Toddler Toys that Passed the Test!

Before I was ever a Mother, I was an Aunt who was clueless about the right kind of toy to buy my nephew. Desperately wanting to be the "cool" Aunt to my only beloved nephew I use to wander the toy aisles aimlessly searching for just the right toy, and it always took longer than I'd like to admit.

Now I am a Mom who has tested MANY toys on my two little ones and wanted to share the toys that are still getting tossed around, drooled on and Oreo smeared. These are also Mom tested with no annoying repetitive noises that make you take the battery out when they're not looking... :)

FOR CHILDREN 6 MONTHS TO 3 YEARS OLD (in no particular order)

Fisher Price Lil' Zoomers Chase and Race Ramps

My 1 year son goes crazy for this one and has loved it
for months. When you put a car down the ramp
the toy makes a fun car noise (not annoying) and occasionally
it will play a song that always makes my boy bounce and smile in delight!

Fisher Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm

This is a great toy to teach farm animals and their sounds.
This toy has kept my kids attention with the different animals
and sounds, and when all else fails, they just put the animals
down the silo!

ZipBin Mini Zoo

This was my solution to storing all the small animal toys.
The fact that the toys live in this colorful "zoo" makes them more
interesting then pulling them out of a plastic bin. You can unzip
the bin and it reveals a zoo with areas for lots of different animals.
We love to set up the animals in all their "homes" and play.
The bin only comes with two animals, but I bought a big set of more
animals at Wal-Mart for about $3.50. My daughter has learned a lot about
different animals from playing with this toy.

B. Critter Clinic

"Mommy, lets play doctor!" This is an almost daily request.
I got this one from Target last Christmas and it has been a raving success.
I did buy some other small plush animals from Oriental Trading to be
our other "patients." This has been well loved.

LeapFrog My Own Leaptop

My daughter got this from her "Mimi" last Christmas. One day she was looking
at some of those blocks with letters and started naming the letters, I was
amazed! I hadn't taught her any letters yet thinking she was too little, but she learned
them for this great toy. Even today I caught my 1 year old son and 2 year old daughter
holding onto their play table and bouncing up and down to the songs
being played my this toy in the music mode.

Melissa and Doug Prehistoric Pals, Layered Wood Puzzles

Layered puzzles are a big hit with the older toddlers,
and I especially love the Melissa and Doug brand.

Melissa and Doug Magnetic Dress Up
(This one is called "Tops and Tights")

This is the perfect answer to the paper doll I grew up with...but better!
You can mix and match outfits and they even come with bows!
I admit, I play this one with my daughter because I have fun with it too.
I even got her one for Christmas that is a Princess and Prince with matching
outfits she loved this so much. Perfect for quiet time playing like
church or waiting in an office.

Schylling Toys Rose Tin Tea Sea in Tin Basket

I wanted to give my little girl a tea set that was beautiful, but
I knew I couldn't do glass, and the plastic sets are just so plain,
so I found this great set made of tin with all the cute
flowers and decoration that make a tea set special. My daughter
loves it! It is especially fun when dressed up in plastic jewelry and
crowns.

Haba Soft Petit Fours

These are a necessary part of our tea parties. Each piece is different
and so beautiful with all the detail. My kids have loved these little cuties!