Toys can be so expensive! There’s always an internal battle in my head of not wanting to spend a lot for quality toys, but also wanting toys that promote learning and creativity. This list is full of budget friendly and cheap toys that are also engaging, and encourage open ended play!
There is a lot of pressure to over-perform at the holidays, birthdays, and really just all the time.
And man, kids are expensive!
There’s also a lot of pressure to give your kids things that inspire them to create, explore and learn. These toys will not break the bank and will inspire learning, problem solving and creativity.
Let’s face it: we’re busy people trying to do it all! That’s why I’ve taken the time to compile a list of gifts that can make your life easier. Most of these are available on Amazon, which is great because you can add to cart and have your gifts delivered right to your doorstep!
Who has time for the mall these days?! Online shopping is a booming trend and I can understand why.
Last year, my grandpa fell really, really ill on Thanksgiving. I ended up traveling 7 hours away while 6 months pregnant to see him. I purchased almost all of my Christmas presents online from Amazon and Walmart while spending the night with my grandpa in the ICU. It made my life so much easier, and really took some of the pressure off. I was able to sit with him through the night while completing my Black Friday/Cyber Monday shopping.
My grandpa is doing ah-mazing now, by the way!
I plan to do most of my shopping online this year, too. It’s nice to be able to read reviews and carefully select my items without Sally-Sue ramming her cart into my leg.
I have not tried all of the products on this list, but I have carefully researched each of them. I will distinguish the products we use and will provide honest reviews.
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small compensation at no additional cost to you if products are purchased through the links.
Jump to the bottom of this post for a list of the products mentioned!
1. Aqua Doodle Mat
I had purchased my daughter a water doodle mat before our second child was born because she loves to color but I knew I didn’t want to deal with the mess when I had a newborn. I didn’t love the one I initially ordered because it felt cheap, had weird stains on it, and overall just wasn’t a great product.
E received this one for her birthday, and it was a hit. It comes with different sized pens and several stencils to trace. It’s easy to clean up, and she loves the different colors that appear. The border features letters she can trace, and she loves to use the stencils to trace. It’s thicker than the other mat we had, which makes it have a higher quality feel. At $19.99, you’ll offer a creative space for your child to play without the mess.
2. Mega Bloks
E received these last Christmas from a family member, and they have been used at least twice per week since last Christmas. She was about 16 months old at the time she received them, and the way she’s used them has changed over the last year.
We’ve used them the build houses for her dolls, to make towers and knock them down, to count and to sort them by color. This product comes in a few different colors/packaging. We own the pink bag, which features pink, white, teal, green and purple blocks. We love them! It’s less than $15, which is a bargain for what it offers.
3. Wooden Lacing Apple
At only $8.99, this product will keep your littles busy and work on fine motor skills. We do not own this product, but I do plan to purchase for this Christmas.
What’s great about this product is it’s small and not at all messy. It would be easy to throw into a diaper bag for entertainment on outings. I watched a 3 year old girl focus on threading this apple for at least 20 minutes while waiting for a doctor’s appointment. I was amazed, and I’m sure we need one.
4. Vtech KidiBeats Drum Set
For less than $15, your child can have a chance to let loose musically. Though we don’t own this toy, I know that E would love it. We own a similar music set, and it got so much use it fell apart. This set seems to be much sturdier, and parents have raved on Amazon about the product.
5. Gears Toys
My sister-in-law recommended this gears toy for my nephew for Christmas last year. He loved it, and I ended up purchasing this one for E. We use it almost daily, and even A uses it for a teether. It allows for a lot of open ended play, and gives an opportunity to problem solve and create. It’s more interesting than a puzzle because it has working parts.
6. Waffle Blocks
We don’t own this, but we’ve played with it at a friend’s house. This is similar to other block kits, but offers different textures and colors. It is similar to puzzles in many ways because you have to match the pieces together. It can give an opportunity to explore how if you fit the pieces different ways, you can make different kinds of structures.
It is $19.99 and comes in its own zippered bag. These can be used to build, color sort, and practice counting. Learning opportunities are endless!
7. Kinetic Sand
This is a Walmart product link, though this product can be purchased mostly anywhere, including Amazon8. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Count & Rumble Piggy Bank
I plan to purchase this product for this Christmas. Not only does it begin the teaching of the value of money, but it offers a chance to count and learn. With bright colored pieces and a cute little piggy, I know my little ones will be interested! This one is messy, but it is so much fun. We used these paints all. the. time. this summer. We purchased a HUGE roll of paper, would strip E down to her diaper, and let her go wild. After she was finished, we’d turn the sprinkler on and wash her off. These paints are as washable as advertised, and cleaned right out of our patio furniture. They’re about $10, and I’ve bought them several times since we use them so frequently. During cooler months, we use them to paint in the bathtub. Then it’s easy to wash out when finished! We use our bristle blocks a lot. If I need to occupy both kids at one time, I bring these out. E loves to build with them, and A loves to use them as a teether. There are many different shapes, sizes, colors and textures to these blocks. I love that this kit comes with a carrying case, and it’s still less than $19. The opportunities are endless here. You can buy Play-Doh pretty much anywhere (and if you’re super ambitious, you can even make your own). As annoying as it can be to get out this messy project, it provides a lot of sensory play and an opportunity for your child to explore their creative side. E. received this Baby Shark Play-doh set and this glitter set12. Foam Magnets
We love this magnet kit, and E plays with it frequently. I often give her a cookie sheet to stick them to, and it gives me a moment of free time! It’s great for her to practice word recognition, as all of the pictures are labeled. We haven’t gotten much use out of the letters yet, but I’m sure that will come. The magnets are not super strong, which is OK for us since they are just used for play. The magnet covers the entire back of the foam piece, and they have not separated at all in the year or so that we’ve been playing with them. We will definitely be purchasing this kit for E this Christmas. She has a fear of doctors, and I know that role playing will help her conquer it! Not only that, I am a nurse and I want her to have a basic understanding of what I do. This kit is less than $15, and will give your child plenty of imaginative play. You can make up silly diseases, help them find a cure, and make them a hero! The scenarios for fun are endless. I stumbled upon this kit during my research for this list, and I love it! It’s portable, small, and at less than $17 it’s very affordable. There’s also this 15. Giant Art Jar
I am the farthest thing from an artist, but crafts were my favorite thing growing up! E has that same fire within her. This kid could spend all day coloring, sticking, painting…you name it. I love this kit because it has such a wide variety of objects, and it comes in a reusable carrying case for easy cleanup. I purchased a similar drawing board for my daughter, and I didn’t love the quality. 17. Wooden Fishing Game for Toddlers
We don’t own this particular set, but we’ve played with something similar! It’s amazing how E can focus on “fishing,” and this kit also teaches letters and color recognition. I’ll be completely honest: I struggled with whether or not to put these on the list. I bought these for E last Christmas when she was about 16 months old, and we rarely used them. Like, ever. However, today she brought them out and we played with them for at least an hour, which in toddler time is about 3 years. Kidding, but she did have a lot of fun. We built a house for her favorite little animal, we built a cube and put craft puff balls in it, and we built towers to knock down. Over, and over, again. I’ve also seen some super fun parents use these to stick to their garage doors! They are a strong magnet, so I can see how this would be fun. We purchased a more expensive kit last year that came with its own carrying case, however, this kit looks equally sufficient and would have been a better purchase since they don’t always hold her interest. **I do not recommend this product if your kid is still putting things in his/her mouth. There is a chance the tiles could separate and there are small magnets within** This gift is less than $6 and it will probably get the most use of anything I get my daughter this Christmas. I know it’s not just my kid that loves to scoop, cut, splash, pour, etc. all. day. long. We recently went on a trip to Florida, and our resort had a gorgeous pool. All that E wanted to do was scoop and pour the water with plastic cups. She thought this was the coolest game! These super fun tools can be used with a water or sand table, or just to play with whatever is laying around the house! Amazon recommends purchasing with water beads. These make me so nostalgic. My mom worked for LEGO for a short period of time when I was a kid, so we had tons of DUPLO blocks. They entertained me and my brothers for hours and hours. We would create a whole world of LEGO. We had houses and hospitals, stores, you name it. I hope my kids will make the same memories in worlds of make believe together! This kit is on sale for $15.99, and I think it’s a steal. A train of bright colors and numbers is sure to keep your babe’s interest! Well, there you have it! All that’s left is add to cart –> buy, and your holidays are taken care of. Hopefully this list will make your holiday or birthday shopping a breeze for all the little loved ones in your life. Enjoy!9. Crayola Washable Finger Paints
10. Bristle Blocks
11. Play-Doh
13. Medical Kit
14. Pattern Blocks
16. Magnetic Drawing Board
18. Magnet Tiles
19. Helping Hands Motor Tool Set
20. LEGO DUPLO My First Number Train
Amazon Gift List:
