What My Kids Are Loving Right Now
4 kids. 5 and under. And they are all into completely different things right now.
I LOVE watching what each of my babes gravitates toward. My baby is currently happy chewing on a shape sorter piece, my 2 year old could play babies all day, my 3 year old wants Spider-Man, cars, and anything he can swing on, and my 5 year old is perfectly content coloring or making bracelets.
While I have my OT brain running in the background, I’m not necessarily picking toys because they check a certain developmental box. I’m looking at the child in front of me. What are they into? What keeps them playing? What can they do with it? Will their siblings play with it too?
Most days, my kids are playing together ALL day. They’re building, pretending, creating, problem solving, taking turns + learning when they need a little space from each other. So I’m sharing what each of my kids is loving right now, why I love it, and some of the things I notice as an OT along the way.
I also have a few things sitting in my cart that I want to try. And because four kids come with a LOT of stuff, I’ll show you how we keep it organized too.
CLICK FOR OUR FAVS!Baby Favorites | 6–12 Months
Our little guy is 6 months right now, and he is BUSY. He’s crawling, sitting independently, starting solids, and trying to figure out how to pull himself up onto everything.
Play right now is a lot of grabbing, mouthing, banging, reaching + exploring. We’re starting to see more cause and effect, putting things in and taking them out, clapping, mimicking us, and figuring out what happens when he does something over and over again.
I’m not worried about him using a toy the “right” way yet. If the shape sorter piece is being chewed on instead of sorted...that still counts! I’m looking for toys he can explore now and grow into over the next several months.
What he’s loving right now ↓
Shape Sorter
Right now he’s mostly grabbing, banging & chewing on the pieces, but it’ll grow with him into putting in/taking out, shape matching & problem solving.
O Ball
Easy for little hands to grab, hold, & transfer. I love it for reaching, two-handed play and eventually rolling back and forth together.
Nesting Cups
Such a simple toy that gets used SO many ways. Right now it’s grabbing, banging & knocking them over; later it’s stacking, nesting, filling & dumping. 5/5 for growing with baby.
Baby Toothbrush
Easy for little hands to hold & perfect for all the mouthing happening right now. I love the different texture for oral exploration, plus it doubles as an early introduction to a toothbrush!
Pop-Up Cause & Effect
I love this one for early cause + effect, problem solving + figuring out how different actions make each piece pop up
Tissue Box Toy
I love this one for grasp & release, bilateral coordination, different textures & that satisfying cause-and-effect of pull → something comes out!
Soft Blocks
Perfect for grabbing, squeezing, banging & knocking over. I love that they’re easy for little hands to explore now, then grow into stacking & building later.
Standing Table
We’re digging this one out of the closet & adding it to our rotation soon! Perfect for this pulling-to-stand stage
Fine Motor Hedgehog
Another one we’ll be dusting off soon. I love this for grasp & release, hand-eye coordination, putting things in/taking them out & eventually working on more precise placement.
Toddler Favorites | 2–3 Years
At 30 months, my daughter is in her “I DO IT” era and wants to be involved in EVERYTHING. She’s very independent, loves helping in the kitchen + could spend half the day taking care of her babies.
We’re also right in the middle of big feelings, lots of narration, and some very elaborate pretend play. She’s starting to tell us what’s happening, act out things she sees in everyday life + bring us and her siblings into whatever storyline she has going.
Her hands are getting more precise too, so I love giving her opportunities to build, scoop, pour, dress, open, close, stack, and manipulate smaller pieces without turning it into a “fine motor activity.”
At this age, I’m looking for toys that let her pretend, participate + do things for herself while still leaving plenty of room for us to play together.
What she’s loving right now ↓
Baby Doll
I love all the pretend play happening here: feeding, rocking, dressing & putting baby to bed while acting out the routines she sees every day.
Baby Car Seat
I love this for pretend play, but also all the real-life practice (buckling, carrying, getting baby in & out, and recreating the routines she sees us do every day).
Baby Bottles & Pacis
Such simple little accessories, but they add SO much to her pretend play: imitation, sequencing familiar routines + lots of nurturing play.
Baby Carrier
I love this for pretend play, imitation & letting her bring her baby along while she plays and helps around the house.
Wooden Beads
Perfect for little hands learning to thread! I love these for hand-eye coordination, bilateral coordination & building more precision with those little fingers.
Busy Book
Such a good quiet-time activity! I love that it keeps little hands busy while working on fine motor coordination, problem solving & everyday skills like zipping, buttoning, buckling and matching.
Play Kitchen
⭐ Multiple-Kid Win
She’s just starting to really get into cooking & pretend play, and this is one ALL my kids use. I love it for imitation, sequencing everyday routines, creativity & all the social play that happens when they start cooking together
Play Scarves
These are currently in my cart. I love how open-ended they are dress-up, dancing, forts, baby blankets, capes & whatever else they come up with. So much room for imagination & creative play.
Puzzle
Adding this to my cart! I think she’ll love switching the pieces around & making different Minnie outfits. Great for matching, problem solving & those fine motor skills.
Preschool Favorites | 3–4 Years
My son turns 4 in two months (which I’m choosing not to think too hard about), and right now his play is a mix of BIG movement, imagination, and exploring everything.
He loves Spider-Man, Jack Skellington, cars, and anything he can climb, swing, jump or hang from. But he’s just as happy digging in the dirt, scooping, burying toys and then digging them back up again.
More than anything though, he just wants to DO something. He wants to be involved. If I’m doing laundry, he wants to put it away. If I’m cooking, he wants to pour the ingredients. If we’re getting ready to eat, he wants to set the table. Give this kid a job and he is THERE.
I see that in his play too. We’re seeing more planning and problem solving as his ideas get bigger, and he’s getting better at changing the plan when something doesn’t work the first time.
At this age, I’m looking for things that let him move, explore, participate, and actually DO something because that’s where he thrives right now.
What he’s loving right now ↓
Dino Cars
He loves cars & dinosaurs, and these are great for imaginative play, cause + effect & creating all kinds of little stories and races
Fishing Set
5/5 Stars. The fishing, map + fish guide are great for pretend play...and apparently the tackle box also doubles as a lunch box because he loves packing it full of snacks!
Magnetic Drawing Board
5/5 for my son. He reaches for this ALL the time. I love it for creativity, early drawing skills + fine motor control without the marker mess.
Pattern/Shape Puzzle
We’re just starting to get into this one! I love all the different ways he can recreate the patterns while working on shapes, spatial awareness + problem solving.
Bug Catcher
⭐ Multiple-Kid Win
My MIL got these for the kids and they kept them occupied ALL summer long. Catching bugs, digging around & exploring outside together = win for mom!
Scissor Activity Kit
⭐ Multiple-Kid Win This one gets used by multiple kids! Great for practicing scissor skills, hand strength + coordination, and they love that they’re actually cutting and creating something.
Dump Truck
Adding this to my cart! I love that it’s steel so he can actually load it up with dirt, rocks, sticks + whatever else he finds.
Toy Shovel Kit
Adding this to my cart! Perfect for dirt, sand + whatever outdoor project he has going: scooping, digging, filling, dumping + getting those hands involved.
Sensory Board
Adding this one for quiet time! Lots of little pulling, pushing + manipulating for busy hands while working on fine motor coordination and problem solving.
Big Kid Favorites | 5+Years
My oldest is freshly 5. She loves toys and activities that someone else can join in on, whether that’s playing Barbies, pretending together, making bracelets or sitting next to each other coloring.
She’s still a BIG movement girly and loves all the climbing, swinging, and jumping, but lately I’ve loved watching her slow down and get really into creating, too. Her coloring has taken off, she loves drawing + crafts, and she is currently OBSESSED with her Lite-Brite.
She can spend so much more time now coming up with an idea and actually bringing it to life, like choosing colors, making a bracelet, creating a picture, or setting up an entire Barbie storyline.
And even as her play changes, connection is still a huge part of it for her. She wants to show you what she made. She wants you to make one too. She wants someone sitting beside her or joining the story At this age, I’m looking for things that give her room to create, imagine, move, and connect with the people around her.
What she’s loving right now ↓
Mermaid Garden
She got this for her birthday and it’s been such a fun one! Following the steps, setting everything up + adding the sensory element with the sand. She gets the responsibility of watering it and watching her chia seeds grow.
Lacing Cards
My 5 year old is LOVING these right now! There are so many different patterns she can make, so we can easily make it simpler or more challenging while working on planning, sequencing & fine motor coordination.
Magnetic Puzzle Set
Such a good quiet-time activity! I love these for problem solving, spatial awareness + fine motor coordination and they give her brain something to really work through while she plays.
Lite Brite
Throwback. 5/5 stars. Such a good quiet-time activity for creativity, planning + fine motor precision.
LED Drawing Board
Another fun one for my little artist! She loves drawing + creating, and the light-up board makes it feel extra special. Great for creativity, pre-writing skills + fine motor control.
Beads
She is making bracelets for EVERYONE right now. I love it for creativity, patterns + fine motor precision.
Coaster Creations
Added to cart. I’m interested to see how she does with these! I think they’ll be a challenge at first, but such a fun way to work on sequencing, fine motor precision + sticking with something when it takes a little practice.
Color By Number
Adding these for her! She’s so into coloring right now, and I think she’ll love the extra challenge of following the numbers, matching colors + watching the picture come together.
How We Keep It All Organized
Four kids, four different stages, and a whole lot of tiny pieces. I’ve learned pretty quickly that if our toys don’t have a home, our house feels chaotic FAST.
I like keeping things simple enough that my kids can actually help. Toys they use all the time stay where they can see and reach them, little pieces get contained, art supplies have their own spot, and some things get put away until we’re ready to pull them back out.
I’m also a big fan of not having everything available all the time. Some toys stay tucked away, some are better for quiet time, and sometimes putting something away for a while is all it takes for it to feel brand new again. And I want the system to work for them, too. If I expect my kids to help clean up, they need to know where things go and be able to put them there without me.
These are the bins, baskets and little organization things that are working for us right now.
Stackable Clear Bins w/ Lids
I LOVE see-through storage so both my kids and I can see where things belong. These make clean-up easier, support their independence and keep all the little pieces contained. And they stack!
Mesh Zipper Bags
These are SO handy for puzzles, small toy sets + anything with pieces that somehow end up everywhere. Easy for the kids to see what’s inside, grab what they want & put everything back together when they’re done.
Hard Shell Case: Target Find
I use these for crafts, manipulatives + all the little things I want to keep together. I can fit 10 of them in one of the Brightroom divided bins below, which makes it SO easy to keep everything organized while still letting the kids grab what they need.
Stackable Bins w/ Bamboo Lids
I like these for the things I don’t necessarily want the kids seeing + grabbing whenever they want. Perfect for certain craft supplies, office supplies + anything I want tucked away but still organized. And they stack!
Two Drawer: Target Find
These are great for containing all the little stuff. I use them for crafts, Barbies + accessories, Little People and other small toy sets. And the kids can easily pull out the drawer they need and put it back when they’re done.
Diaper Caddy - But Not for Diapers
I actually use this to store our Toniebox + all of our Tonies! Everything stays together, the kids can easily carry it wherever they want to listen + every Tonie has a place to go when they’re done.
Toy/Book Shelf
I LOVE that this one is short enough that the top becomes another play surface. My son keeps his Little People car wash on top of his, so he can actually stand there + play with it while everything else stays organized underneath.
One Drawer: Target Find
I use these for the bigger stuff that doesn’t fit well in the smaller drawers (Barbie house furniture, musical instruments, games + larger toy sets). Everything has a home, but the kids can still easily get to it themselves.
3 Drawer: Target Find
These are our puzzle drawers! I love being able to separate puzzles while keeping them all in one place. And the kids can easily see, grab + put away the one they want.
Movable Divider: Target Find
I love that I can see exactly what’s in here + where everything belongs. I use these to keep all of our craft supplies in one place (markers, crayons, scissors, glue) in the hard-shell cases above all fit right inside.
Find More of Our Favs
Play is where you see SO much growth!
One of my favorite things about watching my kids play is noticing all the little things they’re figuring out along the way. The new way they climb onto something. The first time they figure out a toy. The way their play changes as they start imagining, problem solving, communicating and doing more on their own.
And if you’ve ever found yourself wondering “Is this something they should be doing yet?” or “What should I be watching for next?” - I made something for that!!
The Growth Guide was designed for ages 0–36 months to give you a bigger picture of development and help you know what to look for as your baby grows into a toddler.
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