Toys for the daycare classroom

In daycare, children discover the world through their bodies: they move, hit, stack, fit together, crawl and take their first steps. A toy gifted to the classroom on a birthday accompanies these milestones for the whole group and remains as a reminder of the birthday child throughout the year.

Music and rhythm

Drums, xylophones, tambourines and rainmakers invite children to explore sound, imitate and play in a circle. A percussion set allows several children to play at the same time, and the teacher uses it in daily songs.

Pulling, pushing and taking the first steps

Pull-along and push-along toys accompany walking and give confidence to those learning to walk. Turtles, butterflies and push-rollers are excellent choices for 1- and 2-year-old classrooms.

Fitting, stacking and solving

Peg puzzles, shape sorters, stacking towers and bead mazes work on fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and the notion of cause and effect. These are activities that children repeat time and time again, always with pleasure.

Activity tables

Activity tables bring together gears, bead mazes, sounds and pieces to rotate at the height of children who can already stand. Several children play around the same table at the same time, which makes them one of the most enjoyed gifts in a daycare classroom.

Patio, sand and water

For playtime, there are sand and water tables, sandboxes, mud kitchens, sets of buckets and molds, and splash mats. Playing with sand and water outdoors is a complete sensory experience and brings the whole group together around the same activity.

Feeling and exploring

Foam mats, water mats and sensory sets offer textures, colors and shapes to explore on the classroom floor, in a group or individually.

How to choose for daycare

In daycare, the golden rule is to choose based on the age of the youngest child in the room. It is worth preferring large pieces, smooth surfaces and materials that are easy to clean. Toys that several children use in turn, such as a xylophone or a hammering game, are the ones that provide the most playtime for the class.

Frequently asked questions

From what age are these toys suitable?

Each toy has the minimum age indicated by the manufacturer on its product page. In this selection, that age ranges from 6 months to 2 years, with options for baby rooms, 1-year-old rooms and 2-year-old rooms.

What is the best gift for a 1-year-old classroom?

Push-along toys, percussion instruments, activity tables and cause-and-effect games, such as pop-up and hammering games, are the safest choices for this stage.

And for a 2-year-old classroom?

At 2 years old, puzzles, stacking towers and early pretend-play toys, such as wooden fruit, a coffee machine or a cleaning set, gain a lot of space in playtime.

Do the toys withstand the use of an entire class?

The selection favors solid wood and brands with a tradition in early childhood toys, such as Hape, Classic World, small foot, Djeco, Janod, Little Dutch and Plum.