The Best Learning Toys For Boys and Girls

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Looking for some brilliant educational gift ideas that are also fun? Look no further! With a little help from our expert panel of children, we’ve compiled the ultimate list of the best learning toys for kids. To make things even easier, we’ve divided it up by age. From board games and STEM kits to clever interactive gadgets, here are our top picks!

Top Learning Toys for Kids by Age:

  1. Wild Animal Block Puzzle – 6-in-1 (1+)
  2. Fruity Fractions – Wooden Set (18months +)
  3. 1-2-3 Build It – Rocket, Train, Helicopter! (2+)
  4. Design & Drill Robot Workshop Engineer
  5. My First Microscope – For Little Hands (3+)
  6. Magnetic Tile and Truck Set – 43 Pieces (3+)
  7. Scientific Discovery – 42 Fun Experiments (5+)
  8. Talking Wildlife Camera – With Robert Irwin (4+)
  9. Horrible Histories – The Board Game (8+)
  10. Build Your Own Periscope – So Cool! (5+)
  11. Insect Viewer – See Nature Up Close
  12. Engenius Contraptions – Perpetual Marble Run (10+)

Best Learning Toys for Ages 1-3:

Wild Animal Block Puzzle – 6-in-1 ,  £12.99 £12.99

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Arrange nine wooden cubes to discover fun wild animals – adorable!

Perfect for early learners, this lovely colourful set features nine sturdy cubes measuring 5cm each, perfectly sized for little hands! Featuring six vibrant designs to create from a cow to a lion, an elephant to a giraffe, this 3D block puzzle is perfect for building language and fine motor skills. Handcrafted from natural wood, little ones are sure to enjoy stacking the lightweight wooden blocks to create toppling towers too. Elephantastic!

Fruity Fractions – Wooden Set ,  £14.99 £14.99

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Cut fruits into sections to explore early number skills

This brilliant wooden set features 23 pieces, including six colourful and familiar fruits. Using the colour-coded indents to guide you, insert the pieces into the sturdy 30cm board. From 1/2 an apple to 1/3 of a kiwi and 1/6 of a watermelon, little ones are sure to enjoy sorting all the pieces! Then use the yellow wooden play knife to split the sections up again, counting fractions as you go. Great for co-ordination, maths skills and more!

1-2-3 Build It – Rocket, Train, Helicopter! ,  £29.99 £29.99

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See it, think it, build it!

Choo-choo, fun building set coming through! This brilliant construction set for toddlers and little ones contains 17 easy-to-assemble pieces. Children can have great fun using the pieces to build a rocket, a helicopter and a train. The chunky, durable pieces are designed to fit perfectly in tiny hands. A fabulously simple and fun introduction to engineering!

Design & Drill Robot Workshop ,  £39.99 £39.99

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Assemble colourful robots with 70+ pieces & a working power drill too!

This awesome set combines creativity and construction as you build your own robot figures! Snap the sturdy parts together, choosing from more than 70 pieces. Fix everything in place using the toy power drill and transparent bolts, then customise with cool stickers. Simply remove the bolts to mix up your bots and start again. The set includes a poster for design inspiration, plus hundreds of combinations to explore.

My First Microscope – Explore your World ,  £24.99 £24.99

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See the world in a new way

Young scientists will love exploring the mini-world all around them with this fully functional microscope! The sturdy design is chunky, which makes it easy for little ones to use. Children can peer through the extra-large dual rubberised eyepieces, so there’s no need to close one eye. This cool gadget also features low 8x magnification and an oversized knob for simple focusing. The LED light enhances close-up viewing, and there are no slides required. An ideal first microscope!

Learning Toys for Ages 4-7:

Magnetic Tile and Truck Set – 43 Pieces ,  £39.99 £39.99

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Sturdy & colourful tiles

Harness your inner engineer with this brilliant magnetic set. The sturdy plastic pieces are lined with magnets and snap together easily. From a rocket to a fire engine, anything is possible! The set includes 43 pieces in a variety of shapes and designs – squares, triangles, windows… even a 13cm truck base.

Scientific Discovery – 40+ Fun Experiments ,  £45.99 £45.99

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Plants, weather, solar power, magnets & more – STEM in action!

This cool science kit is packed with award-winning activities! Using the 50+ pieces of kid-friendly equipment included, as well as household items, work your way through 42 fascinating projects. Become a meteorologist with your own weather station, then create a magnetic compass. Explore static electricity, grow a potato bonsai, make chocolate in a solar oven and more!

Talking Wildlife Camera – With Robert Irwin ,  £59.99 £59.99

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Interactive slideshow camera with over 130 images and 200 cool facts!

This high-tech toy features the voice and photography of wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin. Select from one of five regions, from the Amazonian Rainforest to the Arctic, and look through the viewfinder to see over 130 high-resolution images of awesome animals. Listen as Robert’s guiding voice details over 200 amazing animal facts, like why giraffes have black tongues and why koala bears aren’t really bears! Then test your knowledge with the Quiz mode, or put the camera in pretend-play mode and have your own wildlife adventures.

Best Learning Toys for Ages 8-11:

Horrible Histories – The Board Game ,  £19.99 £19.99

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Calling all history buffs!

Learning about history has never been this cool! This board game, based on the wildly popular book series, is packed with trivia, foul facts, and side-splitting laughs. Learn about the Rotten Romans and the Vile Victorians as you move around the board, answering from 600 multiple-choice questions or performing a history-themed action. Educational and sure to keep the whole family entertained!

The Human Body – Science Snippets ,  £12.99 £12.99

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Fascinating set with with more than 70 flashcards

What is earwax made of? How come our fingers get wrinkly in the tub? Why do we have a belly button? All this and more in this fascinating scientific set! Simply unroll the box to reveal three sections packed with more than 70 illustrated fact cards. Explore the what, why and how of the human body in simple kid-friendly terms, from goosebumps to baby teeth.

Insect Viewer – See Nature Up Close ,  £12.99 £12.99

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Observe creepy crawlies up close without harming them – fascinating!

Perfect for observing insects of all types without harming them, this well-ventilated 20cm viewer provides 3x magnification. Easy to use, simply place an insect into the viewing cone and view from above or from the side, where a nifty prism will show you a bottom-up view. Comfortable to hold, see wings, wiggly legs, antennae and more as you view nature from all angles. Perfect for inquisitive minds, creepy crawlies are always fascinating to kids!

Engenius Contraptions – Perpetual Marble Run ,  £24.99 £24.99

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Behold the incredible power of perpetual motion

Young engineers will enjoy hours of entertainment with this awesome marble run from Engenuis Contraptions. Assemble the laser-cut plywood sheets, then add the electric motor. Next, watch as the marbles are raised to the top of the lift, roll the spiral and the zig-zag track, then rise back up the spiral to start again, in perpetual motion. Mesmerising, satisfying and an excellent introduction to physics.

Frequently Asked Questions about Learning Toys:

How can I choose a learning toy that my child will enjoy?

Educational toys are a great way to encourage your child’s learning, but it can be tough to find one that they actually enjoy playing with. The best way to pick a toy they’ll love is to start with their interests. Does your child like science? Try a STEM kit. Maybe they prefer pretend play… If so, find a toy that allows for more creative possibilities. It’s also extremely important to choose a toy that’s suitable for your child’s age range and abilities. That’s why we’ve arranged our recommendations above by age, and it’s also why we have options to browse by age on our website!

Are board games and card games a good way to promote children’s learning?

Yes, absolutely! There are all kinds of board games and card games for all ages, and even the ones that aren’t marketed as ‘educational’ still have many learning benefits. For instance, to play a game, kids must follow directions, understand the rules, and use critical-thinking and communication skills to engage with the game and other players. Of course, games that incorporate elements of general knowledge, maths, and other academic subjects are also a great way to reinforce those concepts and get kids excited about learning!

How do educational toys help children’s development?

Introducing educational toys into your child’s early life can be extremely beneficial to their development. These types of toys can spark their curiosity, imagination, knowledge and social skills. More specifically, educational toys can enhance the development of motor skills and physical abilities, hone problem-solving skills, increase concentration, build social skills and encourage creativity and a sense of wonder in the world. Children learn through play, and toys are a vital part of this process!

What makes a good educational toy?

The answer will vary from child to child because the best educational toy is one that your child actually enjoys playing with! Use our handy information above, as well as our list of recommendations, and you’ll be on your way to choosing something just right!

For more brilliant educational toys for kids, check out what’s popular on our website!

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