31 gifts for toddlers that'll keep them entertained longer than the boxes they come in

Dollhouses can keep toddlers entertained for hours as they imagine new scenarios and practice everyday skills. This one comes with people, a dog, and some accessories. It also lights up and plays songs that encourage kids to help out around the home.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

This might seem like a strange gift, but my daughter loves to "help" me clean around the house and this set is the perfect size for toddlers. It comes with a pint-sized broom, mop, duster, brush, dustpan, and even a storage rack.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

Toddlers can use the included hammer to knock the balls through the holes and then hit the xylophone underneath for some tunes. They can also pull the xylophone out to play with each part separately.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

Give my daughter a ball and she'll drop it over and over again; she's loved this type of toy since she was around 12 months old. The balls in this toy swirl around, drop, and pass through obstacles as they make their way to the bottom.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

Dump trucks are great imaginative toys and this one comes with colorful "rocks" to dump. As kids get older, they'll surely find other things to dump.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

There's something about this piano that's mesmerizing and somewhat addictive. As kids press the keys, colorful stars pop out of the respective tubes. It comes with a plastic covering that initially keeps the stars contained for younger kids, but as kids get older, they can take off the covering and see how far they can shoot the stars.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

The show "Little Baby Bum" is a hit with many toddlers, so they'll love the familiar faces on this bus. Even kids who don't watch the show will still love having their own slide and bus to climb around on and develop their gross motor skills. Because there's so much interactivity with the toy, it's also perfect for cold winter months when it's hard to get out of the house.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

This car is easy for small hands to grasp and it's a great toy to help develop motor skills and encourage imagination too. My 16-month-old loves to say "vroom" and "beep;" toy cars like this are perfect to develop those early simple words.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

My daughter got this as a gift for her first birthday and it has been a hit the second she laid eyes on it. The shark sings three Pinkfong songs (yes, including "Baby Shark") and dances around the floor. Toddlers can activate it by calling "baby shark," tapping its head, or clicking a button on its fin.

Read my review of the toy here.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

This activity cube is really sturdy so it's great for early walkers to pull themselves up to play. The cube is farm-themed with a fun manipulative scene on the top of the cube and activities on each side.

Read my review of the toy here.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

This can be used as a push toy or a ride-on toy. Either way, kids will love the Mickey Mouse theme. My daughter likes to be pushed around on it, but she also likes to push it herself with her baby dolls on the seat. The plane also has interactive buttons and a spinning propeller for a hint of realism.

Read my review of the toy here.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

Help toddlers learn to understand and express their emotions with this stuffed toy that has six different faces: happy, sad, surprised, angry, laughing, and sleeping. At 16 months, I'm using this toy to teach my daughter how to respond to emotions and it's so cute to watch her give it a hug when it's sad.

Read my review of the toy here.

Recommend age group: 12-18 months

Make learning colors, shapes, matching, counting, and more fun with these eggs. They're the perfect size for toddlers to carry in their hands so they'll also work on their hand strength and dexterity when they open the eggs.

Recommend age group: 18-24 months

My daughter loves to practice buckling, zipping, snapping, and more with this busy board. This type of toy helps toddlers learn skills needed to dress themselves or tie their shoes, and it's also the perfect activity to keep them occupied in a car or plane.

Recommend age group: 18-24 months

The first time my daughter played with LEGO DUPLOs, she played by herself for 30 minutes straight, which is saying a lot for a toddler. This set with cars and trucks is the perfect starter kit, but you can add on more according to your child's interest.

Recommend age group: 18-24 months

This is a simple yet exciting gift for young toddlers who are just learning how to color. This is my daughter's favorite coloring book and includes large pictures, numbers, letters, and shapes.

Recommend age group: 18-24 months

Toddlers love the novelty of having their own versions of grown-up items, like this flashlight. It has a handle for little hands, lights they can turn on and off, and entertaining noises and sounds. This is especially great for activities like flashlight tag, shadow puppets, and reading books in the dark.

Recommend age group: 18-24 months

Mega Bloks are a big hit with the toddlers, and they remain fun toys as kids get older as well. My daughter's Mega Blok collection is quickly becoming out of hand. They inspire creativity, and this car set would pair well with a more general starter kit.

Recommend age group: 18-24 months

Board games are a great way to start teaching kids about sharing, taking turns, winning and losing, and more. It's fun when my family plays board games over the holidays and these include even the youngest member.

Recommend age group: 18-24 months

Toddlers love to pretend to be grown-up, so they can live out their fantasies in this play kitchen. It features a refrigerator, oven, sink, utensils, fake food, and more. My daughter loves flipping burgers on the "grill."

Recommend age group: 2-3 years

Kids love to play school and create art on easels. This one comes with a magnetic whiteboard, chalkboard, and even paint cups. It's also adjustable so it'll grow with your kids.

Recommend age group: 2-3 years

There's something about a train set under a Christmas tree that just screams "holiday." This wooden set is very colorful and has musical instruments like tambourines and a xylophone.

Recommend age group: 2-3 years

The big pieces on this wooden puzzle are easy for toddlers to grasp. Kids can also stand the puzzle pieces up and play with them as figurines.

Recommend age group: 2-3 years

This is another fun board game for toddlers. Players try to collect fruit before a raven gets to the orchard and eats it all, and it's a great game to practice counting and colors as well.

Recommend age group: 2-3 years

This is an adorable DUPLO set with elephants, tigers, monkeys, and more. Kids can help the monkey slide down a vine or move people across a swinging bridge from a treehouse to the caretaker's hut. Imaginative play opportunities are endless.

Recommend age group: 2-3 years

My daughter loves to play with big cardboard blocks. They're fun because the large sizes are easy to stack to kids can really be a part of what they're building. As in, they'll love making forts with these blocks.

Recommend age group: 2-3 years

KiwiCo Crates is a subscription box with kid-tested science and art projects specifically designed for each developmental stage. This is the perfect gift to keep the magic of the holidays alive all year; parents will love it when it shows up on the doorstep just as their kids are getting tired with the previous box.

Recommend age group: various depending on subscription

The magic of Disney World might be out of reach as a Christmas present, but you can get the next best thing with Disney on Ice. Gifting experiences rather than toys is a fun and popular option, and Disney on Ice has five different shows that are touring all over the country, so you can find a show your kids love near you.

Pro tip: If you go, don't forget to buy a light-up wand ahead of time to avoid paying exorbitant prices once you get to the show.

Recommend age group: various depending on shows

Highlights has fun and educational magazines for kids of all ages. It's so exciting for toddlers to get mail in their own names and they'll love to explore their new magazine every month. I still remember getting my Highlights magazines in the mail when I was little.

Recommend age group: various depending on subscription

As a former English teacher, I can't help but recommend books; these are some of my daughter's favorites as well as my own from my childhood. They feature scratch and sniff stickers, pop up pages, and exciting stories that toddlers will want to read year after year.

Here are some other books that my daughter has loved reading.

Recommend age group: various depending on reading level

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