15 Toys that Teach Manners - Instructional Fun for Kids
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Teaching manners can be a delightful journey when you have the right tools. In this engaging guide, we dive into 15 unique toys that not only entertain but also gently instill important social skills in children. Each suggested activity fosters understanding and practice of polite behaviors, making learning feel like play.
Our Top 5 Picks
Good Manners Flash Cards for Kids
Our Rank:
eeBoo's Good Manners Conversation Flash Cards are a delightful and engaging way to teach our little ones about polite behavior! With charming illustrations of friendly pigs, these cards prompt meaningful conversations about various social situations while offering thoughtful suggestions for responses. As parents and educators, we love that these cards help children develop vital communication and emotional intelligence skills, setting a strong foundation for positive social interactions. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Good Manners Flash Cards for Kids include charming illustrations of friendly pigs, making conversations about polite behavior feel fun and engaging for our little ones.
Laugh & Learn Sweet Manners Tea Set
Our Rank:
Fisher-Price Toddler Toy Laugh & Learn Sweet Manners Tea Set is an enchanting way to introduce our little ones to the joys of sharing and social play. This delightful interactive tea set not only entertains with its magical light-up teapot but also engages our toddlers in important learning through music, lights, and charming phrases. As they pour, mix, and serve, they're exploring colors, shapes, and counting—all essential skills for their growth! 18 months - 3 years
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Why we love it:
Laugh & Learn Sweet Manners Tea Set features a magical light-up teapot that makes every tea party a vibrant learning adventure in sharing and social play.
Learning Resources Teaching Telephone: Talk and Learn Fun!
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Learning Resources Teaching Telephone is the perfect tool for nurturing your child's budding communication skills! With pre-recorded greetings and a realistic ring, this engaging toy makes learning how to call home or dial emergency services an exciting adventure. As parents and educators, we appreciate how the extra-large buttons support fine motor skills while developing language and memory abilities. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Learning Resources Teaching Telephone features pre-recorded greetings, turning every call into an adventure while teaching your child essential communication skills without the risk of actual phone bills!
Dressing Skills Made Fun
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The Educational Insights Dressing Skills Bean Bags are a delightful way to teach toddlers essential dressing skills! Ideal for children ages 4 and up, these engaging bean bags introduce common clothing fasteners while building fine motor skills crucial for independence and everyday tasks. Parents and educators alike will appreciate how these hands-on learning tools make mastering shoe tying and other life skills a breeze! 4+ years
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Why we love it:
Dressing Skills Made Fun are filled with engaging bean bags that introduce common clothing fasteners to little hands. Teaching kids to master shoe tying and other essential dressing skills has never been this enjoyable or hands-on! Plus, it’s a fantastic way to sneak in some fine motor practice while giggles abound, making the sometimes-tedious task of getting dressed feel like an exciting game instead.
Order Up: Dive into Fun Learning!
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Order Up Fish Market Card Game is not just a delightful way to spend time with family; it's also a lively blend of cooperation and quick thinking that helps children develop important skills like teamwork and hand-eye coordination. As our kids flip cards and toss electronic fish, they’ll enhance their ability to communicate with peers while navigating the delightful chaos of filling fish orders. With levels that gradually increase in difficulty, this game challenges them to improve and adapt, all while making it a memorable experience. 8+ years
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Why we love it:
Order Up: Dive into Fun Learning! features lively card flipping and electronic fish tossing, turning family game night into a chaotic yet educational adventure that sharpens essential skills.
Learn to Dress Doll: Fun Skills Practice!
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Children's Factory Learn to Dress Doll is a fantastic tool for nurturing practical dressing skills in toddlers! This delightful doll encourages children to zip, snap, button, lace, and buckle, all while having fun. It’s perfect for building independence and confidence in young learners aged 3-5, helping them master essential tasks just like on a busy board. 3-5 years
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Why we love it:
Learn to Dress Doll features soft, durable materials that invite little hands to practice zipping, snapping, and buttoning, making learning essential dressing skills feel like a fun adventure.
Learn About Feelings Set for Kids
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The hand2mind Learn About Feelings Set is a wonderful resource for fostering emotional intelligence in children. Designed to help kids navigate their feelings and develop social skills, this set makes learning about emotions both fun and engaging. As parents and educators, we recognize the importance of helping children identify their own emotions and empathize with others—laying the groundwork for healthy relationships and self-management. 4-10 years
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Why we love it:
Learn About Feelings Set for Kids includes engaging activities that turn emotional exploration into fun adventures, making it easier for children to understand themselves and others.
Little People Schoolhouse Adventure Awaits!
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Fisher-Price Little People Toddler Toy Friendly School Musical Playset with Figures for Pretend Play is the perfect introduction to an imaginative world of learning and friendship! We love how this interactive playset brings educational songs and sounds to life. With discovery buttons to press, kids can explore melodies while enhancing their fine motor skills through engaging elements like a working teeter-totter and a real metal bell. 1-5 years
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Why we love it:
Little People Schoolhouse Adventure Awaits! includes engaging discovery buttons that spark curiosity and creativity, transforming playtime into a delightful learning experience.
Dress-Up Fun for Little Learners
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The Playskool Dressy Kids Doll with Brown Hair and Hat is an engaging way for toddlers ages 2 and up to master everyday skills. This delightful plush toy introduces essential dressing techniques such as zipping, buttoning, and tying shoelaces in a playful manner, enhancing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and self-sufficiency. With diverse options to choose from, kids can see themselves in their play, making learning personal and meaningful. 2+ years
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Why we love it:
Dress-Up Fun for Little Learners features essential dressing techniques like zipping and buttoning, turning everyday skills into delightful playtime, all while boosting independence in little ones.
Explore Learning with the Talk & Teach Bus
Our Rank:
The Learning Journey: Talk & Teach Bus is an engaging way to introduce your little ones to the exciting world of letters, shapes, and transportation! As parents and educators, we know the importance of hands-on learning, and this award-winning toy promotes essential listening and visual skills while stimulating tactile and motor skill development. Your kids will love the interactive fun it provides, nurturing their natural curiosity and enhancing their action/reaction abilities. 2-5 years
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Why we love it:
Talk & Teach Bus offers an interactive platform for little ones to explore letters and shapes, turning learning into a delightful ride through education.
Laugh & Learn Sweet Manners Tea Set
Our Rank:
The Fisher-Price Toddler Toy Laugh & Learn Sweet Manners Tea Set is an enchanting way for your little ones to explore the world of pretend play while building crucial life skills! With its magical light-up teapot and over 30 interactive songs and phrases, this delightful tea set not only promotes sharing and manners but also introduces counting, colors, and shapes through fun activities. As parents and educators, we cherish how this toy sparks communication and imaginative role-play, providing endless opportunities for toddlers to engage and learn while having a blast. 18-36 months
Develops skills:
Why we love it:
Laugh & Learn Sweet Manners Tea Set features a magical light-up teapot that promotes sharing and manners while making learning about colors and counting an enchanting tea party experience.
Social Skills Board Games for Kids
Our Rank:
Junior Learning Social Skills Board Games are not just games; they are gateways to developing essential interpersonal skills! As parents and educators, we know how crucial it is for our little ones to grasp concepts like empathy, friendship, and manners early on. With four versatile board games that incorporate action and sentence-building, children aged 5-8 can engage in fun, interactive play that aligns seamlessly with their emotional development. 5-8 years
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Why we love it:
Social Skills Board Games for Kids includes four interactive games that make learning empathy and manners feel like a fun adventure, paving the way for valuable friendships.
Telly Jr. Teaching Time Clock Fun!
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Telly Jr. Teaching Time Clock is the ultimate companion for our little learners as they embark on the exciting journey of telling time! This delightful clock combines the magic of play with essential skills development, teaching kids to read both analog and digital formats through engaging modes. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Telly Jr. Teaching Time Clock features both analog and digital modes that transform learning to tell time into an exciting adventure, making milestones feel like playtime.
VTech Magic Star Learning Table Fun
Our Rank:
The VTech Magic Star Learning Table is a delightful educational toy that keeps our little ones engaged and learning! With engaging bilingual activities in both English and Spanish, kids are encouraged to explore new concepts while developing essential skills. As our toddlers turn the steering wheel to drive the bear, flip through nursery rhyme pages, and press light-up buttons, they enhance their fine motor skills and cognitive abilities—all while having a blast! 6-36 months
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Why we love it:
VTech Magic Star Learning Table features engaging bilingual activities that inspire our kiddos to explore while enhancing their skills in a fun, interactive way.
Feelings Bean Bags for Little Learners
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Educational Insights My Feelings Bean Bags are a fantastic tool for social emotional learning, tailored for kids aged 3 and up. These engaging, tactile bean bags not only help children identify and express their emotions but also promote fine motor skills and sensory awareness through playful interactions. As a parent and educator, we can appreciate how these colorful, textured toys create a fun yet calming environment, facilitating communication and emotional regulation in our little ones. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Feelings Bean Bags for Little Learners help kids identify and express their emotions through playful, tactile interactions, making tough feelings a little easier to talk about.
Enhance Communication with Ms. Rachel's Learning Phone
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Ms. Rachel Official Electronic Talk with Me Learning Phone is the perfect companion for our little ones as they embark on their communication journey! We’ve seen how this delightful toy sparks conversations and boosts verbal skills in young children, making learning both fun and interactive. 1-3+ years
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Why we love it:
Enhance Communication with Ms. Rachel's Learning Phone introduces greetings and phrases, turning every chat into a delightful dialogue that nurtures conversational confidence in our little ones.
Teach My Preschooler Learning Kit
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Teach My Preschooler Learning Kit is the ultimate all-in-one educational resource designed for children aged 3 and up. This engaging tool not only fosters reading, writing, and math skills, but also supports screen-free learning through delightful hands-on activities that make education feel like play. With over 70 pieces, including fun flashcards and a magic drawing board, we can easily guide our little learners through their preschool readiness journey, promoting essential cognitive and motor skills along the way. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Teach My Preschooler Learning Kit includes over 70 engaging pieces that make education feel like play, turning every learning moment into a fun adventure for our little ones.
Social Skills Board Games for Learning Fun
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Didax 500063 Social Skills Group Activities are a fantastic way to engage our elementary-aged kids in important social skill development. These six entertaining board games are designed to promote teamwork, communication, and emotional intelligence in a fun, interactive setting. As we watch our children collaborate and learn from each other, we’re not just having fun, we're investing in their ability to navigate social situations confidently. Elementary
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Why we love it:
Social Skills Board Games for Learning Fun includes six entertaining games that make mastering social situations feel like a joyful team adventure—because why shouldn’t learning be this much fun?
Phoneme Phone for Speech Mastery
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The hand2mind Phoneme Phone is a fantastic tool designed to transform how our little ones experience speech development. As parents and educators, we know how vital phonemic awareness is for effective communication, and this innovative toy amplifies their voice, ensuring they hear every sound clearly. Perfect for all ages, this engaging device not only aids in speech therapy and literacy but also sparks joy in learning through pretend play. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Phoneme Phone for Speech Mastery amplifies kids' voices, turning speech practice into a playful experience that makes learning to communicate fun and engaging.
Engaging ABC Learning Apple
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The VTech ABC Learning Apple is the perfect educational companion for our little learners aged 2 to 5. This vibrant toy introduces preschoolers to letters, phonics, and even time concepts through interactive activities that make learning fun and exciting. With eight engaging learning activities and seven play modes, our kids will be challenged at just the right level while enhancing their memory and spelling skills. 2-5 years
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Why we love it:
Engaging ABC Learning Apple features eight interactive activities that make learning letters and phonics feel like playtime, transforming early education into a delightful discovery journey.
Engage Learning with Jolly Helpers Puppets
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Melissa & Doug Jolly Helpers Hand Puppets are the perfect blend of fun and education! With a vibrant set that includes a construction worker, doctor, police officer, and firefighter, these puppets invite children into imaginative role-play while fostering essential motor skills and hand-eye coordination. As parents and educators, we know the magic of storytelling; these puppets encourage communication and self-expression, all while snuggling up for cuddles. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Engage Learning with Jolly Helpers Puppets includes a vibrant set of characters that spark storytelling and creative role-play while encouraging essential communication and motor skills.
Engaging Learning with Little People School Bus
Our Rank:
Fisher-Price Little People Toddler Toy Big Yellow School Bus & Community Heroes Set is a delightful journey into the world of early education! We love how this extra-large musical pull-along vehicle not only sparks our little ones' imaginations but also introduces them to important concepts like the alphabet, counting, and shapes. With three Smart Stages learning levels and over 40 songs, sounds, and phrases, there's always something new for our toddlers to explore. 1-5 years
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Why we love it:
Engaging Learning with Little People School Bus features over 40 songs and sounds, making early education feel like a fun road trip filled with learning and adventure.
Say-a-Sound Sorting Sharks for Phonemic Fun
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The Learning Resources Say-a-Sound Sorting Sharks are a delightful way to engage children in phonemic awareness! Perfect for little learners, this educational toy helps kids sort picture cards to match them with their corresponding sounds, laying the groundwork for strong reading skills. With bright color-coded cards covering all 44 English phonemes, it’s not just fun; it’s a dynamic tool for parents and educators to foster literacy, support speech therapy, and encourage active learning in the classroom or at home. Preschool
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Why we love it:
Say-a-Sound Sorting Sharks for Phonemic Fun features bright color-coded cards that make learning sounds a splashy adventure, turning literacy into a playful experience for little learners.
Engage Kids with the Telling Time Basics Kit
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Hand2Mind Telling Time Basics Center Kit is the perfect gateway for young learners to master the art of telling time! This delightful activity set not only features an innovative Number Line Clock that bridges the gap between numbers and time, but it also encourages collaborative learning in small groups. As educators and parents, we know that grasping the analog clock can be a challenge for kids, but with this fun manipulative set, they can practice and see the connections between minutes and hours, building their confidence and skills with every tick-tock! 5-8 years
Develops skills:
Why we love it:
Engage Kids with the Telling Time Basics Kit features an innovative Number Line Clock, making learning to tell time a fun, hands-on group experience that boosts confidence!
Interactive Vowel Team Learning Flash Cards
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The Trend Enterprises Vowels and Vowel Teams Skill Drill Flash Cards are a fun and engaging way to boost your child's reading skills! Ideal for kids aged 6 to 8, these 72 cards come packed with sound-it-out hints and sentence cues that make learning vowels a breeze. In our experience, using these cards not only enhances literacy but also builds confidence in young readers—perfect for educational settings or at-home practice. 6-8 years
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Why we love it:
Interactive Vowel Team Learning Flash Cards come with 72 cards packed with sound-it-out hints, turning reading practice into an exciting word adventure that boosts confidence along the way.
Feelings Learning Kit for Kids
Our Rank:
The Learning Resources Skill Builders Feelings Learning Kit is a fantastic way for young children to explore and express emotions! Packed with 24 vibrant feelings counters and 40 engaging workbook-style activities, this set encourages little ones to talk about their feelings while building vital social skills. Not only does it foster emotional intelligence, but it also supports the development of fine motor skills through play. Toddler
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Why we love it:
Feelings Learning Kit for Kids includes 24 vibrant feelings counters, making emotional exploration fun and interactive while helping little ones express themselves and build essential social skills.
Cuddly Tuxedo Companion for Learning
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The GUND Sebastian Tuxedo Kitten Plush Toy invites children aged 1 and up to embark on a journey of imaginative play and emotional development. With its soft, huggable design, this charming plush encourages nurturing behaviors and social interaction while teaching kids about empathy and care through pretend play. Plus, it's a great way to introduce young ones to the joys of responsibility, as they 'look after' their cuddly feline friend. 1+ years
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Why we love it:
Cuddly Tuxedo Companion for Learning features a soft, huggable design that teaches kids empathy through imaginative care—perfect for little ones ready to take on the role of responsible pet owner.
Fun Time Telephone: Learning Through Play
Our Rank:
Lights & Sounds Fun Time Telephone is a delightful blend of play and learning! As fellow parents, we know how crucial it is to stimulate our little ones' imaginations while also teaching them essential skills. This vibrant toy phone not only entertains with 15 unique sound effects and 8 catchy songs, but it also introduces numbers and animal names, helping our toddlers develop their language and cognitive skills through pretend play. 12+ months
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Why we love it:
Fun Time Telephone features 15 unique sound effects, making it a lively companion that turns learning about numbers and animals into an exciting adventure for little ones.
Imaginative Restaurant Play Set
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The Learning Resources Serve It Up! Play Restaurant set is a delightful way for kids aged 3 and up to dive into the world of pretend play! Packed with 35 pieces showcasing breakfast and dinner favorites, this set sparks imagination while introducing valuable lessons in restaurant etiquette, counting, and social skills. 3+ years
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Why we love it:
Imaginative Restaurant Play Set includes 35 pieces that transform any room into a bustling eatery, making learning about sharing and serving deliciously fun!
Match It! Head to Tail Animal Puzzles
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The Learning Journey: Match It! Head to Tail introduces young explorers to the fascinating animal kingdom through engaging puzzles. Designed for children ages 3 to 6, this set encourages observational skills as little ones find and connect matching animal heads and tails. 3-6 years
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Why we love it:
Match It! Head to Tail Animal Puzzles includes self-correcting pieces that turn learning into a playful adventure, making vocabulary and animal knowledge stick like glue.