An age-by-age guide for children toys
Our editorial team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the products and deals we love. If you love them too and decide to purchase through the links below, we may receive a commission. Prices were correct at the time of publication. Sign up for Amazon Prime today to enjoy free shipping and exclusive deals! Prime is S$2.99 per month. Start a 30-day free trial of Prime at amazon.sg/prime.
New to parenting? Here's an exhaustive toy guide (new toys are coming out every day after all) to the first seven years of your child's life!
0-12 months
Your baby's vision is blurry in the first three months of their life, so all they can see are bright colours and patterns. You'll want to promote interactions through touch and sound. Toys that are soft, cuddly and make squeaking sounds will captured their attention. Textured or nubby ones can help to relieve some teething pain when they nibble at it.
Ideal toys:
Soft, washable stuff toy
Rattles
Crib mobiles
Play mats/Water mats
1-2 years old
These little toddlers are excited at what the world has to offer! Ideal toys are those that can respond to actions, such as lighting up or emitting sounds when a button is pressed. They're still too young to learn alphabets or numbers, but they'll enjoy interacting with the toys and learning more about the world with them in it.
Ideal toys:
Stacking rings
Pop-up toys with noise/movement
Simple, sturdy musical instruments like tambourines, drums, or maracas
Shape sorters
Puzzles with four or five pieces
Rubber ducks for bath time
2-3 years old
They're forming words, maybe even sentences, and are learning how to act like a mini version of you. Fine tune their motor skills with puzzles and building blocks, or let them mimic their surroundings with toy versions of real life objects. You can also introduce toys that can be ride on. Make sure they're small enough for your child to propel with both feet. You can even move up to a tricycle if your toddler is comfortable!
Ideal toys:
Make-believe toy sets
Ride-on toys and tricycles
Musical instruments
Construction toys
4-5 years old
This is the spongelike stage of their development, which means there's a tremendous increase in learning ability. It's thus a good time to introduce interactive educational toys that teach math and verbal skills, such as arts and craft or easy-to-read books.
Top Toys:
Art supplies toy/kit
Construction sets like Legos
Books
Electronic phonics toys
Bicycles with training wheels
5-6 years old
Your child is developing their personalities and inculcating their interests! Whether it's science experiments, baking and cooking, singing, dancing or more, inculcate their curiosity in learning with more advanced toys such as:
Basic science kits
Telescopes
Remote-control cars
More complex construction sets
Sports equipment
Strategy board games such as chess
7 years and above
Kids this age enjoy outdoor sports as well as scooters, bicycles, and in-line skates. They acquire adult-like interests, abilities, and hobbies and may display a passion by becoming a collector. They enjoy competing with their friends, and also like working on longer projects, some of which might take days to complete.
Ideal toys:
Camera kits for kids
Craft kits
More elaborate science kits
Outdoor sporting equipment
Intricate construction sets/Model kits
Board games
Inspired to buy more toys? Look no further than Amazon's STEAM store. The STEAM store delivers a catalogue of over 2,000 educational toys and books in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths for children of all ages.
