Toys That Teach: Holiday Gifts

Birth & up. Give babies captivating companions with this set of My First Black & White Puppets. These soft puppets have friendly faces and open arms that will put babies at ease. Adults can use them to narrate a story, play a game, or do many other things. The color schemes will also help babies develop early color recognition skills because black and white are the first colors babies recognize. Set includes 3 animal puppets, 7"L . Machine washable.

6 months and up. The Shell Bell Shaker set is a beautiful, nature-inspired take on classic handheld bell shakers. The shakers' easy-to-grip handles and overmolded tactile elements combine with their natural color schemes and authentically inspired details to offer toddlers a cornucopia of sensory exploration and stimulation. A gentle wobble feature encourages focus, hand-eye coordination, and balance, while identical bell sounds inspire group play and auditory exploration. Measures 2.75" 2.75"… More »

3 years and up. Give young engineers a space where they can blossom. The Design & Drill® Robot Workshop equips young children with everything they need to build multifaceted, mobile robots. Playing with robots helps young children explore concepts of engineering, coding and math in an engaging way. The collection's many interchangeable pieces empower children to construct any kind of robot that enters their imagination. Set includes 150 pieces, enough to build 6 different robots.

2 years & up. Serve up delicious pretend meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Perfect for budding chefs, these realistic meal sets include a variety of nutritious foods like eggs, waffles, fried chicken, fruits, vegetables, sandwiches, and more. Each set encourages children to role-play meal preparation and dining, fostering creativity, social skills, and fine motor development. Ideal for pretend play kitchens, these sets help children learn about balanced meals and food groups in a fun,… More »

3 years & up. Provide children with an interesting tactile experience using the Sensory Seek & Find Box. Place different loose items (sold separately) of varying shapes, textures, and sizes to encourage object discrimination. An easy-to-clean whiteboard on top encourages literacy and extends possible play experiences. Measures 10.75"L x 7.75"W x 6"H.

2 years & up. Sunny the Giant Sensory Sea Turtle Plush is the ultimate companion for comfort and sensory support! Designed with soft, foldable arms for gentle hugs and a multi-textured shell for tactile exploration, Sunny offers deep-pressure stimulation to help children relax and self-regulate. Thoughtfully made for easy care, the entire turtle is machine washable. Unzip the covers, remove the single-piece stuffing pads, wash all components on a delicate cycle, air dry, and reassemble. Perfect… More »

2 years & up. This non-toxic dough is soft and pliable, yet never sticky, making it perfect for molding, stamping, and rolling. Squishing, pinching, and molding the dough helps strengthen little hands and fingers, preparing them for skills like writing and buttoning. Each 1.98 lb tub contains six individually wrapped tubes of dough in one of the following colors: orange, green, blue, purple, red, or yellow, all stored in a reusable container with a lid.

2 years and up. Encourage both physical and social development with a classic Playground Ball. This versatile ball will help children develop gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination while also fostering social skills through multiplayer games such as four square and kickball. This multipurpose ball can serve as the foundation for limitless play possibilities. Available separately in various sizes.

2 years & up. Spruce up your child's art space with this appropriately sized two-sided wooden easel. Each side features a dry erase board and the paper can be pulled to either side. Each side measures 17" x 15" while the whole easel measures at 19.25"W x 21"H x 17.5"D. Includes four paint cups. Trays are removable, but would have to be unassembled in order to take them off.

3 years & up. Introduce children to early weather concepts and teach them to dress for the seasons at the same time with the help of this cuddly friend! This fun bear set includes four outfits that are perfect for their corresponding seasons. Dress this bear for the appropriate weather conditions and encourage your child to model their outfits after it. For an activity, call out seasons and have children dress the weather bear appropriately. This Weather Bear Set promotes fine motor skills,… More »

12 months & up. Enhance building possibilities for children with this innovative Textured Puzzle Blocks set. This set will strengthen children's gross motor skills, critical thinking skills, and hand-eye coordination as they stack, nest, and create 2D and 3D structures. The subtle textures, bright colors, and durable foam pieces will further enhance the comprehensive learning experience that children will receive when they play with this set. Pieces made from easy-to-clean foam. Largest piece… More »

2 years & up. This non-toxic dough is soft and pliable, yet never sticky, making it perfect for molding, stamping, and rolling. Each 3.5 lb tub contains ten individually wrapped tubes of dough in one of the following colors: blue, green, light green, pink, purple, red, orange, black, white, or yellow, all stored in a reusable container with a lid.

2 years and up. Encourage early language development, numeracy, and active play with this set of Bilingual Color and Number Beanbags. Perfect for classroom games and activities, these beanbags help children build gross motor skills, spatial awareness, color recognition, and number literacy. Each beanbag features bilingual labeling to support early learners with colors or numerals, dots, and words presented in both English and Spanish. Whether tossing, sorting, or counting, children will enjoy physical… More »

3 years & up. Build to new heights with this fantastic collection of realistic pretend bricks, blocks, and rocks! This set of lightweight foam builders stack easily for endless creative building projects. The foam construction is waterproof, but not UV-resistant; if kept outside for a long time, the colors will fade. Included: 20-piece Cinder Block Set, 25-piece Rock Wall Builder Set, 25-piece Brick Builder Set, and 25-piece Ice Brick Builder Set. Purchase individually or as a set of 4. Activity cards included.

2 years & up. These puppets are a great way for children of all ages to learn about diversity through interaction and play. This set of eight puppets represents four multicultural groups of children with aspects of their culture represented in their clothing designs. For further learning, discuss the cultures these puppets represent and the history of their clothing. Puppets measure 12" long and are 10" wide with the arms spread open and embroidered eyes. Made from polyester fibers. Surface cleans easily.

18 months & up. Bring any water or sand table to life with this fun play set. Offers children opportunities for sensory exploration, imaginative play, skill development, and learning in outdoor environments, a valuable addition to any play space. Floating boats introduce concepts like buoyancy, displacement, and water resistance in a tangible way, and help develop an understanding of basic physics principles. Water and sand play is both fun and educational and has a range of benefits for your… More »

4 - 6 years. Help children learn numbers and get active with the Mini Math Mats. Including the numbers 1-9, this set enables caregivers to make math interactive. Each lesson contains two activities and explores single digit numbers and values. Or be creative. Have children move from one number to the next, hop as many times as the number on the mat, or do anything else that the caregiver (or the children!) can imagine. Mini Math creates an environment for the development of mathematical language… More »

3 years & up. Invite children to experiment with sound using the Musical Wooden Marble Tree! Encourage children to hypothesize as they drop a marble at the top of the tree and listen to the beautiful, acoustic tones each branch produces. This musical toy enhances hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as children grip each marble and visually track the path down the tree. Includes four glass marbles. Marble Tree measures 6.3"L x 6.3"W x 14.6"H.

3 years & up. Create patterned ropes out of modeling dough! This set of 8 dough plungers features three unique styles - dots, flowers, and triangles, making it easy for kids to explore texture, pattern, and creativity. Just press, plunge, and roll to transform dough into fun, decorative strands. Perfect for hands-on play, sensory exploration, and developing fine motor skills in classrooms, therapy settings, or at home.

4 - 6 years. Bring gross-motor play into the classroom with this collection of Action Mats. Each mat features a unique activity conveyed in simple graphics that will enable children to exercise both their body and their imagination. The activities are designed to develop fine and gross motor skills as well as strengthen core muscles, arm and leg muscles, balance, and coordination. The accompanying app includes quick and simple plans and instructions for caregivers to get the most out of their mats.

3 years & up. Help children stay calm and focused with the Fidget Fun Kit. The wide variety of shapes, textures, and colors in this kit will reduce stress and anxiety as well as provide the sensory stimulation necessary for children to stay focused. The pieces' fun designs will also ensure that children have fun while maintaining their social-emotional health. Item styles and colors will vary, 7 piece set.

2 years and up. Journey through the natural world with this set of Nature-Inspired Loose Parts. The stones in this collection focus on three distinct natural environments: the sea, the forest, and the winter landscape. This variety gives children tremendous freedom to engage with whichever environment they choose. They can also mix the stones to create a snowy sea or a wintry forest. The choice is theirs!

3 years & up. The TinkerTar Tiger Guitar is the easiest way to introduce children to the enchanting world of music! The 1-string guitar is the ideal beginner instrument to ignite a passion for music and foster creativity. Children will build confidence and develop essential fine motor skills as they work from simple to more challenging songs. The Kaplan TinkerTar Tiger Guitar includes an exclusive easy-to-follow teacher guide written by music teachers to make playing the guitar and teaching… More »

3 years & up. What fun children will have as they discover the world we live in through the eyes of the many animals in this jumbo animal set. Children can imagine watching the lion roar through the jungle, riding a horse on the farm, swimming with the dolphins, or taking care of the many pets they have at home. Activity guides provide facts about each animal and early science discussion starters. Animals measure between 7.5"L x 3.75"H to 8"L x 15"H. Made out of durable BPA… More »