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Writer's pictureMandy

Family Toy Guide

Updated: Nov 12, 2023

This year we decided we needed to create a new category focused on toys that are great for multiple ages! So many of these toys fit in all of the age categories, so this guide needed to happen. Many of you also like to shop for big ticket toys that you can give as a family gift. This list includes all of these items and most of our favorite toys can be found on this list!


Shop All Ages:




1. Yoto Mini: Kids can listen to audio books by inserting a credit card style card. It’s portable and includes a headphone jack. Excellent screen-free option that promotes a love for learning and there are book cards for all ages. Consider the Yoto monthly membership to save on cards and acessories.


2. PlaySmol Bounce House: This company has figured it out by ditching obnoxious bounce house colors! These are great for indoor and outdoor play! Mel has the rainbow and Mandy has the neutral.

Use code: TOYTESTINGSISTERS at checkout for 10% off your purchase!


3. Picasso Tiles: These blocks are a massive hit for so many ages! If you are wanting a building toy for your family, this is a staple you don’t want to miss out on. These are compatible with Magna Tiles.


4. Sarah's Silks: The classic silk set is a playroom staple and open-toy perfection! Kids can use as dress-ups, incorporate in small-world play, storytelling, building, and more!

Use code: TOYTESTINGSISTERS at checkout for 10% off your purchase!


5. Stapelstein Elements: Finally in the US! Colors are beautiful and they hold up to 396lbs! Kids will love stacking, sorting, creating obstacle courses, water play, balancing, and more! Play inside or outside with these elements.


6. Sensory Tiles: These sensory squares are perfect for floor is lava, obstacle courses, small world play, and more! Babies even love for tummy time! The liquid in the tiles move when pressed. Great MESH toy too.


7. Jumparoo: Fan fav because it gets all the wiggles out! There is no double bounce so kids of all ages can play together! It can be used inside or outside, and they offer some really fun attachments.


8. Airfort: This fort sets up in seconds and is a space saver. There are different colors and designs to pick from and all you need to add is a box fan. Kids enter and exit by lifting up the fort. It stores in a small bag which is awesome!

Use code: TOYTESTINGSISTERS at checkout for 10% off your purchase! Or, shop on Amazon.


9. LeoMat: Known for their cover patterns and tri-fold technology. We recommend starting with one and investing in the water-proof cover. Our favorite build with the LEO is making climbing mountains with their tri-fold mats.

Use code: TOYTESTINGSISTERS at checkout for 10% off your purchase!


10. The Ultimate Learning Table: The designer of this learning table is the sensory and play-based learning queen. You can customize your table depending on needs. It's water-proof and can be used inside or outside. This company also offers hundreds of sensory table inserts. We love their art easel, portion board, faucet board, science board; honestly, we love everything they offer and wish we owned it all.


11. Modi Modu: This is a magnetic wall decal—and removeable. Kids can even paint and use expo markers on it. We recommend using their magnet sets, magnetic tiles, and clixos on the decal.


12. Grocery Store/Fresh Market: We actually opt for this grocery store over a play kitchen! The grocery store has tons of storage, and many kids can play at once. This toy is able to hold all of our pretend play food sets.


13. Tonie Box: A favorite at Mel’s house and such a great alternative to screens! You purchase the characters separately and the Tonie will play audio books, music, and MORE! One thing that is also great about this toy is that the stories make great gifts so they can be requested instead of lots of small toys from friends and family.


14. Pyramids Blocks: Wooden blocks should be a staple in every toy room. Beautiful colors and different size blocks are perfect for open-ended play. These can be used by littles and big kids.


15. RIWI: 24-massive foam blocks will keep kids building! Create forts, houses, towers, and more! They also sell a play couch cover. All of the foam blocks perfectly fit into the cover which turns it into a play couch.


16. Wonder and Whimsy Play House: Wonder and Whimsy created a play house that can be used in so many ways! Add blocks, peg dolls, cars, pirates, TV characters, clear cubes, silks, princesses, etc. It’s solid wood and beautifully crafted.


17. Stairslide: Who doesn’t want a slide indoor?! You can purchase per slide depending on stairs and thrill level. You can even use these on the couch for toddlers. They nest so it's easy to store in the closet or under a bed.

Use code: TOYTESTING10 at checkout for 10% off your purchase!


18. Story Dream Machine: Nostalgia alert! This story projector plays short stories on the wall. Part of the collection includes the Little Golden book stories. Such a fun toy to add to your nighttime routine. Right now, this toy is hard to find. It was $50 back in September. Don't overpay on Ebay or other sellers. Either wait for them to stock up or don't buy.


19. Acorn: If you want a play couch but don’t have a ton of space, Acorn is great because you can purchase a base and wedge for $150. This gives you the option to add on more later. They offer a wedge instead of triangle.


20. MagnetBlox: These soft, magnetic blocks click together to make planes, cars, forts, and anything your kids can imagine. It’s the perfect STEAM/STEM toy and excellent for ages 2-10.

21. Nugget: Known for their durability and color variety; Nugget offers an incredible play couch! We purchased our first Nugget in 2020 and it has held up to so many forts, obstacles, jumps, and messy kids! We recommend getting two Nuggets! It's the only play couch with a 2-year warranty.


22. Rock Wall: Mel has this climbing wall in her house! You can customize dimensions and select the holds and colors you want. This is great movement toy! We place a Nugget underneath for soft landings.


23. Bilibo: We call it the “turtle shell”! Kids can spin with their Bilibo and even play floor as lava. Love that they come in such fun colors—12 to pick from!


24. Camp Snap: This camera is screen-free, point and click, so kids can be in the moment and not focused on looking at the photos they took or messing with settings. Our kids have loved toting this around to all of our fun activities.

Use code: TOYTESTINGSISTERS at checkout for $5 off your purchase!


25. Doorway Swing: Swing indoors without any hardware! All you need is a door! This set comes with a traditional swing, sensory sling, and trapeze bar. This is an excellent option if you don’t want a permanent indoor swing.


26. Swedish Ladder: This is a 9-in-1 Swedish ladder wall. Kids can climb, slide, swing, hang, and so much more! This is a very permanent feature and does require room! Be sure to check out the dimensions before ordering.

Use code: TOYTESTINGSISTERS at checkout for 10% off your entire order! This is MAJOR savings!

27. Monkey Bars: Last Christmas Mel hired a contractor to install these monkey bars from Project Playroom! There are so many colors to pick from and you can install going up the wall or across the ceiling! Mel keeps play couches underneath for a soft fall.


28. Art Frame: What do you do with all the artwork? This frame is awesome because kids can open and display their favorite creation! It also stores all of the other artwork behind it!


29. Superspace: These magnetic panels help your kids engineer creative builds like forts, rocket ships, tunnels, boats, and more! You can purchase add-on pieces like their whiteboard panel. This is an excellent STEM and MESH toy.


30. Skybar: It’s collapsible and adjustable which we love! We get so many messages from people telling us their kids play with this bar all day! It’s perfect for getting all the wiggles out!




31. Play and Away Table: This is a collapsible play table and it’s fully customizable. Mel’s girls love to use for art and sensory play! The backboard is awesome because it can hold all of the supplies and the containers are included.


32. Zipline: Who doesn’t want a zipline in their backyard? Kit comes with everything to install. All you need is two sturdy trees 20-55ft apart. Younger kids can enjoy because you sit on a swing to zip!


33. Splendipity Hammocks: These hammocks are sturdy and so comfy. They are easy to install, and the package comes with all the hardware you need. The inside is soft minky and it can hold up to 135lbs. The designs will elevate any bedroom or toy room!


34. PlayFolies: This building set sparks so much creativity. There are two sets you can pick from! The Casa Azul is beautifully designed, and the Canvas set allows kids to paint and use markers on it. The canvas set can be wiped off for kids to design over and over. This building set can be used as a dollhouse, fort, table, kitchen, easel, and more. Both kits can easily be stored.


35. Sarah's Silks: Our kids love their larger play silks! They get so creative when using them! They have become a staple and are used almost every time the kids are in their toy room. We recommend purchasing a few giants and at least one double silk.

Use code: TOYTESTINGSISTERS at checkout for 10% off your purchase!


36. Indoor Swing: Get an indoor swing and thank us later! All you need is this swing hardware set and your fav swing! This hardware can hold up to 5,000lbs and it’s under $25! Here are some swing options you can pair the hardware with! Trapeze Bar, Saucer Swing, Pod Swing, Sensory Swing.


37. Dough Kits: Happy Life Magic has several staple kits to pick from like their unicorn and construction set. They have killer accessories, and their dough is gorgeous. Dough kits are great for sensory and MESH play. Kids also love to create small world play settings with these kits.


38. Hand Bells: I promise you these bells will get used by the entire family as a family activity! Our favorite thing to do in our extended family setting is turn on the YouTube play along videos. Our mom teaches music education and highly recommends this set.


39. Dog E: We didn’t think we would love but we do! Every robotic dog is one in a million—different colors and features. The app allows you to play with your dog, feed it, take to the spa, and so much more!


40. Couch Swag: Transform your play couch into a farm, coffee shop, ice cream station, lemonade stand, and more. Our kids have been loving using their Nuggets for pretend play with this fun attachment.



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