on to when learning to toddle around. Especially because he had enjoyed playing with it so much, I think, it became a perfect anchor for him when he was exploring movement. And later, it became the an awesome play table and chair set (we purchased the matching chairs separately but this is available in a bundle now). Both the chairs and table felt well-designed and solid.
Easy to clean, matches every decor – I loved this set. It would make an amazing gift, too.
Toddler Boy Toys That I Would NOT Recommend
1. This KidKraft A-Frame Hideaway & Climber
This was another grandparent gift, and while we so appreciate the thought- I really didn’t like this thing! It was a pain to put together, and not cheap. We did keep it around for a while but my son never really took to it and I was kind of happy about that, because this design was just full of red flags for me. Even very little, he was always hitting his head on the doorway. The wood panels didn’t feel high quality so I was always worried about splitting. Most of all, I didn’t like the rock climbing wall – it’s like, it leads up to..a pointy top to fall over to? Where are they supposed to go if they climb up top? I don’t know. Maybe it’s me. There were mostly positive reviews on Amazon. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
2. YBike Walking Ride On Toy
This is another one that has a lot of good Amazon reviews… that I don’t agree with, lol. I believe it’s designed to be a first bike, but for us, it glided away too easily when he was really small…and then he was too tall for it, and it wasn’t adjustable. It also seemed prone to tip-overs. Overall, we had this bike around for quite a while and it really didn’t result in any good times or learning. Maybe it would be a different story for a different kid (especially one that didn’t sprout so tall, so fast!)
3. Jasonwell Kids Building Dinosaur Toys
Ok, I should clarify here: I wouldn’t recommend these for a 3 year old (as advertised)- but I think they could be great for a 4 or 5 year old. For my 3 year old, though, these were quite frustrating to put together, and I felt iffy about the screws. I put them together, but then he wanted to take the screws out with the drill. The continuous noises also got annoying and they seemed to go off out of nowhere.
Conclusion
Your toy “favorites” will likely depend on MANY factors, like you and your child’s favorite activities, your usual play area, and (of course) what your little one gravitates towards. I hope this list helps with ideas – please let me know if you’ve tried any of these picks, or if you have a toy that’s truly an all-time fave!
