Best Rated Toys

Top toys for toddlers

It’s really useful, when choosing toys for your toddler, to see other parents’ opinions of the different types of toy available. You’ll pick up on any problems with a toy and learn what worked well for other kids. You may get new ideas on which toys to pick for your kids.

Best Rated Toys - picture

All children are unique.

There is no one Best Toy.

All our children are individuals and a toy that has great appeal to one may not be attractive to another. It’s not possible therefore to pick a “best toy”. It’s what’s the best toy for your toddler that’s important.

For children aged between two and four years old I always think that it’s important they have a variety of toys. Not too many – but a selection of toys that promote different types of play; that expose kids to a wide range of activities and help them develop a host of different skills and begin a love of learning new things.

I am always a little sad to see a child who has shown an interest in a particular type of toy being given only that type toy for every gift. Sure, your little one may love plush toys, for instance, and it’s great that they explore their imagination with these.

However, they may also enjoy expressing their creativity with paints and crayons. Or alternatively, they may relish the physical exercise provided by a good ride on or climb on toy.

Of course, combining toys can result in a whole new play environment. Taking soft toys for a trip in your pull along wagon is a good example.

Providing a variety of toys will ensure your toddler encounters a wide range of play experiences in this important learning stage,

Play Idea

Have your own “best toy” competition

It’s very interesting and amusing to organize your own Best Toy competition.

Ask your toddler to select a number of their toys and explain that you are going to find out which is the best.

You can organize the competition like a Beauty Parade or an award ceremony. You may even want to have a “jury” comprised of other toys, other children or grown ups (as a last resort).

Each toy can be brought out in turn. And with your help, your toddler can detail the good and bad points of each toy. Often the toys can speak for themselves. They will need to show off any special talents or skills.

Lots of applause is required, of course - and you may want to make your own award badges, rosettes or sashes – 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.

This is tremendous fun and should not be taken too seriously. Don’t be surprised that the kindly Mr Teddy Bear, who tells your little girl stories every night, receives a poor rating – because he was naughty this morning.

Encourage your child to act as advocate for each toy and to give each one an appropriate voice. I remember a well worn little steam roller with a scratchy voice. He never won a prize but stayed around for a really long time.

What to check for in

Best Rated toys.

Although you will see many recommended and award winning toys here, please don’t forget that it’s your child who is the final judge.

Safety Warning

Size matters but..

One of the factors used in determining for what age of child a toy is appropriate to is the size and weight of the toy.

Your child may be larger or smaller than the average for that age group. Do bear this in mind when choosing suitable toys.

Both my sons were very tall for their age as toddlers. They were able to easily handle some ride on toys designed for older kids.

We had to be careful, however, that the toys they were given were not too demanding or encouraged activities that were really unsafe for children of their age.

Grown ups, particularly, can put too much emphasis on a child’s size and under or over estimate what a child can do.

Most importantly, pick toys that are appropriate to your child’s age and abilities. Most toys show the age range that they are designed for and this is usually available on online toy store sites too.

Look for quality in a toy’s design and the materials it’s made from. A small selection of quality toys will be played with over and over again and will last a long time.

When choosing toys think about how your child will play with them. Will this toy spur their imagination? How will this toy employ your kid’s creative skills? Can your toddler play with this toy outside? Will it give them opportunity to exercise? Is this toy offering something your child’s other toys don’t provide?

Where’s the opportunity for fun with this toy? Why is it a best rated toy for your toddler?

The Great Toy competition

A long long time ago, when I was a little boy in UK, a cookie company ran a wonderful promotional competition. The cookies were called Penguin biscuits and a great favorite of my brother and I. They are coated in chocolate with a chocolate cream center and are still a favorite of mine.

I don’t remember now, how the competition worked - whether you just sent in a wrapper or had to answer questions. I do remember the prize though.

The winner of the competition got to visit a toy shop and had a set time (five minutes, I think) in which to gather up as many toys as they could. What you grabbed in the time limit – you kept!

Sensibly, my Mom didn’t respond to our demands to buy more cookies but the competition kept us entertained for weeks and weeks. My friends and I discussed for hours what our best rated toys were and the order in which we would collect them.

We dreamt about our best rated toys and devised and deliberated on the best strategies to get them. Did you go for the toys nearest the shop door or take time in finding those toys that you really wanted? Were two less favored toys better than the large “top toy”?

I wish we had kept a record of our best rated toys. I can’t remember what I decided on. I suspect a toy fort for my collection of soldiers or a huge model aeroplane. They were always my favorites.

I never met anyone who won or came near to winning the competition but still recall those long debates on our best rated toys.

You'll find a lot more information on

Best Rated Toys in the following reviews...

Suggested Toys for Two Year Old Boys - An exciting collection of toys

Toys for Boy Toddlers - Tractors, tools and farms - what more could a boy want

Extra, extra .. read all about it !

We are continually adding to our reviews. Why not check out one of our latest reviews here..

Toy Stick Horses - An old favorite that's still appealing