Wooden toys are really great gift ideas. Check out this list of 10+ Top Wooden Toys For Kids Under 6, broken down by age group, for ideas of what to buy.
For more shopping help, check out all of our gift guides.
I’ve always heard really good things about wooden toys. I even remember that short-lived news story where Kourtney Kardashian started a mommy blog to talk about how she was solely buying wooden toys for her son. If you are a fan of wooden toys, you’re in luck. We have for you a round up of the 10+ Top Wooden Toys For Kids Under 6.
Don’t worry.
These toys don’t come with Kardashian price tags.
If you’re doing some holiday shopping, or just some shopping in general, and you need more help with ideas, you’re in luck. Check out Drugstore Divas’ Holiday Gift Guide. All of our shopping guides are at that link.
10+ Top Wooden Toys For Kids Under 6
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We made this list specifically with kids under 6 in mind because if we just said “wooden toys for kids,” it would be too broad. I mean, do you mean infants? Kids at heart? That was too confusing.
So I settled on toddlers, ages 12 months to 4, originally. But a lot of the items were 2 to 4, which fell into that. Sort of. And some were 3 to 6. Which was half in and half out of that range.
So, I broke this list into age groups: 0 to 2, 12-months and up, 18-months and up, 2 to 4, and 3 to 5. And that was, I was able to get in all the items I wanted to choose while still keeping this list organized.
Wooden Toys For Kids Ages 0 to 2
KiwiCo’s Panda Box
I was really trying to find a category to fit KiwiCo’s Panda Box into without making its own category, but I couldn’t. That’s because you’re able to put your due date in on the website and get a box tailed to your not-even-born-yet baby.
KiwiCo is an age-range based subscription box. Each month, you get toys, books, and other items shipped to your house. It’s a great gift. I’m not sure if every item in KiwiCo’s Panda Box is wooden, but it looks like it from what I’ve seen and from the box Michelle reviewed. Part of her review: “Three kids later, I’m just now learning about wooden toys. Yikes. Durable, non plastic? Yep sign me up.
“My 3 year old was over the moon excited to play once we opened the boxes. … My 1 year old tried to hulk stomp the toys before seeing his brother playing. The 1 year old sat down, watched his brother, then took a turn. Some of the toys were too advanced for him the first go around, but I was amazed watching his progression from just slamming the toy to actually trying to use it correctly.” See her full review here.
Wooden Toys For Kids Ages 12-months and up
Hape Shape Sorter Xylophone and Piano
Your kids will love this mostly wooden, buy partially metal, Hape Shape Sorter Xylophone and Piano. It’s seven pieces total, five wooden puzzle pieces, one baton, and a xylophone/piano base. Your kid can use the baton to play the xylophone’s keys.
But wait, there’s more. When your kid sorts the shapes correctly (which is great for hand-eye coordination) and pushes on them with their hands or the baton, they’re like piano keys and will play notes too.
The colors of the Hape Shape Sorter Xylophone and Piano are really vibrant, so your child will definitely keep going back to play it. There’s a small loop on the back to hold the baton in place, so it’ll be there whenever your child is ready to play.
The Hape Shape Sorter Xylophone and Piano was released earlier this month and is available at Target.
Top Bright Wooden Activity Cube
I’ll be very honest. Activity cubes always remind me of doctor’s office waiting rooms. But there’s a reason they’re there. They really hold a kid’s attention.
This Top Bright Wooden Activity Cube is great for kids 12-months and older. There are gears to twist, shapes to sort, a bead maze, and a clock to tell time. Sure, 1 is a little early to learn to tell time, but it will give your child familiarity with a clock face.
It’s made from natural wood, with polished edges, and non-toxic paint, so you can feel confident about your child playing with this wooden toy.
Hape Dante Push And Go
I absolutely love this Dante Push And Go by Hape. The cat is adorable. What I really love about him is that as your child pushes him, the “feet” roll. So if you’re trying to encourage your child to start walking, this toy helps with that.
Just show your child how Dante can roll across the table. As your child is rolling Dante, he or she will end up walking with Dante. And before you know it, your child will be walking without Dante too.
You can push Dante and he will roll on his own too, so that’s a fun way to play with this wooden toy as well.
Hape My First Block Set
This brand new Hape My First Block Set is an upgrade to the previous set, which only had 50 blocks. What’s really great about this set is the cardboard box has a plastic handle so you can easily carry the blocks either from room to room or from your house to grandma’s.
The plastic lid is actually a shape sorter too. The six different block shapes are up top, so your child can sort the blocks as he or she puts them away. That’s perfect for building problem solving skills.
The surfaces are non-toxic, and coated in a wear-resistant paint, so you don’t have to worry about them if your little one decides to use one as a teether (although I would really try to avoid that).
The only thing I don’t love about this set is the colors are pretty muted, especially when I compare them to the vibrant colors of the aforementioned Hape Shape Sorter Xylophone and Piano.
Wooden Toys For Kids Ages 18-months and up
Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker
A stacker set is my go-to second Christmas gift. By then, kids are generally close to age appropriate for the gift. I always buy the plastic version because until I was putting this round up together, I had no idea there was a wooden version. So from now on, this Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker will be my go-to gift.
This Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker has seven rings and then a round ball to go on top. That’s my favorite part. The round ball covers the top of the wooden dowel in the center of the toy, so at long as this is put away properly, you don’t have to worry about someone banging into an exposed stick.
EverEarth Jr. Ramp Racer
We have a wooden car toy later down the list for older kids, but this EverEarth Jr. Ramp Racer was designed for kids ages 18-months and older. The four wooden cars glide down the brightly colored track with a tiny push, making it really easy for young kids to play with.
What’s great is that the cars are made so there’s no right way or wrong way to put them on the track. So even if your child puts the car upside down, it’s still identical to the other side and will still roll down the track.
Wooden Toys For Kids Ages 2 to 4
Melissa & Doug 50 piece ABC/123 Block Set
I feel like everyone had some version of the ABC/123 Block Set. Pete actually has 1×1 wood and we were going to make a set for my nephews, but we only have pressure treated wood and that’s not safe for toys. So keep that in mind if you’re planning on making homemade wooden toys.
This block set comes with 50 pieces and each side has a letter, number, or image on it.
Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube
You can’t fit a square peg into a round hole, the saying goes. Kids who never played with this Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube will never understand what that means. So, for sake of the idiom, this is a great gift idea.
It’s also great because it comes with 12 easy-to-grip shapes. The shape sorting cube is great for developing problem solving skills, plus each piece is a way to help kids learn colors and shapes.
Colorful Shape Puzzle
This colorful shape puzzle has great reviews online because of how much the puzzle helps fine motor skills, plus color and shape recognition.
There are nine puzzle pieces, all with rounded edges, so you don’t have to worry about your child getting hurt from any of the pieces. Still, though, the recommended age is 2, not younger than that.
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pounding Bench
A pounding bench is definitely a classic toy. But this Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pounding Bench is a step up from the pounding benches of the past. This version is made with non-removable pegs, so there’s absolutely no chance of losing any of the pegs (unless you lose the entire bench itself).
The pegs have really cute smiley faces on them, so when your child is pounding down one, the peg on the other side will pop up smiling. Adorable.
Wooden Toys For Kids Ages 3 to 5
Melissa & Doug Take-Along Tool Kit
If daddy or mommy has a tool kit, there’s a good chance that their child will want to build things too. But kids under 6 and real tools might not be the best combination. To get kids ready for real tools, though, this wooden Melissa & Doug Take-Along Tool Kit is perfect.
It’s a 24-piece pretend tool kit, filled with a play hammer, wrench, screwdriver, wooden nails, screws, nuts, and bolts. The child can carry it to the garage (or wherever the grown up tools are) and work side-by-side.
Melissa & Doug Car Carrier
This Melissa & Doug Car Carrier is actually for ages 3 to 6, not just 3 to 5, but I didn’t want to make an additional category just for that. I did have to add it, though, because it’s one of my favorite toys on the list.
The wooden car carrier comes with a truck and four colorful cars. The truck can lower so it’s only one level, which is fun — and great for fine motor skills. And there are tracks on the truck that the cars fit directly into, so they don’t fall off, so that’s great for hand-eye coordination.
Melissa & Doug Fruit Cutting Set
It’s great if your kids want to help you in the kitchen. But young kids and knifes aren’t the best pair. So, while you’re chopping veggies for dinner, bring out this Melissa & Doug Fruit Cutting Set for your kids.
There are magnets holding the fruit slices together, so when they get “cut” with the wooden “knife,” they break into sections. That’s so cute.
Purchase Wooden Toys Online:
Of course, these aren’t all the wooden toys out there. We had to leave a bunch off the list, like the Personalized Puzzle Name Board above.
For more wooden toys, check out the online stores below:
Be mindful of a store’s minimum cart total to qualify for free shipping. Also, consider instore or curbside pickup to avoid shipping charges.
More Kids Toys To Gift:
If you’re looking for more gift ideas for kids, check out our list of the Top 10+ LeapFrog Educational Toys To Gift.
Which of these Top Wooden Toys For Kids Under 6 is your favorite? Be sure to let us know in the comments.
Donna @ Modern on Monticello
Wednesday 2nd of December 2020
Wood toys were always the best and they last so much longer. Thanks for sharing this list.