Welcome to the famous MPMK Gift Guides and congrats on finding the most comprehensive and easy-to-use toy gift guide on the internet – already viewed over 7,000,000 times!
(If you’re not familiar with our famous lists,
This gift guide is all about things that go Vroom!
If I let my son see it, I’m sure he’d want every single item on this list (which is exactly why I’m keeping it under wraps). Although, honestly, I’ve found a good quality truck with some interesting moving parts, or a dozen or so matchbox cars, can buy me quite a bit of independent play – so it’s not really that hard to sway me to purchase the items on this list.
Plus, I’ve found these are great toys to bring along when visiting a friend or relative who won’t have toys on hand because they don’t involve a lot of pieces that can be easily lost.
Whether your child gets most excited about cars, trucks, trains, planes, or construction vehicles – you’ll find something they’ll love below.
Don’t forget – you can check out all 15 of our Gift Guides here!
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And now, here, are my…
Top 12 Toys for Vehicle Lovers (scroll down for full details on each):
#1 Mindscope Twister Tracks Neon Glow-In-the-Dark Set $34.90 (2 – 9 years)
My toddler loves playing with his train table but he gets so frustrated when the trains fall off the tracks that sometimes I just want to hide it from him… Which is why I’m definitely getting him this awesome car and track set this year. The flexible track will be much easier for his little hands to snap together and I just know all the cool features are going to be a big hit with him AND his big siblings.
Set-apart features of this set includes cars that light up as well as the ability to go upside down on the loop-de-loop and the ability to make a ring of track around the car that will spin as it goes, called a hamster roll. Watch the videos on Amazon, I dare you not to be impressed. There is a reason this one is consistently the #1 seller in preschool train & train sets on Amazon!
(Note: we are also choosing this particular set as reviews of some of the other sets said there was only one car and not enough track).
#2 Bruder CATERPILLAR Construction Vehicles $16 and up (3+ years)
If you’ve got a true vehicle lover at home then you know they can NEVER get enough construction vehicles to push around the floor (or around the sandbox). The Bruder versions are each realistic, high quality options that won’t disappoint. Their working parts are incredibly durable and our son absolutely adores his large working crane truck with stabilizer feet, which he uses for all sorts of imaginative play.
Last year the only thing he got for Christmas was this flatbed truck and backhoe $125.99 which is all he wanted, and he was totally thrilled.
#3 Mighty Machine Videos $12.95 (2+ years)
I did an entire review of Might Machine Videos here. They consist of nothing more than footage of real life “mighty machines” (i.e. bulldozers, excavators, airplanes, trains, ships, firetrucks, buses, etc.) at work. There are no contrived characters or drama. The machines narrate their actions and talk directly to your child to explain what they’re doing.
Kids learn about how all kind of things work (“All About Recycling” is my son’s current favorite) and they LOVE it. Each video contains several episodes so it’s easy to control how long your child watches. Some of them, like the one about trains, even have a collection of 5 minute “bonus videos”.
#4 Kidkraft Waterfall Mountain Train Set & Table $119.97 (18 months – 8 years)
We bought our son a train table for his 2nd birthday and we always say it’s one of the best purchases we’ve ever made. For over four years both he and his sister played with it several times a week. And now his 18 month old brother is really starting to get into it.
At 4 years old our oldest was able to completely construct the track by himself using the map and that added a whole new level of building play to this fantastic toy. I think the model we bought has been discontinued but this one is the same brand and has all of the same key components: a bridge, waterfall mountain, helicopter landing pad, and the all-important drawers for storing all the little pieces.
If you’re going to be putting your train table in main living space, you may want to spring for the more expensive KidKraft Metropolis Train Set Table with Trundle Drawer. It’s got a nicer “furniture” look (and that double-decker bridge is pretty cool too). Also, over the years we’ve amassed quite a collection of Thomas trains to go with this table.
#5 Hot Wheels DIY Track Creator Kit (18 months with parents help – 12 years)
This is a very unique item on these gift guides in that I’m recommending you buy a couple of simple sets (listed below) and package them together to make one really awesome gift. I totally get that some of the Hot Wheels sets out there are super fun for kids (our favorites are still featured below).
However, one of the things I really love about hot wheels is the idea of the kids going crazy with them, building all kinds of unique and interesting tracks down the stairs, under the table, and etc. So if you’re considering a big Hot Wheels gift for your kiddo, I really encourage you to think about putting together this suggested DIY gift instead of buying one expensive track setup.
I promise, it will buy you so many more hours of engagement than a bells-and-whistles set that really only does one thing. This kit is going to be my son’s big present for his 7th birthday in a few weeks, minus the cars as we have plenty of those (shhh, don’t tell). Of course, you can add or subtract from it to make the perfect sized gift for your space too.
Here’s what I’d put in mine if starting from scratch:
- Hot Wheels 20 Car Gift Pack $21.63
A decent set of small hot wheels are a must for us. They’re great for playing with the toy garage also listed here or for using with blocks, up-cycled paper towel rolls, and even painter’s tape tracks in all kinds of innovative open-ended play. Of course, when playing with these with young toddlers, be on the lookout for any loose parts that may be a choking hazard. We’ve never had a problem but it’s worth noting.
Allows to design, create and customize their very own track challenge using a variety of stunts, track layout options and key track essentials that all work together. Plus, with this system, they get to build and re-build the fun in every direction—horizontally or even vertically! Set includes essential track packs with 10 feet of track, curves, launchers, and stunts plus a Hot Wheels car. One reviewer wrote, “We both marveled that there were 3 different ways to connect the track to furniture, etc. We both only had a c clamps in the good old days and now there are 3 types of connectors, a smaller one that swivels to position your track easier and one that connects to a door knob or clothes line, etc. You have curve track, launcher and rockets that go off when your car passes. Your imagination is your limit on setting up your tracks. Also we liked the new connectors for each track piece, we both remember having a harder time pushing in the original connectors on the track pieces, this is an improvement.”
To really expand the possibilities, I would also highly recommend throwing in one or two of these straight track sets. 18 track connectors, including an assortment of 9-inch tracks, 12-inch tracks and track connectors to make up to 15 feet of straight track.
You could certainly stop with just the two track sets above and still have a great track building kit. But this will take it up another level- and could send your kiddo over the edge if he’s a true Hot Wheels fanatic. This highly rated set is a car factory on steroids that can be built multiple ways (love that!) and lets kids build horizontally, vertically, or in various spiral forms… From the manufacturer, “Simply set up the track in a spiral like a real factory and place a car at every gate. Launch one car from the top and release any other car that has what it takes to “pass” inspection-but watch out! Cars that are “rejected” will be thrown off the track!”
#6 Hot Wheels Criss Cross Crash Set $38.88 (2 – 12 years)
My 8-year-old son just got this for his birthday and I can tell you that the 2-year-old and 6-year-old (and, let’s be honest, the 35-year-old) in our house love it just as much as he does. The great thing about this particular Hot Wheels set is that it’s self-contained. Not meant to be connected to anything else, it’s enough fun all on it’s own.
As the name would suggest, the cars rocket around the four loops at crazy fun speed and smash into each other. Sometimes this happens almost immediately, sometimes they go for an exciting amount of time before their inevitable doom.
This is one of those rare toys that is fun to play all alone or during a play date with a group of friends. My son especially loves trying to predict which car will outlast the others and challenging himself to see how many cars he can get racing around the track before they crash.
I highly recommend this particular Hot Wheels set for the play value, price, and the fewer number of pieces making setup and take down easier and quicker than a lot of other sets.
#7 Battat Take Apart Sets $20.21 and up (3+ years)
I’m kind of in awe of these Take-A-Part kits (there’s an airplane, crane, 4×4 and roadster available). They combine my son’s two absolute favorite activities: building and playing with things that go vroom. Plus kids put together their sets using a working power drill with 3 different bits. The reviews on this one are stellar and I’m totally sold!
#8 LEGO City Motorized Cargo Train $157.63 (6 – 12 years) and DUPLO motorized train
My son has been absolutely BEGGING for this set for his birthday for months. A lover of all things LEGO and remote-controlled, it’s not hard to see why. (Side note: he first became captivated with the idea of a motorized LEGO train after playing with this DUPLO version for slightly younger kids at a friend’s house.) This set gets lots of rave reviews for all the working parts and all the large size of the set and tracks.
From the manufacturer: This awesome motorized train with 8-channel, 7-speed infrared remote control can transport almost anything. So it’s your job to make sure the cargo is in the right place at the right time to keep the city running smoothly. Attach the cattle wagon and 2 cargo wagons together and pull them around the circular rail track with the locomotive. Operate the forklift to move the pallets safely between the wagons and truck. Keep track of all the cargo leaving and arriving in the office at the impressive cargo train station.
Then you can use the sliding overhead crane with hook to move heavy cargo between vehicles or onto the ground. With so many play functions and cool features, this really is the ultimate set for train enthusiasts! Includes 4 minifigures: forklift driver, train driver, farmer and a truck driver.
#9 CAT Digger $82.82 (2 – 8 years)
The aunties bought this for my then 3 year old son for Christmas and, I have to say, I had my reservations. My oldest son, of course, thought an excavator that he could actually sit on, drive, and manipulate was just about the coolest thing ever but I was concerned about the space it would take up in our yard, especially with a non-rainy season of only about 3 months here in Seattle.
What I failed to realize was the versatility of this toy. Yes, it’s awesome for digging in the sandbox or bark in the summer, but it’s also great for picking up leaves in the fall and snow in the winter (see here). This thing gets played on year-round and is often the only thing that lures my kids out to play on a rainy day (they put out buckets to collect the rain water and use the bucket shovel to scoop it out).
This one’s definitely a big ticket item but return on investment is high.
#10 LEGO DUPLO My First Number Train $19.99 (18 months – 5 years)
I really, really love how much you get with this well-price DUPLO set. First there’s the train, which kids love, complete with number blocks 1 – 9 to help your little ones learn to count as they build and push the train around all day.
Then there’s the option to use the blocks to also construct a tunnel, a building, or a dog house with a roof that opens. And it comes with a very cute dog and boy figure – overall a really great set that gets tons of high reviews.
#11 Green Toys Flatbed Truck and Car $21.44 (1 – 10 years)
Along with the Kid-O Go Car, Green Toys cars are my other go-to gift for little ones. As I’ve already said in these gift guides, I really appreciate that their stuff is made in the USA from 100 percent recycled plastic milk containers and contain no BPA, PVC, phthalates, or external coatings.
Beyond that, their vehicles are easy for small hands to grasp and manipulate with no small parts that can be easily swallowed. I like the 2-for-1 punch packed by this flatbed and car combo.
#12 Imaginext Rescue City Center $34.62 (3 – 8 years)
This rescue center play set gets a lot of kuddos for having a high number of working parts for the kid to interact with and for doing a great job in stimulating dramatic play.
One Amazon reviewer wrote, “The toys are clever and witty and well designed with hidden doors, functions and scope for imagination. They are some of the most played with toys–besides Legos–in our house… These are some of the coolest toys out there that meet the need for non-licensed (usually no licensed toys beyond the Batman line) for lots of fantastical, imaginative play.”
The set also gets high marks for durability and two-sided play that allows for more than one child to play at the same time without crowding.
#13 Automoblox $36.50 (3 and no longer mouthing toys – 8 years)
These have been a favorite at our house for several years. Part racing toy, part building toy, they’re pretty much irresistible to both my son and daughter. I recommended them for socking stuffers in the past and their flying machine counterparts, Manhattan Toy Airplane Vehicle, are another way to extend the fun beyond the cars. There’s also the newer and larger sized automoblox Rescue SUVs: the Fire SUV, Police Car, and Rescue Truck.
#14 LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Kits starting at $11.24, (age varies by kit)
This is another series of kits, much like the LEGO City collection with the difference being that each kit can be used to create 3 totally different things. My son thinks this is especially awesome and I did a lot of research to find the perfect set for his 6th birthday.
We settled on the LEGO Creator 31011 Aviation Adventure and we were not disappointed! The photos don’t do justice to the sheer size of this thing! That and the number of pieces involved in the build truly make this the next level in LEGO builds. Plus it actually has moving parts (pull back the landing gear to make the propellers move, slide the cockpit windshield back and up to insert and remove the two pilots, etc.).
My son has been playing with it non-stop for weeks and he still hasn’t even gotten to the boat and helicopter he can build with this set. This toy has already given us hours and hours of fun and promises to give lots more – a great investment in my eyes.
Read on for 20 or so of the most engaging toys for vehicle lovers.
Special Note: In an effort to help you out as much as possible this year, I’ve included both prices and age recommendations for each item. Please take the age ranges as just that – recommendations – you know you’re child best after all!
Also, this time of year prices can fluctuate quite dramatically. So if you see something a little outside of your price range, it might not be a bad idea to click over and check it out anyway – you may get lucky and catch a sale.
Ready for the big list? Here we go…
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Kid-O Go Car $11.21 (6 months – 2 years)
I gift this car quite a bit to babies and young toddlers. With it’s bright colors and built in handle, it’s the perfect first car for any child.
Green Toys Flatbed Truck and Car $21.44 (1 – 10 years)
Along with the Kid-O Go Car, Green Toys cars are my other go-to gift for little ones. As I’ve already said in these gift guides, I really appreciate that their stuff is made in the USA from 100 percent recycled plastic milk containers and contain no BPA, PVC, phthalates, or external coatings.
Beyond that, their vehicles are easy for small hands to grasp and manipulate with no small parts that can be easily swallowed. I like the 2-for-1 punch packed by this flatbed and car combo.
Fisher-Price Little People Lil’ Movers Airplane $17.99 (1 – 3 years)
Like the entire line of Little Peoples Movers, the stocky size of this airplane is perfect for little hands still developing their fine-motor skills. This plane, which lights up and plays multiple sounds gets tons of rave reviews from parents for it’s durability as well as how many ways there are to play.
Complete with a pilot, two passengers, a piece of luggage, a door that opens, six windows, including the pilot’s windshield, a handle over the cut-out top, and working wheels (which make the pilot and passengers go up and down as if encountering turbulence). Push down on the pilot in her seat for flashing lights, a tune, flight attendant commentary, and swooshing airplane sounds.
Bonus: big kids still love playing with the people from this sets long after they’ve outgrown the airplane.
Little Blue Truck $12.76 (1 – 6 years)
Our all-time favorite book when our first was a toddler. The characters are incredibly endearing, the illustrations are vivd and bold and it has a great message. Enough said.
Kidkraft Waterfall Mountain Train Set & Table $170.99 (18 months – 8 years)
We bought our son a train table for his 2nd birthday and we always say it’s one of the best purchases we’ve ever made. For over four years both he and his sister played with it several times a week. And now his 18 month old brother is really starting to get into it. At 4 years old our oldest was able to completely construct the track by himself using the map and that added a whole new level of building play to this fantastic toy.
I think the model we bought has been discontinued but this one is the same brand and has all of the same key components: a bridge, waterfall mountain, helicopter landing pad, and the all-important drawers for storing all the little pieces.
If you’re going to be putting your train table in main living space, you may want to spring for the more expensive KidKraft Metropolis Train Set Table with Trundle Drawer. It’s got a nicer “furniture” look (and that double-decker bridge is pretty cool too). Also, over the years we’ve amassed quite a collection of Thomas trains to go with this table.
Melissa & Doug World Airplane and Luggage Carrier Set $21.08 (2 – 4 years)
This simple set is so charming. It’s the perfect thing for promoting lots of imaginative play and I’m smitten with the little wooden luggage and luggage cart.
Battat Take Apart Sets $ 18.15 and up (3+ years)
I’m kind of in awe of these Take-A-Part kits (there’s an airplane, crane, 4×4 and roadster available). They combine my son’s two absolute favorite activities: building and playing with things that go vroom. Plus kids put together their sets using a working power drill with 3 different bits. The reviews on this one are stellar and I’m totally sold!
Playskool Heroes Transformers Rescue Bots Starting at $13.61 (3 – 6 years)
The perfect introduction to transformers, these rescue bots have a great book series of the same name and are easy for small hands to manipulate.
Imaginext Rescue City Center $34.62 (3 – 8 years)
This rescue center play set gets a lot of kuddos for having a high number of working parts for the kid to interact with and for doing a great job in stimulating dramatic play.
One Amazon reviewer wrote, “The toys are clever and witty and well designed with hidden doors, functions and scope for imagination. They are some of the most played with toys–besides Legos–in our house… These are some of the coolest toys out there that meet the need for non-licensed (usually no licensed toys beyond the Batman line) for lots of fantastical, imaginative play.”
The set also gets high marks for durability and two-sided play that allows for more than one child to play at the same timewithout crowding.
Plan Toys City Series Parking Garage $73.96 (3+ years)
My oldest got this garage for Christmas several years ago. He and his sister really like the working elevator and it’s a favorite toy for group play during play dates. I really like how durable it’s been.
Hot Wheels DIY Track Creator Kit (18 months with parents help – 12 years)
This is a very unique item on these gift guides in that I’m recommending you buy a couple of simple sets (listed below) and package them together to make one really awesome gift. I totally get that some of the Hot Wheels sets out there are super fun for kids (our favorites are still featured below).
However, one of the things I really love about hot wheels is the idea of the kids going crazy with them, building all kinds of unique and interesting tracks down the stairs, under the table, and etc. So if you’re considering a big Hot Wheels gift for your kiddo, I really encourage you to think about putting together this suggested DIY gift instead of buying one expensive track setup.
I promise, it will buy you so many more hours of engagement than a bells-and-whistles set that really only does one thing. This kit is going to be my son’s big present for his 7th birthday in a few weeks, minus the cars as we have plenty of those (shhh, don’t tell). Of course, you can add or subtract from it to make the perfect sized gift for your space too.
Here’s what I’d put in mine if starting from scratch:
- Hot Wheels 20 Car Gift Pack $21.63
A decent set of small hot wheels are a must for us. They’re great for playing with the toy garage also listed here or for using with blocks, up-cycled paper towel rolls, and even painter’s tape tracks in all kinds of innovative open-ended play. Of course, when playing with these with young toddlers, be on the lookout for any loose parts that may be a choking hazard. We’ve never had a problem but it’s worth noting.
Allows to design, create and customize their very own track challenge using a variety of stunts, track layout options and key track essentials that all work together. Plus, with this system, they get to build and re-build the fun in every direction—horizontally or even vertically! Set includes essential track packs with 10 feet of track, curves, launchers, and stunts plus a Hot Wheels car. One reviewer wrote, “We both marveled that there were 3 different ways to connect the track to furniture, etc. We both only had a c clamps in the good old days and now there are 3 types of connectors, a smaller one that swivels to position your track easier and one that connects to a door knob or clothes line, etc. You have curve track, launcher and rockets that go off when your car passes. Your imagination is your limit on setting up your tracks. Also we liked the new connectors for each track piece, we both remember having a harder time pushing in the original connectors on the track pieces, this is an improvement.”
To really expand the possibilities, I would also highly recommend throwing in one or two of these straight track sets. 18 track connectors, including an assortment of 9-inch tracks, 12-inch tracks and track connectors to make up to 15 feet of straight track.
You could certainly stop with just the two track sets above and still have a great track building kit. But this will take it up another level- and could send your kiddo over the edge if he’s a true Hot Wheels fanatic. This highly rated set is a car factory on steroids that can be built multiple ways (love that!) and lets kids build horizontally, vertically, or in various spiral forms… From the manufacturer, “Simply set up the track in a spiral like a real factory and place a car at every gate. Launch one car from the top and release any other car that has what it takes to “pass” inspection-but watch out! Cars that are “rejected” will be thrown off the track!”
Hot Wheels 4 Lane Elimination Race Track Set $99 (3+ years)
We have really loved having this simple (and noise-free) ramp to go along with our cars. (The model we have is currently out-of-production but very similar.) And it’s a great option for pure-racing fun when/if your kids aren’t as in to building.
I was pleasantly surprised that it’s lasted us five years already, despite it’s light weight plastic design, and I really like how it folds down flat for easy storage. This is actually a favorite toy of both my nearly 7 year old son AND my 18 month old son right now (see the evidence here).
Hot Wheels Track Builder Total Turbo Takeover Track Set $34.86 (4+ years)
If you want to get yourself a fixed set that has some fancy tricks, this is a good one. It’s well-priced and comes with not one, but two, loops – which always seems to be the kids’ favorite part – plus a “two way booster” that gives them multiple ways to race and launch the cars. This is an ideal rainy day toy and also great for multiple kids to play with together.
The only drawback, is that this one can be noisy and you need a little more space – another great set that’s noise-free and has a small foot-print but cool options and tricks for the cars is the Color Shifters Flame Fighter Playset $27.99 (4+ years) (note: we don’t use the color-changing water features most of the time but it’s a fun novelty every once in a while).
Automoblox $36.50 (3 and no longer mouthing toys – 8 years)
These have been a favorite at our house for several years. Part racing toy, part building toy, they’re pretty much irresistible to both my son and daughter.
I recommended them for socking stuffers in the past and their flying machine counterparts, Manhattan Toy Airplane Vehicle, are another way to extend the fun beyond the cars. There’s also the newer and larger sized automoblox Rescue SUVs: the Fire SUV, Police Car, and Rescue Truck.
LEGO City Motorized Cargo Train $157.63 (6 – 12 years) and DUPLO motorized train
My son has been absolutely BEGGING for this set for his birthday for months. A lover of all things LEGO and remote-controlled, it’s not hard to see why. (Side note: he first became captivated with the idea of a motorized LEGO train after playing with this DUPLO version for slightly younger kids at a friend’s house.)
This set gets lots of rave reviews for all the working parts and all the large size of the set and tracks. From the manufacturer: This awesome motorized train with 8-channel, 7-speed infrared remote control can transport almost anything. So it’s your job to make sure the cargo is in the right place at the right time to keep the city running smoothly. Attach the cattle wagon and 2 cargo wagons together and pull them around the circular rail track with the locomotive.
Operate the forklift to move the pallets safely between the wagons and truck. Keep track of all the cargo leaving and arriving in the office at the impressive cargo train station. There you can use the sliding overhead crane with hook to move heavy cargo between vehicles or onto the ground. With so many play functions and cool features, this really is the ultimate set for train enthusiasts! Includes 4 minifigures: forklift driver, train driver, farmer and a truck driver.
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Kits starting at $11.24, (age varies by kit)
This is another series of kits, much like the LEGO City collection with the difference being that each kit can be used to create 3 totally different things. My son thinks this is especially awesome and I did a lot of research to find the perfect set for his 6th birthday. We settled on the LEGO Creator 31011 Aviation Adventure and we were not disappointed!
The photos don’t do justice to the sheer size of this thing! That and the number of pieces involved in the build truly make this the next level in LEGO builds.
Plus it actually has moving parts (pull back the landing gear to make the propellers move, slide the cockpit windshield back and up to insert and remove the two pilots, etc.). My son has been playing with it non-stop for weeks and he still hasn’t even gotten to the boat and helicopter he can build with this set. This toy has already given us hours and hours of fun and promises to give lots more – a great investment in my eyes.
Construction Vehicles
Bruder CATERPILLAR Construction Vehicles $16 and up (3+ years)
If you’ve got a true vehicle lover at home then you know they can NEVER get enough construction vehicles to push around the floor (or around the sandbox). The Bruder versions are each realistic, high quality options that won’t disappoint.
Their working parts are incredibly durable and our son absolutely adores his large working crane truck with stabilizer feet, which he uses for all sorts of imaginative play. Last year the only thing he got for Christmas was this flatbed truck and backhoe $125.99 which is all he wanted, and he was totally thrilled.
CAT Digger $82.82 (2 – 8 years)
The aunties bought this for my then 3 year old son for Christmas and, I have to say, I had my reservations. My oldest son, of course, thought an excavator that he could actually sit on, drive, and manipulate was just about the coolest thing ever but I was concerned about the space it would take up in our yard, especially with a non-rainy season of only about 3 months here in Seattle.
What I failed to realize was the versatility of this toy. Yes, it’s awesome for digging in the sandbox or bark in the summer, but it’s also great for picking up leaves in the fall and snow in the winter (see here). This thing gets played on year-round and is often the only thing that lures my kids out to play on a rainy day (they put out buckets to collect the rain water and use the bucket shovel to scoop it out).
This one’s definitely a big ticket item but return on investment is high.
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site $10.19 (1+ years)
This is a really sweet bedtime book, perfect for your little builder. We’ve checked it out so many times from the library it really is time we just bought it already!
Mighty Machine Videos $12.95 (2+ years)
I did an entire review of Might Machine Videos here. They consist of nothing more than footage of real life “mighty machines” (i.e. bulldozers, excavators, airplanes, trains, ships, firetrucks, buses, etc.) at work. There are no contrived characters or drama.
The machines narrate their actions and talk directly to your child to explain what they’re doing. Kids learn about how all kind of things work (“All About Recycling” is my son’s current favorite) and they LOVE it. Each video contains several episodes so it’s easy to control how long your child watches.
Some of them, like the one about trains, even have a collection of 5 minute “bonus videos”.
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel w/ Read Along CD $9.89 (3+ years)
We love this book because, unlike many others, the steam shovel is an actual character (Mary Anne – how sweet/rad is that?). The illustrations are gorgeous and this 1939 classic also has all kinds of interesting throwbacks like the page that starts, “Now the girl who answers the telephone called up the next towns…”.
*Post contains affiliate links.
Still want more ideas? Don’t forget to check out all 15 of the MPMK Gift Guides,organized by your child’s age:
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The Best Toys for Babies
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The Very Best Toys for Two-Year-Olds
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Go-To Gifts for Preschoolers
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The Most Exciting Gifts You Can Give a Kindergartner
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Go-To Gifts for Elementary Aged Kids
For the hottest toys of the year see:
Plus, the rest of our guides organized by interest:
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Best Toys for Fostering S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineerin, and Math) Skills
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Best Toys for Staying Active Inside and for Getting Outdoors
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Best Toys for Art & Craft Lovers
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Best Kid Games for Family Game Night, Playing with Siblings, or Playing Alone
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Best Learning Toys for Quiet Time & Independent Play
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Best Building & Construction Toys (Including Best LEGOs)
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Best Dramatic Play Toys
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Best Toys for Vehicle Lovers
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Best Toys for Doll & Princess Lovers
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Best Toys for Baby
Tens of thousands of parents use these lists every Christmas to find the perfect gift!
If you like these recommendations, I encourage you to pin or bookmark them for later when you’re ready to start shopping.
I would also love it if you forwarded the list to your parenting friends or shared it on facebook – trust me, your friends will thank you for the help and you get to be the cool mom (or dad) with all the best resources. It’s a win-win.
Also, don’t forget for even more recommendations and alerts when we spot our gift guide items on sale:
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