15 Best Wooden Toys for Toddlers, Including Building Blocks, Puzzles, Play Food and More

Blocks are a great STEM toy for toddlers who are just starting to understand the concept of stacking objects (rather than just knocking them down). Goss recommends this popular set and emphasizes the plethora of learning opportunities wooden blocks like these provide. “They build fine motor skills, support creativity and problem-solving, and boost visual discrimination, patterning, and early math skills,” she explains.

The set contains 50 wooden blocks in various shapes (like arches, triangles and half ovals), allowing your little one to make towers, houses, bridges, mazes, and more. The set comes with a canvas bag for easy storage and cleanup. 

Another selling point: What to Expect (WTE) parents consistently recommend Hape, especially Montessori moms who rave about their quality. “Love them,” says one happy parent. It’s also a bit more affordable than other wooden block starter sets on the market made from solid wood, though staff members also swear by the Lovevery Block Set (with an original asking price of $90, it’s on the splurge-y side).

This Lovevery Montessori Rainbow Baby Toy is a beautiful wooden object to engage toddlers’ senses and spark their imagination. Each piece is crafted from solid wood and finished in non-toxic colors. Toddlers can explore stacking, nesting or lining up the pieces to develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness and utilizing their creative imaginations. This toy’s open-ended nature means there are endless ways to play — in our house, the pieces served as pretend stand-ins, like phones and shovels. It was well-loved until they were both in elementary school.

Price a bit too steep? I hear you — check out this similar alternative by Magnolia (also at Target!). 

For a fun twist on a timeless wooden toy, you really can’t go wrong with these wooden pull-along ducks from Tender Leaf Toys. This isn’t the exact toy, my youngest played with endlessly as a toddler, but it’s similar enough that I can vouch for the design as a whole and its ability to keep your little one entertained. What sets this pull-along toy apart is that the ducks (two babies and one mother) and three blue eggs are removable and can be enjoyed separately on their own. Made from smooth, durable wood with bright, non-toxic paint, it’s safe for everyday play indoors.

Another star by Hape,Goss recommends this high-quality wooden puzzle for toddlers because of the simple design and self-correcting nature of the matching colors on the board to the shapes themselves. “We love educational puzzles [like these] for so many reasons,” she says. “They build visual discrimination and fine motor skills; they help children recognize patterns. And, they boost attention and focus.”  

You can rest assured that this is free of non-toxic materials — it’s all crafted using sustainably sourced wood. Plus, the chunky design of the shapes are easy for young toddlers still working on their dexterity to grasp.

Perfect for your budding gearhead, this colorful assortment includes six chunky wooden cars that are easy for tiny hands to hold and push, further encouraging motor skill development. They’re also great for social play when shared with friends or siblings. 

Thanks to the sturdy wood base and smooth edges, these cars are as safe as they are fun. Each vehicle’s unique color and shape also make it visually interesting, so your tot is more likely to stay engaged with this set than with other wooden cars that aren’t as decorated.

This 17-piece wooden fruit set from Melissa & Doug lets toddlers “slice” through the fruits with an included toy knife — the sound of the Velcro coming apart is particularly fun for tots. With enough practice (and a few more years!), your little sous chef will soon be chopping up real food of their own. Your toddler will also learn to identify different produce items (like bananas, kiwis, strawberries, pears and more) while prepping and creating their own pretend dishes. The wooden crate serves as a cutting board, produce display area and storage. Just note the age range and remember not to purchase this for a younger child for their safety. 

Psst: Melissa & Doug offers other food groups to expand upon your little one’s current grocery haul, including a $28 crate that comes with bread, watermelon, carrot and other produce. 

It’s no secret that toddlers love to climb and explore. This sturdy, all-wood arch is designed for climbing, balancing and imaginative play, allowing exploration and movement safely. There are larger (more expensive) wooden climbing gyms with slides, ramps and Pikler triangles available, but if you’re looking for a quality starter piece, this one comes highly rated. Whether they’re using it as a mini bridge, tunnel or simply climbing up and over, it keeps active tots entertained. With smooth, natural wood and a durable design, this is a versatile piece that can be a playroom staple for years to come.

What’s better than introducing your budding Beethoven to a musical instrument? Five musical instruments, of course. Lili — part llama, part musical band — features a maraca “tail,” a xylophone “back,” a washboard “head,” two clacking “saddle blankets” and two mallets. Thanks to its bright pops of color and sleek wooden structure, this is one toy that you won’t want to ask your toddler to put away. (Until the headache kicks in, of course.) The wood finish is non-toxic to ensure that when your little one inevitably tries to chew on Lili’s tail, no harm is done.

Few brands are as universally loved by parents as Melissa & Doug. It even won Best Toy Brand in the 2024 Mom Must-Have Awards. “Anything Melissa and Doug is a hit in our house,” writes one WTE mom. Everything the company makes seems to be a hit with kids, including this fun alligator walking toy.

Parents rave about the cute design — the animal’s mouth opens and closes, and the toy makes a “clacking” noise as it moves — and its sturdy structure can withstand plenty of run-ins with the living room wall (and your couch and your feet) without toppling over.

Little ones get lots of entertainment out of the gators, too. “For the past few months, [my daughter] loooooved pushing that thing up and down the hallway!” says another WTE mom. Just be sure to note the age range on this toy — it’s not meant for children under 1 who cannot walk.

These toys are ubiquitous in pediatrician waiting rooms for good reason — they keep toddlers occupied and out of trouble! My boys had a Battat Farm Animals Wooden Activity Cube, and it was a playtime favorite for many years. They loved racing the beads around the maze, opening (and slamming) peek-a-boo doors and flipping the revolving tiles, keeping their hands busy and moving. The farm scene on the top of the cube has a wooden tractor and animals for some added imaginative play. It’s made with smooth, natural wood and has rounded corners for extra safety and peace of mind.

Happy parents report that their kids enjoy this cube, which they’ve placed on tabletops and directly on playroom floors without worry. As one WTE mom confirms, the Battat cube entertains little ones for “20 minutes straight.”

P.S. PlanToys's miniature punch-and-drop option ($40) is equally great but less noisy if you're looking for smaller activity cubes.

Tangrams are one of those rare activities that are just as much fun for adults as they are for toddlers. This HABA Funny Faces kit contains 21 wooden tiles in bright colors and patterns. Kids can build figures inspired by the included 20 template cards or create their own designs — you never know what your kiddo will design! Plus, it’s made with sustainably sourced beech wood, making it good for the environment, too. (Hence why eco-minded WTE parents frequently recommend the brand.) Note: A few of these pieces are small, so don’t give them to a child younger than 3 years old.

An introductory set designed for younger toddlers to enjoy, the BRIO My First Railway Beginner Pack includes everything you need to start your little one’s wooden train collection. It ticks all the boxes out of a good train toy: colorful tracks, a magnetic train and a cute bridge that is easy to assemble, encouraging independence. 

Constructed with high-quality, solid wood, the pieces are perfectly sized for small hands. As they grow, this set can be combined with other BRIO sets for bigger and better train play the more they learn how to use the set. Plus, train tracks are an amazing way to encourage social play with siblings and friends.

This Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorter is a classic toy for a reason — it’s a great way to introduce toddlers to colors, shapes and basic problem-solving. It features chunky shapes that are easy for little hands to grip, helping to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they learn to match up each piece to drop in the correct slot. The solid wood construction holds up well over time, and vibrant colors make each block visually engaging. 

You don’t get closer to the real deal than the Lalo Play Kitchen. A combination of birch plywood and solid beech wood, it’s super durable and designed to last for years — which is why it’s rated as one of the best play kitchens overall. Little hands will love exploring the three drawers, multiple wooden knob burners and a mini faucet and sink to clean their dishes. The best part? Parents say it assembles in five minutes fla — no tools required.

The obvious downside is the hefty up-front cost, but Lalo has earned an indisputable reputation for its quality toys.

For your little animal lover, this farm set from Melissa & Doug combines classic animal play with learning fun, making it a hit for toddlers and preschoolers alike. This wooden barn comes with 10 animal figurines and matching slots to sort each one by shape, helping build motor skills and shape recognition. The barn has a handle on top, so it’s easy to store all of the pieces inside and pack them up to take anywhere.