We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A pack of brightly laminated flash cards to help them master the basics — ABCs, 123s, shapes, and colors — as soon as possible. Who knows, you might just have a little Einstein on your hands!
Promising review: "My 2-year-old recognizes all her number and alphabets so she needed something to challenge her. These cards are it. Shapes, colors, number, counting animals — there is so much to learn, and so many games you can make up. A must-have for any toddler." —IG: Pink_confession
Get a pack of 58 cards from Amazon for $13.99 (also available for babies).
2. And a LeapFrog 100 Words Book that'll help them build up their vocabulary in English and Spanish with a fun, interactive interface.
Promising reviews: "This may be my favorite LeapFrog toy yet!! So much to teach children, two languages, and it has actually kept my 1-year-old's attention for more than 60 seconds!!! It’s a must-have toy in my opinion!" —Megan Hennegan
"Our 18-month-old toddler loves it! Clear words makes it easy for babies to repeat. A must-have toy. 👍" —Zaida
Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in four styles).
3. A pack of sink extenders so you no longer have to exert your last ounce of strength by holding them over the sink — this'll empower them to wash their hands independently!
Promising review: "Must-have for toddlers and small children! LOVE this! My 1- and 3-year-old love washing their hands now, and my back gets a nice break. Adding the faucet extenders and a stepstool to our bedtime/morning routine has been a godsend. Great bargain for the price." —TeaBea21
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $11.49.
4. And a pack of ingenious light switch extenders so they can turn the lights on and off all on their own, too! How exhilarating this must be for them!
These install in minutes on standard light switches.
Promising review: "Must-have for toddlers! Perfect solution! As my toddler's independence soars, so do frustrations. This light switch extender pack was a great buy. He can now turn on the lights in his room and bathroom. Installation was easy and works as expected." —AW
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $11.98.
5. An EZPZ silicone mini training cup and straw specifically designed by a pediatric feeding specialist to help transition your tiny tot from bottles to cups.
EZPZ is is a woman-owned biz that creates developmentally focused, minimalist tableware for little ones.
P.S. The cup and straw are made from 100% toxin-free silicone (no BPA, BPS, PVC, latex, or phthalates). The food-grade silicone is safe for your toddler’s developing teeth and gums, plus it's dishwasher-safe.
Promising review: "Must-have! I had been concerned that my 1-year-old wasn’t picking up straw drinking easily. The day the straw training cup arrived, she began drinking from a straw!! Yay! Made me so unbelievably happy! Of course, the cup is darling and the design detail is excellent. The speech pathologist who constructed the cup knew exactly what she was doing. I highly recommend you get this cup!" —Rachel
6. A leave-in conditioning spray for curly hair free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates to safely restore your child's curls back to their former glory by reducing breakage and improving elasticity.
Reviewers say this spray will leave wavy or curly hair (from 2a–4c hair) shiny, soft, and bouncy.
Promising review: "A must-have. Best product I’ve found for my little one's hair." —Jose Orellana
Promising review: "You need this! My 2-year-old daughter has curly frizzy hair. And I have tried sooo many leave in conditioners to tame her hair. Nothing thus far has worked. But this stuff is amazing! Truly defines her curls without any hold or crunch. Soft bouncy curls. The smell is quite strong- but it does smell good. If you are sensitive to smells you might want to prepare yourself ahead of time for this. I will buy this again and again. So glad I found something that works for my toddler's curls." —mike
Get it from Amazon for $9.69.
7. And a detangling brush to lessen the pain, tears, and inevitable screaming that come with brushing your toddler's hair. This has 30K+ 5-star ratings for a reason!
Reviewers swear this brush works on all hair types: straight, wavy, or curly (from 3a–4c hair).
Promising review: "Brushing hair was a nightmare for my toddler. She is so happy with this item, She brushes her hair by herself now. This is a must-have brush, especially for mixed kids or Afro hair." —pelin ercan
Get it from Amazon for $11.99 (available in five colors).
8. A set of washable dab and dot markers so your budding artist can express their creativity *without* the looming mess of paint bottles and brushes.
The set comes with eight paint markers and a downloadable 101 Easy Dot Marker Activities PDF.
Promising review: "A must-have for toddlers. My son started using this when he was 2 and now he is 3. We've used this everyday and he never gets tired of it. He just loves doing dab and dot with letters and numbers. I also love the free printables included and I love how easy it is for my son to hold it with his tiny hands. I definitely recommend it." —Heriberto Mendoza
Get a set from Amazon for $14.39.
9. A Melissa & Doug activity book that'll put their motor skills to the test as they make all sorts of crafty creations. It even comes with a pair of safety scissors!
Promising reviews: "Must-have for toddlers. My 3-year-old loves doing these cut outs and I enjoy them as well. The pictures are vibrant and pleasing. The puzzles are fun. The scissors are wonderful for small hands." —Holly
"Must-have for your toddler needing to learn scissor skills! And they actually cut, so long as you are holding the scissors straight (which teaches your child proper form). Will have to eventually move onto a bladed scissor, but these are perfect for learning." —L. Anderson
Get it from Amazon for $7.99.
10. A 10-pack of Play-Doh they can squish around into various shapes and animals. Plus, you'll have peace of mind knowing it's nontoxic!
You already KNOW I was tasting the Play-Doh when I was a child. WHY is that any child's instinct?? 😭
Promising reviews: "Colorful, non-toxic Play-Doh has been great for my son who has many allergies including skin allergies. He has had no problem with these. This keeps him occupied for quite some time, often when I am cooking or cleaning. I played with this as a child myself and have fond memories of it." –Brandy P.
"Must have Play-Doh when the Great Grands are here. We try to stay supplied. I have Play-Doh sculptures all over the house!!" –Grammylou
Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $7.99.
11. A sleek touchless forehead thermometer so you can instantly read their temperature — even while they're sleeping! No more having to hassle with getting them to keep it under their tongue for long enough!
12. And a pack of soothing stick-on gel pads perfectly sized for any small forehead that's running a fever — this'll give them some cooling relief!
Each pack contains four sheets.
Promising review: "A must-have in my house! I absolutely LOVE this product. I have a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, and it works wonders! For persistent fevers, I put one sheet on their forehead, then cut a second sheet in half (one placed on their back, another on the abdomen). If it's really bad, I'll cut it into fourths (both underarms, both inner thighs) to keep control of the main heat sources. My kids have no problem sleeping with them on.
They stay solidly cool for about five hours and cooler than room temp for another two hours. They don't hurt at all when it's time to peel off." —Gracie's Choice
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $12.25.
13. A pack of spill-proof Munchkin snack catchers, because there are few things worse than cereal and various small bites of food being flung willy nilly throughout your home. The flexible flaps prevent spills *while* allowing your kiddo the freedom to still grab individual bites at their leisure. Genius!
Promising review: "These are a must-have for a small toddler and their snacks. The top is soft and flexible so I don’t have to worry about my little guy scratching his little hands when he’s digging around in the cup. Very easy to clean and they’re priced well. Buy them now!" —Wooty
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $6 (available in two color combos).
14. A pack of toilet seat covers to bring with you while you're out and about so your toddler doesn't touch that PUBLIC seat with their hands!
Promising review: "Must-have! If you have a toddler these are a MUST! We travel and it gives us peace of mind knowing that no matter where we are, as long as we have these covers we can safely take her to the bathroom and everything is ok. Before we found these, I used to be super stressed when she would ask to use the bathroom and we were out and about but not anymore. They have cute colors and are big enough." —Dayanna Pita
Get a pack of 24 covers from Amazon for $9.99.
15. A whale-shaped bath spout cover you can secure to the faucet to prevent any accidents or head bonks while they're having a blast playing with their toys.
Promising review: "My 1-year-old was always getting close to the faucet to play with the water and would end up crying all the time because he would end up bumping his head. But this saved him from that. Now he gets to enjoy the water without bumping his head, and if he does it won't hurt him since the whale is made of rubber. It's a plus that I can hang the spray tub lower and not have to stretch in my tippie toes every night. It's adjustable, so it fits pretty much all the faucets. This is a must-have if you have little ones." —Sam
Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in two colors).
16. And a bath toy organizer to start teaching them how to clean up after themselves, as well as prevent YOU from accidentally tripping on a loose toy when it's time for you to take a shower.
Promising review: "This has been a game-changer for the whole bath toy tub time mess problem. The toys hang on the bath wall and dry in the mesh bag. It's great and holds a lot of toys! And it doesn't take up any space in the bathroom. Definitely a must-have for any toddler!" —Katie V.
Get it from Amazon for $9.98+ (available in two sizes and pre-stocked with toys or by itself).
17. A potty training chart that'll help keep them on track and crushing their "big potty" goals. They'll even get cute dino stickers to celebrate their successes!
The set includes four weeks of training charts, a step-by-step visual chart to using the potty for the kiddos, and eight-page potty training guide, two celebratory crowns, a certificate of completion, 200 stickers, three cards, and an erasable marker.
Promising review: "This sticker chart is a must-have for potty training. My daughter is already making so much progress with this sticker chart. Amazing!" —Bailey Rowland
Get it from Amazon for $10.95.
18. A wooden puzzle for all the older toddler parents shopping this list — this is essentially like the old school game of Tetris reimagined for a tinier brain (and will help keep them off a screen!).
Reviewer's say this is a great toy for all ages — from 3 to 12. For some more fun, check out our picks for the best games for 3-year-olds, as well as the best toys and gifts for 3-year-olds.
Promising review: "Excellent for learning! Must-have! Such a wonderful toy/puzzle! Similar in some way to tangrams. Great for stimulating thinking and problem solving. My 3-year-old's teacher was blown away by her working the puzzle so easily." —tigerhax
Get it from Amazon for $9.99.
19. A pack of silicone dino ice pop molds to make all kinds of ~jurassically good~ frozen creations from fruit, juice, yogurt, and so on.
Promising review: "Toddler snack must-have. I absolutely love these molds. The silicone is good quality because it peels off the pops easily and I use them quite often — they are pretty durable. Both my toddler and preschooler love them although the pop portion size is generous for my younger. The bone holders are hilarious and the yogurt we use looks exactly like a dino as expected after frozen. These work great and are really fun shapes so I highly recommend." —TXFan
Get a four-pack from Amazon for $13.09+ (available in three other styles).
20. A pack of non-slip ankle socks because no one ever wants to watch their sweet baby completely face plant on the hardwood floors. This'll give them the grip they need to explore the depths of the family home *safely*.
Promising review: "These are great grip socks! They fit my 2-year-old daughter, with room to grow. They don't slip off either which is a huge plus. They also don't shrink when washed or loose their grip-ness. The colors are bright and so fun! They are thicker than her normal socks for shoes, but her shoe was still able to fit, just more snug. She didn't wear shoes with them for very long though. I donated a few pairs to her daycare for other kids to wear and all of the teachers complimented the socks. Must-have for busy toddlers!" –Erin Gioia
Get a pack from Amazon for $9.38+ (available in sizes for 0/3 months–8/10 years and in 10 quantity and color varieties).
21. An ingenious sandwich cutter and sealer to transform your kitchen into a bespoke Uncrustables factory. YUM!!!!
22. An effective stain remover formulated to tackle even the toughest of toddler-caused clothing stains (think: markers, grass, spaghetti sauce) and magically remove them in the wash.
Promising reviews: "Must-have for kids that get everything and anything on their clothes – this gets all of it out. Paint, blackberries, spaghetti – all of it." –Candyce L.
"This solution is magical!! I ran into this in Annapolis, Maryland, at a Muse paint bar and again randomly in TJ Maxx (I love the spray bottle for bigger stains), but since I'm a mom of a toddler this is ideal for clothing and spot treatment in the house or on the go. If you don't have this in your house hold then this is your sign. GET IT!" —Lauren Ruffin
Get a three-pack from Amazon for $11.80 (available in a variety of multi-packs).
23. A scavenger hunt that'll bring some serious joy and entertainment as they embark on a wild goose chase throughout your home.
Promising review: "A must-have. My 2-year-old son is obsessed. Always asks to play the 'find you' game LOL. Then we play it and every option on the game he actually thinks really hard then says 'come on mommy' and runs me through the house to find the object. Highly recommended from a mom of four." —Britney bansley
Get it from Amazon for $12.99.
24. A set of non-slip educational placemats so they can study their colors, shapes, letters, and numbers while munching on breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Promising review: "My grandson uses these to learn his colors, shapes, alphabet, and numbers! He was so excited when they arrived and picks out which one he wants to use! Thank you so much! This is a must-have for toddlers! They can learn and make a mess all at the same time!!!" —Rita Russell
Get a set of four from Amazon for $14.99.
25. Lastly, an Oogiebear nose and ear cleaner that allows you to safely rid their tiny nostrils of any, well — oogie boogies. Oh, the joys of being a parent!
Promising review: "Must have! This thing is amazing, it works very well for us. Good length and it's soft/firm. I was able to gently scoop my 4-month-old's ear wax and pick out her sticky, crusty boogers. She enjoys being clean so she sat/laid down very still for us. I would definitely buy this for a baby shower gift and definitely recommend to anyone." —P. T.
Get it from Amazon for $12.95.
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.