Top Educational Toys of 2020

My Top Educational Toys of 2020

Some of the information below includes affiliate links. When you click these links I make a small commission from your purchase! Thank you for supporting me!

Toys alone are educational, but all toys are not created equal. Toys help to facilitate play, but some toys go a step further to help inspire, make kids active, and help with school. As a mother of 2 educational toys are high on my list of wants. Because of this I try and seek out educational toys for my kids throughout the year.

Some educational toys my kids will play with once, and then it never sees the light of day again, but then there are some educational toys that my kids play with or ask to use every day. These toys, the ones my kids play with every day, are the toys listed in this particular guide and are educational toys that are great for gifting. In this guide I am going to tell you about the toys, let you know the prices, and where to purchase them. So, without further ado here are my top educational toys of 2020. (Side note: You can see the majority of these toys in action on my Instagram page HERE.)

Disclaimer

A couple of the companies on this list did provide me products in exchange for consideration to be added to this guide. Other companies I have worked with throughout this year as a brand ambassador. Some of the links contained in this guide are affiliate links and I will disclose them. All of these toys have made it onto this guide because they are amazing products that both my kids and I love. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Blockaroo Magnetic Foam Builders

Of all the building blocks we have my kids play with Blockaroos the most. (I was first introduced to them at The Toy Insider’s Sweet Suite @ Home event.) They are made of durable foam with magnets on the end. They can be used in the bath as bath toys and can be put in the dishwasher to be cleaned. My 5-year-old loves to use Blockaroos to build animals and abstract things. While my 2-year-old loves to watch the pieces connect and build phones.

There are many different sets to choose from, and you can find them on Amazon HERE (affiliate link), Wal-Mart HERE, and the Blockaroo site HERE. They vary in price depending on which kit you purchase, but the kit below sells for $29.88 on Amazon. (It looks like the best pricing currently is at Wal-Mart.) Blockaroos have been the only building toy that both of my kids can agree on, and I love that if you accidentally step on them they won’t hurt your feet. Haha! A super plus of Blockaroos is they are the perfect size for small hands to build and use their imagination with.

Tonies

I again was introduced to Tonies and the Toniebox this summer during The Toy Insider Sweet Suite @ Home and ever since we got our Toniebox and Tonies my kids have used them every day. We use our Tonie’s for storytime, for dance parties, and just for listening to music. Tonies are a great screen-free educational toy and have really helped with the fact we can no longer go to storytime at the library.

Using the Toniebox is so easy that even my 2-year-old can put her own Tonie on the Toniebox, and use the different functions to fast forward or skip to her favorite songs or stories. I also use our Creative Tonies to leave my girls messages. You can read my full review of Tonies HERE. A Toniebox with a Creative Toni usually sells for around $99.00 and individual Content/Creative Tonies for $14.99. You will be able to find the best sale on Tonies on their website during Black Friday. They currently haven’t released their sale yet, but once they do I will share it with you. (Trust me it is going to be better than the other retailers.) You can check out Tonies for yourself on their website HERE. You can also find Tonies at Target HERE, Amazon HERE (Affiliate Link), and FAO Schwarz HERE.

Play Osmo

Play Osmo has been a favorite educational toy for my kids for over a year. They have been an amazing company to work with and their products are amazing. We have a bunch of their games, and I have no qualms with my girls playing their Osmo games for hours if they like. Why? Because it provides them with educational screen time, and I have seen them grow and learn while playing their Osmo games.

Play Osmo games can also be used as a part of a homeschool curriculum or just for fun. You can read all about what Play Osmo is HERE. About the Pizza Co. game HERE. Detective Agency HERE. The Little Genius Starter Kit Plus Early Math HERE. If you are Disney fans you can learn all about Play Osmo Super Studio HERE. Pricewise the cost varies depending on which game you are purchasing. You do need a base to use Play Osmo games. With a base Detective Agency right now retails for $75.75. Without a base, Detective Agency retails for $36.75. Currently, for Black Friday Play Osmo is having a 40% off sale for some of their games and you can find those deals HERE. You can also purchase Play Osmo games at Target HERE and Amazon HERE. (Affiliate Link)

National Geographic

These kits are amazing, and I plan on purchasing more of these kits for my girls. There are a bunch of kits to choose from. There are glow-in-the-dark marble runs, balance stepping stones, grow-your-own crystal kits, Dino egg dig kits, and more. My girls and I have been having a blast with the Mega Science Series Science Magic Kit. Through science and magic, we have made our own snow, learned why bubbles pop when you touch them, and so much more.

These Nat Geo STEM kits are the perfect addition to your homeschool curriculum or for kids to just learn and play. Of course, prices differ from kit to kit but currently, it looks like Wal-Mart has the best pricing on the majority of kits. For example, the Dino Dig Kit and Volcano Kit sell for $7.99 each. You can see all of the Nat Geo kits Blue Marble has HERE. They are also available for purchase at Target HERE, Amazon HERE (Affiliate Link), and Wal-Mart HERE.

Jogo Ball (Previously Story Ball)

Jogo Ball (previously called Story Ball) first started as a Kickstarter campaign that I backed years ago. After a slow go of it and a rebrand, to Jogo Ball, Jogo Ball is now available for purchase through Yogibo HERE. What makes this toy so fun is it offers great screen-free educational/interactive games. The toy is a ball with skins you can put on or take off, and each skin comes with different games associated with it. (Currently, Jogo ball is selling for $119.00 but is on sale for Black Friday and you can get it for $95.20.)

My girls have the original Story Ball Sesame and they love to follow her directions to toss her in the air, roll her on the ground, run in place with her, and more. The only downside to the Sesame we have is you have to use an app on your phone to make her work. Story Ball was a great concept and for a moment there I was afraid, due to current world events, that they were not going to be able to continue, but they have. I hope you will check out Jogo Ball!

I am currently working on a Socking Stuffer Gift Guide so Stay tuned! Are there any educational toys not on my list that your kids love? Let everyone know in the comments!

This post contains affiliate links. Pretty in Baby Food is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases by advertising and linking to amazon.com