Set Down the iPad! We Tested Educational Toys, and These 16 Are Engaging, Fun, and Kid-Approved

Whether you’re searching for gifts for your own kids or someone else’s, opting for an educational toy is a great way to encourage kids to learn while having fun. 

Play is crucial to early childhood development, and toys are an important component in forming the brain connections necessary for learning and development, according to Dr. Jill Campbell, a clinical psychologist who specializes in parenting and early child development. The best educational toys spark a child’s imagination, teach them something, or engage their problem-solving abilities, from building blocks to picture books.

To help you find the best toy for your child, we spoke with Dr. Campbell about appropriate ideas for each developmental stage. We also tested several toys with our own children to create a comprehensive list of the best educational toys for kids of every age.

Top Educational Toys Under $40

Best Educational Toys for 1-Year-Olds

This adorable plushy was one of the highest-scoring toys that we tried when testing the hottest toys of the year. It plays 16 different phrases and four songs from the wildly popular Ms. Rachel show and encourages kids to imitate sounds and sentences. 

Intended Age: 6 months and up | Requires Batteries: Yes (included)

If you’re looking for a toy that encourages fine motor skill development without frustration, these ring toys are a popular choice — more than 20,000 people have purchased them in the last month. The rings are thick enough for baby hands to grasp, with unique textures to inspire tactile play.

Intended Age: 6 months and up | Requires Batteries: No 

With 224 different illustrations that are inserted into the child-friendly base, this toy is great for encouraging communication. It provides three ways to learn: verbally with an audio button, visually with colored illustrations, and written with clear, bold printed words on top of the cards. 

Intended Age: 1 year and up | Requires Batteries: No, recharges via USB-C

This interactive dinosaur toy helps teach kids about numbers, colors, shapes, and food. The toy responds with encouraging phrases and flashing lights when kids feed it plastic coins or press its numbered buttons. 

Intended Age: 1 year and up | Requires Batteries: Yes (included)

Parents can’t always be available to read to their kids, but luckily, this clever book does the reading for you. The LeapFrog Learning book contains 100 images and words chosen by linguistic experts that play out loud when tapped. 

Intended Age: 18 months and up | Requires Batteries: Yes (included)

Best Educational Toys for 3-Year-Olds

These kid-friendly binoculars encourage kids to explore their surroundings and spend more time appreciating the outdoors. The binoculars come with a breakaway neck strap, and the lenses are padded with comfortable silicone pads for added safety. 

Intended Age: 3 and up | Requires Batteries: No

This toddler-friendly Lego kit comes with everything needed to make five characters with different facial expressions to help kids identify emotions from facial cues. 

Intended Age: 3 and up | Requires Batteries: No

The Story Dream Machine lets kids take control of their bedtime stories. The toy projects illustrated stories onto the wall and reads the stories out loud, and our testers found it easy enough for adults and kids to use on their own. 

Intended Age: 3 and up | Requires Batteries: No

This compact audio player is one of the best toys we’ve ever tried — and it’s screen-free, too! The tiny device allows kids to play music, stories, and custom recordings and drastically reduces kids’ struggle for screen time.

Intended Age: 3 and up | Requires Batteries: No, USB-C rechargeable

This kid-approved tablet comes pre-loaded with 20 educational apps to improve reading, math, and science skills. Kids can play educational games, create digital art pieces, and even surf a limited web browser with kid-friendly websites and videos.

Intended Age: 3 and up | Requires Batteries: Yes (includes rechargeable lithium-ion battery)

Spark creativity with this 500-piece set of interlocking gear toys. It comes with a booklet of instructions to build guided creations, or kids can free-play and build anything their imagination can conjure. 

Intended Age: 3 and up | Requires Batteries: No

For the budding scientist in your life, this talking microscope allows them to peer into outer space, inspect creepy critters up close, learn fun science facts, and quiz themselves with science questions. Bonus: It’s voiced by beloved Australian conservationist and zookeeper Bindi Irwin.

Intended Age: 3 and up | Requires Batteries: Yes (not included)

Encourage kids to learn while getting their hands dirty with this fun, diggable diorama toy. The kit comes with 10 “dino” eggs, a cardboard diorama with stickers, and a rock hammer and chisel that’s rated for kids ages 4 and up. 

Intended Age: 4 and up | Requires Batteries: No

Best Educational Toys for 8-Year-Olds

This circuit toy is a safe way to introduce kids to electricity, allowing them to follow an instruction booklet or free-play to create real working circuits that turn on lights, play sounds, and switch on and off.

Intended Age: 8 and up | Requires Batteries: Yes (not included)

Ever since slime toys came on the market, it seems like kids can’t get enough of them. This kit encourages kids to do science experiments and create their own slime, adding a creative learning component. 

Intended Age: 8 and up | Requires Batteries: No

No batteries are required for this robot-building kit — thanks to an included solar panel, kids can build creations that move with the power of the sun. It comes with an instruction book that labels projects as “entry-level” for kids ages 8 to 10 and “senior level” for kids 10 and up. 

Intended Age: 8 and up | Requires Batteries: No

Choosing the Right Educational Toys

Each toy on our list is labeled with a designated age of use provided by the manufacturer that considers factors like safety and difficulty of use. While these age designations can be a helpful guide, a parent knows their child best and should use their own discretion in choosing the right toy for their child. Dr. Campbell shares some general information on children’s developmental stages that can be a useful starting point in choosing the appropriate toy for your child. 

Behind the Scenes 

Some of the toys included in this story were personally tested by PEOPLE editors and their kids who evaluated each toy for the following qualities: 

• Ease of Setup: The adults in the testing room started by setting up the toys (if setup was required) according to any included instructions. We took note of how easy or difficult the setup process was and if any extra tools or materials were needed.
• Durability: While the kids and adults played with the toys, we took note of how durable the materials felt. We looked at whether the toys showed signs of use, including scratching, bending, or breaking after play. 
• Enjoyment: Finally, we gave some of the best educational toys to our own kids and allowed them to play with the toys over the course of a few weeks. We noticed whether the kids chose to play with the toys of their own volition, how long the toys seemed to hold their attention, and whether or not they repeatedly asked to play with the tested toy. 

Why Trust PEOPLE? 

Cai Cramer is a shopping writer at PEOPLE and has previously worked as a nanny and a camp counselor for a combined 10 years. For this story, Cai spoke with a clinical psychologist to find out which educational toys are recommended to encourage development in children of all ages. She also relied on the results of real-life testing in which editors and their kids played with some of the most popular toys this year and provided in-depth feedback about the ease of setup, durability, and enjoyment of each toy. Cai also scoured Amazon’s most popular toy section to find out which educational toys are best-sellers. 

What Is PEOPLE Tested? 

We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.

But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.

In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.