My Favorite Toddler Toys

Ellie is the oh-so-fun age of 2 (and a half) and a good toy is like gold around here. GOLD, I TELL YOU. As the days get long and the weather gets colder, you start to realize what toys and activities hold the attention longer than, oh, I don't know, 30 SECONDS and you start to make note of them. I thought I'd compile a list for you, just in case you have a toddler or know a toddler that needs gifts.

1. Our current favorite toy:

Learning Resources Cupcake Sorter

I found this on Zulily for mega-cheap and got it for Ellie for Christmas, not really knowing much about it. It's currently her favorite toy. The cupcake pan has a shape at the bottom of each circle, and then each cupcake has a corresponding shape, and the top section (the icing) also has a corresponding shape. So they are matching the shape on the pan to the shape on the cupcake to the shape on the icing. Ellie will actually sit and do this over and over and over again, without my help. She loves it. So I love it.

Here she is on Christmas morning with her "Cuh-cake game"

2. She also received another Learning Resources toy from her Aunt Shannon this Christmas that she has loved:

Learning Resources Super Sorting Pie

This is so cute and she loves to sort the colors and the shapes. She hasn't quite mastered the art of using the tongs yet (it makes her very frustrated) but she likes to sort and she just uses her hands for that. Then she carries the whole thing around saying "My pie is ready, Mommy!" and then sometimes she will carry it into my bathroom while I'm putting on makeup and dump the entire thing into my bathtub. Then she will declare "Mommy you get my fruit, please?" So that's maybe the one downside to this toy.

3. This is for slightly younger children, but I can not adequately describe how much Ellie loved this Pop-Up Farm from the Original Toy Company. Someone gave it to her for her first birthday and I'm telling you she played with it for an entire year. She loved it. So cute, and it doesn't take up much space at all!

4. The PlayKids App: Okay, so I realize that this isn't a toy really, but it holds her attention at those oh-so-important moments, like when you're trying to have a conversation with someone or you need to shower or pee or something along those lines. Look, I don't really know all the things this app does. I know she colors on it, I know she does a memory game, I know she sorts things, I know it reads a story to her, I know she can turn a light on and off, I know she does a puzzle, I know she can play piano... I don't really get the whole concept but we've had this app for months and months and she still loves it. The PBS characters show up from time to time but I think she can't get into those sections cause we use the free version. She spends most of her time in the "Playground" area. I highly recommend.

5. The Knot Genie: I realize this is also not a toy, but someone told me about this recently and I don't know how I've lived without it. If you have a curly haired child who get knots in their hair and brushing is a chore full of screaming and crying and dramatics, you need the KNOT GENIE! I'm not sure how it works, (I think it's magic) but wet or dry, you just brush it right through and she never winces at all. She says "ohhh, it feels good, Mommy!" It's been amazing and we don't even have to use our detangling spray. It looks super cheap, but it works. For reals.

That's all for today folks! And I'm always looking for new things that will hold her attention, so if you have any favorites or suggestions, tell all of us about it in the comments. Share the wealth, people. Share the wealth.

None of the companies or manufacturers listed above paid me for any promotion or review. 

(However, I would not be against that.)