These are the top family-tested and approved toys for your baby or toddler.
In partnership with VTech
Not sure what to buy your little one? We’ve got you covered with our family-tested and approved picks that your baby or toddler. From wooden blocks to educational tech toys, your holiday shopping just got a whole lot easier.
1. Deep Sea Adventure
Image courtesy of Manhattan Toy
Explore the ocean floor with this beautiful, jellyfish-shaped wooden activity centre. With four quadrants packed with springy coral, clacking clams and more than 20 sea creature gliders on nine different tracks, this activity centre is sure to keep your toddler busy while fostering a love of the ocean. Manhattan Toy, $140, jrtoycanada.ca
2. Lil’ Cuddles Soft and Sweet Baby Crib Set
Image courtesy of Madame Alexander Doll Company
Encourage your child’s nurturing instincts with this cute eight-inch baby doll and crib play set. With a soft body and molded head and limbs, this non-toxic doll loves to be lulled to sleep in her cozy crib. Madame Alexander Doll Company, $20, toysrus.ca
3. Play and Say Puppets
Image courtesy of Wowwee
Part toy, part puppet, these darling animals will make different sounds depending on how wide you open their mouths. Give their noses a boop for even more interactions like sniffs and sneezes! Choose from Pepper the Puppy, Durpy the Dino or Unabell the Unicorn. Wowwee, $20, mastermindtoys.com
4. Pinkfong Baby Shark
Image courtesy of Wowwee
Baby Shark wants to play and sing all day and snuggle up close all night. In day mode, use the play mask to initiate a fun game of peekaboo and sing the iconic song. In night mode, Baby Shark will play a soothing lullaby and provide a soft night light with a glowing dorsal fin! Wowwee, $25, canadiantire.ca
5. Twist & Spin Lion
Image courtesy of Vtech
Twist, spin and twirl with this little lion who loves to play! Tiny hands can grab, bump and grasp him and his beaded hoop, but his suction cup makes sure he stays upright on the tabletop. Give him a pat on his mane to hear him play sweet songs and say cute phrases. Vtech, $20, toysrus.ca
6. Go! Go! Cory Carson DJ Train Trax & The Roll Train
Image courtesy of Vtech
DJ Train Trax is here to pump up the party, and Cory Carson and his little sister, Chrissy, are ready to dance all day long! Push DJ Train Trax along to hear him play different songs while special lighting effects brighten up his rainbow chimney. Are you ready to get this party started? Vtech, $35, toysrus.ca
7. Count and Win Sports Center
Image courtesy of Vtech
It’s time to get moving with this all-in-one sports centre that lets mini athletes score goals and shoot baskets while learning all about shapes, colours and numbers. The darling panda goalie may block your shot sometimes, but he’ll always cheer you on as the numbers on the scoreboard climb higher and higher! Vtech, $50, walmart.ca
8. Shake Shake Rattle
Image courtesy of Sophie La Girafe
Give Sophie a shake with this innovative rattle that uses a motion detector to play music at different speeds according to how fast your baby shakes it. In music box mode, your babe can watch the lights and colours as they change along with six soothing melodies. Sophie la girafe, $25, babiesrus.ca
9. My Take Along Farm
Image Courtesy of Playmobil
Little horse lovers will get a kick out of this darling ranch that has everything you need to take care of your pretty pony. Feed them some hay or have them jump over the pasture fences. When it’s tidy-up time, store all the pieces inside to keep your farm friends together in one place. Playmobil, $45, playmobil.ca
10. Friendly Forest
Image Courtesy of Mega Bloks
Get stacking with some new forest friends! Featuring blocks made of sustainable plant-based plastic, this set comes with more than 70 pieces, including the heads and bodies of different animals, which you can mix and match to create totally unique creatures. What kind of animal friends roam around your forest? Mega bloks, $25, mastermindtoys.com
11. Fisher-Price Ready to Hang Sensory Sloth Gym
Image Courtesy of Mattel
What’s hangin’? Baby’s new friend, Sloth, has all kinds of sensory fun! Shake the butterflies for a satisfying clack or grab the leaves for a crinkly sensation. When your cutie gets a peek at the mirrors, they’ll see their own sweet face staring back at them. Mattel, $48, amazon.ca
12. Fisher-Price Baby Biceps Gift Set
Image Courtesy of Mattel
Let’s get physical! Pump up playtime with this miniature gym-themed toy set that will have your baby feeling the burn (but not really). The set includes a dumbbell with clacking plates, a kettlebell rattle and a jingling protein shake. Finish off the look with a cute wearable sweatband and your babe will be ready to get fit! Mattel, $20, walmart.ca
13. Silicone Teethers
Image Courtesy of Loulou Lollipop
These cute-as-can-be teethers will have your bambino enjoying brunch every day of the week. Whether you choose avocado or bacon and eggs, the nubby textures are made of food-grade silicone and will soothe aching gums. Clip it to baby’s onesie or stroller so it’s within reach at all times. Loulou Lollipop, $32, louloulollipop.ca
14. First Washer-Dryer
Image Courtesy of Little Tikes
Many kids have play kitchens, so why not a play laundry room? This pretend washer-dryer has a drum that actually spins and a detergent drawer that opens up so kids can do laundry just like their parents. It even comes with laundry baskets and tiny clothes to wash. Little tikes, $65, walmart.ca
15. Little Baby Bum Wheels On the Bus Scoot
Image Courtesy of Little Tikes
The wheels on the bus go round and round! And so will your kid when they scoot across the living room on this exciting ride-on school bus that has a real working horn, ignition and light- up turn signals. Who’s ready for a bus ride? Little Tikes, $60, toysrus.ca
16. Building Blocks & Bag
Image Courtesy of Le Toy Van
What kid doesn’t love to build up a city of blocks just to knock it down again? With this 60-block set, your child will have everything they need to make colourful towers to topple and rebuild. A cotton storage bag makes for easy clean-up. Le Toy Van, $90, agatha.boutique
17. Duplo Wrecking Ball Demolition
Image Courtesy of Lego
Most kids love construction sites (the digging, dumping, smashing—it’s like an adult- sized sandbox). This wrecking ball set comes with a crane, dump truck, bulldozer, and plenty of rocks and building parts for the best demolition ever. Kaboom! Lego, $80, lego.com
18. Duplo Disney Ariel’s Undersea Castle
Image Courtesy of Lego
Take a dive down to the ocean floor to visit Ariel’s castle, where life is simply the bubbles. You can give the turntable a spin, slip down the slide with Flounder, or play some boppin’ music on the xylophone. Wonder what’s inside that treasure chest? Lego, $40, lego.com
19. 1-2-3 Build It! Robot Factory
Image Courtesy of Learning Resources
Who wants to make a robot friend? This 18-piece kit lets kids create tons of wacky combinations—try using the eye pieces as wheels or the hand clamps as antennae.
If you have other 1-2-3 Build It! sets, you can use those pieces for even more robo-buddy possibilities. Learning Resources, $39, midoco.ca
20. New Sprouts Pasta Time
Image Courtesy of Learning Resources
Nothing is im-pasta-ble with this adorable play food set. With all the tools needed to create a delightful pasta dinner, including tongs and a mini colander, it’s the perfect addition to your kid’s play kitchen. More cheese, please! Learning Resources, $35, purplecamelcatalog.com
21. Pick Up & Count Vacuum
Image Courtesy of Leapfrog
Get kids excited to help around the house with this toy vacuum that actually picks up pieces of “dust” (colourful plastic disks) and counts them. With three play modes and six games, this toy teaches kids numbers and colours—and that cleaning can be fun! Leapfrog, $35, toysrus.ca
22. Yum-2-3 Toaster
Image Courtesy of Leapfrog
Breakfast is almost ready! Pop some pretend bread into this friendly toaster and it’ll teach you all about colours, numbers and opposites (light versus dark, up versus down). Serve with bacon and eggs and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal fit for a growing kid. Leapfrog, $20, walmart.ca
23. Leapbuilders Blue’s Clues & You! 123 School
Image Courtesy of Leapfrog
Skidoo into the world of Blue’s Clues & You! with Blue, Josh and Magenta. Build the classroom and use the special LeapBuilders learning blocks with any Smart Star Cube (sold separately) to start learning numbers, words and colours. Leapfrog, $35, toysrus.ca
24. 100 Animals Book
Image Courtesy of Leapfrog
Raising a bilingual baby? They can learn all about animals in two languages with this interactive book that spouts fun facts and sounds for 100 different creatures. Flip the pages and give each animal a tap to hear information in both English and French. Leapfrog, $20, walmart.ca
25. Playdate Friends: Harper
Image Courtesy of Manhattan Toy
Harper and her teddy want to have a playdate. Dressed in coordinating outfits (and chic furry boots!), this adorable pair is excited and ready for some fun and games with your little babe. The soft doll is machine washable, making her easy to clean after a full day of play. Manhattan toy, $33, kolkid.ca
26. Flowerini
Image Courtesy of Hape
These cute fabric dolls transform into beautiful flowers. Your little ones will love the crinkly texture of their petal dresses and the gentle jingle of the bell inside their heads. Whether it’s playtime or naptime, kids will want to keep these adorable friends by their side. Hape, $15, allstarlearning.ca
27. Toddler Bread Basket
Image Courtesy of Hape
Playtime won’t go stale with this adorable breadbasket. Your little one will “loaf” all of the plush baked goods: a baguette, a piece of toast, a chocolate chip cookie and more! Hape, $25, villagetoyshop.ca
28. 3-D Arranging Game Creative Stones
Image Courtesy of Haba
Every kid needs a solid set of wooden blocks, right? This 28-piece set can be reconfigured into hundreds of combinations and structures to keep little hands busy. The unique shapes help develop spatial understanding and improve fine motor skills. Haba, $40, dillydallykids.ca
29. Cry Babies Goodnight Coney
Image Courtesy of Cry Babies
Coney loves her pacifier, and if you take it out of her mouth, she’ll start to cry glowing tears. Luckily, young nurturers can fix that. Simply place the soother back in her mouth and her face will light up with joy, making her the perfect night light. And if you’re having trouble falling asleep, a gentle squeeze of her tummy will play Picture perfect for the ’gram one of five calming lullabies. Sweet dreams! Cry Babies, $35, walmart.ca
30. Easy-Clean Fingerpaint Set
Image Courtesy of Crayola
Budding artists can paint to their heart’s content with absolutely no mess! Just place a piece of paper and some globs of paint underneath the flexible tray cover and let kids move it around for a tactile finger-paint experience that doesn’t involve getting any actual paint on their hands. Bonus: The tray is dishwasher safe. Crayola, $25, indigo.ca
31. Fisher-Price Linkimals Play Together Panda
Image Courtesy of Mattel
Panda is here to teach baby all about shapes, numbers and manners. Give his tummy a push and this ticklish bear will light up and play music. And if you let Panda meet other Linkimals friends, they’ll talk, sing and play with each other. Mattel, $30, toysrus.ca