Holiday Gift Guide: 10 Toys to Inspire Learning & Play

Oh, what fun: a holiday gift guide for everyone! My kids are busy making their holiday wish lists and, as a mom, I’m checking them twice for fun toys that will lead to inspiring play and encourage the development of important skills.

Gift-giving is truly one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. For the kiddos on my list, I always try to put extra thought into choosing gifts that best fit their developmental stage as well as their personality.

Do you know a fancy, tutu-twirling, toddler? She will be enamored with the VTech® Style & Glam On Unicorn™! Do you know a speed-racing preschooler? VTech® Go! Go! Smart Wheels® is sure to be able to keep up the pace with his revved-up playtime!

We unwrapped some of the top toys from VTech® ahead of this holiday season to give you 10 of our favorites in this holiday gift guide for kids that will surely bring joy to all!

Check them out here:

1. VTech® Pop-a-Balls™ Push & Pop Bulldozer™: If you’ve got a little one that is always on the move, this push toy needs to be at the top of their list! As they push the handle to roll the bulldozer across the floor, they will be delighted to watch the balls pop out of the smoke stack and into the scoop bucket, over and over again!

Toddlers (age 12-36 months old) can also explore the four colorful buttons to learn colors, numbers, phrases, and music. I love the motion sensor feature that encourages motor skills development as well as coordination by triggering fun tunes as it’s rolled across the floor.

2. VTech® Drop & Go Dump Truck™: When my kids were toddlers, construction vehicles were always the highlight of any walk around our neighborhood; this dump truck is sure to be the highlight of any 6-month to 3-year-old’s holiday!

This has been a favorite truck in our house for YEARS - it’s been passed down and all of my kids have grown up with it! To start, the youngest little ones can practice sitting as they push rocks to the top and watch as it tumbles into the bucket. Then, as motor skills continue to develop, it encourages toddlers to walk while pushing and pulling the truck along to see the rocks rumble inside. Kids of every age will love the colorful buttons that play melodies, phrases and teach tools and colors.

3. VTech® KidiBeats Drum Set™: Of course, a drum set is at the top of every little rockstar’s holiday wish list! Your 3 to 5-year-old can rock out to nine melodies in different musical styles while also learning letters and numbers. They can alternate modes between free play, follow-along, and more to provide hours upon hours of entertainment!

This drum set promotes visual and auditory sensory development as the drumsticks create unique sounds and light patterns when tapped on the three drum pads and attached cymbals.

4. VTech® Turn & Learn Driver™: Vroom, Vroom! Put your little one (6 months- 36 months) in the driver’s seat with this adorable driving toy! Younger kiddos can explore cause-and-effect relationships as they turn the steering wheel to move the puppy character back and forth and hear different sounds by pressing the colorful buttons.

My 3-year-old loves pretending to be just like mom and dad and has so much

fun engaging in imaginative play while “driving” her own little car toy. There is a

traffic light, signal lever, and shifter so she can have fun pretending to drive while

learning through fun songs and melodies.

Gift Tip: I love to add a special interest ornament as a gift topper! How many can you spot in this gift guide?

5. VTech® Write & Learn Creative Center™: This toy has been another favorite at our house for years, making it one of my favorite gifts to give others during the holidays. It’s perfect for 3-6-year-olds (however, my youngest and oldest both also love playing with it!). This magnetic drawing board is a classic with a twist: step-by-step animated demonstrations that teach your kiddos how to write letters and draw! It has the unique ability to lead children through proper stroke order for writing letters and learning to draw with 26 different line and shape progressions.

Make it extra special by customizing the creative center with the child’s own name before gifting it, which will then teach them how to write!

6. VTech® Drill & Learn Toolbox™ Pro: We love a DIY project around here and this toolbox gives the kids the tools - literally! - to become little DIYers themselves! The project cards let them get to work with their very own tool belt, tools, plastic nails, and screws while learning colors and numbers. When playtime is done, it all gets stored right in the toolbox (total mom win!).

7. VTech® Touch & Teach Sea Turtle™: This friendly-looking sea turtle is an interactive book that promotes early literacy for little learners 12-36 months old. Colorful buttons and cheerful sounds encourage exploration while multiple modes keep little ones engaged for endless fun and learning.

8. VTech® Go! Go! Smart Wheels® 4-in-1 Zig-Zag Raceway™: Rev up imaginative play this holiday season when you wrap up this 4-in-1 raceway for the littlest racers (1.5+ years old). The electronic car triggers sounds, music, and phrases as it’s driven over three SmartPoint sensor areas. The durable track can be changed from Zig-Zag to Battle Raceway, Stunt Raceway, or Super Ramp for nonstop racing fun!

Gift Tip: I always make sure a few gifts are unwrapped and preassembled; it’s an invitation to jump right into the fun!

9. VTech® Little Apps Light-Up Tablet™: This portable tablet is the perfect gift for educational play! Your 2 to 5-year-olds will love this realistic-looking tablet that features 12 learning activities across multiple apps and play modes for little ones.

My toddler is quick to grab her tablet and join me at my computer desk so she can do her own “work”! Kiddos can have the cutest interactive chats with their friendly lion pal, explore the days of the week on the calendar, play musical piano keys, and explore letters, words, and numbers. My older kids love the puzzle games that help them to practice counting and spelling.

10. VTech® Style & Glam On Unicorn™: The holidays are already a magical time and what’s better than gifting even more magic with this glamorous unicorn?! Perfect for 1.5 to 4-year-olds, they can play dress up with their unicorn using the six magical accessories that teach colors, counting, and more as they’re placed on her horn and tail. My daughter was amazed to see that the unicorn can even change the color of her star to match the accessory she adds to her horn!

This holiday season, I hope that this gift guide helps you add toys to your little one’s wish list that will provide endless hours of fun and learning!

However you celebrate, I wish you a warm and magical holiday!

Bio:

Jessica Grant highlights a joyful and creative childhood, motherhood, and home on Instagram @jessicagrant14 and blog, JessicaEtCetera.com. With a background in preschool education and now a mom to 3 young children, Jessica enjoys sharing all kinds of fun including crafts, DIY, and learning through play with the goal of creating a magical and memorable childhood!