Toys become one the biggest things you spend money on when you have kids once you get past the initial baby stage. With so many options, how do you choose? In general, I have learned that certain brands create much better toys in terms of their learning value your kids will get out of them.
5 Things to look in a toy brand:
- Does it provide entertainment value for longer than 5 minutes?
- Is it teaching my child something?
- Does it challenge my child?
- Can the toy grow with my child?
- Can it be shared with siblings?
Below we will review the toy brands available in most toy stores.
5 Most Innovative and Educational Toy Brands
Alex Toys
Why Alex brand is great? The brand offers toys for babies, toddlers and even tweens. It offers great quality toys that are both educational and fun. These toys always have a purpose and encourage independent thinking. They have also many board games and crafts.
Melissa & Doug
Founded 40 years ago to encourage kids to play using their imagination when playing and not watching TV. Today most of the toys they make are still wooden. They are designed for kids mostly from birth to 6 years old. They are also known for their classic wooden puzzles.
Lego
Lego as we know it today was originated 60 years ago and is still compatible with the sets sold back then. The beauty with Lego is that you can build pretty much anything with it and there are always sets on the market relevant to the current events.
Lego also comes in bigger pieces for smaller kids and also available in various skill levels to built the biggest of castles.
Crayola
The company which has been founded over 130 years ago is so much more than a crayon company. They have expanded their product line to include markers, pens, coloring books, arts and crafts. Their quality of affordable art supplies is the best on the market.
Hape
Hape is the world’s biggest producer of wooden toys. There are many of wooden toys on the market but the construction quality of Hape toys is second to none. Hape toys are for newborn kids all the way to grade 1. They are now starting to introduce constructions sets for older kids.
The most iconic toy that they make are the big wooden activity cubes that can be found in any child care place.