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The Thoughtful Parent

The Thoughtful Parent

A blog that makes child development approachable.

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Toys for Emotional Development: Gifts that Keep Giving

December 26, 2023 by Amy Webb, Ph.D.

Sneak peek: Toys for emotional development don’t have to be boring. These ideas will keep kids growing, learning, and having fun.

My four-year-old was at it again.

He, his big brother and I were doing our usual Target run and they had convinced me to go to the toy aisle. What was I thinking?

The whining and begging from the little guy began pretty much as soon as we entered the first aisle that contained Hot Wheels or Nerf guns.

“Mom, can we get this?” he asked-whined (parents, you know that’s a real phrase)

“No, sweetie,” I say in my trying-to-not-get-upset voice. “You know I said we are just looking, not buying today.”

“But Mooooooom, it sooooo cool,” he says in that dramatic voice.

You parents know how this goes and it hardly ever ends well. Many times, we leave the store with someone crying (hopefully not me).

I get it. He’s only four. Only recently has he gained any mental capacity for thinking of anyone outside himself. He’s emotionally immature in many ways. Even though he’s mastered many aspects of toddler development, he’s still learning to regulate his emotions. And those toys are SO tempting. Luckily, my eight-year-old has matured to the point where he can handle the toy aisle without fits of whining.

toys for emotional development

Unfortunately, as any holiday approaches, this focus on toys, rather than gratitude or giving tends to only increase in our kids. So this year, in thinking about how to approach gift-giving, I decided I will focus on helping parents find gift ideas to promote positive child development. That is, toys for emotional development that help promote the social and emotional development that we want to encourage.

In other words, gifts that will help them grow more towards gratitude than “gimme.” The core of this mindset is a set of social and emotional skills that take years to build. However, parents can be key guides in this development process. Through interaction, connection and modeling, your kids’ emotional development can blossom. Unlike the “hot” toy of the moment, the gift that these social-emotional skills bring is happiness and contentment that is much deeper than one season.

{**This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing through these links helps support this blog at no added cost to you}

Related reading: What I learned from MLK’s Legacy About Emotion Regulation in Kids

So without further ado, here is this year’s list of gifts and toys for emotional development:

Toys for Emotional Development 

These games may just seem like family fun (which they are) but they all involve trying to perceive another person’s thoughts or feelings–key emotional skills that our kids can develop.

my feelings game

My Feelings Game
A fun kit of creative and interactive activities and games to help kids learn about feelings.

dinosaur escape game

Dinosaur Escape Game

Instead of competing against one another, teams in this game work together to help the three dinosaurs escape from the volcanic eruption. Builds strategy, teamwork and social-emotional skills. 

Q's race to the top game

 Q’s Race to the Top
I’m really excited about this one because it involves both active play and social skills. Kids have to advise the characters on what to do in certain social situations. Plus there are cards to perform physical skills involving balance and coordination.

wonder crate

Wonder Crate
Now, this is an awesome idea! A kids’ subscription (or one time) activity box all focused on building social-emotional skills like empathy, resilience, confidence, and mindfulness. I just found this box but it is definitely on my list to try out with my boys.

peacemakers game

Peacemakers

A special card game that helps parents and connect while also learning about social-emotional skills like growth mindset and confidence.  This is one of the best toys for emotional development that I’ve seen. 

snuggle buddies social emotional toys

 SnuggleBuddies

No ordinary plush toy; this feelings toy helps kids understand their emotions and label their feelings. Understanding feelings and using the language for emotions is the first step in kids learning to manage their emotions without tantrums and meltdowns. 

kimochis

Kimochis

Aren’t these the cutest thing? When I saw these, I knew immediately I had to include them. Each kit comes with a big animal and smaller “feelings” creatures inside. These cute emotional toys help kids learn about feelings and how to cope with them. Each set also includes a “Feel Guide” to help parents explain emotions to their children better. 

You may also enjoy: Social-Emotional Development: The Ultimate Guide for Parents

emotion eggs

 Emotion Eggs

For young kids, learning what the different emotions look like and the names for each is the first step in learning emotional skills. These eggs make learning emotions a fun game.

Kindness Activities for Kids

In addition to learning about sharing and kindness, we also have to act on these values too. There are many fun and meaningful options for doing kind or charitable acts together with our kids.

 
kindness rocks kit
the doll kind

The Doll Kind

Kids love dolls but this doll is special. It fosters kindness with these little tokens that kids can pass along. Great idea!

the doll kind

Books that Foster Social-Emotional Skills

big life journal

Big Life Journal

My all-time favorite journal for kids. It focuses on fostering a growth mindset and other important social-emotional skills. 

a little spark

A Little Spark

A great story of kindness, bravery, forgiveness and more as two friends have to help solve a big problem. PLUS this book has cool interactive features–use your QR code reader to hear the story and songs! 

Lovely book

Lovely

A wonderful story to help kids understand we are all lovely in our own way.

Pass it on

Pass it On

A book all about sharing kindness and joy with others.

we're all wonders

We’re All Wonders

If you loved Wonder this is the picture book version for younger kids. My boys loved this one. We have read it at least 50 times.

books for emotional development

The Read-Aloud Family

This isn’t a children’s book but a book for parents to encourage connection and reading together. Great lists of books, great insights.

what to do when it's not fair

Not Fair

How many times a week do you hear “it’s not fair” from your kids? This book can help your kids handle envy and jealousy.

Pretend Play for Emotional Development

 
pretend vet set

Pretend Vet Clinic

Kids love to care for animals but with this fun set, there is no real mess to clean up. Kids can learn empathy and caregiving skills while pretend playing vet’s office.

police costume for kids


Police costume
I’ve written before about the developmental benefits of dress-up play and it doesn’t have to be Halloween for this to be the case. One of the best toys for emotional development is a costume (or several). Kids love dressing up and taking on all the details of a different role or personality. Perspective-taking skills at their best!

pretend cleaning set

Pretend cleaning set
Okay, parents, you will love this one. A toy that encourages cooperative skills and reinforces the need for chores! My boys always loved helping me clean when they were about 2-3 years old. Encourage that love of cleaning with real, hands-on toys that look and function just like the adult version.

wooden dollhouse

Dollhouse

Dollhouses are not just for girls anymore! Now that there are these nice gender-neutral ones on the market, any kid will want to try it out. Role-playing “mom,” “dad,” or “baby” is one of the best ways for kids to learn empathy and perspective-taking.

puppets

Puppets
Puppets are really underrated in today’s world of high-tech toys. We have only had a few in our house, but the kids always come up with such creative ways to use them–reenact stories, battle each other, or take on all sorts of silly voices. Believe it or not, this all helps build emotional and cooperation, and language skills.

Okay, parents, I hope these ideas give you help for finding toys that promote social and emotional development. Focusing on items that promote positive child development and build social-emotional skills will result in meaningful benefits for your kids for years to come.



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toys for emotional development
 

 

Category: Social-Emotional DevelopmentTag: emotional, empathy, gifts, gratitude, holidays, kindness, meaning, moral development, mothers, parenting, self-concept, social

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. clare

    November 26, 2018 at 3:56 am

    awesome list!!! i love sarah m too!

    Reply
  2. Sarah

    March 26, 2019 at 5:28 pm

    I love these ideas!! Definitely keeping these bookmarked!!

    Reply

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Amy Webb
As a mom of two young boys, I've seen first-hand how research-based child development information, combined with intuition, can guide you through your parenting journey. Although I have a Ph.D.in Human Development and Family Sciences, many of my real parenting discoveries have come through my experience. I believe parenting with confidence comes from knowledge; parenting with grace comes from insight. Join me on this parenting journey of learning and discovery

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