This post has been updated to include legitimate gift ideas for toddlers. Check out the “Real Alternative” to each comical gift idea for some super unique toddler gift ideas
Well, Mama, you’ve only got a week and a half left to finish your Christmas shopping! And if you’re like me, you don’t really want to fill your toddler’s gift boxes and stocking with more toys that will be played with one time. So if you need some truly unique ideas for what to buy last minute, take a look (and perhaps a chuckle) at my 10 favorite toddler toys list below!
Before we get to my 10 favorite toddler toys that aren’t actually toys, I should probably clarify that I do buy plenty of regular toys for my daughter. But I got the idea for this post after half-joking with my mom a few days ago that my 2 1/2 year old daughter can be entertained by a piece of paper she finds on the floor for a lot longer than most of her toys hold her attention.
And why not? A piece of paper can be so many things! A bandage, a receipt, a little blanket, a recipe, wrapping paper … the possibilities are virtually endless.
So with that in mind, take this post as a bit of comical entertainment. But you never know – you might actually get some real ideas for your Christmas shopping in the process! Afterall, all the items on this list are legitimate favorites of my daughter’s.
Hey Mama, if you find my blog posts helpful, would you help support this blog by making purchases through product links on this page? It will not cost you any extra but the commissions I receive as an Amazon and brand affiliate help to cover the costs of operating this blog so that I can keep it running ad-free. Thank you so much for your support. You are literally the reason this blog was started and the fuel that motivates me to keep it going!
IMPORTANT NOTE: some of the items mentioned and linked to in this post are not made for children and may be hazardous to their safety. Please closely supervise your toddler if you allow him or her to play with any of the items mentioned in this post. It is the responsibility of the reader to use discretion and take care not to put a toddler in a dangerous situation with any of the products in this list.
My 10 Favorite Toddler Toys (That Aren’t Actually Toys)
1. Bath Towels
What toddler doesn’t want to receive bath towels for Christmas? Not yours, you say? Well then, how about an indoor sled? That is what these bath towels get used for by my toddler! She loves to sit on one end of the towel while my husband or I hold the other end, pulling her around the house.
Endless fun … for as long as your back holds out.
Real Alternative: Scooter Board
Okay, so buying towels for your toddler might not be super fun. And dragging your toddler around on them might not be super fun either!.
So here is a happier alternative: A scooter board with handles! With this, your toddler will be able to give himself a ride. My kids love riding around the house on anything with wheels and it frees me up from having to drag or push them on something.
This toddler toy is a win all around.
2. Twist Balance Board
Some kids might actually use this twist balance board as intended to burn some extra energy. But according to my daughter, it makes a good toy car garage when used up-side-down. I’ve also found it makes a great conveyer belt for pretend grocery shopping.
Read “Weight Loss After Pregnancy While Breastfeeding“.
Confession: My daughter might not be the only one who gets excited about pretend grocery shopping.
Real Alternative: DIY Washable Coloring Bag
If your toddler likes to play grocery shopping too, here’s something that would go well with those pretend grocery shopping trips: A DIY color-it-yourself washable bag for carrying groceries or pretend money.
Toddlers love bags and they love coloring (especially on things that are not paper). This is a great toddler toy that involves a fun activity which requires very little effort on your part.
Please closely supervise your toddler with this bag as it is a strangulation hazard and the description does not state whether the markers are non-toxic.
3. Tape
Ah, tape. AKA, Clear stickers. Also very cheap stickers if you pick up a pack from the Dollar Tree (that is where I buy mine). But I’ve linked to a pack from Amazon in case you can’t get out of the house to purchase this essential stocking stuffer every child is hoping for this Christmas.
My daughter is seriously obsessed with tape. Any kind of tape. Scotch tape, packing tape, bandage tape. Anything sticky that she gets to decide how big of a piece to use makes her happy.
Real Alternative: Rainbow-Colored Masking Tape
You may not actually be excited about the idea of wrapping up rolls of scotch tape for your toddler to open on Christmas morning. But this 8-count package of different rainbow colored masking tape? Now that is something every toddler would get excited to see beneath the wrapping paper.
Just imagine the hours of taping fun your toddler will have with these brightly colored, customizable “stickers”!
Of course, it is still essential that you closely monitor your child while playing with this tape.
4. Keyboard Cover
Your toddler doesn’t have to own his own computer or tablet to need a keyboard cover. Just about every time I get my tablet out to blog, the keyboard cover I set to the side instantly disapears. My daughter can’t resist the texture and flexibilty of the silicone material.
Once again, this toddler “toy” has many uses. Sometimes she wraps up small toys in it as “presents.” Other times it’s a blanket for a small toy. Or, sometimes she simply enjoys folding or rolling it up.
Real Alternative: Silicone Ice Cube Trays
Instead of a silicon keyboard cover, maybe brightly colored silicone ice cube trays with lids would be more gift-friendly for a toddler. And before you think ice cube trays are only for adults, look at these through the eyes of a child.
They could be storage containers for toys. They could be used for sorting objects or different kinds of cereal. Or they could simply be a platform to practice putting lids on containers. So many possibilities here!
5. Cupcake Wrappers
Once again, anything that can act as wrapping paper, a little blanket, or a bandage is always a hit in our house. But these brightly colored cupcake wrappers could also be used for sorting objects, stacking, crumpling or even crafts.
Real Alternative: Shaped Silicone Cupcake Liners
Honestly, you don’t even need an alternative to cupcake wrappers because they can genuinely be a great play thing for toddlers. But, I did find an even better version of cupcake wrappers that are just too fun and even educational!
These silicone cupcake liners won’t get crumpled up like the paper ones will, PLUS, they are even fun shapes! Silicone cupcake liners in the shapes of flowers, hearts, circles and stars in bright colors are such a fun idea for a toddler’s stocking stuffer. You can practice shapes, colors and sorting all with this super fun (non-toy) toddler toy gift idea.
6. Spatulas
I bought these spatulas for myself but if you have a kid who loves to bake with you, these colorful spatulas might be a great way for your little one to feel some ownership in the kitchen. My daughter uses them with me when we bake and also frequently claims them as toys.
In her opinion, these also make excellent chew toys, although I cannot endorse that sentiment since they were not made with that purpose in mind.
Real Alternative: Textured Rolling Pins
In all reality, colorful spatulas are a fine gift for a toddler who loves to mix things. But to add a touch more excitement to your toddler’s time with you in the kitchen, these colorful and textured rolling pins are an even better toddler toy to add to your Christmas shopping list. These are just too fun to pass up! I’m virtually tossing some in my Amazon cart as I type this.
7. Measuring Cups & Spoons
Once again, these measuring cups and spoons supposedly belong to me, but my daughter LOVES to use measuring spoons for anything and everything. She uses them to mix things, to eat with, and to scoop in her dry rice bin. Who knew measuring spoons could be so versatile?
And don’t underestimate the appeal of food served in a unique container, like a measuring cup.
Real Alternative: Rainbow Fraction Measuring Cups
You know, measuring cups and spoons actually aren’t a bad idea for a toddler toy that’s not a toy. But even better than the boring ol’ measuring utensils adults use, I found the coolest measuring cups for kids!
Read “10 Mommy-Daughter Date Ideas“.
This might be a little advanced for a toddler, but these rainbow fraction measuring cups are such a neat way to help kids visualize what a fraction of a measurement is. I am seriously in love with these and I am tempted beyond restraint to purchase them for my own daughter as a Christmas gift for this year.
These don’t even have to be used for baking. I might even let my kids use them as shovels in the yard with rocks or dirt if they want to.
Oh, and of course there are matching rainbow fraction measuring spoons.
8. Canned Sardines
Yes, canned sardines. Every toddler needs a set of these building blocks. Do you know what is so great about this “toy”? It takes up less space as time goes on – provided, of course, that you have a member in your household (feline or otherwise) who will eat them up.
Canned tuna or chicken would also work! Sardines just happen to be my husband’s canned meat of choice.
Real Alternative: Stackable Food Storage Containers
Unfortunately, canned meat might be hazardous since it can be heavy if it is dropped on little toes. So how about a lighter option, like these colorful, stackable food storage containers? With the lids on, each incrementally smaller container can be stacked on top of one another to create a colorful and much less dangerous tower.
Funny story. When my older daughter was 3 years old, we saw some colorful stackable containers similar to these while shopping at Wal-Mart. She literally begged to buy them.
And can I tell you something? She played with those things endlessly! It was hilarious that my daughter had bought herself food storage containers, but she seriously had the best time with them. This is one toddler toy that your toddler just might pass down to you when she’s done with it.
9. Chip Clips
These chip clips may not be toys, but they are cute enough to catch any child’s eye. I knew these would be stolen from my kitchen even as I was purchasing them, but I couldn’t resist those brightly colored, adorable monster faces myself.
Honestly though, it isn’t just these attractive clips that my daughter loves to play with. She has just as much fun playing with my giant, plain ol’ white chip clip. I don’t know how many times I’ve been jerked backward by my shirt getting caught on that giant clip fastened on the edge of our kitchen table.
Oh, to be young and fascinated by the simple things again.
Real Alternative: Cute Kids Tongs
Chip clips are indeed “real” toys to a toddler, but they can also be a little dangerous for those little fingers that are so prone to getting pinched. So instead, you could opt for a safer toddler toy like these absolutely adorable kids tongs with different colored hands on the ends.
With these, your toddler will still be able to grab and trap things without concerns over pinched fingers.
I may or may not have just added these to my Amazon shopping cart as well.
10. Feminine Pads
Feminine pads wouldn’t be an awkward Christmas gift for a toddler, right? Not to the toddler anyway! My daughter has gotten into these a couple of times before I could stop her. She thinks they are giant stickers in a cool wrapper that is so fun to open. Bonus – no wrapping necessary for these stocking stuffers!
I don’t think my husband would go for slipping a few feminine pads in our toddler daughter’s stocking, but she would be thrilled if I did.
Read “PMS While Nursing: The Sequel“.
Oh, side note: Do NOT let your child stick these on a plastic toilet seat. They will never completely come off.
Real Alternative: Puffy 3D Stickers
Okay, so feminine pads definitely need an alternative real toddler toy gift idea. Although I’ll admit that feminine pads are probably pretty hard to beat, these puffy 3D stickers might do the trick as a suitable replacement.
Honestly, I have not tried puffy stickers with my own kids yet, but I remember loving them as a kid. Come to think of it, I’m going to add some of these to my Amazon cart as well.
To Wrap Things Up
And finally, when the Amazon Prime van rolls into your driveway to deliver all of these amazing gifts two days before Christmas, don’t panic because you have run out of wrapping paper. I have an expert on the inside who has indicated that wrapping gifts with paper towels, wash cloths and scrap paper is a totally acceptable alternative to wrapping paper.
I hope my 10 favorite toddler toys list has inspired you to think outside the box this Christmas as you scramble to finish your Santa duties. And I hope you have a merry and blessed Christmas with your family!
What is the strangest gift you have ever given to your child or received when you were a child? Tell me about it in the comments below!
Also, if this post has helped or entertained you, please share it via the social share buttons below!
Leave a Reply