Best Gifts & Ideas for Toddlers Christmas in 2023

You always hear growing up how Christmas as a parent is even better than experiencing Christmas as a kid. Truthfully, I did not believe that could be possible. My Christmases growing up were spectacular. My parents always went over and beyond with great gifts, always making Christmas morning so special. Well, now as a parent of a toddler, I can absolutely attest that these past two Christmases have been the absolute best. And in hopes of providing you will inspiration to help make your Christmas morning just as special, and the preparations stress-free, I am sharing my favorite toddler gift ideas for Christmas! 

The Best Gifts for Toddlers for Christmas – Your Complete Toddler Christmas Gift Guides

I am not going to be shy here, but I take a lot of pride in my gift guides. I spend significant time and thought into searching for different gift ideas that aren’t just any random gift, but intentional gifts that are purposeful. Therefore, you can be sure that this toddler Christmas gift guide is complete with everything you could possibly need in building out your toddler’s Christmas wish list this holiday season. 

Through this toddler holiday gift guide, I am sharing countless ideas of what would make excellent toys for imaginative play, as well as creative play. By no means, does this list serve as the expectation of what makes a perfect Christmas.

Additionally, this list should help give you ideas for best Christmas gifts throughout the toddler years. Please do not feel like you need to buy your little on everything off of this list. Furthermore, throughout this blog post are affiliate links, to which I make a small commission off of any product purchased through my website. Your support means so much!

Big Gift Ideas for Toddlers

Now, to start off this toddler gift guide for Christmas, I thought it would be best to include some bigger gift ideas. Sometimes all it takes is just one perfect gift. The one gift that keeps on giving and allows for endless play, creativity, and imagination all year long. Therefore, if you are in need of inspiration for what to get your toddler as one big gift for Christmas this year, I have all the details here.

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Sharing with you the best toys for your one big gift. These ideas will transform any play area and truly provide play throughout the entire year. Additionally, these big gift ideas will stand the test of time and be gifts that keep on giving for many years to come.

Big Gift Idea #1 – Play Kitchen

One of the best gifts to gift your little one this Christmas is a play kitchen. This was the big gift we got for our son last Christmas (he was one and a half at the time) and a play kitchen is one of the best gifts to continue to grow with your little one as they get older! There are so many amazing ways to continue to add to this Christmas gift as your little one gets older too. From the Melissa & Doug smoothie maker (a huge hit at our household), to the coffee maker, and the bake your own cookie set. A play kitchen is one of the best gifts to encourage imaginative play, as well as independent play. 

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My favorite play kitchen for toddlers that continues to grow with them as they get older is the Tiny Land play kitchen. It’s design is quite simple, yet packed with everything you could need in a play kitchen to encourage the development of young minds. I love how this play kitchen has a ice maker that dispenses play ice, as well as a light that turns on, and interactive sounds on the stovetop. It’s made of great quality and sits perfectly in our living space, next to our kitchen. Allowing both my son and I to work in our own kitchens during meal prep at night. 

Big Toddler Gift Idea for Christmas #2 – Triangle Climber

Another great idea for a big gift for toddler’s for Christmas is the triangle climber. I love this climbing set as it helps foster the development of fine motor skills. Plus, you can easily change the placement of the pieces to incorporate even more ways to slide, play, and climb. We actually bought this climber for our son as his first birthday present and it has grown with him really well.

This is something he plays with every single day. I purchased our Triangle climber through a seller on Etsy and we purchased a three-piece set. The pieces can collapse as well, to provide for easy storage. Additionally, the set-up was quite simple as it did not take long at all to put the pieces together. And the instructions were very easy to follow as well! 

Big Gift Idea #3 – Gathre Arc Climber

If your little one is full of all the energy and has a tendency to climb on all the things, a great gift idea for Christmas is the Gathre arc play set. This is something my son (who is currently 28 months old) plays with every single day. We keep our arc climber playset in our playroom and every single day he is moving the pieces around, climbing on them, sliding, and using them to “build tall buildings” and “make his house.” The arc play set is made with 100% vegan leather and is wipeable and water resistant. 

Perfect for little hands to move around on their own and help develop gross motor skills. The Gathre arc climber play set makes for a perfect Christmas gift for your little toddler and is something little kids alike will love to play with on any occasion. Additionally, the arc play set has great reviews and is something your young toddler will have so much fun with all year long! 

Big Toddler Gift Idea for Christmas#4 – Ball Pit

Another fun idea for young toddlers for Christmas is a ball pit. I love this classic design by Crate & Barrel. This ball pit is perfect for young children. And will provide endless entertainment and is one of the best holiday gifts. A ball pit is a great way to allow for play and a great addition within your own home and play space. Plus, it doesn’t take a ton of space either. Therefore, be sure to add a ball pit to your little kids wish list this holiday season. 

Big Gift Idea for Toddler Boys – Work Bench 

An additional gift idea for toddler boys for Christmas is a work bench. This is actually what we are getting our son for Christmas this year. He always loves fixing things and this Crate & Barrel work bench is going to be perfect for playtime. I love that it is made of classic wood, and can easily fit into any living room or play space with ease. I am sure this will quickly become one of his favorite toys and I cannot wait for him to see this downstairs Christmas morning. 

Big Gift Idea #5 – Tonies Box 

Next on the list of big items for your toddler for Christmas is a Tonies box. I have heard so many good reviews about a Tonies box and this is something we also are gifting our son for Christmas this year! I purchased a basic starter box and I feel like he is going to have so much fun listening to different stories and songs. He currently loves the book Chika-Chika-Boom-Boom and I can’t wait for him to hear that narration through his Tonies box. Therefore, a Tonies box would make for an excellent gift idea for your toddler for Christmas. 

Big Gift Idea #6 – Nugget Couch

If you are looking for a practical Christmas gift idea for young kids, look no further than the Nugget Couch. We built our entire playroom centered around our Nugget Couch and my son has so much fun playing with the couch cushions, building forts, jumping, sliding, etc. He recently pretended that one of the cushions from his Nugget Couch was a tv screen and set it up in his playroom to watch all the sports. It was really cute and so fun to see his imagination at work and play! 

Toddler Gift Ideas for Christmas – Monthly Subscription for Toys 

Another great option for a Christmas gift for your toddler is a monthly subscription toy box. This takes a lot of the work out of the gift buying by having a specific set of curated, Montessori-based gifts all year long. We are big fans of the Lovevery play boxes in our household. Lovevery play kits can be purchased separately, or on a subscription basis. They arrive every three months and are full with age-appropriate, Montessori-based toys perfect for learning and creative development. I love the simple aesthetic and Montessori-based toys. And we have so much fun as a family unpacking each new box! 

Recently, the company Lalo launched their play boxes too. The Lalo boxes also look incredible, however as of now they only include play boxes that go up to age 24 months. I also have heard amazing things about the Kiwi Co. play boxes as well. Either way, a monthly toy subscription is an amazing gift to give this Christmas season. 

Pretend Play Toys

I have the best memories of playing pretend and using my imagination as a young child. I am so excited to instill this love in my son as well. Therefore, be reminded that sometimes the most simple of gifts can be most appreciated. Therefore, be encouraged to gift your little one pretend play toys that can help foster their own imaginative and creative thinking. Some of my favorite pretend play toys include this kid’s first camping set, Melissa & Doug Get Well doctor set, and this Barber set. (Perfect for making going for a haircut a little less scary.)

Practical Play Toys – Toddler Christmas Gift Ideas

Some of the best gifts to gift your little one include gifts that help them get involved with the everyday household tasks. Our little ones love to be involved and to spend quality time with us. Some of my most favorite moments are the moments my son and I spend together, just doing the most simplest of things. Last Christmas, he got a kid’s toy Dyson vacuum cleaner. This has been the greatest hit! He uses this every single day (and it actually has a small suction to it that actually picks up dirt!) He has so much fun helping clean the house. 

Another great practical gift idea for a play toy is the Melissa & Doug cleaning set. This is such a great gift. It is easy to store (it sits in the corner of the kitchen) and is very accessible for my son to use whenever he wants to help clean. (Which is quite often, believe it or not!) I love how this classic Melissa & Doug toy promotes independence and self-play, all while instilling values of taking care of your things. Both the Dyson vacuum cleaner and the Melissa & Doug cleaning set would make excellent Christmas gifts for toddlers this Christmas.

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Classic Toddler Toys for Toddlers Gifts for Christmas

One of the best Christmas presents you can gift your young toddler is a gift that is truly a classic. Classic toys are simple and timeless. They can encourage creativity and imagination, as well as an intentional lifestyle. In a society that focused on extravagance and abundance, sticking to the things that are classic is so necessary and nice. Therefore, let these classic toys inspire you as you build your toddler’s wish list this holiday season. 

Classic Toddler Toys Wish List: Train Set

Another great classic toy option for best Christmas presents to gift your toddler this year is a classic train set. And you don’t need the most extravagant train set, a classic and simple one will do just fine. I personally love the classic train set from Pottery Barn. It’s simple enough and easy for little hands to put together on their own. 

Classic Toddler Toys Wish List: Block Set

You can’t go wrong with a block set. We have a few different block sets within our home and they truly allow for great imaginative play. From creating your own town, to construction site, and my son’s personal favorite (build a tall tower and knock it down). Blocks are simple, yet timeless. If you are looking for the most simplest and effective of block sets, I love this classic block set from Melissa & Doug. 

If you are looking for something a little fancier, I love the wooden alphabet blocks from Crate & Barrel. And if you are really want the deluxe of all block sets, the Lovevery Block Set is an absolute gold mine! So incredibly multi-purposeful, with endless ways to play all day! Hours of entertainment at your fingertips. 

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Classic Toddler Toys Wish List: Books

One of the best gifts you can get younger kids (and all kids in general) are books. It is so important for child development to incorporate reading. Therefore, do your child a favor this holiday season and instill in them a love for reading by gifting them a book or two! 

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Classic Toddler Christmas Toys Wish List: Puzzles

I have always been a lover of puzzles and I have found so much joy in instilling the love for puzzles with my son. My personal favorite puzzles include the chunky wooden puzzles by Melissa & Doug. These are multi-purposeful as you can play with them as puzzles or with the characters alone as the chunky pieces stand on their own. The dinosaurs, trucks and vehicles, and safari animals puzzles are big favorites in our household. 

Another great idea for a puzzle is a personalized name puzzle. I ordered one from an Etsy shop (there are so many different ones to choose from) for a gift for my son’s first birthday party and love how it teaches learning the letters of his name. Another fun puzzle that is perfect for learning and introducing letters is this Alphabet puzzle. It is made well, with excellent quality.

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Classic Toddler Toys Wish List: Musical Instruments 

Additionally, a great classic toddler toy gift idea is a musical instrument set. This is such a great way to incorporate sensory play and help foster the development of creativity within your little one. Making an excellent classic toy, perfect for this toddler Christmas gift guide. 

Classic Toddler Toys Wish List: Art Supplies 

Another classic and simple Christmas gift idea for toddlers is the gift of art supplies. Anything that can allow for sensory play and the ability to create and make art with your hands. From coloring books, to crayons, to the mess-free Crayola markers.

Additionally, I have been looking at getting my son dot markers. I used to love these as a kid and know he would have so much fun using these as well! Another great gift idea is the molding clay. This is a great way to encourage sensory play as well! 

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Toddler Best Christmas Gift Ideas – The Best Toys to Enjoy in the Outdoors 

Last, but most definitely not least, a great gift idea are toys that can be enjoyed outside in the fresh air. Spending time outside, even if it’s just for small increments of time does wonders for our physical and mental health. Even throughout the colder months, it is possible to spend time outside.

Therefore, it is a great idea to gift a toddler for Christmas a toy that can help create the outdoor play experience. The Little Tikes golf set and T-ball set are huge hits in our house. Additionally, you can’t ever go wrong with sidewalk chalk or bubbles. Sometimes it’s the most simplest of gifts that mean the absolute most! 

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Best Toddler Gift Ideas This Christmas

There you have it! A full and complete list of the best Christmas gift ideas for toddlers this Christmas. My true hope in this gift guide is that you would be able to easily choose from these ideas to build your little one’s wish list for this holiday season! 

Looking for additional gift ideas for Christmas? Be sure to check out meaningful gift ideas for everyone on your Christmas list, as well as intentional gift ideas for your Christmas list this season.

Remember, the most important part of the holiday season is the memories we make by spending the time together. And mama, just know that you are doing an amazing job! You are incredible and you are everything your little one needs and more! Cheering you on and wishing you the best holiday season. Cling to joy, and don’t let the stress and the chaos of the holidays steal your peace!