As the holidays draw near, you’re likely to find yourself wondering what to buy your littlest learners. You want toys and activities that inspire creativity and independent play, yet most of what’s on the market is flashy, battery-operated, and stimulating in all the wrong ways.

So what’s a parent to do? In this post, we are going to discuss 10 toys that offer an alternative to screens and other gadgets and gizmos that don’t positively contribute to your toddler’s life in any real way. Bonus – they are all going to be affordable!

Let’s jump in, shall we?

10 Toys under $10 to Inspire Creativity and Independent Play in Tiny Tots

(Disclaimer: Prices all under $10 at time of publication. These are subject to change at any time.)

1. Play-Doh – Not only good for encouraging creative play, Plah-Doh also builds hand strength and increases fine motor development in small children. You can use it to mix colors, mold into letters and numbers, practice shape identification and more!
2. Fisher-Price Baby’s First Blocks – This shape sorter will help your young toddler learn to identify shapes, colors, and even practice stacking blocks. Tiny fingers are strengthened by maneuvering shapes into their matching holes.
3. The First Years Stack Up Cup Toys – Stacking cups are an inexpensive and simple toy, but easily fit in the diaper bag or double as bath toys. Along with nesting and stacking, you can practice identifying colors and comparing size.
4. Melissa and Doug Disney Wooden Letter Alphabet Magnets – Melissa and Doug are known for their classic, high-quality toys. These toys inspire creative exploration and hours of screen-free play. Wooden alphabet magnets occupy little ones, helping them learn their letters and letter sounds while leaving you free to tackle chores with (relative!) ease.
5. Munchkin Letter and Number Foam Bath Toys – Bath time becomes learning time when you add foam letters and numbers to the tub. Practice counting, number identification, letter names and sounds, and more during your tot’s evening soak.
6. Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Dilly Dally Turtle Classic Rubber Kickball – Fun for outside, this ball gets little ones running, kicking, throwing, and more. Work on hand-eye coordination by tossing the ball back and forth. This rubber ball is great for developing gross motor skills, engaging children in active play, and encouraging physical activity.
7. Melissa & Doug Disney Mickey & Friends Nesting & Stacking Blocks – Mickey Mouse is a classic and pairs greatly with Melissa and Doug on these nesting and stacking blocks. These blocks are great for fine motor development, spatial awareness, and enhancing cognitive function through creative play.
8. Fisher-Price Little People Travel Together Airplane – Let your little ones enter a world of imaginative play with Little People. This plane and people set is great for encouraging creativity through countless hours of playing pretend.
9. LEGO Duplo Town Farm Animals – This Lego Duplo set provides young children the opportunity to build strength in their hand muscles, develop fine motor skills, and spend days on end having fun on the farm.
10. Oball Classic Ball – This fun ball is uniquely designed so that tiny tots can throw and catch it with ease. Balls are great for engaging kids in active play. This one can be used both indoors and out, allowing for the development of gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and collaborative play with others.

Open-ended toys such as these allow kids the freedom to engage both their bodies and minds in pretend play. The benefits of playing pretend are many – increasing cognitive development, practicing fine and gross motor skills, enhancing a child’s creativity, and (most importantly!) allowing them to have fun!

By providing little ones the time and space they need to play freely both indoors and out, we are giving them a gift greater than any material item can possibly compare to. Kids don’t need us to spend an arm and a leg this Christmas. They don’t need wall-to-wall shelves covered in the latest trendy toys, games, and gadgets. An object’s value doesn’t always match up to the price underneath it on the shelf. 

What our kids really need from us…

What kids truly need from us is simple. They need love, encouragement, one-on-one quality time, and ample space and freedom to just be kids. The benefits of independent play can’t be counted. The return on our investment always proves valuable. 

This list is just the beginning. When shopping for your kids this holiday season, keep it simple. Don’t go overboard. Look for open-ended toys that encourage creativity and inspire independent play. The endless hours of exploration and fun to follow will surely be worth it.

What are some ways you can put this into practice with the gifts you give this year? 

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