Hottest Toddler Toys for 2013

Looking for toddler toys? If you need to buy for a toddler or two this year, chances are you're scratching your head, wondering what in heck to get the little tykes. If you're not around the curtain climbers a lot, how would you know what they like? Leave it to me - I'm an expert. I'm surrounded by 'em! They're everywhere, they're everywhere! I have nine grandchildren, and I buy lots of toys for the rascals. You've heard of Santa Claus? The grands think I'm "Nana Claus." Yep, I've purchased a lot of toddler toys over the years.

I've done some research about the top toys for this year. Not only will I share the info with you - I've even arranged for some online shopping for you. Buy them at great prices right here so that you want have to fight the shopping crowds! These toys make great birthday gifts for toddlers, and they're also nice gifts from Grandma, just because!

Now, pour you a cup of coffee or hot cocoa, light a fire, and shop from the comfort of your ergonomic computer chair for the best toddler toys around!

Elmo's back, and he's cuter than ever! This time he's 15 inches tall, and he sings. Just tickle of squeeze the furry red pal and he'll perform three classic favorites from Sesame Street. Elmo is very animated. He sits, stands, crosses his legs, waves his arms, tilts his head, and his mouth even moves in time to the songs' words. Recommended for ages 18 months-six years, this will be a hot, hot item this year. See more Elmo toys by clicking the Elmo below!

 Here's more from that incorigible little redhead. Kids put the furry gloves on, and when they touch something, the interactive glove vibrates, and Elmo giggles and talks. it comes with an instructional DVD that teaches kids to do the Tickle Hand Groove dance. Recommended for ages 18 months-six years.

 As a retired teacher, I like the educational aspect of this toy. Kids learn through several modalities with Zippity, including kinesthetic, visual, and auditory. Of course, the best part is that they won't realize they're learning - they'll think they just having fun! Kids can learn and play along with their favorite Disney characters, and parents can program their own Learning Path. Recommended for ages 3-5.

This Lightning McQueen says lines from the movie and has neat sound effects as the toddler operates it from a remote control especially made for small hands and young minds. It's also compatible with other Geo Trax products. This is great for improving hand-eye coordination and understanding cause and effect. Recommended for ages 2-7.

This great ride-on toy is three feet in diameter and goes forward, backward, sideways, and round and round. It's built tough for rough-and-tumble play. The large 18-inch wheels make it easy to propel. This ride-on toy gives kids a great, fun chance to exercise. Recommended for ages 2-5.

As kids bounce, the worm goes! The sturdy "saddle" helps keep them in place. Widely set wheels make the worm stable so it won't tip over. Riding the toy will give the tikes a good workout, too, strengthening their leg and core muscles and improving coordination and balance. My girls LOVED this toy when they were toddlers! Recommended for ages 2-4.

 What little NASCAR fan wouldn't love this? It's sturdily built and twelve inches tall - just the right height for toddler feet to touch the floor. The wide wheelbase makes it stable, and the sound and lights in the steering wheel make it fun. Recommended for ages 2-4.

This is an interactive schoolhouse that includes typical playground noises and a school bell sound. Toddlers can also hear A-B-C- and counting songs with the press of a button. It comes with a play mat, three students, a teacher, an art easel, a table, three chairs, two play cars, and a playhouse with a slide. Not only do toddlers learn while playing with this toy, it also generates interest and excitement about attending school. Recommended for ages 18 months-4 years.

This is a tough, well made toy that will last for years. It's a fun way to introduce toddlers to the idea of outer space. It includes four astronauts, a robotic arm, the eleven-inch tall space station, the space shuttle, and a land rover. The early interest in space exploration could open the door to future learning. Recommended for ages 3-6.

These babies are so snugly! My granddaughters love the Chou Chous. This one is nineteen inches long with a soft body. She "eats," hiccups, burps, and says "mommy." She loves for her tummy to be tickled. This baby doll helps enhance nurturing skills and is a lot of fun. Recommended for ages 3-6.

This toy is so cool! It's fun and educational, which is important to a retired teacher like me. The set includes soft pens for the farm critters, plus cows, pigs, sheep, and a hen. The Manhattan Toy Counting and Sorting Farm helps teach kids about sorting and grouping, and it also helps develop fine motor skills like stacking and hand-eye coordination. These toddler toys are easy to clean, too. The counting and sorting farm is recommended for ages 36 months through nine years.

I've been very impressed with the Vtech toys I've purchased, and I bought several. Again, I think it's the teaching and learning part that I like so much. The kids, on the other hand, like the toys because they're fun and engaging, and this learning walker no exception. It includes all sorts of gadgets: rollers that spin, musical keys, gears, a door that opens and shuts, a shape sorter, a telephone, colorful flowers, and buttons that light up.

Toddlers can sit on the floor and play with these toddler toys, or they can push them around. This toy is especially cool for kids just learning to walk or to stand alone from a sitting position. It also helps teach cause and effect, motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.

Recommended for ages nine months through three years.

If you’re looking for toddler toys that are educational and fun, check out the Wonderworld Glow Blocks! The blocks are fun to play with during the daytime hours, but they’re pretty amazing in the dark. The patterns on the blocks change and glow in the dark! You probably already know that playing with and manipulating blocks can be an important step in your toddler’s development. It helps with hand-eye coordination, and when the blocks are in different shapes, it helps toddlers recognize and identify different shapes.

The basic set includes thirty glow-in-the-dark blocks in different shapes and sizes. This set is recommended for ages two years and up. For even more fascinating fun, check out the Wonderworld Toys City Skyline Glow Blocks set. It includes nineteen wooden blocks: skyscrapers, trees, a limousine, a taxicab, and the Statue of Liberty. It’s also recommended for ages two and over.

Doc McStuffins toys are based on the Disney Channel’s popular children’s show of the same name. Doc McStuffins is a little girl who, along with some of her plush pals, has the ability to serve as doctor-veterinarian to toys. By using her handy stethoscope, the toys come alive, and she can talk to them. She cares for “sick” and broken toys, and she gives the healthy toys regular checkups to make sure they remain healthy.

Lots of Doc McStuffins toys are available, including the Magic Checkup Center, a doctor’s bag with instruments, an interactive talking doll, a dress-up set, a plush Lambie, a matching game, figures, and more. Doc McStffin’s Big Book of BooBoos will give your child a place to keep records on all her patients. To see more Doc McStuffins toys, click either product below.