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TOYS FOR EARLY LEARNERS
At this stage, one of the smartest decisions you can make is to have toys on hand to begin expanding your childâs independence, communication, and play skills. Not only will it set your child up for success, but itâll allow you to move away from always having to teach your child to play appropriately, giving you more free time to take care of YOU.
If youâre ready to add a bit more firepower to your childâs learning and transform your leisure time with independent play skills, the toys below will support you in making this exciting developmental shift!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
POP 'N GO BABY PLAYPEN
If your child loves ball play but you're tired of having them all over your house, this playpen is for you! Load it up with plastic balls, toss them in through the upper window, and create plenty of opportunities to practice the word "ball."
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
BALL PIT BALLS
No ball pit is complete without a ton of balls! Make sure they're crush proof, and load up your playpen!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
MINI TRAMPOLINE
Is your child constantly on the move? A mini trampoline may be just what they need! Practice labeling actions like "jump" or "bounce"Â while your child gets some of that energy out!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
MAGNA-TILES 100 PIECE SET
If youâre ready to invest in some super fun building, this is the set for you. More tiles means more practice with those communication skills! You can also find the link to a smaller starter set below.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
LARGE WOODEN BLOCKS
These blocks are the MVP of natural environment teaching. The skills that you can work on are endless. Add in some vehicles, people, and animals to make it really fun!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
LANGUAGE BUILDER PICTURE CARDS
Our most popular tool to expand language and matching skills. Each box 350 contains pictures of common items. Teach your child new words with this pre-made set!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
VELCRO CUTTING PLAY FOOD
These toys are great for pretend play, fine motor skills, motor imitation, and so much more!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
FISHER PRICE LITTLE PEOPLE BARN
This activity is great for working on animal sounds, motor imitation, pretend play, and so much more! Pair it with blocks to create a whole community for the animals to explore!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
FISHER PRICE LITTLE PEOPLE - WITH VEHICLES
Teach about community helpers during natural environment teaching! Use these along with blocks and Magna-tiles to create stories during play!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
FISHER PRICE LITTLE PEOPLE - COMMUNITY HELPERS
Extra figurines makes it easier to model actions while playing with your child. Rather than grabbing their toy or directing their play, model and narrate your own play to increase their interest in the activity!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
THE POUT-POUT FISH
Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading "dreary wearies" isn't really his destiny. Bright ocean colors and playful rhyme come together in Deborah Diesen's fun fish story that's sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
BROWN BEAR, BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE?
A big happy frog, a plump purple cat, a handsome blue horse, and a soft yellow duck--all parade across the pages of this delightful book. Children will immediately respond to Eric Carle's flat, boldly colored collages. Combined with Bill Martin's singsong text, they create unforgettable images of these endearing animals.
8 PIECE SHAPE INSET PUZZLE
Melissa and Doug wooden inset puzzles are durable and the perfect size for little hands to work on those visual-perceptual and matching skills!
DINOSAUR INSET PUZZLE
This puzzle is a favorite among all of our dinosaur fans. If your child doesnât love puzzles, but does love dinosaurs, this is a great way to add one of their favorite things to a non-preferred learning activity.
FARM INSET PUZZLE
This puzzle is great for introducing animal sounds while you also work on scanning, fine motor, and matching skills!
VEHICLE INSET PUZZLE
This is another great option for adding in teaching of environmental sounds and motor imitation.
MAGNA-TILES STARTER SET
These are by far one our favorite toys at the center, but can be pretty pricey. If youâre not sure if your child will love them, we recommend starting with the 32-piece set. There are so many things you can do with Magna-tiles, one of which is working on requests and discrimination. Hold up 2 different colored triangles, and encourage your child to ask for their next piece by naming the color and shape!
COLOR SORTING SET
This sorting set also provides opportunities for pretend play, while also helping you teach your child to discriminate between similar looking foods.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
NO HOLE RUBBER TUB TOYS
These toys are fantastic for teaching nouns, motor imitation, animal sounds, and expanding play skills! The added bonus? They're toddler friendly, AND no holes, so they can be soaked and played with in water without worrying about mold!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
BABY DOLL WITH CRADLE
Have fun with motor imitation and imaginative play, rocking the baby, giving her a bottle, and putting her to sleep!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
PULL-BACK VEHICLES
Teach about community helpers while expanding play through motor imitation with these fun, toddler-safe pull-back cars. Bonus? Start saying "ready, set..." each time you pull them back, and teach your child "GO!" when you let go and watch the vehicles zip around!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
CRASH PAD
Does your child need a safe spot to crash? We love taking turns crashing into this crash pad, especially when we're stuck inside on rainy days!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
BOUNCY ANIMAL HOPPER
This is a Behavior Place fave. These bouncy toys come in all different themes, so you can pick your child's favorite animal to bounce around on and get some of their wiggles out!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
MELISSA & DOUG LEARN TO PLAY PIANO
This piano is simple and effective when you want to practice cause and effect play and imitation skills.
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V-TECH LEARN AND SPIN AQUARIUM FOR FISH
A fun and simple cause and effect toy to keep your child engaged and strengthen those motor skills.
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PRESS AND GOÂ CARS
Does your kid love anything that goes? They they are going to love these press and go toys that target imitation skills, cause and effect play, and motor strength.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
CUBE CHAIR
It's not TECHNICALLY a toy, but it's a great option for flexible seating as your child grows. This chair has 3 seating options, plus the back and side support is helpful during mealtime.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
ICE CREAM COUNTING & SORTING SET
Practice stacking, matching, sorting, counting, patterns, or just play ice cream stand! This is one of our most loved toys at The Behavior Place.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
PEEKABOO LEARNING FARM
Kids love playing peekaboo with these little friends. Practice animal sounds and identifying animals while playing a fun game of peekaboo!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
SPIKE THE HEDGEHOG
This toy is perfect for strengthening fine motor skills and visual perceptual skills. Spike's colorful quills also help kids build color recognition, sorting, and counting skills!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
JUGGLING SCARVES
Does your child love to throw things, but you're tired of things breaking in your house or worried someone will get hurt? Juggling scarves are the perfect replacement! Your kid can throw them all they want!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
BIG BUBBLE WAND
No list would be complete without bubbles! You can never have too many, so we recommend this big box because spills happen.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
WOBBLE DISK/CLIMBING DOME
This rocking toy with a bowl shaped seat is perfect for kids who love to rock and spin. Flip it upside down, and now it's a perfect structure for climbing and jumping!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
SENSORY TENT
Creating a sensory-friendly area in your home can provide a safe space for your child to relax when they feel overwhelmed. Consider adding soft lighting, comfortable seating, and calming sensory items.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
SOFT LIGHTING
This light is the perfect additional to your child's sensory tent.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
WARMIES
These stuffed animals are perfect for snuggling in a sensory tent. Warm them up or cool them down. We especially love the Calico Cat with it's lavender scent.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
LIQUID MOTION BUBBLER
These are great sensory items to add to your sensory tent, especially if your child likes to watch things fall.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
STRETCHY STRINGS
Another sensory favorite!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
SILLY SLAPPERS
Kids love the texture and stickiness of these suction cup toys.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
HAMMOCK SWING
This is the perfect swing for kids who love to swing. This is a center favorite!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
SENSORY BODY SOCK
This is a must have.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
GIANT RING STACKER
The kids at the center LOVE this toy. Practice motor skills and color identification with this super big ring stacker.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
SHAPE SORTER
We've tried all the shape sorters out there, and this is the one that has lasted the longest with the fewest pieces lost.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
CASTLE NESTINGÂ CUPS
This is our favorite stacking and nesting cups. The kids love to build a giant castle tower and then knock it over!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
POTATO HEAD
Potato Heads are perfect for strengthening fine motor skills and engaging in pretend play. Put your Potato Head together and then make her lunch using your velcro cutting food!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
KINETIC SANDBOX
This is basically a ready made sensory bin. Kids love kinetic sand, and this kit comes with items to dig and play in the sand. The foldable case makes it easy to transport. This is a great shared activity to model and label actions during play.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
PEAPOD CHAIR
If your child loves hugs and squeezes, the Peapod is for you. Not only is it cozy, but it's surprisingly durable!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
STEPPING STONES
These are perfect for days when you're stuck inside and need to get moving! Create an obstacle course and work on those gross motor skills and color identification. These are durable enough to use outside too!
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BALANCE BEAM STEPPING STONES
If your child is ready for a challenge, add these balance beam stepping stones to your obstacle course!
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
PLAY MAT
Ditch the rugs and get something cushioned, durable, and easy to clean. These play mats are so worth it. Most styes have a busy side that can be used to learn shapes, colors, letters, and much more. The other side is typically less distracting, making it easy to accommodate your child's needs.
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
PIGGY BANK
This is one of our favorite early learner toys. Use it to teach colors, counting, fine motor skills, and following directions such as "put in."
Pro Tip:Â You have to teach "put in" before you can expect your child to help clean up their toys đ
THE BEHAVIOR PLACE FAVE AT ANY STAGE
POUND-A-BALL TOY
A more interactive version of the ball drop, this toy incorporates more motor skills and can be used to practice color identification and following directions.