Toys That Develop Early Literacy
Our Top 5 Picks
Sensory Fun with Sesame Street Characters!
KIDS PREFERRED Sesame Street Soft Book is a delightful gateway to learning and engagement for our little ones! With beloved characters like Big Bird, Abby Cadabby, and Cookie Monster, this charming book invites sensory exploration through varied textures and interactive tabs. Each page brings new discoveries that promote fine motor skills and cognitive development while sparking a sense of wonder. 0-2 years
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Why we love it:
Sensory Fun with Sesame Street Characters! features interactive tabs and varied textures that spark curiosity and transform reading time into an engaging sensory adventure.
Bilingual Talking Flash Cards for Toddlers
The Bilingual Spanish and English Talking Flash Cards are an exciting way for our little ones, aged 1-3, to embark on a bilingual journey! With 512 words covering essential themes like animals, colors, and numbers, these cards stimulate cognitive development and language skills in a fun, interactive format. They’re designed to promote independent learning—perfect for busy parents looking to foster cultural appreciation and language proficiency from an early age. 1-3 years
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Why we love it:
Bilingual Talking Flash Cards for Toddlers feature 512 words across fun themes, making language learning feel like an adventurous game while fostering curiosity about different cultures.
Cuddle and Learn with Daniel Tiger
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Daniel Tiger Talking Friend Plush is the perfect companion for your little ones! This cuddly plush buddy not only brings comfort but also encourages social-emotional development through singing and interactive play. By pressing Daniel's fuzzy little paw, children can engage with familiar phrases and songs that resonate with them, fostering a sense of connection and understanding. 2-5 years
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Why we love it:
Cuddle and Learn with Daniel Tiger features engaging phrases and songs that help children understand their feelings while snuggling up with a familiar friend.
Hexagon Puzzle Pairs: Rhyming Fun!
eeBoo: Hexagon Puzzle Pairs - Rhyming Words is the perfect gateway to early literacy for our little ones! These vibrant, hexagonal puzzle pieces encourage children to explore the delightful world of rhymes, sharpening their listening skills while bonding with friends or family. With 33 pairs to match, kids aged 3 and up can develop phonemic awareness and other essential pre-reading skills, all while having a blast. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Hexagon Puzzle Pairs: Rhyming Fun! comes with 33 vibrant puzzle pairs that make exploring rhymes a delightful bonding experience, fostering essential pre-reading skills and eco-friendly playtime.
Scented Creativity Unleashed!
The Melissa & Doug Scented Water Wow! Reusable Water-Reveal Coloring Activity Pad is a delightful journey into the world of art and imagination. As kids color with water to reveal vibrant hues and delicious scents on five fun fruit-themed boards, they enhance their fine motor skills, color recognition, and early literacy through storytelling. 3-6 years
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Why we love it:
Scented Creativity Unleashed! features five fun fruit-themed boards that turn water into vibrant art, making cleanup a breeze while sparking endless imaginative play.
Scented Water Wow! Coloring Adventure
Melissa & Doug Scented Water Wow! Reusable Water-Reveal Coloring Activity Pad is a delightful blend of creativity and sensory exploration. With its vibrant colors and mouth-watering scents of cinnamon, chocolate, apple, honey, and popcorn, this engaging travel toy captivates little ones while fostering fine motor skills and early literacy. 3-6 years
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Why we love it:
Scented Water Wow! Coloring Adventure features mouth-watering scents like cinnamon and popcorn, making creative expression mess-free and enticing for little artists on the go.
Musical Storybook for Curious Minds
The Fisher-Price Baby Toy Purple Monkey Musical Storybook introduces infants and toddlers to the joy of music and storytelling. By pressing the sun to activate lights and sounds, little ones engage their senses while developing fine motor skills and encouraging early literacy through song-inspired illustrations and lyrics. It's a delightful way for parents and educators to foster a love of learning in young children, all while they enjoy a familiar melody from the Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym. 6+ months
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Why we love it:
Musical Storybook for Curious Minds features engaging lights and sounds that turn storytime into a melodious adventure, making learning music and literacy as fun as a sing-along!
Interactive Storytime Adventure
The Little Tikes Story Dream Machine Baby Shark Heroes Collection is a delightful way to immerse toddlers in the world of storytelling. With the ability to watch, listen, and read along, this toy fosters early literacy by enhancing word recognition and comprehension skills, all while bringing stories to life with enchanting light displays. It’s an engaging educational tool that not only entertains but also nurtures a love for reading from a young age. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Interactive Storytime Adventure offers captivating light displays that bring stories to life, transforming the reading experience into a visual feast. It’s like having a personal storyteller that helps kiddos enhance their vocabulary while they giggle along with their favorite Baby Shark heroes. Plus, it sets the stage for cozy reading sessions, which means more chances for snuggles and fewer interruptions from screen time!
Ms. Rachel's Phonics Puzzle Adventure
The Melissa & Doug® Ms. Rachel™ Wooden Phonics Alphabet Sound Puzzle is an engaging learning tool for curious toddlers aged 2 and up. As little ones lift the 26 colorful letter pieces, they'll be greeted by Ms. 2+ years
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Why we love it:
Ms. Rachel's Phonics Puzzle Adventure features 26 colorful letter pieces that bring letters to life with cheerful sounds, making early reading a joyful, interactive experience!
Winnie The Pooh Soft Book for Learning Fun
KIDS PREFERRED Winnie The Pooh Soft Book with On The Go Clip is a delightful addition to your little one's playtime! This engaging soft book promotes early literacy by introducing the classic story of a mischievous bunny wishing everything 'goodnight. ' With its interactive features like crinkle sounds, peek-a-boo flaps, and a safe teething corner, it captivates babies and encourages sensory exploration while developing fine motor skills. 0 months to toddler
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Why we love it:
Winnie The Pooh Soft Book features crinkle sounds and peek-a-boo flaps that make storytime irresistible, turning each page into a delightful adventure for little hands and curious minds.
Nuby Foam Bath Letters and Numbers Fun
Nuby Foam Bath Letters and Numbers is a delightful way to make bath time a splash of joy and learning! This engaging set of 36 colorful pieces not only entertains but also sparks your child's imagination while teaching essential skills. As they stick the letters and numbers to the tub, they develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, all while exploring the world of colors and early literacy. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Nuby Foam Bath Letters and Numbers Fun includes 36 colorful pieces that turn bath time into a joyful learning adventure, making splashes while tackling essential skills.
Mess-Free Creative Play for Preschoolers
Fisher-Price Preschool Toy Learn & Doodle Desk is the perfect blend of fun and education! This innovative mess-free writing and drawing tablet encourages our little ones to explore their creativity while developing essential skills like pencil grasp and following directions. With easy-to-use stencils and roller panels, kids can trace shapes, practice their ABCs, and create delightful designs—all on a portable device that makes travel play a breeze. 3+ years
Develops skills:
Why we love it:
Mess-Free Creative Play for Preschoolers features easy-to-use stencils that spark creativity and encourage our little ones to express themselves while developing essential skills minus the messy cleanup.
Scout's Ring and Record Learning Phone
LeapFrog Scout's Ring and Record Learning Phone is a delightful way to spark your little one's imagination while promoting essential developmental skills. Designed for infants aged 6 months and up, this engaging pretend-play toy allows children to record personalized messages, explore sounds, and even learn snippets of different languages. As kids press buttons and slide the bar for voice-changing effects, they're not just having fun; they're building coordination, language skills, and understanding of numbers and letters. 6+ months
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Why we love it:
Scout's Ring and Record Learning Phone allows kids to record personalized messages, making learning languages and developing communication skills feel like a fun interactive game.
Cocomelon Musical Sound Puzzle
The Cocomelon Chunky Musical Wooden Sound Puzzle is a delightful learning tool for preschoolers 3 years and older. As your little ones fit the chunky wooden pieces into place, they'll trigger the catchy Cocomelon song, bringing a familiar joy to playtime! This interactive puzzle not only enhances shape and sound recognition skills but also fosters fine motor development while they learn through play. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Cocomelon Musical Sound Puzzle features chunky wooden pieces that trigger catchy songs, making learning shapes and sounds delightful while fostering fine motor skills and family fun.
Mini Brands Mini Books: Tiny Tales Await!
Mini Brands Mini Books Series 2 Capsule by ZURU is a delightful way to introduce young minds to the joy of reading and collecting! With over 40 miniature books filled with surprises tucked between the pages, kids will develop curiosity and fine motor skills as they explore what’s next. These charming little treasures create a mini library experience, perfect for sparking conversations about storytelling and imagination. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Mini Brands Mini Books: Tiny Tales Await! includes over 40 miniature books that make reading feel like a delightful treasure hunt, igniting both imagination and conversation.
Laugh & Learn Fun: 4-in-1 Creativity!
Fisher-Price Baby & Toddler Toy Laugh & Learn 4-in-1 Activity Table & Art Easel is the ultimate learning companion for our little ones! This versatile gadget morphs from a busy board to an art easel, engaging babies to toddlers from six months and beyond. With 135+ interactive songs, sounds, and phrases in multiple languages, it introduces essential concepts like colors and numbers while promoting fine motor skills through fun activities. 6 months - 3 years
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Why we love it:
Laugh & Learn Fun: 4-in-1 Creativity! features over 135 interactive songs and sounds, making learning languages and essential concepts a delightful auditory adventure for little ones.
Ms. Rachel's Colorful Learning Adventure
Ms. Rachel Official Electronic Rainbow Color Sorter with Lights, Music & Sounds is the perfect educational companion for your curious toddler! As we drop in the delightful textured coins, our little ones not only learn colors but also enhance their fine motor skills through engaging play. 1-2 years
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Why we love it:
Ms. Rachel's Colorful Learning Adventure features delightful sounds and vibrant lights that transform learning colors into a joyful celebration of exploration and discovery alongside our little ones.
Bob Books Water Workbook for Fun Learning
Bob Books Beginning Readers Water Workbook is an exciting way to make learning to read feel like a fun adventure! Perfect for curious toddlers, this mess-free coloring book encourages them to explore sight words while revealing beloved Bob Books characters with just a splash of water. We love how it combines quiet time activities with essential developmental skills that help our little ones improve their reading readiness, all while traveling or relaxing at home. 3-5 years
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Why we love it:
Bob Books Water Workbook for Fun Learning features a mess-free coloring experience that makes exploring sight words feel like a delightful adventure, perfect for engaging little readers on the go.
Bob Books Water Workbook - Learning Fun!
Bob Books Water Workbook - Sight Words Kindergarten 3 is an absolute gem for little learners! This innovative water reveal coloring book transforms learning into a mess-free adventure, making it perfect for both home and travel. While kids have a blast revealing Bob Books characters with each brush of the water pen, they're quietly mastering vital sight words that set the foundation for reading success. 3-5 years
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Why we love it:
Bob Books Water Workbook - Learning Fun! features a mess-free water reveal design, making sight words a splashy and engaging way for kids to enhance their reading skills.
Colorful Learning: Bob Books Water Workbook
Bob Books Water Workbook - Sight Words Kindergarten 1 is a creative splash of fun in every learning session! We adore how this hands-on, mess-free activity effortlessly teaches our toddlers essential sight words while they joyfully reveal charming characters with just water. It's perfect for quiet time at home or on the road, transforming travel into a fantastic opportunity for educational play. 3-5 years
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Why we love it:
Colorful Learning: Bob Books Water Workbook features a mess-free water pen that reveals charming characters while teaching essential sight words, turning quiet time into a delightful learning adventure.
Engaging Sight Word Learning Fun
hand2mind Bob Books Water Workbook - Sight Words Kindergarten 2 opens up a world of interactive learning for our little ones. This delightful water reveal coloring book invites kids to explore sight words while unleashing their creativity, all without any messy clean-up! Designed by educators, it focuses on foundational reading skills, making it a fantastic tool for toddlers to master key words needed for kindergarten success. 3-5 years
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Why we love it:
Engaging Sight Word Learning Fun features a delightful water reveal coloring book that transforms crucial sight word practice into a mess-free creative adventure for our little learners.
Say-a-Sound Sorting Sharks for Phonemic Fun
The Learning Resources Say-a-Sound Sorting Sharks are a delightful way to engage children in phonemic awareness! Perfect for little learners, this educational toy helps kids sort picture cards to match them with their corresponding sounds, laying the groundwork for strong reading skills. With bright color-coded cards covering all 44 English phonemes, it’s not just fun; it’s a dynamic tool for parents and educators to foster literacy, support speech therapy, and encourage active learning in the classroom or at home. Preschool
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Why we love it:
Say-a-Sound Sorting Sharks for Phonemic Fun features bright color-coded cards that make learning sounds a splashy adventure, turning literacy into a playful experience for little learners.
Experience Hugs with Our Soft Baby Book
KIDS PREFERRED Guess How Much I Love You… 5 Inch Soft Book Interactive Baby Teether Toy invites precious moments filled with love and learning. This charming book is designed to engage little ones, featuring crinkly pages, soft textures, and vibrant colors that stimulate sensory exploration. As your baby cuddles this plush companion, they’re not just enjoying the warmth of snuggles; they’re also developing fine motor skills and enhancing their understanding of bonding through the sweet phrases and inviting illustrations. 0-2 years
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Why we love it:
Experience Hugs with Our Soft Baby Book features crinkly pages and soft textures, making storytime a snuggly adventure that nurtures bonding and literacy skills from day one.
Snoopy's Musical Typewriter Adventure
Hallmark Peanuts Musical Plush with Motion (75th Anniversary Snoopy with Typewriter) is not just a delightful stuffed animal; it’s a unique way to spark creativity and imagination in children! With Snoopy typing to the enchanting melody of 'Linus and Lucy,' our little ones can experience music and storytelling in a fun, interactive manner. This charming plush not only brightens up playtime but also introduces rhythm and cause-and-effect learning as they press his paw. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Snoopy's Musical Typewriter Adventure features interactive typing set to 'Linus and Lucy,' blending creativity with learning while sparking storytelling fun long after playtime ends.