Educational Toys for Kids in India: A Simple Guide by Age

“Educational toy” can mean almost anything on a shop label. A toy with flashing lights and ten buttons is called educational. So is a plain set of wooden blocks. The difference is that a child learns from the blocks because they have to do the thinking, while the flashing toy does most of it for them.

This guide explains what makes a toy genuinely educational and suggests what to look for at each age from birth to nine, with Indian homes in mind.

The short answer

The best educational toys are open-ended, so a child can use them in more than one way, and simple, so the child is the one doing the thinking. Look for toys that let them build, sort, match, count, pretend or move. Skip toys that only press a button to make a sound.

Birth to 18 months: explore with hands and mouth

At this age, learning means grasping, shaking, mouthing and watching. Choose rattles, soft textured toys, teethers and simple stacking cups. Everything must be big enough that it can’t be swallowed, and easy to clean. Our guide to baby sensory toys goes into this stage in detail. A set like our first rattles is made for early grasping.

1 to 3 years: sort, stack and match

Toddlers love to fit things inside other things. Shape sorters, simple wooden puzzles, stacking toys and chunky blocks teach shape, size and colour without a word being said. This is also when a child starts to match a picture to an object, which is the first step towards reading.

Our wooden learning boards are made for this stage: the alphabet puzzle board, the shapes and colours board and the numbers 1 to 20 board, each at ₹189. For what to look for in wooden toys generally, read our wooden toys buying guide.

3 to 5 years: build and pretend

This is the golden age of make-believe. A child of four can spend an hour being a doctor, a driver or a shopkeeper. Building toys such as magnetic sticks, blocks and construction sets add early maths and engineering, because the child has to work out why a tower falls. Puzzles with 12 to 24 pieces and simple matching games build patience and memory.

For ideas specific to this stage, see our guide to the best toys for a 5-year-old, and browse building toys and educational and learning toys.

6 to 9 years: strategy and skill

Older children want a challenge they can get better at. Strategy games, bigger construction sets, science kits and puzzle boxes work well. A tumbling tower style game is simple but teaches balance, risk and turn-taking. Look for toys that have a goal and let the child improve, so they feel proud of their own progress.

How to spot a genuinely educational toy

• Can it be played with in more than one way? Blocks can be a tower, a bridge or a shop. A toy that does one thing has a short life.
• Who is doing the work? If the toy does most of the work, the child learns little. If the child has to decide, they learn more.
• Does it grow with the child? A good toy is still interesting a year later in a different way.
• Is it matched to the age on the label? A toy that is too hard is as unhelpful as one that is too easy.
• Is it safe? Check the age label and avoid loose small parts for children under three.

Don’t forget the adult

The most educational thing in the room is usually a grown-up who sits down and plays for ten minutes. Ask questions instead of giving answers: “What do you think will happen if we put this on top?” That one sentence turns any toy into a lesson.

Where to start

If you only buy one thing, pick one open-ended toy for your child’s age, such as a set of blocks, a puzzle board or magnetic sticks, rather than a pile of single-purpose toys. Every Tukoy order also donates 2% to children’s charities, so a good gift helps another child too. You can browse everything by age in our shop.