The best toys that keep toddlers busy
Not the newest toys. The ones that turn into the most different games.
How we ranked it: Ranked by how many activities on this site each toy is used in, for ages 0 to 5.
- 1
Small toy cars
Used in 15 activities
Tire Track Painting, Ten Hidden Things, Toy Washing Station, Frozen Excavation and 11 more
Get it on Amazon - 2
Small toy figures
Used in 15 activities
Sticky Web Rescue, Balance And Weigh, Build A Home For Them, Ten Hidden Things and 11 more
Get it on Amazon - 3
Toy animal figures
Used in 15 activities
Sticky Web Rescue, Build A Home For Them, Ten Hidden Things, Parachute Drop and 11 more
Get it on Amazon - 4
Dinosaur figures
Used in 9 activities
Sticky Web Rescue, Build A Home For Them, Ten Hidden Things, Frozen Excavation and 5 more
Get it on Amazon - 5
Wooden blocks
Used in 9 activities
Tower Challenge, Build A Home For Them, Marble Run Engineering, Big Color Sort and 5 more
Get it on Amazon - 6
Large wooden beads
Used in 7 activities
Balance And Weigh, Ball Drop, Shaker Making, Marble Painting and 3 more
Get it on Amazon - 7
LEGO DUPLO
Used in 7 activities
Tower Challenge, Build A Home For Them, Big Color Sort, Stack And Knock Down and 3 more
Get it on Amazon - 8
Magnetic tiles
Used in 7 activities
Tower Challenge, Build A Home For Them, Marble Run Engineering, Window Light Tiles and 3 more
Get it on Amazon - 9
LEGO bricks
Used in 6 activities
Tower Challenge, Build A Home For Them, Marble Run Engineering, Big Color Sort and 2 more
Get it on Amazon - 10
Wooden train set
Used in 5 activities
Train Track Town, Train Cargo Delivery, Cardboard Train Tunnel, All Aboard Passengers and 1 more
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Playtime Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This costs you nothing extra, and it never changes which activities we show you.
More guides
- The toddler activity supply list
- The best toys for 2-year-olds
- The best toys for 3-year-olds
- The best toys for 4-year-olds
- The best toys for 5-year-olds
- 10 activities that keep toddlers busy the longest
- 10 activities for when you are too tired to play
- 10 toddler activities that need just one thing
- 10 messy play ideas worth the cleanup
- 10 science experiments with kitchen ingredients
- 10 activities you can start in under five minutes