Merry Blogmas day 3! It’s no surprise that I’m running a little bit behind, but here we go! Today, I hope to help you solve the problem of holiday shopping for little ones in a world that’s more reliant on technology everyday. I’ve got some great ideas for non electronic toys for toddlers to share with you. These toys are also toddler approved by my own 2.5 year old girl!
*Quick side note – A couple of these toys do have an electronic component or two because it’s getting harder and harder to find tech free toys! However, I’m willing to let it slide either because of realism or because those parts aren’t needed for these toys to provide hours of fun. I’ve listed those instances in the descriptions below.*
Clueless about Blogmas? Check out this post from day 1, where I break down exactly what Blogmas is, how to participate, why I’m taking part, and what kinds of posts you can expect to see on the blog this month!
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Looking for more budget friendly gift ideas for frugal friends and family? Check out these other posts!
In a Hurry? Here's the Full List!
I get it. We’re all busy this time of year. If you just want to start shopping for your favorite non electronic toys for toddlers, and you don’t have time to read the descriptions, I’ve linked every single toy for you right here!
On a Tight Budget - Around $25 or Less
Moderately Priced - Around $25-$50
- Little Tikes Spiralin’ Seas Water Table
- Little Tykes First Slide
- Melissa and Doug Latches Barn
- Get more animals here.
- Melissa and Doug Dust! Sweep! Mop! Set
- Dress Up and Costume Clothes
- Magnetic Tile Building Blocks
- 23 Piece Musical Instrument Set with Storage Case
- 68 Piece Work Bench with Realistic Tools and Working Drill
Willing to Splurge - Over $50
- Plastic Stackable School Chair with 10.5″ Seat Height
- Little Tykes Activity Garden Baby Playset
- Little Tyke Cape Cottage Playhouse
- Kidzwerks Kitchen Platform/Stepstool
- Melissa and Doug Wooden Chef’s Pretend Play Toy Kitchen
- Grab some realistic kid sized kitchen tools and cutting foods here.
Why Give Tech Free Toddler Toys?
I want to start by saying that I am not here to judge you for how your family chooses to do screen time with your kids! My own toddler gets way too much screen time this year.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with tech based toys. In fact, sometimes that little flashing box of wires saves our lives. Too much screen time can have some negative consequences for little ones, though. Tech free toys come with a host of developmental benefits!
These non electronic toys for toddlers might be a good fit for you if you:
- feel like your little one is getting too much screen time lately.
- need a break from the TV/ipad/handheld device.
- want more toys that foster independent, responsibility, critical thinking, language development, problem solving, creativity, social emotional learning, and motor skills development.
- notice your toddler has had more trouble than usual regulating their emotions or focusing on a task relative to their peers.
- are shopping for a low tech friend or family member and want to honor their lifestyle choices.
- want to buy a few less batteries this Christmas.
The Problem With Electronic Toys
Those toys with all the bells and whistles marketed at little ones seem great. They sing and flash. Maybe they teach colors, letters, numbers, and animal sounds. They seem perfect for growing brains. Sometimes, they also seem to calm kiddos down, saving overwhelmed parents everywhere.
The problem is that they actually hinder more than they help. I’m not saying never get them. My kid loves those toys, too. Tech overload comes with real consequences, though.
Before shopping for toys this holiday season, take a moment to travel back in time with me to my human growth and child development coursework!
They negatively impact the brain
Flashing lights and loud noises really overstimulate little brains and demand a child’s full attention. Kiddos end up interacting less with the world around them. Have you ever noticed how when your kid is on that iPad, it’s like you don’t exist? Your kid probably isn’t ignoring you. They just don’t have the ability to turn their attention away from the super stimulating toy they’re playing with.
All that overstimulation from screen time can also impact a child’s ability to learn how to self regulate their emotions, causing larger and longer lasting tantrums and emotional breakdowns.
Also, tech based toys aren’t usually open ended. Kids who mostly play with electronic toys miss out on opportunities to engage in critical thinking, problem solving, and creatively play. They are more likely to develop short attention spans and a limited ability to overcome challenges or solve problems independently.
They hinder language development
Tech toys hinder language development in babies. Yep, even the ones that talk to them.
For one thing, young children’s brains don’t respond to a movie, a robot, and a person in the same way. Their brains are actually not nearly as active when interacting with anything but a human person. They don’t learn as much language because baby brains don’t process talking toys as communicative. Fun fact – little ones miss out on opportunities to develop their social emotional skills for the very same reason.
Kids playing with tech based toys are also less likely to have adult interactions during play. It turns out, conversation with adults develops language skills in children.
They cause motor delays
Flashy tech toys might also cause delays in motor development. Babies and toddlers on screens and battery operated toys tend to move, crawl, and manipulate complex objects less frequently. Later, you end up with a 9 year old who can’t use scissors, hold a pencil correctly, or prevent themselves from falling out of a chair. Ask me how I know!
The Ultimate Guide to Non Electronic Toys for Toddlers - Toddler Approved!
Now that you know about some of the problems with too many tech based toys, what can you give to the special little ones in your life? It turns out, you can find a wealth of non electronic toys for toddlers that are perfect for fostering development through open ended and creative play!
These are some of my kid’s favorites and recommendations that I can also speak for. She turns to them over and over again! I feel like I should also say that while I have a girl, toys are only gender specific if you decide they are. I’ve never really been one to gender inanimate objects anyway! My kid might cuddle a baby doll while wearing a tutu or play in the dirt with a toy truck while wearing Spiderman sunglasses. Both are equally likely possibilities!
I also realize that we all have different budgets and spending limits, so I’ve tried to group things into lower cost (generally under about $25), moderate (around $25-$50), and more expensive gifts (typically over $50 or maybe a little less, but it feels like a splurge), so you can seek out what works best for you.
As a bonus, because so many of these non electronic toys for toddlers are open ended, kids can enjoy them well into their preschool and early elementary years! Rotate through them as kids start to get bored, and you’ll have fun toys to explore for years to come.
*Some of these toys may include small parts that could be swallowed. You know your child best, so consider this when choosing gifts. My child doesn’t put things in her mouth, but I know that she is the exception! Some toys might be better suited to older toddlers or require adult supervision during playtime.
On a Tight Budget Non Electronic Toys for Toddlers
The First Years Stack Up Cup Toys
Great for: motor skills, problem solving, building resilience, sensory play, open ended play, hand eye coordination
Stacking cups seem really simple for a toddler, but ours loves them. They’re perfect for the bath and encourage kids to problem solve and work through frustration toward a goal.
Magnetic Travel Size Drawing Board
Great for: motor skills, creative play, open ended play, responsibility, hand eye coordination
The colors aren’t that vibrant, and those stamps are tough to get out, but we have lots of fun with this Manga-Doodle style board. Baby Girl prefers to color on blank paper over coloring books, so she likes the blank slate. It’s a great low waste coloring option because you can just erase and start over, and the stampers are pretty fun! We’ve definitely learned lessons in our house about putting the pieces back so they don’t get lost, too.
Melissa and Doug Paint With Water Bundle
Great for: creative play, motor skills, building independence and confidence, learning to follow multi-step directions, hand eye coordination
I know that finger paint is all the rage with little kids, but I’m going to encourage you to take it up a level with watercolor paint and a brush! It’s not easy to learn to hold the brush correctly and remember the water-paint-paper-water process required for activating water colors and switching between colors. When they figure it out, you can see their pride!
Great for: motor skills, problem solving, building confidence and perseverance, hand eye coordination
These puzzles are a great next step when kiddos master peg puzzles with single pieces. They’re more complex with unusually shaped pieces that configure in different ways to make familiar pictures. They take fine motor and problem solving skills to the next level.
Great for: motor skills, problem solving, literacy skills, open ended play, creative play, hand eye coordination
Like Legos, but for little hands with developing fine motor skills. But they still hurt when you step on them…We build and break towers endlessly. As Baby Girl improves with letter recognition, she has lots of fun searching for letters she knows, and we practice the sounds together. (This vacuum cleaner style wagon with a little Lego pad is also a blast and a good way to simplify clean up!)
Great for: motor skills, literacy skills, language development
The more print kids can access in early childhood, the more likely they will develop strong literacy skills later in life. I linked a cute holiday set here, but grab any books you like at any price point. The more the better! Kids also have to learn things like where the front of a book is located and how to turn pages through experience. Grab a few books this year based on your little one’s interests, and make a big deal of them!
A baby doll or cuddly stuffed animal
Great for: open ended play, realistic play, building empathy and nurturing, social emotional learning
Ok, I’m gonna be that person today. Baby dolls aren’t gender specific toys. While typically a strongly “girl” toy, little boys also benefit from playing with dolls. I can’t tell you how many little boys with new baby siblings I’ve watched use baby dolls to work through all the big feelings that come with becoming a big brother.
Dolls help young children learn about empathy and nurturing. They also get to experience a sense of being in charge when they pretend to be a mommy or daddy caring for their baby. And sometimes that doll might be a rocket instead. There’s no shortage of options either, baby doll boys, baby doll girls, different races and ethnicities, realistic dolls, anatomically correct dolls, dolls that have realistic hair or resemble children with disabilities. You can find as many unique dolls now as you can actual children!
But if you’re really just not ready to take that leap yet, adopting a plush pet can also be a great toy for building nurturing during realistic play. (This particular puppy is actually modeled after a real life shelter dog, and 10% of the sale goes to support the animal shelter where the real dog was rescued)
Moderately Priced Non Electronic Toys for Toddlers
Little Tikes Spiralin’ Seas Water Table
Great for: sensory play, motor skills, problem solving, hand eye coordination
Baby Girl loved this at age 1 and still does at almost 3. It also really helped us work through an early fear of water that made bath time a waking nightmare. Don’t store in the sun, though. The plastic degrades with sun exposure over time.
Great for: motor skills, building independence such as healthy risk taking and confidence
Kids love climbing. This slide is perfect for setting up in the living room on bad weather days. You’ll have to be very hands on with littles, but Baby Girl could slide independently by 2.
Great for: motor skills, imaginative play, problem solving, hand eye coordination
The sturdy metal barn has 6 doors with different types of latches for kiddos to practice problem solving and fine motor skills, plus several farm animals for imaginative play time. You can get more animals here.
Melissa and Doug Dust! Sweep! Mop! Set
Great for: realistic play, motor skills, problem solving, building independence, responsibility, and self reliance, contributing to household, hand eye coordination
These aren’t just toys, but functional, toddler sized cleaning supplies! Toddlers seek out independence and love to mimic what they see! They love to help and want to find their place in the family unit. Contributing to family structures and routines builds self confidence, a sense of belonging, and personal responsibility. My one complaint is the strings that hang the tools are way too small, but attaching some larger key rings easily fixed the problem, and now she can put them away by herself, too.
Great for: realistic play, imaginative play, builds confidence and encourages creativity
My kiddo loves trying on different personalities through clothing and costumes. A few fun dress up items could be perfect for the littles in your life. There’s a lot of opportunity here for thinking outside the box as a parent, too. Check out thrift stores and clearance racks. If you go for a pre-made set, try not to get too irritated by the fact that the “girls” sets will be princess or cost a fortune, while “boys” sets will be doctor/astronaout/vet, etc.
Great for: motor skills, open ended play, problem solving, and building perseverance, hand eye coordination
These were actually so frustrating for Baby Girl last Christmas at 18 months old that we put them away for a few months. She’s fell in love on our second try. We build giant towers that she loves to smash. She likes stacking them and trying to make different shapes out of the pieces. These are super fun but also great for helping to build frustration tolerance in kiddos who fly off the handle easily – but they’ll need support as they learn!
23 Piece Musical Instrument Set with Storage Case
Great for: motor skills, creative play, building independence, learning cause and effect, sensory play
Did you think you were getting away with noise free toys just because batteries aren’t included? Nope! Musical instruments are a toddler favorite and come with a wealth of developmental benefits beyond toddlerhood. They’re also a great gift if you’ve got a family member you’re trying to seek revenge on for giving your kid beads last year… I mean …Music is great for brain development!
68 Piece Work Bench with Realistic Tools and Working Drill
Great for: motor skills, creative play, building independence and responsibility, open ended play, realistic play, hand eye coordination
This work bench and tool set is under the tree this year. Baby Girl loves to “help” when we’re working on home projects, but not all the tools we use are kid safe. While I don’t love the boy toy advertising, I do love that the tools and bench are realistic but kid safe! This set breaks my non electronic rule a little because the drill is electric, but I’m willing to let it slide. It does include a bunch of nuts, bolts, and screws that could be choking hazards for small children.
Splurge on These Non Electronic Toys for Toddlers
Plastic Stackable School Chair with 10.5″ Seat Height
Great for: building independence, motor skills, creative problem solving
It’s definitely not the only toddler chair out there, but it is tough as nails and easily supports over 200 lbs without buckling. Baby Girl often uses her chair to help her climb and problem solve because she’s short! Pair it with a toddler sized table and help foster independence! (We currently have this Infantino Activity table that starts out as a baby stander and converts into a table, but it’s not technically electronics free. I don’t have a good table recommendation right now, but if you do, let me know!)
Little Tykes Activity Garden Baby Playset
Great for: motor skills, open ended play, building independence, hand eye coordination
Okay, full disclosure. Baby Girl has totally outgrown this little house, so this one’s probably best for brand new walkers. But it’s probably her favorite thing of all. We removed the arch when she got too tall, and it still works great. We’ve had a blast watching her check the mail, climb over the sides, slam windows closed, and kick open the front door – Sparta style! (Guys, she watched me create this list. When she saw the big house, she immediately asked where her small house was!)
Little Tykes Cape Cottage Playhouse
Great for: realistic play, imaginative play, motor skills, building independence
When Baby Girl could barely fit in her little house anymore, my mom grabbed this much larger playhouse. I’ve had to spend an unreasonable number of hours sitting in this thing. It is big enough for an average sized adult to squish into! Right now, her favorite way to use it is as a calm down space when she wants to be alone. You can get other color options out there, but they’re harder to find.
Kidzwerks Kitchen Platform/Stepstool
Great for: building independence, responsibility, and self reliance, contributing to household, motor skills
Toddlers are plenty big enough to get involved in household jobs like cooking and cleaning! We use this “stander” as Baby Girl calls it, to bring her safely to counter level, so she can help prepare meals and help in the kitchen.
Melissa and Doug Wooden Chef’s Pretend Play Toy Kitchen
Great for: motor skills, open ended play, hand eye coordination, realistic play, building independence and responsibility,
It turns out, electronics free kitchen sets are hard to find! While this one does have some electronic components (a few lights and a sound effect or two), they are not needed for this kitchen set to work! If you have the space and the budget, kitchen play sets have tons of benefits and ways to play. You’ll get years out of them. This brand comes with different options as well, so you can just get the set, or you can choose accessories to come with it. If you’re looking for some realistic kitchen accessories, you can also check out this set!
What Non Electronic Toys for Toddlers Do You Love?
You have almost limitless options when choosing non electronic toys for toddlers!
While tech toys can be lots of fun, your kiddo can enjoy many of these options for years instead of months. Plus, you’ll be fostering independence, creativity, problem solving, responsibility, open ended play, realistic exploration, and self reliance. Not to mention helping toddlers to master age appropriate physical, social, emotional, and linguistic skills through play!
Do you have any favorite non electronic toys for toddlers that we might have forgotten? Let us know in the comments.
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See you next time, where we’ll be learning about some great ways to make our money work for us instead of having a hard candy Christmas!
Bookmarked! LOVE non-electronic ideas for any age, especially the littles. Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome. I hope you find a few new favorites!
I completely agree that sometimes tech-free is best. I am only in my 20s, but I have three younger sisters who are always on the tv or devices. I just remember my childhood being completely different and my older sister and I mostly depending on going outside to play or playing with actual toys. We didn’t have wifi, or a computer, only a Nintendo 64 and 1 tv that my family and my aunt/cousins shared. So super different to now, that’s why I always try to give them nonelectronic gifts lol to see how much time I can get with them off their devices.
Grislean | gemlesschosen.com
Definitely! I grew up with a fair amount of tech based stuff, but I still played outside a lot. I’m really seeing the change in my current students and all the gaps too much tech is causing.
I love this list! My mom was OBSESSED with Melissa and Doug toys. My kids had so many of them when they were younger and they were some of their favorite things to play with.
The variety of realistic kids sizes toys they have is pretty incredible. They’re some of our favorites, too.
Great suggestions! My son would love the workbench. Thanks for sharing!
It’s a really fun one!