Choose Age-appropriate Toys

Plush toys and dolls are an excellent idea, because babies love to snuggle. Even better, large buttons, zippers and snaps develop their fine motor skills. Make sure that everything’s fastened well, as kids this age put everything in their mouths.

One-year-olds love to pound. A wooden work bench with large plastic or wooden pegs can offer hours of enjoyment.

Mazes challenge kids’ spatial senses, hand-eye coordination and color recognition.

Stacking toys are a fun way to work on many of the same skill sets.

Toy mowers and other push toys assist little ones as they learn to walk.

You can never have too many books and they can’t be read often enough. This is the perfect age to start the habit of stopping by the library once a week.

Toddlers love problem-solving, so stacking puzzle toys are a great idea.

Small shapes or animal toys are a wonderful challenge that should keep your toddler engaged for a long time. Just don’t pick things so small that a little one can swallow them.

Tea sets are a fun way for little fingers to start grasping tiny handles and objects.

Peg puzzles are another good way to teach shapes or objects such as animals, toys and other things. They can also teach colors and object recognition.

Spur your children’s imagination by playing dress-up. And you don’t even have to buy anything: trying on old clothes, jewelry, shoes and accessories are a wonderful way to spend part of an afternoon.

Sturdy jigsaw puzzles with large pieces can really challenge your 3-year-old’s hand-eye coordination and puzzle-solving skills. Memory games are tons of fun, too.

Large cardboard boxes are easy to transform into space ships, castles and anything their imagination can conjure up. Washable markers and crayons help create the right atmosphere.

Board games are an excellent way to spend time with your 4-year-old, as well as a great way to teach logic, taking turns and following directions. Board games also enhance color, number and shape-recognition skills.

Building blocks also engage 4-year-olds’ imaginations.

Toys that mimic grown-up activities like work benches, shopping carts and kitchens allow for creative play.

Cars, trains and airplanes work on fine motor skill development and creativity.

Five- and 6-year-old children are starting to recognize words and make letter sounds. It's the perfect time to push basic reading with age-appropriate books for reading aloud.

Children often begin to fixate on a specific interest — from princesses to state names. Encourage them with educational toys related to the subject.

A few canvases, brushes and inexpensive craft paint can encourage real creativity from your pre-schooler. You can also encourage fine motor skills with other arts and crafts:

• Beads that can be strung together to make a necklace
• Tiny dolls with tiny accessories
• Small military, medieval, or animal figures
• Stamp sets