Best Toddler Toys in Australia (12–36 Months)
Quick answer: The best toddler toys build one of four things: gross motor skill (ride-ons, push walkers, balls), fine motor skill (shape sorters, puzzles, playdough, threading), language (pretend play props, books, small-world figures) or imagination (blocks, play kitchen, dress-ups). Five well-chosen toys covering all four beat twenty that do not. Budget $150–$400 in Australia for a complete set.
Key takeaways
- Sort by skill, not age. Most toddler toy lists are organised by birthday, which tells you nothing about what a toy actually does.
- Five toys covering four skills is a complete set. Anything beyond that is preference, not need.
- Pretend play is the language engine. Toys that let a toddler be someone build vocabulary faster than anything marketed as a learning toy.
- Rotate rather than accumulate. Six to eight toys visible at a time produces longer, deeper play than a full toy box.
- Open-ended beats single-outcome. A toy with one correct answer gets solved and abandoned; one with no correct answer lasts years.
Most toddler toy guides are lists sorted by age, which is not much help a toy suits a child because of what it asks them to do, not because of a number on the box.
This guide sorts differently. Everything below is grouped by the skill it builds, so you can look at what your toddler is working on and buy for that directly. It covers twelve to thirty-six months and sits inside our wider baby toys by age guide.
Why sorted by skill instead of age
Two toddlers the same age can be a year apart in any given skill. One walks at ten months and barely talks at two; another talks in sentences and is cautious on stairs. Both are entirely normal.
An age-sorted list assumes they need the same things. A skill-sorted one lets you buy for the child in front of you.
The four skills toddler toys build:
| Skill | What it covers | Signs to buy for it |
| Gross motor | Walking, climbing, balance, throwing | Climbing furniture, restless indoors, unsteady |
| Fine motor | Hands, fingers, precision, hand strength | Struggles with small objects, no pencil interest yet |
| Language | Vocabulary, listening, communication | Few words, frustrated at not being understood |
| Pretend / imagination | Symbolic thinking, narrative, empathy | Copying you, feeding dolls, talking to toys |
Most good toys build more than one. The best ones build three.
Gross motor toys
Toddlers need to move, and in most of Australia that can happen outdoors for most of the year.
Ride-on toys
Feet-on-the-ground ride-ons from around twelve to eighteen months. Both feet must sit flat on the ground when seated.
AU price: $40–$130.
Push walker wagons
For new and unsteady walkers. Look for a weighted or wide base so it does not shoot forward. Choose a push walker, not a sit-in wheeled walker Australian safety organisations including Kidsafe advise against the sit-in type due to fall and burn injury risk.
AU price: $50–$150.
Balance bikes
Generally from around two and a half, once walking and running are confident. Children who master a balance bike often skip training wheels entirely.
AU price: $80–$180.
Balls, and a low climbing frame
The cheapest gross motor toy there is, and among the most used. Throwing, kicking and catching develop across this whole window.
AU price: $5–$25 for balls; $150–$400 for a climbing frame.
Water and sand play
A water table, sandpit or a bucket of scoops. Given the Australian climate this runs most of the year in much of the country, and it builds gross and fine motor at once.
AU price: $20–$120.
Fine motor toys
This is the skill most Australian preschool programs assume, and the one most easily under-practised.
Shape sorters
Start with two or three shapes at twelve months and increase only when your toddler manages them easily. The ten-shape version at twelve months produces frustration, not learning.
AU price: $15–$40.
Stacking rings and stacking cups
Cups are the single best value toy of the toddler years. Around $10, and they stack, nest, hide things, go in the bath and survive being thrown.
AU price: $6–$35.
Chunky puzzles
Knob puzzles (4–6 pieces) at twelve to eighteen months, moving to simple jigsaws (6–12 pieces) closer to three. The knob is the point it forces a pincer grip.
AU price: $15–$35.
Playdough with tools
Hand strength, which is what pencil grip later depends on. Rolling, squashing, cutting.
AU price: $10–$40.
Threading beads and lacing cards
Bilateral coordination both hands working together on different jobs. Harder than it looks and genuinely valuable.
AU price: $10–$30.
Chunky crayons and mark making
From around eighteen months. A tripod grip develops gradually across the third year.
AU price: $10–$25.
Language toys
Worth being blunt about: the toys that build language are rarely the ones that talk.
Electronic toys that name colours and count aloud do very little. Language develops through back-and-forth interaction, and a toy that performs does not leave room for it.
Board books and flap books
The highest-value language purchase, by a wide margin. Shared reading at this age is strongly associated with later vocabulary, and flap books add the surprise that holds attention.
AU price: $10–$20 each.
Small-world figures animals, people, vehicles
These are conversation props. Naming, sorting, describing, then narrating. Specific vocabulary attaches to things a toddler cares about and sticks.
AU price: $20–$100.
Pretend play props
A toy phone, toy food, a doctor’s kit. Every pretend scenario is a script, and scripts are language.
AU price: $10–$60.
Simple musical instruments
Rhythm, listening and turn-taking — all of which underpin conversation.
AU price: $20–$60.
Pretend play and imagination toys
From around eighteen months, symbolic play takes over and becomes the dominant mode by two.
Play kitchen
High upfront cost, exceptional longevity — commonly still used at five or six. Check bench height against your child. You do not need the matching accessory sets; real kitchen items work as well or better.
AU price: $80–$300.
Blocks and magnetic tiles
The most open-ended toys available. Blocks from twelve months, magnetic tiles from around two. Both stay in use for four to five years.
AU price: $30–$200.
Dolls and soft toys
Nurturing play builds narrative, language and perspective-taking. Valuable for any toddler.
AU price: $20–$60.
Dress-ups and role play sets
From around two and a half. Buy generic over branded the story comes from the child, not the packaging, and licensed versions often cost three times as much for identical play.
AU price: $20–$60.
If you only buy five toys
A complete toddler set, covering all four skills, for around $150 at Australian budget pricing.
| Toy | Skills built | Budget AU price |
| Stacking cups | Fine motor, problem solving, pretend | $6 |
| Shape sorter (2–3 shapes) | Fine motor, problem solving | $15 |
| Wooden blocks | Fine motor, imagination, spatial | $30 |
| Ride-on or push walker | Gross motor | $50 |
| Board books (3–4) | Language | $40 |
Everything else is preference. That is not an exaggeration this set covers every developmental base for the entire twelve-to-thirty-six-month window.
Reverse lookup: what is this toy actually building?
Useful when someone gives you a toy and you are wondering where it fits.
| Toy | Gross motor | Fine motor | Language | Pretend |
| Stacking cups | ✅ | ✅ | ||
| Shape sorter | ✅ | |||
| Blocks | ✅ | ✅ | ||
| Magnetic tiles | ✅ | ✅ | ||
| Ride-on | ✅ | |||
| Push walker | ✅ | |||
| Board books | ✅ | |||
| Small-world figures | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Play kitchen | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Playdough | ✅ | ✅ | ||
| Balls | ✅ | |||
| Electronic learning tablet |
That last row is not a mistake.
How many toys does a toddler need?
Fewer than you own.
Six to eight accessible at a time, rotated every two to three weeks from a larger stored set. Store the rest out of sight, not out of the house — reintroduced toys get treated as new.
This is well supported: children with fewer toys available at once play longer with each one and play more creatively. If your toddler flits between toys and nothing holds them, an overloaded shelf is the most likely cause.
What to skip
| Toy | Why |
| Electronic learning tablets | Passive, short-lived, and build none of the four skills |
| Ten-shape sorters at 12 months | Frustration. Difficulty should ramp |
| Board games | Cooperative play arrives around three to four |
| Complex jigsaws (24+ pieces) | Build up gradually from knob puzzles |
| Licensed versions of generic toys | Same play, up to three times the price |
| Large plush collections | Two or three get used; the rest occupy storage |
| Sit-in wheeled baby walkers | Advised against by Australian safety organisations |
Safety from 12 to 36 months
- Small parts until age three. Anything that fits through a toilet roll tube is a choking hazard — and this is the age when an older sibling’s toys start appearing on the floor. Full method: choking hazards and the small parts test.
- Magnets. Sealed magnetic tiles from reputable brands are fine; cracked tiles and cheap sets are not. Inspect regularly. Magnets in toys.
- Button batteries compartments must be screw-secured.
- Anchor furniture and toy storage units. Climbing starts in this window and toy shelves are an obvious target.
- Toy box lids heavy hinged lids are a finger and neck hazard. Soft-close or no lid.
- Ride-on stability both feet flat on the ground when seated.
Full Australian standards breakdown and printable checklist: baby toy safety in Australia.
What it costs in Australia
| Budget | Mid-range | |
| The five-toy core set | $141 | $340 |
| Add: play kitchen | $80 | $300 |
| Add: magnetic tiles | $50 | $200 |
| Add: puzzles and playdough | $25 | $75 |
| Add: balance bike (2.5+) | $80 | $180 |
| Full set, 12–36 months | $376 | $1,095 |
Secondhand is excellent for the large items — play kitchens, ride-ons, balance bikes and block sets appear constantly on Australian marketplace listings, often barely used.
Prices are indicative for 2026 and vary by retailer and sale period.
Age-specific detail
This guide covers the whole toddler span. For the detail on each birthday:
If you are buying a gift rather than shopping for your own child, first birthday gift ideas covers what actually gets played with, and the eight checks in what makes a good baby toy apply to every purchase above.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best toys for toddlers in Australia?
Toys covering four skills: gross motor (ride-on or push walker), fine motor (stacking cups, shape sorter), language (board books) and imagination (blocks). Five well-chosen items covering all four is a complete set for around $150.
How many toys does a toddler need?
Six to eight accessible at a time, rotated every two to three weeks from a larger stored set. Fewer toys visible reliably produces longer and more focused play.
Do electronic learning toys help toddlers learn to talk?
Generally no. Language develops through back-and-forth interaction, and a toy that performs by itself leaves no room for it. Shared reading and pretend play do considerably more.
What is the best value toddler toy?
Stacking cups, at around $6 to $10. They build fine motor and pretend play, work from six months to three years, and survive being chewed, thrown and taken into the bath.
When can a toddler use a balance bike?
Generally from around two and a half, once walking and running are confident. Both feet should sit flat on the ground when seated. Children who master a balance bike often skip training wheels entirely.
Are wooden toys better for toddlers?
Well-made wooden toys last longer and have nothing electronic to fail, which matters for blocks and puzzles. For items that will be mouthed and dropped constantly, plastic is cheaper and easier to clean. Finish quality matters more than material.
How we choose the toys we recommend
Every recommendation is assessed against Australian safety standards, developmental fit for the stated age, durability under real use, washability, and value at current Australian retail prices. We prioritise products actually available to buy in Australia. Affiliate links, where used, are disclosed at the top of the article and do not affect ranking.
Sources referenced: Product Safety Australia (ACCC) for mandatory toy standards, magnet and small parts rules; Kidsafe Australia for walker, furniture stability and ride-on guidance; Raising Children Network for developmental milestone ranges and language development.
