Baby Toys That Develop Manipulative Skills
Manipulative toys play essential role in developing dexterity, cause & effect, fine motor and large motor skills for children. Manipulative toys for infants promote squeezing, grasping, reaching, pinching skills that can be used in everyday life, not only playing. Manipulative toys for preschool kids involve further development of their hands needed for drawing, writing, sculpting, lacing and other important for learning skills. Manipulative toys for grade school kids bring more complex building and crafting projects, higher level of difficulty puzzles and brain teasers, that will bring creative satisfaction from accomplishment to the children. Educational Toys Planet offers various unique peg mosaics, lacing sets, construction toys, educational puzzles, stacking & nesting toys to develop, promote and refine the vital manipulative skills.
35 Best Toys That Develop Baby Manipulative Skills
Are you a parent looking to give your baby a strong start in life? Early education is key to the development of young minds and with the right tools, you can help your baby reach their full potential. To make it easier for you, we have put together a comprehensive list of the 35 best toys that help develop baby manipulative skills – from sensory exploration to fine motor skills. Keep reading to discover the perfect toy for your little one.
-
-
Fine Motor Skill Building Toys
This hedgehog toy has chunky peg pieces that help children develop their fine motor skills. The toy can also be used for occupational therapy.What we like: This toy is ideal for parents wanting to help foster their toddlers fine motor skills and manipulative abilities.
-
Montessori Busy Board Toys
This is a busy board toy designed for use by toddlers and preschoolers. It helps to develop manipulative skills and encourages independent play. The toy is made from wood and has different activities and features to keep children entertained.What we like: This busy board is the perfect way to foster baby’s fine motor skills and life skills in a fun and educational way!
-
STEAM Educational Linking Toy Set
This toy is designed to help children develop manipulative skills, counting skills, and color recognition and sorting skills. The toy is made of flexible plastic and consists of 240 C-clips hooks and chains links. Children can use the hooks and chains to connect the numbered elephants and practice counting. The toy is also a fun way for children to learn to visualize quantities.What we like: This product combines fun and learning, allowing parents to give their children the opportunity to practice counting and color recognition at an early age.
-
TOYPIX Color Sorting Birdhouse
This toy is a great gift for children ages three to four that combines fun with developing fine motor, sensory, and cognitive skills. The toy consists of a birdhouse with different colored slots and a set of tweezers. Children must match the colored tweezers to the correct slot in the birdhouse in order to release the bird. This toy is perfect for stimulating development in these areas.What we like:
-
Noodle Knockout Fine Motor Game
This product is a game that helps to build fine motor skills in babies. The game comes with a lot of noodles that the baby needs to snag and put into knock out bowls of ramen. This will help to improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. The game can be played alone or with a group.What we like: This game is perfect for parents looking to start teaching their children early, as it helps build fine motor skills and manipulative abilities.
-
1. What types of toys help develop baby manipulative skills?
Answer: Toys that help develop baby manipulative skills include stacking toys, nesting toys, shape sorters, and soft building blocks.
2. At what age can babies start playing with manipulative toys?
Answer: Babies can start playing with manipulative toys from around 6 months old.
3. What are the benefits of manipulative toys for babies?
Answer: Manipulative toys help babies with the development of their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem solving. They also help babies learn about cause and effect, shapes, colors, and sizes.
4. How do manipulative toys help with cognitive development?
Answer: Manipulative toys help babies learn how to think logically and solve problems. They also help to develop their language skills by allowing them to experiment with different words and sounds.
5. What are some examples of manipulative toys?
Answer: Examples of manipulative toys include stacking toys, nesting toys, shape sorters, soft building blocks, balls, and puzzles.
-
Mushroom Button Art Toys
This text recommends creative fun toys to help babies develop manipulative skills. The recommended toys are a mushroom nails set that match and snap to illustrated pattern cards, and a button art toy set. These toys allow for babies to create their own unique designs.What we like: This product helps develop tactile and creative skills in young children, making it a great educational toy for parents to give their toddlers.
-
VARANO Educational Busy Board
This busytoy is designed to help children aged 1-4 years old develop their manipulative skills. It is a great sensory toy that encourages independent play, and is perfect for travel.What we like: This activity board helps to foster independence, creativity and problem solving skills in toddlers.
-
Disney Wooden Balance Blocks Set
Just Play’s Toy Story Balance Blocks are a great way to help develop baby’s manipulative skills. These blocks are made out of wood and feature characters from the Toy Story movie. They come in a set of 17 pieces, and include Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, and Rex. These blocks are a great Christmas gift, birthday present, or just a surprise for a Toy Story fan.What we like: This set is the perfect way to help your child develop important manipulative skills while having fun with beloved characters.
-
Toddler Educational Blocks
Parents who want to educate their baby early about manipulating skills can buy toys like the pegboard Montessori toy, which helps with hand-eye coordination and strengthens the pincer grasp. There are also Toddler Educational Toys like the Sensory Stacking Fine Motor Skills Educational Blocks and the 32pc Peg Kids Learning Games, which are perfect for children aged 24 months to 3-4 years old.What we like: These Skoolzy Montessori Toys are perfect for giving your toddler the gift of early education!
-
Busy Board: Toddler Learning Toy
The Activity Learning Board is made of felt and has soft edges. The board is uniquely designed with colorful primary bold colors to appeal to any child. The Busy Board for Toddlers 1-6 is a Montessori Sensory Toy for Develop Basic Skills, Dress and Alphabet Spell Cognition. The toy has a latch buckle that helps with learning games. The Great Airplane and Carseat Travel Gift for Boys and Girls is a great gift for parents who want to educate their baby early.What we like: This Busy Board is made of soft and safe materials, perfect for developing your baby’s basic skills in a fun, interactive way!
-
Doubletoys Busy Books: Learn & Grow
The text explains that busy books are toys that help to develop baby’s manipulative skills. The book is strong and durable, preventing small hand injuries. The book is also thick, making it difficult to bend or deform. The book is designed for boys and girls and helps to develop fine motor skills.What we like: This Busy Book Learning Toy is made of double-thickened strong and durable material to prevent small hand injury, allowing parents to confidently educate their babies early while developing their fine motor skills.
-
Montessori Car Lock Set
These toy cars help to develop baby’s manipulative skills. The locks are numbered, and the keys match the numbers on the locks. This helps teach babies counting and basic math skills.What we like: This Montessori Educational Toy set is perfect for developing early number recognition, motor skills and counting abilities in babies aged 6 months to 4 years old.
-
PicassoTiles STEM Building Blocks
The PicassoTiles PTB120 pcs Bristle Shape 3D Interlocking Building Blocks Accessories Tiles Construction Toy Set is designed to help children improve their manipulative skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem solving abilities. The blocks are easy to connect and disconnect, making it more fun and creative to build different designs.What we like: PicassoTiles PTB120 pcs Bristle Shape 3D Interlocking Building Blocks Accessories Tiles Construction Toy Set offers parents an easy and fun way to develop their baby’s manipulative skills.
-
Busy Board Toddler Backpack
This backpack contains a variety of toys that help toddlers develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem solving skills. The Math Busy Board is especially helpful in teaching children basic life skills such as tying shoes. This backpack is ideal for children aged 12 months and up, and would make an excellent gift for a new parent.What we like:
-
Wooden Spelling Blocks Set
This text recommends several different toys that can help develop a baby’s manipulative skills. These include a wood tray with rotating blocks, movable blocks with letter words, and sight word flashcards. All of these toys can help improve a baby’s reading and spelling skills.What we like: This product is ideal for teaching young children basic language skills in a fun and creative way.
-
Mom’s Priority City Blocks
This text provides information on why parents should choose toys that develop baby’s manipulative skills. According to the text, these skills are important for independence and development, which is why parents should choose toys that will help their children practice these skills. Some examples of such toys are wooden building blocks and stacking preschool learning educational toys.What we like: This Wooden Building Blocks Set is perfect for parents who want to provide early education for their 3 year old and develops manipulative skills at the same time.
-
Multi Sensory Play Toys
The text describes toys that help develop baby’s skills such as manipulating objects and sensory perception. These toys include silicone ropes, buttons, and other objects that can be pressed and pushed. These toys keep baby occupied for hours, which in turn helps develop their motor skills and sensory perception.What we like: This product provides an ideal setting for your baby to engage in fun, multi-sensory play that helps cultivate physical development.
-
World of Eric Carle Colors Flash Cards 79ct
This product is a set of flashcards that helps teach babies colors and color words. The cards are durable for easy use and can be placed on walls or used in centers. The text is available in both English and Spanish.What we like: This set of colorful bilingual cards provide an engaging way to teach your baby both English and Spanish words for colors.
-
TOP BRIGHT Montessori Toy Set
The text recommends toys that help develop fine motor skills in toddlers. These include things like grasping and reaching, as well as tasks such as picking up small objects or manipulating magnets.What we like: This toy is perfect for developing fine motor skills and sensory learning in 2–3 year old toddlers!
-
Fine Motor Skill Builder Toys
This text recommends a toy that helps toddlers develop their fine motor skills. The toy is a set of large plastic nuts and bolts that the child can screw and unscrew. The toy also comes with a drawstring backpack, which helps keep all of the pieces together. This toy is ideal for children aged 2 to 3 years old. It is also a great Montessori activity for kids.What we like: This product is perfect for parents looking to give their toddlers a headstart in developing fine motor skills!
-
SmartCube Fun Board Toy
This text recommends toys that can help babies develop manipulative skills. These include the 7 in 1 Cognitive Toy, Fidget toys for toddlers autism, sensory toys appropriate also to curious and autistic kids, and the Wooden interactive toy has 6 sides. The Toddler toys busy cube includes the Rapsrk Busy Board Fidget Cube Toy, the Busy Cube Travel Toys for Kids Baby, and the Wooden Activity Cube Educational Montessori Toys Learning Basic Life Skills Sensory Busy Board for Toddlers 4 5Year Old.What we like: This product is a great way to help parents educate their baby early, as it includes Wooden Activity Cubes that stimulate cognitive and manipulative skills.
-
Pop Tubes Sensory Toy 8pk
This text recommends bright-colored pop tubes as toys that can help children develop manipulative skills. The pop tubes are easy to connect together like lego blocks, giving children freedom to explore designs and applications of their own. The toys are recommended for children with ADHD or autism, as well as for preschoolers.What we like: This product is great for parents wanting to educate their baby early, as the bright coloured pop tubes are easy to connect together and help develop manipulative skills.
-
Rainbow ToyFrog Motor Skills Set
The text recommends toys that help develop baby’s manipulative skills as this can help with fine motor development and coordination.What we like: This set provides parents with an engaging, educational way to boost their baby’s development in fine motor skills and coordination.
-
Impresa Squeeze It Blocks
This text recommends toys that will help babies develop manipulative skills. The toys are made of foam and come in five colors. They are also recommended for use in the classroom.What we like: This fun and educational toy will help develop your baby’s manipulative skills while they enjoy hours of creative play.
-
Montessori Math Pegs: Counting & Manipulating
This toy teaches babies how to count and manipulate numbers. The Montessori approach recognizes that a child’s potential for learning is greatest when provided with tactile multisensory tools, and the Counting Peg Board is a perfect example of this. The toy helps children learn how to count and understand numbers, while also improving their manipulative skills.What we like: This Counting Peg Board is a great tool for using the Montessori approach to help teach numbers and counting in an interactive way.
-
Dinosaur Forest Busy Board
The Busy Board has been redesigned with more interesting designs and colors to make it more fun for babies. It helps develop fine motor skills and is ideal for autistic children.What we like: This Busy Board is the perfect educational toy for parents who want to give their babies and toddlers an early education that features playful forest elements.
-
Coogam Alphabet Tracing Board
This toy is designed to help promote fine motor control in kids and help them learn how to write the alphabet. The board is compact and good for travel, and the letters are made of wood for a more tactile experience.What we like: This convenient and compact size makes it perfect for on the go learning, allowing parents to continue their baby’s early education anywhere!
-
Green Foam Sensory Board
This toy is designed to help kids develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem solving skills. Kids will love playing with this toy as they learn.What we like: This engaging development toy encourages toddlers to explore and learn, while helping to develop important fine motor skills.
-
Classic Sorting Stacking Learning Toy
The Play Brainy peg toy set is a classic Montessori style toddler’s learning toy for children ages 3-5 that helps them learn colors and matching skills. The toy comes with 30 colorful pegs in a rainbow of colors, as well as a stacking board. Children can match the colors on the board, or practice their sorting skills by stacking the pegs in different colors.What we like: This Play Brainy peg toy set is great for encouraging color-recognition and matching skills in a fun, Montessori style way!
-
TOMYOU STEM Building Blocks Set
The text recommends the TOMYOU 32 pcs Shapes Nuts and Bolts Stacking Toys as an educational toy for toddlers. The toy can be used to introduce math and spatial reasoning skills to toddlers. Additionally, the toy can help to improve construction fine motor skills.What we like: This set of educational toys is perfect for developing a baby’s manipulative skills.
-
Magnetic Building Blocks: STEM Learning & Education
Building toys that progressively increase in difficulty can provide endless building fun for all ages. These toys help children learn about colors and STEM concepts while they explore and create. The Hiwawind Magnetic Blocks Toddlers Toys are a great example of a creative building toy.What we like: This Hiwawind Magnetic Blocks Toddlers Toy provides progressive building difficulty degree to give endless fun and exploration that help develop your child’s manipulative skills.
-
Magnetic Fishing Game Set
This magnetic fishing game is designed to help children develop their manipulative skills. The game comes with two wooden magnetic fishing poles, a wooden sorting box, and 26 pieces of wooden magnet fish. The sorting box helps teach children the alphabet and color sorting, while the fishing poles help children develop hand-eye coordination.What we like: This game is perfect for parents who want to teach their baby early as it develops both fine motor skills and letters cognition at the same time.
-
NeoRod STEM Counting Bears
This is a counting game that helps to develop baby’s manipulative skills. It includes bears in six colors, two jumbo tweezers, two dices, and 12 double-sided cards. The child matches the colors of the bears to the colors on the cards, and then uses the tweezers to pick up the bears and place them in the matching cups. This helps with color recognition and counting skills.What we like: This game set is perfect for parents who want to introduce their baby to educational activities while having fun!
-
beetoy Sensory Motor Pillowtoys
This text recommends the use of toys to help babies develop manipulative skills. One such toy is the snap button and beetoy sensory buckle pillow toy, which can keep toddlers occupied in a longer car or plane ride. Other recommended toys for toddlers aged 1-3 include the toddler travel toys for plane car, which help with basic life skills such as fine motor skills, and the baby quiet toys ideal gift for 12 months+, which help to develop sensory skills.What we like: This sensory buckle pillow toy is the perfect gift for curious 12 month+ toddlers, as it provides them with busy activities to develop their fine motor and basic life skills!
-
Brain Flakes 500-Piece STEM Toy
The VIAHART Brain Flakes 500 Piece Interlocking Plastic Disc Set is a toy that helps develop baby’s manipulative skills. It includes over 500 interconnecting discs and comes with a durable plastic jar for easy storage. Every set comes with an idea booklet with instructions to build a Brain Flakes ball. The discs are easy to connect and disconnect, making them a great stem toy for both boys and girls.What we like: This set offers a great opportunity for parents to teach their children cognitive and fine motor skills in an engaging and educational way.
Manipulative toys are those that require some interaction from the children playing with it. These types of toys not only stimulate a child’s development, but also helps them learn about different concepts and skills they will need later in life. While there can be many different types of manipulative toys, we wanted to focus on one specific group – building blocks and construction toys.
These types of toys are more than just basic blocks that you stack together. They are made to teach children more complex skills through play, while at the same time building various important skills in each child. These include dexterity, spatial reasoning, problem solving and creativity. While these are all pretty basic activities for adults, they can be a lot harder for a young child to do. However, through play and practice they will be able to do them with ease.
In addition to teaching children all of these important skills, many of the sets come with an instruction manual that shows you how to build various models using the pieces in the set. These instructions can teach a young child how to follow instructions, which they will also need to know later in life.
Although many parents look for toys that can help their children learn, too often they miss out on the manipulative toys. These types of toys are the best because they provide a wide range of skills and knowledge to children while still being fun for them to play with.
Manipulative toys are also known as manipulative materials, manipulative routines, manipulative games are also widely used in classrooms. These types of activities involve a range of materials that can be manipulated by a person or a group of people to create shapes, patterns and designs. There is an infinite number of different manipulative materials that one could use in their work because there are a variety of different materials to choose from.
Although it’s not required, these type of activities always start with some sort of stimulus such as music. Someone may be dancing, making designs on paper or drawing shapes with paints on the floor. All these things can provide the perfect prompt for someone to start manipulating one of the available manipulatives to make shapes or designs in response.
There are different types of manipulative materials that could be used in a classroom, such as:
– Tangles such as those made by Denes and Peter. These tangles consist of pieces of paper that have been folded and shaped into various ‘sticky’ shapes with some parts overlapping to make loops. They can be pulled apart and reformed into other shapes.
– Geoboards are used for creating designs or patterns on a flat surface. They consist of multiple rods that have beads strung on them in certain ways. By moving the beads, shapes can be created and then removed using another bead to slide along the rod.
– Linking cubes are made up of cubelets which are connected in a number of ways. The cubes can be moved to create a different design each time they are manipulated.
– Lacing activities involve stringing beads, shapes or other small items onto strings and twisting them together to make desired shapes.
– Pouring games involve using objects such as beads, beans or other small manipulatives for pouring and stacking.
– Pattern blocks are simple shapes with pieces that can be rotated or placed in certain positions to make a variety of designs, patterns and shapes. They were invented by Maria Montessori.
– Cuisenaire rods consist of flexible sticks that have been divided into units based on length. They can be put together to form different patterns and designs.
These are just a few examples of the different types of manipulative materials that can be used in artwork or activity-based learning. There are countless other kinds of materials available which could also be used such as modeling dough, chalks and markers, playdough and many other things. The key to using these activities effectively is to plan what materials will be used and in what ways they can be incorporated into a lesson beforehand.
The benefits of using manipulative toys in the classroom are immense because they allow students to develop skills such as creativity, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and teamwork while being actively engaged in an activity that interests them. They also have the added benefit of giving students a sense of pride in their work because they are given the opportunity to display their results. Manipulative toys can also be used group-wise or individually depending on what is needed and who is using them.
There are many different ways that manipulative toys could be incorporated into an activity, here are some examples:
– Designing patterns on paper
– Creating shapes with playdough
– Drawing semi-circles, quarter circles and other shapes
– Manipulating tangles to make desired designs
– Making patterns with linker cubes or pattern blocks
– Putting together puzzles of different geometric shapes
