For little kids, toys are essential to growth, learning, and development. When you choose toys for children, make sure you select some active toys along with ABC books and cuddly toys for pretend play. Active toys for children help build motor skills and encourage kids to get their daily dose of physical activity. Many of these top toy picks can be used indoors or out.
1. 1-2-3 Stomp
If your family loves Animal Scramble (compare prices) or Hyper Dash (compare prices), check out the latest offering from Wild Planet. 1-2-3 Stomp promotes both physical play and counting/pre-math skills. When the game asks "What comes after 5?", kids must grab the number 6 and return it to the game's base to score. Includes 4 different games.
2. Curious George Hide and Seek at the Zoo
This cute game, featuring everyone's favorite curious monkey, encourages players to play a quick round of hide-and-seek during the course of play. It's an unexpectedly active twist to a normally sedentary activity. Plus, kids can use the included walkie-talkie and animal masks for active pretend play even without the board game.
3. ALEX Beanbag Toss-n-Tote
Spread out the colorful, 3' by 3' mat indoors or out for a simple game of beanbag toss. Four beanbags are included in the attached, zippered bag. Flip the mat over for a second game called "Feed the Fish."
6. Giraffalaff Limbo
Here's a fun new take on the classic how-low-can-you-go? party game. This battery-operated game requires only two players (but more can join in!). Spin the dial to try one of the six limbo styles: classic, crabwalk, crawl, giraffe walk, forward, or backward. Sneak under without knocking down the giraffe—but if you can't, no worries. He'll just laugh, and your child will too.
7. Leapfrog Zippity Learning System
Zippity is an interactive, TV-based system featuring Disney characters. Its games encourage kids to run, dance, jump, and move, while the "bopper" and mat record their efforts and cue responses from favorite characters. Games are designed to teach skills such as letters, numbers, colors, and so on. The system comes with eight games, each with two skill levels; additional games are also available for purchase.
10. Rody Horse
Young children can rock, bounce, and move on this clever, inflatable horse--and as they grow, you can add more air to make the horse bigger. Rody comes in many bright colors and is made of a soft, sturdy, latex-free vinyl. Supply your own hand or foot pump. You can also buy a base to turn Rody into a traditional rocking horse.












