Here at Vivvi we spend a lot of time thinking about what your child is learning while they’re at play – and toys can be the tools they use to help them get there. 

As any parent knows, though, more does not always mean merrier. In fact, too many toys can be overwhelming, and even distracting, for your child. A curated collection of toys, on the other hand, especially those that are open ended, will help support learning through play. 

To help make your holiday gift giving a bit more intentional this year, we’ve rounded up some of our all time favorite early learning toys by age. Our list includes toys we use in our Vivvi classrooms; toys we know that your child will love, but that will also teach them a thing or two! So when grandma and aunties and your neighbor down the block ask what your little one might like this holiday season: feel free to forward this link.

Infant Toy Gift Guide

For the 0-12 month set, toys should not only be learning tools, but also be safe for curious fingers…and mouths! These open-ended toy options are a great way to start building your toy collection.

• Fine Motor Skill Building Set
  This set of four sensory toys is the ultimate fine-motor building set for infants six months or older. The vibrant colors beg for little hands to practice reaching and grasping – which is often one of your child’s very first learning through play experiences! This sensory toy set also encourages fine motor skill building, sensory exploration, cause-and-effect learning, shape recognition, pushing and pulling, and so much more.
• Cloth Book Set 
  Setting your children up with a love of books is one of the best ways to build a foundation of reading success. Since tiny babies and paper pages don’t mix well, we love cloth books for infants. This Vivvi-approved set comes with five books that oh-so-pleasingly crinkle when played with (big bonus points in the infant world). Plus they’re machine washable (big bonus points in the mom world).
• 1st Building Blocks 
  Infants in STEAM? Yes, please. These soft, squeezable building blocks help your baby’s cognitive skills and support their developing brains as they attempt to put pieces together and dream up fun creations. PS: the blocks are soft and squishy which means they can even be used as teethers!
• Stacking cups
  From table top activities to bathtime fun, there are so many ways your infant can play and learn with stacking cups. Recognizing size and stacking from largest to smallest is a major accomplishment—so, too, is wrapping their tiny brains around the cause-and-effect of pouring bathwater out of a cup. Where did it go?!

Toddler Toy Gift Guide

When your little one is ready to move and groove, it’s time to up your toy game. These Vivvi-approved toddler toys will help them meet developmental milestones while they’re having fun.

• Wobble Board 
  One of our all time favorite open-ended play toys is a wobble board. This curved board can be so many things: a boat, a bridge, even a surfboard on a wave! The balance board is designed to strengthen your child’s sense of balance and the muscles they use to stay upright: younger children can climb on it turned upside down for extra stability, while older toddlers can stand and wobble back and forth, strengthening their core muscles. The wobble board also supports muscle development for proper body posture.
• Walking Stones
  These colorful toys are perfect for the cold winter months when getting your little one outdoors feels painfully chilly but they still need so much physical play time. As your child steps or hops from walking stone to walking stone, they’re learning skills like weight transference, coordination, and balance. Set the walking stones up for open-ended fun, or structure a game of musical stones for your child and a few friends.
• See-Through Colored Blocks
  Now that your toddler has gotten the concept of stacking and building, add a new element of fun through color and light! Encourage your child to see the light in this new block set by doing your building on a window sill to create colorful shadows in the room! Your child will also enjoy holding different colored blocks up to their eyes to see a green or blue world.

Preschooler Toy Gift Guide

For the preschooler in your house, we love toys that push their little minds a little further, with an eye towards developmental milestones that will have them ready for Kindergarten and beyond!

• Rock Crayons
  Strengthen the writing muscles in your child’s hand by encouraging use of these stubby little rock crayons. Their ergonomic shape was designed by occupational therapists and school teachers to strengthen that tripod grip, by allowing small fingers to color easily in large, wide strokes.
• Pattern Block Set
  Preschoolers love figuring out and replicating patterns—and it’s an important skill to help them develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. These classic Melissa & Doug pattern puzzle boards make math fun. While your little one is replicating a bunny or a snail, they’re also learning spatial awareness, hand eye coordination, and how to sort by color, count and also create their own patterns.
• Tall Stacker Pegs
  Help your preschooler build up, up, up with this super fun stacker peg set. The pegs click into place, providing some stabilization for your child’s creation. Whether they’re building a city or a ferris wheel, they’ll be learning to think ahead to set pegs for the next platform as they consider size, shape and colors. There is so much critical thinking and spatial awareness happening when your child manipulates this toy.