TOYS FOR EARLY LEARNERS

At this stage, one of the smartest decisions you can make is to have toys on hand to begin expanding your child’s independence, communication, and play skills. Not only will it set your child up for success, but it’ll allow you to move away from always having to teach your child to play appropriately, giving you more free time to take care of YOU.

If you’re ready to add a bit more firepower to your child’s learning and transform your leisure time with independent play skills, the toys below will support you in making this exciting developmental shift!

THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

POP 'N GO BABY PLAYPEN

If your child loves ball play but you're tired of having them all over your house, this playpen is for you! Load it up with plastic balls, toss them in through the upper window, and create plenty of opportunities to practice the word "ball."

TRY POP 'N GO BABY PLAYPEN
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

BALL PIT BALLS

No ball pit is complete without a ton of balls! Make sure they're crush proof, and load up your playpen!

TRY BALL PIT BALLS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

MINI TRAMPOLINE

Is your child constantly on the move? A mini trampoline may be just what they need! Practice labeling actions like "jump" or "bounce" while your child gets some of that energy out!

TRY MINI TRAMPOLINE
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

MAGNA-TILES 100 PIECE SET

If you’re ready to invest in some super fun building, this is the set for you. More tiles means more practice with those communication skills! You can also find the link to a smaller starter set below.

TRY MAGNA-TILES 100 PIECE SET
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

LARGE WOODEN BLOCKS

These blocks are the MVP of natural environment teaching. The skills that you can work on are endless. Add in some vehicles, people, and animals to make it really fun!

TRY LARGE WOODEN BLOCKS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

LANGUAGE BUILDER PICTURE CARDS

Our most popular tool to expand language and matching skills. Each box 350 contains pictures of common items. Teach your child new words with this pre-made set!

TRY PICTURE CARDS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

VELCRO CUTTING PLAY FOOD

These toys are great for pretend play, fine motor skills, motor imitation, and so much more!

TRY VELCRO CUTTING FOOD
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

FISHER PRICE LITTLE PEOPLE BARN

This activity is great for working on animal sounds, motor imitation, pretend play, and so much more! Pair it with blocks to create a whole community for the animals to explore!

TRY LITTLE PEOPLE BARN
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

FISHER PRICE LITTLE PEOPLE - WITH VEHICLES

Teach about community helpers during natural environment teaching! Use these along with blocks and Magna-tiles to create stories during play!

TRY LITTLE PEOPLE VEHICLES
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

FISHER PRICE LITTLE PEOPLE - COMMUNITY HELPERS

Extra figurines makes it easier to model actions while playing with your child. Rather than grabbing their toy or directing their play, model and narrate your own play to increase their interest in the activity!

TRY LITTLE PEOPLE COMMUNITY HELPERS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

THE POUT-POUT FISH

Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading "dreary wearies" isn't really his destiny. Bright ocean colors and playful rhyme come together in Deborah Diesen's fun fish story that's sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down.

TRY THE POUT-POUT FISH
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE?

A big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck--all parade across the pages of this delightful book. Children will immediately respond to Eric Carle's flat, boldly colored collages. Combined with Bill Martin's singsong text, they create unforgettable images of these endearing animals.

TRY BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE?

8 PIECE SHAPE INSET PUZZLE

Melissa and Doug wooden inset puzzles are durable and the perfect size for little hands to work on those visual-perceptual and matching skills!

TRY THE SHAPE PUZZLE

DINOSAUR INSET PUZZLE

This puzzle is a favorite among all of our dinosaur fans. If your child doesn’t love puzzles, but does love dinosaurs, this is a great way to add one of their favorite things to a non-preferred learning activity.

TRY THE DINOSAUR PUZZLE

FARM INSET PUZZLE

This puzzle is great for introducing animal sounds while you also work on scanning, fine motor, and matching skills!

TRY THE FARM PUZZLE

VEHICLE INSET PUZZLE

This is another great option for adding in teaching of environmental sounds and motor imitation.

TRY THE VEHICLE PUZZLE

MAGNA-TILES STARTER SET

These are by far one our favorite toys at the center, but can be pretty pricey. If you’re not sure if your child will love them, we recommend starting with the 32-piece set. There are so many things you can do with Magna-tiles, one of which is working on requests and discrimination. Hold up 2 different colored triangles, and encourage your child to ask for their next piece by naming the color and shape!

TRY MAGNA-TILES - 32-PIECE SET

COLOR SORTING SET

This sorting set also provides opportunities for pretend play, while also helping you teach your child to discriminate between similar looking foods.

TRY COLOR SORTING SET
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

NO HOLE RUBBER TUB TOYS

These toys are fantastic for teaching nouns, motor imitation, animal sounds, and expanding play skills! The added bonus? They're toddler friendly, AND no holes, so they can be soaked and played with in water without worrying about mold!

TRY TUB TOYS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

BABY DOLL WITH CRADLE

Have fun with motor imitation and imaginative play, rocking the baby, giving her a bottle, and putting her to sleep!

TRY BABY DOLL
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

PULL-BACK VEHICLES

Teach about community helpers while expanding play through motor imitation with these fun, toddler-safe pull-back cars. Bonus? Start saying "ready, set..." each time you pull them back, and teach your child "GO!" when you let go and watch the vehicles zip around!

TRY PULL-BACK VEHICLES
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

CRASH PAD

Does your child need a safe spot to crash? We love taking turns crashing into this crash pad, especially when we're stuck inside on rainy days!

TRY CRASH PAD
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

BOUNCY ANIMAL HOPPER

This is a Behavior Place fave. These bouncy toys come in all different themes, so you can pick your child's favorite animal to bounce around on and get some of their wiggles out!

TRY BOUNCY ANIMAL HOPPER
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

MELISSA & DOUG LEARN TO PLAY PIANO

This piano is simple and effective when you want to practice cause and effect play and imitation skills.

TRY PIANO
 

V-TECH LEARN AND SPIN AQUARIUM FOR FISH

A fun and simple cause and effect toy to keep your child engaged and strengthen those motor skills.

TRY AQUARIUM
 

PRESS AND GO CARS

Does your kid love anything that goes? They they are going to love these press and go toys that target imitation skills, cause and effect play, and motor strength.

TRY PRESS & GO CARS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

CUBE CHAIR

It's not TECHNICALLY a toy, but it's a great option for flexible seating as your child grows. This chair has 3 seating options, plus the back and side support is helpful during mealtime.

TRY CUBE CHAIR
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

ICE CREAM COUNTING & SORTING SET

Practice stacking, matching, sorting, counting, patterns, or just play ice cream stand! This is one of our most loved toys at The Behavior Place.

TRY ICE CREAM SET
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

PEEKABOO LEARNING FARM

Kids love playing peekaboo with these little friends. Practice animal sounds and identifying animals while playing a fun game of peekaboo!

TRY PEEKABOO FARM
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

SPIKE THE HEDGEHOG

This toy is perfect for strengthening fine motor skills and visual perceptual skills. Spike's colorful quills also help kids build color recognition, sorting, and counting skills!

TRY SPIKE THE HEDGEHOG
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

JUGGLING SCARVES

Does your child love to throw things, but you're tired of things breaking in your house or worried someone will get hurt? Juggling scarves are the perfect replacement! Your kid can throw them all they want!

TRY JUGGLING SCARVES
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

BIG BUBBLE WAND

No list would be complete without bubbles! You can never have too many, so we recommend this big box because spills happen.

TRY BUBBLE WANDS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

WOBBLE DISK/CLIMBING DOME

This rocking toy with a bowl shaped seat is perfect for kids who love to rock and spin. Flip it upside down, and now it's a perfect structure for climbing and jumping!

TRY WOBBLE DISK
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

SENSORY TENT

Creating a sensory-friendly area in your home can provide a safe space for your child to relax when they feel overwhelmed. Consider adding soft lighting, comfortable seating, and calming sensory items.

TRY SENSORY TENT
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

SOFT LIGHTING

This light is the perfect additional to your child's sensory tent.

TRY SOFT LIGHTING
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

WARMIES

These stuffed animals are perfect for snuggling in a sensory tent. Warm them up or cool them down. We especially love the Calico Cat with it's lavender scent.

TRY WARMIES
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

LIQUID MOTION BUBBLER

These are great sensory items to add to your sensory tent, especially if your child likes to watch things fall.

TRY LIQUID MOTION BUBBLER
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

STRETCHY STRINGS

Another sensory favorite!

TRY STRETCHY STRINGS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

SILLY SLAPPERS

Kids love the texture and stickiness of these suction cup toys.

TRY SILLY SLAPPERS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

HAMMOCK SWING

This is the perfect swing for kids who love to swing. This is a center favorite!

TRY HAMMOCK SWING
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

SENSORY BODY SOCK

This is a must have.

TRY BODY SOCK
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

GIANT RING STACKER

The kids at the center LOVE this toy. Practice motor skills and color identification with this super big ring stacker.

TRY GIANT RING STACKER
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

SHAPE SORTER

We've tried all the shape sorters out there, and this is the one that has lasted the longest with the fewest pieces lost.

TRY SHAPE SORTER
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

CASTLE NESTING CUPS

This is our favorite stacking and nesting cups. The kids love to build a giant castle tower and then knock it over!

TRY CASTLE CUPS
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

POTATO HEAD

Potato Heads are perfect for strengthening fine motor skills and engaging in pretend play. Put your Potato Head together and then make her lunch using your velcro cutting food!

TRY POTATO HEAD
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

KINETIC SANDBOX

This is basically a ready made sensory bin. Kids love kinetic sand, and this kit comes with items to dig and play in the sand. The foldable case makes it easy to transport. This is a great shared activity to model and label actions during play.

TRY KINETIC SANDBOX
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

PEAPOD CHAIR

If your child loves hugs and squeezes, the Peapod is for you. Not only is it cozy, but it's surprisingly durable!

TRY PEAPOD
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

STEPPING STONES

These are perfect for days when you're stuck inside and need to get moving! Create an obstacle course and work on those gross motor skills and color identification. These are durable enough to use outside too!

TRY STEPPING STONES
 

BALANCE BEAM STEPPING STONES

If your child is ready for a challenge, add these balance beam stepping stones to your obstacle course!

TRY BALANCE BEAM STEPPING STONES
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

PLAY MAT

Ditch the rugs and get something cushioned, durable, and easy to clean. These play mats are so worth it. Most styes have a busy side that can be used to learn shapes, colors, letters, and much more. The other side is typically less distracting, making it easy to accommodate your child's needs.

TRY PLAY MAT
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

PIGGY BANK

This is one of our favorite early learner toys. Use it to teach colors, counting, fine motor skills, and following directions such as "put in."

Pro Tip: You have to teach "put in" before you can expect your child to help clean up their toys 😉

TRY PIGGY BANK
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE

POUND-A-BALL TOY

A more interactive version of the ball drop, this toy incorporates more motor skills and can be used to practice color identification and following directions.

TRY POUND-A-BALL TOY