Educational toys are kind of like putting veggies into a smoothie to get your kids to ingest actual nutrients. Learning toys are fun and entertaining, and a lot of the time, kids don’t even realize they’re learning. You know, like the veggies. Every tot and kiddo should have a few toys on hand that teach. From counting toys for tiny cuties to STEM toys for older kids, we've rounded up some of the best educational toys on the market for all ages. They're the perfect gift for your little one or for any child in your life.

　　Playtime can easily be turned into learning time with the right toys. The toy market is so vast these days, and there seem to be learning toys for everything. Whether you have a silly scientist who seems to take to biology or a little learner who's an empath at heart, there are toys that encourage intellectual development across the board. And if your kid is looking to conquer basic math and vocabulary or go deep into robotics and engineering, there are toys for them, too.

　　Maral Amani, pediatric physical therapist, and child development expert at Lovevery, says, "Playing with educational toys is one of the easiest ways a parent can support their child’s development since play is truly how children learn. Children develop skills in a specific pattern, with one skill building on another; for example, the palmar grasp develops (whole palm) and paves the path for the pincer grasp (tips of pointer finger and thumb) to develop. As a pediatric physical therapist, I love to recommend The Lovevery Play Kits to the families I work with because each comprehensive kit is full of playthings that target specific skills in the precise order of development."

　　Lovevery is not the only toy maker that is killing it in this niche, either. , , , and more come out with new educational toys every year that set kids on a path of learning adventure.

　　Take a look at our favorite educational toys below.

　　1Best for Curious Kids

　　Toddler Microscope

　　Your kiddo will have a blast using this real working microscope to get a closer look at leaves, flowers, shells, and blades of grass under the magnifier. Designed to fit your toddler's tiny hands and face, they can grab any object to take a closer look and jot down their observations.

　　2For Clean Play

　　Aqua Magic Mat Kids Painting Writing Doodle Board Toy

　　You’re going to wish they made this mat in a grown-up size. This Aqua Magic Mat gives your kids a place to play and color without making a mess. It comes with stencils and writing utensils for clean, magical, artistic fun. Emphasis on the clean.

　　This particular mat happens to come with a ton of shapes, and has the alphabet on the perimeter of the map, elevating it from a creative art toy to something multidimensional.

　　3Best for Learning Geography

　　USA Map Floor Puzzle

　　It's never too early to get a jump-start on memorizing the 50 states and capitals. This oversized jigsaw floor puzzle makes it so fun, your kids won't even realize they're learning while putting it together. The 51 sturdy and extra-thick pieces are just right for little hands to hold, and, once assembled, it's a great size to display in their room. It doesn’t hurt that you’ll probably get a refresher on your geography knowledge.

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　　4For Bathtime Learning

　　Plui Rain Bath Toy

　　If you have a kid who thinks it’s super fun to splash in the bathtub, much to your dismay, this rain bath toy will bring both of you some joy with a lot less cleanup.

　　Your little one submerges it under water and then pulls it up, and as air makes it inside, it starts to rain. It introduces the ideas of clouds, condensation, and rain to your child, and also keeps them busy in the tub.

　　5Best Brain Teaser

　　STEM Explorers Brainometry

　　This building shapes puzzle game from Learning Resources will challenge your kids to solve puzzles based on the pictures they see on cards. The game vibe is as if Tetris and Osmo had a baby. Ten challenges are included in the set, each helping foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

　　6Best for Racing

　　Construction Race Track

　　For toddlers and kids whose lives revolve around vehicles (IYKYK), do yourself a favor and get this construction toy race track. There are 200 pieces included in the set that kids put together themselves, along with six types of construction trucks that move automatically along the track (with batteries).

　　It’s an Amazon best-seller, so you know it’s good. Our kids love this toy, but it wasn’t until around age 4 that they could put it together without the help of a grown-up.

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　　7For Future Engineers

　　Straw Constructor 600-Piece Set

　　Kids will use their creativity to build large or small constructs out of colorful straws and multi-directional connectors. The opportunities are endless in what your little engineers can build. We have this set at home, and our kids spend hours working together to build some pretty impressive structures. Full disclosure: Even with 600 pieces in the set, they still fight about who gets more, because siblings.

　　8Best for Learning Anatomy

　　Magnetic Human Body Anatomy Play Set

　　Whether you have a budding doctor at home or a kid who is fascinated by how the human body works, this magnetic wooden anatomy set from Melissa & Doug makes for a great learning toy.

　　From the skeleton and muscles to the happy face once it's complete, this is a wonderful introduction to learning the parts of the body while helping kids visualize the body’s organs and systems.

　　9Best for Learning the ABCs

　　Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set

　　The wheels on this cute bus don’t go ‘round and ‘round, but the whole magnetic set will allow your kids to explore the alphabet.

　　Place it on your fridge and let your tot insert any of the magnetic letter tiles into the open window. Press it once to hear the letter’s name and sound, and press it again to hear that letter used in a word and sentence. Hit the music note to sing along to the “Alphabet Song” and “Wheels on the Bus.”

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　　10For Your Future Meteorologist

　　Weather Science Lab

　　This kit is so much more than just making tornados in 2-liter bottles the way most of us did as kids, although that experiment is also included. In addition to DIY tornados, the kit includes 20 all-weather science activities that are made to inspire your budding meteorologist. Who knows, with these baby barometers, maybe your little one will be the next Al Roker.

　　11Best Customizable

　　Quadrilla Cliffhanger Wooden Marble Run

　　This is no Rube Goldberg trap — this is a fully functional marble-run kit made of solid wood.

　　The two kids of the parenting editor here at Best Products absolutely love the Hape (pronounced “hah-pay”) marble-run kits. They're completely malleable, allowing for tons of open-ended play.

　　12For Budding Doctors and Professors

　　Dissect-It

　　Easily one of the best parts of high school biology is dissecting frogs and fetal pigs. You learn so much, and honestly, it's just super cool. While your little one is too young to be wielding scalpels, you can provide them with a similar experience with this dissection kit — only this one doesn’t smell like formaldehyde.

　　The toy includes a jelly-like frog, tools similar to what you'd use in a real lab, and all the internal parts of the frog along with explanations for each, all safely and without sharp edges. If your child prefers a different animal, they also have the choice of a bat, piranha, salamander, or dinosaur.

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　　13Best Earth Toy

　　Starter Rock Tumbler Kit

　　There is a whole legion of kids and adults who use this machine on TikTok. It's fascinating as heck, and kids love watching the transformation from messy rock to beautiful crystal. Not only do your kids get to learn about rocks, they also learn the value of cleaning. Maybe it will inspire them to dust off their bookshelves and put away their socks. (It's doubtful, but hope never dies.)

　　14Best Space Toy

　　Adventure Mars Mission Rocket

　　This is one of the coolest (and largest) space toys we’ve seen lately. The kit comes equipped with 240 pieces and stands at over 2 feet tall. It has an engine room, flight deck, four levels of Mars-mission fun, and it comes with two astronauts. As your kids build the rocket, they're given insights about Mars, space travel, and also construction. It's a wild journey through outer space, and for under $60? A real steal.

　　15For Little Astronauts

　　Magic Adventures Telescope

　　You don’t have to be an astronomer to appreciate a close-up view of space. This digital telescope offers 110x zoom so that kids can see the stars, planets, and moon clearly at night, or kids can get a closer view of nature during the day.

　　Over 100 NASA videos are included giving kids the opportunity to discover more about the cosmos and space discovery.

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　　16Best Interactive Toy for Toddlers

　　Linkimals Smooth Moves Sloth

　　Your toddler will get a kick out of this adorable interactive sloth from Fisher-Price. With lights, sounds, music, and games, your tot will be practicing numbers, colors, and letters while clapping and bopping around to the music. One thing we love is that the toy is interactive with kids and with its companion toys, making it even more fun and interesting for little ones.

　　17Fun Glow Option

　　Glow-In-the-Dark Set

　　There are entire Instagram pages dedicated to offering creative and unique ideas for Magna-Tile play. If your kids are as obsessed with magnetic tiles as ours are, they will be thrilled with this glow-in-the-dark set.

　　The set includes 16 pieces that glow in the dark, which might be an enticing way to get your little ones to stay in their room when they wake up before sunrise.

　　As a bonus, once your kids grow out of playing with blocks, they're super fun to hang on the fridge and play with while you wait for the water to boil.

　　18Best Montessori Toy

　　Montessori Screw Driver Board for Kids

　　Nothing like getting your kid started on their DIY journey early. This tool toy provides a ton of sensory input as well as providing them with the opportunity to learn how to use tools properly and safely.

　　The wooden sensory board comes with real tools, including insert screws, a double-sided screwdriver, a hex key, and a wrench. Now they’ll finally be able to help you build IKEA furniture.

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　　19Learn to Recycle

　　Paper Maker

　　If you want to give your kids a fun lesson in recycling, specifically all those torn-up pieces of paper they use for art projects, this toy is the one to get.

　　This paper maker uses bits of old paper to make new, beautiful paper that your kids can use for new artwork. It teaches them all about recycling and reusing, as well as evaporation and creation. It's so much fun, and your little artist will love it while ultimately saving money and trees. (Very small trees, but still trees.)

　　20Best Basic Robot Toy

　　Mindblown Robot Kit

　　There’s nothing more fun than a vending machine, except when you can build said vending machine yourself. This 52-piece robot kit (our Robot Toy of the Year) from Discovery gives kids the chance to build a retro-style robot with a working vending machine that won’t fit candy bars and sodas (for the best, really), but kids can pack it full of small prizes and treats.