Top Ten Unisex Toys for Children Ages 1 to 5

Investing in good toys is important if you’re starting out a family. Investing in gender-neutral toys which can be passed down from your first offspring to the last is even more important. Below are toys every growing household must have, and any child would enjoy no matter what their gender is.

Trikes, bicycles, and mini-cars are very important for children ages 1 to 5. Of course, you will have to choose very good ones that could endure the test of time and wear. These toys help children develop their motor skills. A good mini-car for a toddler, a small trike for children 3 to 5 years old, and perhaps a junior bicycle for a bigger child are good investments. If you’re planning to have more than one child in your household, try to invest in gender-neutral colors too. While pinks are adorable, subtler yellows, light blues and greens are better investments if you’re planning on having your next child inherit your first offspring’s toys. Make sure the sizes of these toys are fit for your child. Always think about their safety.

Balls are cheap and practical toys to have in any household. They help to encourage physical activities in children. It’s important for children between 1-5 years old to know how to catch, throw, roll and kick balls. They will need these skills in school for their P.E. classes, and it would help to keep their bodies healthy. Just make sure that you get balls appropriate for your child’s age. A soft, cushion-ball is recommended for children 1-2 years old. Rubber balls are good for bigger children, but make sure they’re reminded to only play with these balls outdoors. For balls, it’s not necessary to buy very expensive ones. You’re bound to replace them over time because of wear. Just choose a good enough product that’s safe for your child. They will learn the basic motor skills, anyway, no matter how expensive or cheap their balls are.

There are plenty of building blocks to choose from, and while some might think that building blocks are only for boys, they couldn’t be more wrong. Girls enjoy building blocks just as much. Building blocks are good toys to have in your household because they encourage creative play. They also teach children to balance, create buildings and other make-believe items from these blocks. There are soft cushion alphabet blocks you can purchase for very small children, plastic alphabet blocks for those going on two-years-old, wooden alphabet blocks for three and up, and more complicated brick systems like Lego for the more advanced little builder.

Yoyos, like balls, will forever be on any child’s favorite toy list. They’re easy to handle, quite simple to understand, and they allow kids to practice basic motor skills. There are simple and cheap wooden and plastic yoyos you can purchase for beginners. There are also fancier yoyos with LED lights, or those that are actually yoyo-balls and could bounce from vertical surfaces. However, weigh how much you’re willing to invest in this toy first. It’s always good to let a child try out the basic toy first. If she or he really likes playing with it, that’s probably the only time you should think about investing in a fancier yoyo.

Unleash the inner Picasso in your child by letting his or her play with dustless chalk on your driveway. Let your kids express their creativity in hours and hours of free drawing. It’s easy to clean up as long as you carry out this activity outdoors. All you have to do is hose off the drawing once they’re done. Of course, don’t forget to take a picture of their masterpiece before cleaning up. Keep the memories, and let your children know that you support their endeavor.

Children in this age bracket are particularly interested in animals. Support this interest by providing toy farm and zoo animals. Let them have fun setting up their mini zoos and farms. Your toy animals need not be too fancy. Simple, plastic ones will suffice. Just make sure that the sizes of your animals are age appropriate, especially if you have younger children below age 3. Make sure that there are no small parts they can accidentally swallow.

Toy cookware and food are no longer just for girls. They can be for boys too, especially now that there’s a growing popularity among chefs. Kids of all ages, whether they’re a boy or a girl, want to be chefs on TV. This is actually a good thing. Let your little one unleash his/her inner master chef with toy cookware and food. If you purchase high quality toys of this kind, you can even pass it on to the next offspring(s). When they get older, perhaps you can even let them help you out in the kitchen.

There was once a time when toy cars were just for boys and play houses just for girls. This is no longer the case now. The truth is, when your kids grow up to be adults, they will have to deal with both driving and keeping house, no matter what their gender is. Whether you have a boy or a girl as a first child, you should let him or her play with both of these toys. Let him or her create a miniature town. It fosters imaginative play, and yes, both of these toys can be passed down to your next kids, no matter what their genders are.

You might not be setting your child up to be a sculptor, but playing with modeling clay helps to strengthen your child’s hands. Also, even if you are not on the artistic side yourself, why limit your child’s capabilities and interests? It’s always good to let them play with modeling clay. It’s also a relatively cheap toy that can offer hours and hours of creative fun.

Not all children like taking a bath, but if you have the right bath toys in tow, they’re not likely to protest on bath time. But more than letting you have an easier time during bath time, these buoyant bath toys help to strengthen your kids’ imaginations. You don’t have to go overboard with these bath toys. The basic rubber ducky, a pail, some cups that could let your child pour “showers” of water, and a small boat will do. These toys can be shared among siblings too.