It’s January: the month we tend to spend the most time indoors. It’s also a big time of year for decluttering and thinking about the year ahead, organizing and what you really need in the house for kids. Gift ideas for toddlers and preschoolers is probably the question I get messaged most on social media. I decided to sit down and make a list of 20 favorite toys for preschoolers.

These are 20 favorite toys for preschoolers that we’ve loved to have in the house over the years. It’s crazy to think there has been a preschooler in our house for over a decade now. Yes, they’ve all had their own interested and lots of favorite toys here and there besides this list. But this is breaking down the basics; the things that are good for learning, growing and passing on from sibling to sibling. 

20 Favorite Toys for Preschoolers

1. Animals

Animal figurines get the top spot because I am not sure anything has been played with as much in our house over the past decade. From inside, to setting them up in the yard, to bringing them in the bath animals are a favorite. When you first see the price tag on these little toys you might think it seems pricey, but they last and are something you can keep adding to the collection over the year. We love collecting both farm animals and wild animals. 

2. Solid Wood Blocks 

A good set of solid wood blocks is a forever favorite for preschoolers. They last forever and can be used from when they are toddlers on up to big kids. This Melissa and Doug set is my favorite and the best price point. You can grab on MontiPlanet and Amazon. 

3. Duplo

Duplo is another great toy for preschoolers that you can keep collecting. You can start with sets of blocks to just build and play with and then add based on favorite characters, hobbies etc. Right now we are loving the Spider-Man Duplos. 

4. Do A Dot 

This is my favorite arts & crafts toy for preschoolers because it’s easy to do and something they can do by themselves (we all know preschoolers like independence!). These are great birthday party gifts too. 

• Do A Dot Markers
• Do A Dot Activity Books 

5. Display Bookshelf 

Something I realized after having many preschoolers in our house, they are more apt to grab books if they are displayed in a way they can see them. I love a bookshelf like this one or this one. They don’t take up much space and give an easy way to display books preschoolers can see and are at their height. Here are two great options: Solid Wood OR Canvas (multiple colors)

6. Reusable Sticker & Magnet Sets 

There are so many options for these! I love to have these for traveling too. Here are a few favorites:

• Making Faces Magnet Set (Teddy’s current favorite)
• House Sticker Set 
• Reusable Sticker Pads 

7. Color Cards 

Recognizing colors is fun for preschoolers. I love these wooden Montessori flash cards. They’re sturdy and you can use to send them on a color hunt around the house or outside. 

8. Car Tracks and Ramps 

As toddler they loved trains and train tracks. While they do still enjoy that as preschoolers, the biggest hit at that age seems to be cars and car tracks

• Great Starter set
• Add on tracks
• Cars! 
• Great case for cars and easy to personalize 

9. Play Kitchen

10. Shape & Color Sorting 

• Shape Sorting Wooden Puzzle
• We love these little horses for sorting too
• Wooden Shape Sorter

11. Magnatiles 

12. Dress Up Costumes 

13. Memory Games 

• MontiPlanet Wood Memory Set 
• Disney Character Matching 
• Adorable Ladybug Memory Game

14. Play Dough & Play Dough Kits

15. Doll House 

16. Imaginext Toys and Figures 

17. Instruments

Yes, instruments + preschoolers can be loud, but they sure love making music. I think this set is a really cute setup for preschoolers: Music Board Table Set 

18. Indoor Sports 

Sports indoors sounds like a great idea for… all things in the house breaking right?! For some kids (like my 3 boys) sports indoors is inevitable though. So, I like to find some things that they can play inside and not destroy the house. Here are a few favorites:

1. 3-in-1 Sports Activity Center (the rocket option with ring toss is so fun)
2. Stepping Stones and Bridges
3. Fold Up Balance Beam
4. Indoor Bowling

19. Spelling Game

This spelling game is the only one my kids thought was fun. All of them loved to play with it in preschool and then used it to help with reading practice in kindergarten. It’s cute and fun. 

20. All things outdoors! 

You know we love the outdoors here and send the kids outside to play every minute possible. So when adding toys for holidays and birthdays, I also search for more fun things to use outside. 

Many of these are categories of toys with links to some favorites in that category. It’s a great list to head back to for birthdays and holidays. Add to these categories from when they are toddlers on up to kindergartners. One of the sites I love to visit is MontiPlanet. MontiPlanet.com is the world’s leading platform to explore and buy Montessori toys, materials, and furniture. It’s a great spot for Montessori puzzles and Montessori Wooden Toys and so much more.