The best educational and developmental toys for Christmas 2024
Regular toys might keep your child entertained for a little while on Christmas day, but only developmental toys offer both fun and educational benefits for them to enjoy all year round!
To make your life easier and to help you find the ideal activity toy for your kids, we’ve compiled a handy list of the best ones to choose from this Christmas - you won’t want to miss this!
What are development toys?
As the name suggests, developmental toys are designed to aid your tot’s physical, emotional, mental, and imaginative growth, as well as provide the excitement and thrills you expect from a toy.
Let’s explore more about each before we delve into our top developmental toys for Christmas 2024, which all actively boost the advancement of these key areas.
Physical development
Your child’s physical advancement revolves around the growth and strengthening of their muscles, including the bigger muscles in their arms, legs, and core.
Large movements involving these muscles are known as gross motor skills and include walking, running, and climbing to name a few.
Physical development also includes the strengthening and controlled use of the smaller muscles and nerves in their hands, which are their fine motor skills.
Examples of these precise movements include holding items such as crayons, tying shoelaces, and fastening buttons.
Emotional growth
For children, developing is more than just physical growth - it’s learning to control, manage, and regulate emotions, too!
Understanding how to share with others and deal with difficult feelings such as frustration and defeat are essential, especially as your tot reaches their school years - developmental activity toys can help your kid to do just this.
Successful emotional development will help your little munchkin to form healthy personal relationships, take part in group activities, and join sports teams.
Cognitive progression
This area of child advancement centres around thinking, logic, and reasoning.
In infancy, cause and effect, shape association, and problem-solving are the foundations for cognitive growth.
The best child developmental toys this Christmas will promote these aspects of mental progression, helping children to understand the world around them, what different shapes look like, and how to overcome obstacles.
Pretend play
Another important and often overlooked aspect of childhood is imaginative play, which is both fun and a great way for little ones to learn and express themselves.
By pretending to be another character and creating fictitious stories, children develop critical language and social skills, and emotional and creative expression.
Top 5 educational and developmental toys for Christmas 2024
Take a look at our best development toys to treat your special one to at Christmas:
Ball pits
The ultimate gift to treat your toddler to this Christmas is a foam ball pit with colourful plastic balls, perfect for fuelling their imaginative side.
For children, there’s nothing more exciting than splashing among smooth-feeling plastic balls, which can be used to aid fine motor skill development as your child grasps hold of them.
Let them glide down the longest river or float among the stars - a ball pit can become anything their heart desires.
Foam playgrounds
An exciting physical workout that saves you from having to venture to public soft play areas, a foam playground makes for an obstacle course that can boost your tot’s problem-solving skills.
By clambering over foam steps and wedges, children are actively developing their gross motor skills and learning how to conquer the course.
Plus, if they fail the first time, they can safely learn how to channel their frustration, build resilience, and face the challenge again.
They also have a velvet cover that’s pleasant to touch and easy to clean, so you won’t struggle to clean it if accidents occur.
Rockers and Blance Boards
Super fun and exhilarating, a rocker is sure to make your toddler’s day this Christmas.
Rockers can be imaginatively transformed into speedy motorbikes, hovercrafts, or even racehorses while balance boards replicate skateboards and snowboards.
As your child rocks back and forth playing a part in their storyline, they actively engage their core and encourage large muscle development, balance, and coordination skills to keep them upright.
Indoor slides
Trust us, you’re little munchkin will be more than thrilled to wake up and find a wooden slide under the Christmas tree!
Slides are super-exciting and provide endless hours of enjoyment and can even be used alongside ball pits for extra fun.
By grasping hold of the peak of the slide and having to adjust accordingly, children are actively using their fine motor skills as well as their coordination abilities as they switch from standing to sitting.
Wooden indoor climbing frames
A superb choice for older children who are further along in their physical development, treat your young one to a wooden indoor climbing frame this Christmas.
Full of obstacles to overcome and an exhilarating physical workout, this development toy is an excellent choice for emotional growth and physical strengthening.
Made from rounded bars, you can be confident that your kid is safe when using their climbing frame and will also enjoy the sensory experience when grasping the smooth wood.
Which development toys should I invest in this Christmas?
We’ve listed some of the most effective development and educational activity toys to consider this Christmas, but which are best for your treasured one?
For younger children, we’d highly recommend the items at the beginning of this list, especially ball pits and playgrounds, which are great for babies and toddlers.
For older children who desire more advanced activity toys, you simply can’t go wrong with a rocker, climbing frame, or slide.
Get in touch
Here at KiddyMoon, we’re established retailers of development toys for children and have an option for all kids this Christmas.
To speak with our helpful customer service team, email us today at contact@kiddymoon.co.uk or you can call us on 0800 070 5225.