My favorite brand of toddler toys happens to be Melissa & Doug, a brand which provides a wide variety of gender-neutral, educational, and high quality (most are made of wood or metal rather than plastic) toddler toys.
When you have a toddler much of your life revolves around making sure they have the right toys.
I've never been disappointed with the Melissa & Doug product line.
Read on, and I'll share my top 10 best Melissa & Doug toddler toys.
Wooden toys are always a favorite of parents and kids.
Not only is the rustic, old-school look simply adorable, but the wood is durable, eco-friendly, and safe if someone chews a small bit off it.
This pounding bench lets kids hammer down the pegs...
bit with a twist.
They're on a lever so they pop up again! This brain teaser offers hours of fun.
Another classic wooden toy, which is adorable, durable, and safe for your toddler and the environment.
This is based off the classic block and shape sorting cubes, only it's made out of wood, not plastic.
It also features 12 shapes, which is more than average, and should provide a lot of brain stimulation.
There's a reason these bead mazes are kept in doctors' waiting rooms and schools around the world: toddlers love them! This one features various puzzling paths for the beads, is small and portable, and has suction cups so it won't fall off the table.
Soft toys like this are very versatile, being fun for babies and remaining relevant through the toddler years.
This set features four soft vehicles: a taxi, a police car, a school bus, and a fire truck.
The solid wheel bases are removable, making them safer for younger babies and easy to clean.
This wooden jigsaw puzzle set is robust and durable enough for young toddlers to play with, but also complicated and engaging enough to keep older toddlers busy for hours on end.
It is safe and environmentally friendly.
Another classic toddler toy is fake food.
This safe, cute, wooden food set comes with four different food groups separated into crates: dairy, breads, fruit and veg, and proteins.
This stimulates your toddler's mind by presenting identifiable things and helping them categorize them.
And what better addition to your little chef's food selection, than a set of stainless steel pots and pans? These are small enough for your toddler to use, but also strong and durable, as well as so realistic that they will feel like they're part of your cooking.
They include a wooden spatula and spoon, and a stand.
This is another traditional toddler toy.
This time a toy baby doll that really drinks from her bottle and wets her diaper, potty.
If your toddler's baby doll is ready to grow up with your toddler, then you can get her this eight piece mealtime set, so everyone can eat at the table together.
The set features food, bottles, a bowl, cutlery, and a bib.
Finally, if you want a toy that will decorate your nursery from baby to older toddler, possibly well into the childhood years, this tall lifelike giraffe is a great purchase.
It is soft and realistic, but perfectly toddler-sized, at four feet tall.