Gifts Your Child Will Actually Play With
- Rachael Carreon PT, DPT
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
A pediatric PT + mom-of-two approved holiday gift guide
If you’re anything like me, you want the holidays to feel magical… but you also don’t want to drown in toys your child plays with for 14 seconds before abandoning them behind the couch.
Between my own two kids and years of working with babies every single day, I’ve learned a simple truth: babies don’t need more stuff — they need the right stuff.
And when you choose toys that actually match your baby’s stage of development, they play longer, learn more, and you end up with fewer random plastic things under your feet. Win–win.
So here it is: a simple, no-fluff guide to the toys my kids never stopped playing with, broken down by age to make gifting (or suggesting gift ideas to grandparents… we’ve all been there) easy.
This post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business!
Infants (0–6 Months)
At this age babies are taking everything in — the sounds, sights, textures — and play is mostly about sensory exploration and gentle movement. These gifts encourage development without overstimulation.
✔️ Teether Toys
Even before teeth pop through, babies love exploring different textures with their mouths. Great for sensory input and keeping those hands busy. Plus there's always some fun chirtsmas/holiday themed teethers out there.
Lightweight, colorful, and perfect for visual tracking, peekaboo, and adding a little magic to playtime.
A simple toy that buys you precious minutes. Stick them on the high chair or a window — the movement encourages visual tracking and reaching.
Babies love faces, especially their own. Mirrors are an easy way to make tummy time more enjoyable (which means they stay longer and learn more).
Chew-proof, rip-proof, drool-proof. Perfect for little explorers who want to eat their books before they read them.
A classic for a reason. Engaging but not overstimulating, and perfect for on-the-go.
✔️ Rain Stick
Gentle sound, calming movement, and great for cause-and-effect play.
Great for early tummy time, and grows with your baby to support sitting and crawling practice!
Infants (6-12 Months)
This is the age where babies are suddenly on the move. They’re sitting, reaching, banging, transferring, exploring — and their toys should support that curiosity.
Everything from the 0–6 month list still applies, but here’s what becomes even more fun and useful:
Once your baby becomes more mobile and intentional with their play, toys from the newborn stage take on a whole new life. Mirrors become climbing motivators, silks become peekaboo props, and spinners suddenly turn into objects to transfer, bang, and explore in deeper ways.
This is also the age where a few new classics start to shine:
A super engaging toy for practicing seated play and a great motivator for crawling, reaching, and
movement.
✔️ Pop-Up Toy
A timeless favorite that grows with your baby. It introduces cause-and-effect, hand strength, and delightful “surprise” play.
Endlessly versatile and amazing for fine motor skills, problem solving, scooping, nesting, and early cause-and-effect exploration.
✔️ Shape Sorter
A perfect intro to matching, manipulating shapes, problem-solving, and building early coordination skills.
Still one of my top recommendations as babies move into more independent feeding. The soft, grippy design makes early open-cup practice easier and more successful.
Toddlers (1-2 years)
Toddlers are all about movement, imitation, problem-solving, and big imaginative play. These are the toys my kids have gone back to again and again.
A great introduction to balance and coordination — and honestly one of the most-used toys in our house.
A toddler’s dream. Climbing, sliding, building, crashing — it’s open-ended play at its best.
Simple but endlessly fun. Rolling, throwing, chasing — and no plastic pit to constantly clean.
✔️Push Walker OR Play Stroller
Amazing for early walkers to practice stability and build confidence. Plus we love one that has a double function (like a wagon or cart style).
✔️ Small Slide
The best for learning to build confidence on steps, coordination, and plus it's so so fun! My 2 and 4 year old still love to play on theirs any time they're outside!
✔️ Magna-Tiles
Hands-down one of the best toys your child will grow with for years. Great for fine motor skills and early problem-solving and will grow wiht your child for years to come.
Because toddlers love them just as much as babies do — now for dancing, pretend play, and endless imagination.
✔️ Sound puzzle
Build fine motor skills, problem solving, and learn to associate sounds with pictures! The animals and the vehicles are 2 favorites in our house.
Perfect for matching, early problem-solving, fine motor skills, and the joy of putting things in and taking them out.
✔️ Water Bottle
Cute, functional, and something they’ll actually use every single day. This Thermos fountainer water bottle has been a favorite of ours for years!
Toddlers (2-4 years)
This age is pure magic. Toddlers are imaginative, curious, constantly moving, and eager to imitate everything you do. The best toys for this stage are the ones that let them pretend, move, and practice real-life skills in a playful way.
These are the toys my kids have reached for day after day:
✔️ Balance Bike
A fantastic way to build coordination, confidence, and early balance skills. It’s one of the most-used items in our home.
✔️ Pretend Play Items
Toddlers learn so much through imitation.
Favorites include:
Melissa & Doug ice cream or cookie set
These spark imagination, language development, and cooperative play.
Think of these as play versions of what they see you do all day.
Melissa & Doug cleaning set
Great for coordination, independence, and helping them feel involved in daily routines.
Our 4 year old has been asking for a camera the last several months. A huge hit for building creativity, encouraging exploration, and giving them a feeling of responsibility. (Plus—it’s adorable seeing the world from their perspective!)
✔️ Beading Work
Supports fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and concentration. It’s a great quiet-time activity.
✔️ Bowling Set
Perfect for indoors or outdoors and great for early gross motor practice, balance, and turn-taking.
✔️ Stomp Rocket
A crowd favorite! Encourages jumping, coordination, and big movement. Great energy outlet.
Shakers, xylophones, drums, bells—anything that lets them explore rhythm and sound. Also great for bilateral coordination and sensory play.
You don’t need a giant playroom or 100 toys to support your baby’s development. A few well-chosen items — ones they’ll play with again and again — make the biggest difference.
Whether you’re shopping for your own little one or putting together a gentle list for family members who insist on buying something, I hope this makes the season a little simpler and a lot more joyful.
Comments