Play is important for kids, and it’s not just about having fun and relieving stress. Play-based learning, which can incorporate educational games, is great for their development, helping to boost their physical and emotional skills. “Kids learn so much when they’re playing – sometimes more so than they do in academic settings,” says Sydney-based primary school teacher Elizabeth Charlton. “The right toys and tools that offer an educational element can really provide opportunities for deep learning.” 

Play-based learning is the cornerstone of early childhood education and many teachers and researchers encourage it to continue well into the primary and high school years. The ways children play change as they get older, but it has many benefits, whatever their stage of development. 

Educational Toys for Toddlers

To kickstart your toddler’s early childhood education, invest in shape sorters, wooden blocks and play food.

For little ones, play time is all about learning new things. From the moment they start moving around, children soak up new skills and knowledge like little sponges. Even the silliest of games, like stacking blocks and knocking them over, is a beneficial part of early childhood learning, helping to develop fine motor skills while teaching valuable lessons about colours and shapes. In fact, wooden blocks are a classic first educational toy for so many reasons – they encourage creativity and problem-solving, while successful stacking and building can help with confidence and self-esteem. 

Another of the classic learning activities for kids of this age is pretending. Toys that mimic real-life objects like food are incredibly versatile – kids can play shops or cafes, or can count and sort them. With its clever cutting action, this fruit and veg set by Kadink boosts hand-eye coordination, too. Studies also show role-playing games can help to develop language skills in toddlers, allowing them to experiment and be creative while they make sense of the world around them.

Shape sorters are fantastic educational toys for young ones as they introduce early maths concepts, like shape-recognition and numeracy, while engaging little learners in tactile play. Speaking of tactile, this Kadink stacking rainbow is handy for sensory play. They can stack and balance the arches, practise counting or naming the colours, or build and create their very own designs.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Let the Geek Guide You: Cool Games for Learning

Preschool Play-based Learning

Preschoolers will love educational toys that encourage play based learning, such as bingo games and puzzles.

You could try preparing your preschoolers for primary school with puzzles and games, as well as educational toys that introduce literacy and numeracy concepts. One of the first steps in learning how to read is recognising each letter of the alphabet, while also memorising their sounds. An alphabet puzzle can help give kids a head start when it comes to early childhood education while also encouraging all-important critical-thinking skills. This Kadink 3-in-1 alphabet board is an amazing literacy resource – it comes with magnetic letters and a built-in whiteboard so they can practise writing the alphabet and making words. We also love these Kadink wooden blocks that do double duty with both upper and lowercase letters on their sides. 

Similarly, bingo games help with – depending on their themes – language and alphabet skills, numeracy and cognitive development. Plus, when played with siblings and friends, these types of educational games teach kids how to communicate and take turns.

A classic clock puzzle is helpful for getting kiddos familiar with telling the time. Construction toys are great for this age group too, because they’re oodles of fun and allow for experimentation and creativity. These Kadink fishing and bug catching games are such an entertaining way to work on hand-eye coordination, plus the whole family might want to get involved! Another great way to gather everyone together is with a simple board game – snakes and ladders, for instance.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: Solo Play Ideas for Kids: Problem-Solving, Games and Craft

Learning Games For Early Primary Students

The best educational games for kids include toys and strategy games for play based learning.

As kids begin their schooling journey, parents might be looking for ways to help support learning at home. Here’s our top tip: young students may shy away from anything that feels remotely like homework. Instead, look for educational games and activities that are primarily fun, silly and offer up a challenge.

The Build a Bot range is totally kid-approved – it’s the perfect blend of STEM activity, construction toy and pretend play. Kids as young as five can assemble creatures such as a robot tiger or a Pegasus that walk and make sounds. Then they can pull it apart again, and mix and match pieces to create a whole new character. Another amusing educational game, which has the benefit of teaching simple spelling skills, is hangman.

Board games, or any activity with an element of competition, appeal to children at this stage. This Zingo game is clever and addictive, and it helps them practise spelling and memorise sight words. Dominoes are old school but awesome – you can play the traditional way and match up numbers, or use them to stack, build and create a chain reaction. We love this Kadink magnetic shape set because it’s open-ended and will keep kids entertained for hours. They can choose to free-build and create their own magnetic designs or follow the prompts provided on activity cards.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: 7 Ways to Help Your Kids With Maths

Educational Games for Late Primary Students

For older primary schoolers, choose educational toys that develop STEM and strategy skills.

Everyone’s excited about STEM learning right now. You could try jumping on the bandwagon with educational toys and games that encourage kids to get creative, solve problems and think like mini scientists. This Galt Science Lab is jam-packed with fun experiments the kids can try out at home. There’s lots of play-based learning going on, but also plenty of sticky and silly stuff as they make lava and get ghosts to float. Fun for the whole family, the 4-in-a-row game is a classic for a reason, besides the fact it develops strategy skills. 

Building a robot might seem tricky, but this VEX Build Blitz Robotics Construction Kit is an ideal introduction to robotics with everything you need to make seven different motorised robots. Or try the Zip Flyer Kit and build your own propeller launcher – it can shoot propellers almost 10 metres into the air! Then there’s this epic Johnco Solar and Hydraulic Construction Kit that can be transformed into 12 different builds. Incredible. 

What to Try

SEE ALSO: STEM Test Drive: Upper Primary Kids Rate and Review Vex Robotics Zip Flyer

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This article was originally published in 2022 and has been updated.