It’s that time of year again! Summer ended, we blinked twice, and now here we are in a mad scramble to finish the holiday shopping before Santa arrives!
This year, we decided to focus our gift list on some of our favorite people to shop for: toddlers! Our tiniest movers, walkers, and dancers are always on the go, always learning, and always ready to explore - and these 25 toys are ready to help them do it!
We chose the gifts on our list based on their having at least one or more of these 4 qualities:
Beautiful Design
Fun for your little one, and also aesthetically pleasing for parents.
Natural Materials
Wood, wool, and cotton textures took priority
Learning Components
Colors, letters, numbers - there’s so much to learn!
Social & Emotional Development Toys
With a focus on feelings
With that list in mind, here are our Top 25 Holiday Gifts for Toddlers in 2023!
Help toddlers learn to recognize and name emotions with this sweet wooden puzzle/block set in peaceful pastel shades.
Slumberkin’s Fox Affirmation & Storybook Set
Big changes can be a big deal for little humans - this sweet snuggle toy and storybook help them lay the foundation for emotional resilience.
Easily the most stylish balance bike in the neighborhood, with hipster hues and details even grownup bikers will love!
There’s something irresistibly sweet about this tiny wooden chicken coop - perfect for your future farmer or animal lover.
Have an eager helper or do-it-yourselfer in your home? Help their curiosity reach new heights with the Toddler Tower.
Wonder & Wise Table It Wooden Play Kitchen
Play kitchens are a toddler staple. This one takes it to the next level with sophisticated design that will look at home in any room of the house.
Bunny Hopkins Wooden Wobble Board
Getting the hang of balance is big work for our tiny toddlers. This rainbow wobble board helps them wiggle, tumble, and practice staying upright!
Build your own interactive water park in the bathtub with this simple toy that might be as much fun for parents as it is kids!
Melissa & Doug Work & Play Desktop Activity Board
A fun take on a classic Montessori busy board that might be especially great for little ones who see their parents working from home.
A soothing sound machine with a twist - it’s snuggly!
Everything your little musician needs to start exploring simple sounds and melodies in beautifully designed wooden simplicity!
If you’re parenting one of those “Let’s watch the trucks!” kiddos, this dining set could totally transform meal time for the better.
100 First Words for Little Geeks
Is your household unapologetically nerdy? Skip over “dada” and go straight to TARDIS as baby first word with this sweet book of geeky language.
Whether your little one already knows simple signs, or you’d like to start learning, these wooden tiles are a wonderful teaching tool.
Is there anything better than a sausage dog in a sweater? We’re not sure there is, and this knitted soft toy is our new definition of perfection.
From wooden worms to plushy carrots, this game is a celebration of adorable elements that makes play fun for the whole fam.
Manhattan Toy Playdate Friends
Soft, friendly, and diverse dolls are ready to follow your toddler anywhere and everywhere - start with one, or collect the whole set.
Wonder & Wise Succulent Garden
For the progeny of plant parents everywhere, this is a fantastically adorable way to get them involved in taking care of green things (even if they’re just plush for now)
A classic musical toy in colors that beg to be displayed. Leave it on the coffee table and watch how many holiday guests (kids AND grownups) pick it up!
Land of Dough Natural Playdough Pattern Rolling Kit
A soothing tactile activity that works well with the dadada Baby Toddler Tower. Put your little one to work making dough while you cook!
Learning numbers is great. Learning numbers with impossibly cute little ladybugs? Even better! A great choice for bright-colored nurseries!
Lush, maximalist floral bowling pins make this playset feel like a work of art. Little ones will love to set them up and knock them down - whether they use the lightweight bowling ball or not!
Elm & Otter Egg Cup Color Sorting Set
A classic egg and cup matching set in beautiful, unusual colors to help little ones expand their color vocabulary.
No #toddlerlife is complete without a great set of blocks - and these from Lovevery are pretty close to perfect, with lots of shapes and colors to choose from!
A stacking tower with a great reward - once completed, you’ve got an adorable horse, pig, or sheep as a play pal!
We hope this list helped inspire your imagination, and your shopping plans, this holiday season. Wishing you the best, brightest, and most joy-filled December!