Toys That Teach: Holiday Gifts

Birth & up. The Cuddly Critters Caterpillar is more than just a plush toy, it's a playful adventure waiting to unfold. With its clever design and soft, huggable texture, it invites kids into a world of sensory discovery, imaginative play, and surprise-filled fun. As children unroll the caterpillar, they'll uncover a collection of tiny, cuddly critters hidden inside-each one sparking curiosity and encouraging hands-on interaction. It's a delightful companion that brings learning and laughter to every play session.

3 years & up. Introduce children to essential skills through hands-on play with this multi-fastening toy. Start with simple lacing, then progress to snap buttons and zippers for an engaging challenge. Each fastening activity helps strengthen fine motor skills and boosts confidence, turning learning into a fun and fulfilling experience. Measures 3.9"L x 8.2"W x 6.4"H.

3 years & up. Refill your Tabletop Paper-Roll Dispenser with these three replacement paper rolls, or simply unroll them across a table or the floor for easy access. Each roll contains 75 feet of high-quality, heavyweight bond paper, perfect for use with crayons, markers, colored pencils, stamps, or paint. Whether you're creating small doodles or large, banner-sized masterpieces, the paper can be customized to fit any project. These rolls are compatible with the Melissa & Doug Tabletop Paper-Roll… More »

2 years & up. Little ones will love learning on the go with the Talk & Teach Bus and Talk & Teach Farm -- two interactive toys designed to build vocabulary and reinforce sight word recognition through engaging, hands-on play. Each comes with 30 double-sided themed learning cards covering topics like letters, numbers, shapes, colors, foods, school items, and farm life, all of which store neatly inside the unit for easy cleanup and portable fun. With batteries included and cheerful sounds… More »

10 months & up. This magnetic, circular mirror tray is a versatile addition to any play space, offering endless opportunities for sensory exploration and creative discovery. Perfect for heuristic play, treasure basket activities, and messy play, it encourages children to investigate reflections, experiment with cause and effect, and engage in open-ended learning. The magnetic surface adds an extra layer of interactivity, allowing young children to explore magnetism while arranging and manipulating… More »

A compact tray designed for small spaces and quick setup activities. This versatile, open-ended tray offers endless play possibilities, from messy play and exploration to math, literacy, and sensory activities. Its convenient size makes it easy to clean, move, and adapt for use on the floor, a stand, or even in a vertical position. Stand not included. Measure 27.5" diameter. Tray stand and Mirror Insert sold separately

Birth & up. Celebrate diversity with these huggable fabric dolls. Sweet, sleeping faces make them fast friends! Each doll possesses baby safe embroidered features. Their plush exterior makes them soft, snuggly friends for your young children. Each doll is machine washable and measures 10"H. Doll styles may vary based on availability.

18 months & up. Help the little squirrel gather all the acorns in this fun and educational wooden counting game! This colorful set features 10 vibrant acorns, each marked with dots that correspond to its number, making it a great way for children to learn numbers, colors, and counting. Perfect for early learners, this set encourages hands-on learning while promoting fine motor skills and number recognition. Ideal for playtime or as an engaging activity for home or classroom use!

18 months & up. Invite your little one to play with these adorable garden friends and see how high they can stack them on the tree without toppling over! Made from solid wood and beautifully painted with charming garden motifs, this set includes a variety of cute figures, each with its own unique design. The set comes with a handy printed drawstring bag for easy storage, keeping everything neat and tidy after playtime. Perfect for encouraging logical thinking, imaginative play, and fine motor… More »

3 years & up. Take imaginative play to new heights with the Airline Meal Tray Wooden Play Set! This delightful set lets kids serve up a sky-high dining experience with a complete in-flight meal. Includes a wooden tray featuring a delicious three-course meal - salad with carrot sticks, a main course of salmon, broccoli, and potatoes, and a cherry pie dessert. The set also includes a bread roll, cutlery, cup of tea, and an after-dinner chocolate for the perfect finishing touch. Plus, don't forget… More »

2 years & up. Dive into the wonders of the ocean with this set of 8 beautiful, tactile fish. With their realistic markings and textures, these fish encourage sensory exploration and imaginative play as children tell stories about the watery habitats they create. Made from a durable stone resign, these vibrant creatures are perfect for use in water or sand, and are easy to clean after a day of nautical adventures. The markings can be felt as well as seen, and children will enjoy making imprints… More »

2 years & up. This emotions recognition set includes 1 wooden tray, 27 large magnetic facial pieces, and 20 illustrated situation cards, along with an emotions guide. Designed to help children explore and understand emotions, each card depicts a relatable daily life scenario. On the back of each card, a completed face provides guidance on which magnetic pieces to use to recreate the expression. The set offers two levels of play: younger children can simply match and build the expressions shown,… More »

5 years & up. Inspired by real-world physics and engineering, this STEM Explorers Machine Makers 9 STEP challenges help kids learn the fundamental mechanical principles. Embark on the latest STEM Explorers learning adventure! With this engaging set, kids will design, build, and test dynamic machines using the included challenge guide. As kids test and tweak their STEP creations, kids will hone the critical thinking and problem solving skills that are essential to STEM success. Includes a 50… More »

12 months & up. Spark creativity with the Montessori Colorful Pegboard! This pegboard encourages children to practice patterning by stacking and sorting 16 colorful pieces: 4 each in green, yellow, red, and blue. With an ergonomic design, these pieces are easy to handle and stack in endless ways, inspiring imaginative play and fine motor skill development.

2 years & up. Dramatic play feels even more realistic when kids use this colorful vacuum with real sounds. This exciting house cleaning tool encourages dramatic play, gross motor functions, and fine motor skills. Have children vacuum alongside you to learn how to vacuum. Encourage children to mimic the vacuum cleaner sounds. The 2-in-1 Vacuum Cleaner includes a removable hand vacuum that makes real sounds and has a removable dust catcher. Requires three AA batteries (included). Colors will vary.

18 months & up. Durable for the toughest construction job, this set of 5 textured rollers feature easy grip handles and a 5" rolling surface. Children will have fun creating designs, road and patterns in the sand. With 5 different patterns, thesel plastic rollers can also be used with paint. Color of handle may vary. 7"L x 5"W. Set of 5.

18 months and up. Transform little ones into community heroes with the On the Go Community Vehicles set! This action-packed collection lets kids clean up the city, transport classmates to school, and help build strong structures. Designed to spark imaginative play, these vehicles also promote the development of important skills like gross-motor coordination and hand-eye coordination. The set includes a dump truck, garbage truck, cement mixer, and school bus.

Ages 18 months and up. Empower young children to be heroes with this set of rescue vehicles. Including a patrol car, a fire engine, and an ambulance, this set gives children multiple ways to save the day and protect their classroom community. As they step into the shoes of first responders, children will also strengthen their gross-motor skills and enhance their hand-eye coordination.

2 years & up. Empower young children to get the job done with the Mini Construction Fleet. Including a dump truck, a cement mixer, a road roller, a bulldozer, and 4 play figures, this set enables children to haul materials, move materials, and do many other things that real construction workers do. As children build and repair various structures, they will also strengthen gross-motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

18 months & up. Enable children to interact with nature while never leaving the classroom with these Transparent Tactile Shells. These shells come in a variety of shapes, textures, and colors, so children will have lots of opportunities to explore their senses and observe the color principle of transparency. Adults can also use the shells to create activities that promote skills such as counting and sequencing. Ideal for use on light tables.

3 years & up. Experience the magical world of creativitiy and pencil-free drawing. Use the left knob to draw lines left and right: the right knob to draw lines up and down, or use both knobs to curve the lines or draw on an angle! Shake to erase and start all over with a new design. Helps children develop fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and imagination! Measures approximately 9" x 7.4" x 1.75".

2 years & up. Let's go bowling! Lots of fun extras to discover while playing with this colorful 6-pin set. Pins rattle with bouncing balls when knocked over, and lightweight bowling ball lights up and flashes during play. Great for developing sensory skills, motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Comes with portable caddy for storage. Batteries included.

4 years & up. A game for cat-finders with a good memory who always want to know where the cat hid last. Develop language observation, and spatial skills with this hands-on game. Children can use one of the photo cards or make up their own hiding spot! Describe Monty's hiding place or use the bed, and blanket to describe it.

2 years & up. Bring children into the world of first responders with this Mini Wheels set. Including a fire engine, a police car, ambulance, and fire rescue vehicle, this set invites children to jump into action! As they race to the scene like real-life heroes, children will also develop essential gross-motor skills and hand-eye coordination, all while having fun in the process.