It’s no great secret that I’m as fond of toys, especially educational toys, as my three-year-old son Benni. But the best toys aren’t just educational, they’re FUN too. So I thought I’d compile a top 5 list of toys for Dads and their kids that combine fun and education.

Here I give you my answer to the question “What’re the best educational toys for toddlers?”, all are award-winning and available on Amazon.

The following toys are all “hands-on” toys and no board or card games. If you are looking for educational board and card games, please check out my article about Top 5 Learning Games for Children here.

1. My First Railway Beginner Pack

Manufacturer: Brio

Age range: 18 months and up

Current Price: Click here to check!

This is a high-quality wooden train set, specially designed for younger toddlers from 18 months. Brio is well known for making wooden train sets and the beauty of this is that you can expand the basic set as your child grows. Don’t be mistaken into thinking this is only for boys either, girls also love playing with this brightly colored fun-filled train set.

By the way: I have also mentioned Brio railway sets before in my article about Top 10 Toys For 3 Year Olds And Their Dads because Benni and I really love playing with it. Besides the Hubilo Marble run, that I have reviewed here, it is one of our absolute favorites!

What I like about it:

• Brio is 100% committed to safety and this train set is no exception. Strong wooden construction, safe paints, metal parts and other components are assured. Brio toys are subjected to 1,000’s of safety tests to ensure safety and conformity to all US and European safety standards.
• The track slots easily together and there is a fun rainbow colored suspension bridge and one of the train carriages contains beads that rattle.
• This set doesn’t require batteries! But as your kid gets older, you can buy battery powered trains to add even more fun.
• Teaches fine motor skills, creative thinking, construction, coordination and physics.

2. Magbuilder – Intelligent Magnetic Construction Set

Manufacturer: Simbans

Age: 3 years and up

Current Price: Click here to check!

There are many similar magnetic construction sets on the market, but this one is a bit different. It contains the regular magnetic shapes but in addition, has alphabet letters and wheels, which can add an extra element to the constructions. There are 66 pieces in total, 22 squares, 12 triangles, 2, rectangles, 2 hexagons, 2 pairs of wheels and 26 alphabet pieces. Kids spend hours constructing different shapes and designs and it is just as addictive for their parents and grandparents too!

What I like about it:

• Fun and educational STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning.
• Helping to develop fine motor skills, problem-solving, construction, design, letter recognition, shape and color recognition
• Made from safe, non-toxic materials that adhere to international safety standards
• No batteries required
• Can be played with alone or with others

3. Mighty Mini Band

Manufacturer: Hape

Age: 2 to 5 years

Current Price: Click here to check!

If you have a budding musician in the family, then this could be the perfect toy! A high-quality all-in-one wooden percussion instrument that includes a xylophone, drum, cymbal, guiro and clapper. Hape makes its toys from environmentally friendly FSC certified wood (forests for all forever). They use a non-toxic water-based paint and maintain very high international safety standards.

What I like about it:

• Beautifully made from quality materials
• No batteries required
• Compact design
• Easy to wipe clean
• Encourages musical curiosity and teaches fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, rhythm and audio skills

FYI: If the Mighty Mini Band caught your attention, you may probably want to check out my article on Best Musical Toys for Toddlers And Their Dads as well.

4. Design & Drill Activity Center

Manufacturer: Educational Insights

Age: 3 to 6 years

Current Price: Click here to check!

This is a fun activity center perfect for creative kids who like using tools. There are various editions of this toy available, some specially made for girls too. You can check out the available options on Amazon or on the Educational Insights website. This is another STEM toy promoting learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.

The toy contains 120 plastic bolts a reversible power drill, a combination wrench, screwdriver, 2 drill bits, construction board and activity cards.

What I like about this toy:

• Award-winning
• Supports STEM learning
• Strong chunky pieces
• Teaches hand-eye coordination, physical dexterity, imagination, creativity and fine motor skills
• Kids can copy designs from the activity guide or create their own

5. Mushroom Garden

Manufacturer: Best Learning

Age: 12 months and up

Current Price: Click here to check!

If you ever played the very popular electronic game “Simon” that was produced and developed in the ‘70s and played widely until the late ‘80s, then it would be fair to say this is a modern version based on similar ideas. This game is however directed towards younger children but is fun for all ages.

The idea is that the colorful mushrooms light up in a particular pattern that must then be copied by the player. The difficulty increases as the game progresses.

What I like about it:

• Multi-award winning in 2018
• Fun and educational
• Promotes logical thinking, concentration, problem solving, memory and dexterity
• Can be played alone or with others
• Teaches sound recognition, colors and numbers

DIY-Toys

If you are more of a DIY Dad or Mom, you may also consider building your own educational toys for your kids. To get you started, I looked a bit around on YouTube and found this great tutorial video on how to make a cool, yet simple to build color learning toy for your children.

I think that makes a pretty cool toy for a pricetag pretty close to zero bucks! What do you think?

Conclusion

In this article, I’ve tried to stay away from the mainstream educational toys from big makers such as V-tech and Leapfrog. Instead, I’ve focused on simpler toys that don’t require batteries or are made by less well-known brands. I’m sure you and your little ones will have hours of educational fun playing with these toys and Benni and I look forward to sharing more of our insights with you soon.

Now it is your turn: What are YOUR favorite toys you as a Mom and Dad enjoy playing with together with your kids? What did bring the most value? How and when do you like to play with them? What do they teach your kids? Please let me know in the comments below. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks for reading!

Chris