According to Christia Brown, psychology professor at the University of Kentucky, “All toys are educational because that’s how kids learn about skills, it’s how they’re learning about the world, about how they move their body, about how to think, that’s how they are practicing for the things they’re going to need in adulthood. Every toy teaches something.” While that’s clearly true of, say, a STEM kit designed to teach a science lesson, it’s also true of regular toys that help children understand what people look like, how to engage in imaginative play, and how to nurture. We spoke with child development experts and researched hundreds of popular options, including this year’s trending toys and games, to find the most fun, durable, and enriching toys for kids of all ages, from toddlers to tweens. We also considered price points and found many budget-friendly options that your little ones will love. These are this year’s best toys under $50. Although the manufacturer suggested retail price for this set is above $50, it is often available on sale and can be purchased for as low as $40-$50 with free shipping. Price at time of publication: $60 Price at time of publication: $40 Price at time of publication: $40 Price at time of publication: $30 For older kids, you might also want to consider the Magna-Tiles Glow in the Dark Set, a similar toy with tiles that can be charged under direct sunlight or with the included LED light to activate the glow. Note that this $30 set only includes 16 pieces, so it’s more of an expansion kit to use with other magnetic tile sets. Price at time of publication: $48 Price at time of publication: $20 Although the manufacturer suggested retail price is $60, you can often find the Swurfer Stand Up Tree Swing on sale right below the $50 mark. Price at time of publication: $60 Price at time of publication: $39 Price at time of publication: $30 Price at time of publication: $50 Price at time of publication: $50 Price at time of publication: $25 Price at time of publication: $25 Price at time of publication: $15 Price at time of publication: $46 Price at time of publication: $35 Price at time of publication: $35 Price at time of publication: $40 Price at time of publication: $36 Price at time of publication: $35 Price at time of publication: $55 Price at time of publication: $28 These soft, plush dolls come in a set of five. Though they don’t have any small pieces or parts, the manufacturer states that the recommended age is 3 and up. Price at time of publication: $37 Price at time of publication: $30 The Magical Misting Cauldron comes with three LR44 batteries, and refill misting packs are also available. Regularly priced at $75, this trendy toy can be found on sale for under $50. If the newest toy is what you’re after, Magic Mixies recently released its Misting Crystal Ball with interactive 8-inch plush toy, which is priced at $85. Price at time of publication: $75
What to Look for in Toys Under $50
Age Appropriateness
While bells and whistles usually have positive connotations, when it comes to little kids’ toys, more isn’t always better. According to Professor Lyons, “When you’re thinking of promoting STEM and promoting [younger kids’] understanding of things like engineering and how things work, having a battery-operated toy with lots of complex flashing lights [is not ideal because] they’re not going to be able to figure out on their own what’s making this light go on, or this thing move around. But if you have a simple mechanical toy or a tool set or something with levers, they can reason about that on their own, think about how it’s working, and use that [knowledge] to make sense of the world a little bit.” For older kids, it’s important to remember that toys help kids figure out the world around them. When considering what toy to buy, Professor Brown recommends that you ask yourself, “What is it teaching? Everything is teaching something. What’s the toy reinforcing, and is it a good skill, or is it a skill I don’t want to reinforce?”
Entertainment Value
One of the most important things about any toy is whether or not it’s fun. Of course, fun is subjective, so we’ve made sure to include toys that appeal to nature lovers, sporty kids, children who prefer arts and crafts, and kids of all ages. As our experts have pointed out, all kinds of toys can be both entertaining and educational, and we’ve picked an assortment of items that are guaranteed to make your kid smile and provide hours of entertainment.
Skill Development
You know the old trope about kids having more fun with the box their toys came in? It’s not entirely untrue. Kids often like imaginary play and creating things on their own. The most important thing to remember is to let kids, especially younger ones, develop their interests and discover what they like without forcing it. “Let them take the lead and pursue their interests,” Professor Lyons recommends. If it’s educational toys you’re seeking, Lyons stresses that even toys that don’t brand themselves as educational are valuable learning tools. The toddler and preschool stage is “their chance to develop interests and a love for what they’re doing,” she says. “If your child isn’t showing interest in things that we’re perceiving as STEM or math or reading, keep the opportunity out there with toys, drawing materials, and nature play, things you may not even think of as toys. If your child is playing in the sandbox and with water, you may not think that’s STEM or science, but it is. They’re figuring out the way things work, and that some pieces are bigger than others, there are different colors, and why does sand get darker when it’s deeper down? A lot of these things that we think are not ‘educational’ in many ways are perhaps more educational than a specific science kit or math enrichment activity that we had in mind.”
Why Trust Verywell Family
Elizabeth Kocan is a mother of two boys who love Bluey, Pickleball, and LEGO sets. (They’ve clearly got their fingers on the pulse.) As a writer and parent, she spends much of her time trying to keep her kids occupied while she works and has used several of the items on this list to do just that. You haven’t lived until everyone in the family has taken a hammer to a geode on the driveway. Brown adds that encouraging kids to find toys that are not centered on some kind of screen is also something to consider, given how much time kids have spent in front of screens over the past few years. “I think the reality of kids’ lives now is very screen-based, especially coming out of COVID,” she says. “I’m not anti-screen, but we know we have to counter that with other types of play, so the types of play that are the exact opposite of that, the types of play that are very immediate, like arts and crafts, where you have to make something from scratch, are really useful and let kids use their imagination and even involve a level of mess. We always say that if a kid is dirty, it means they had a good day playing.”
