36 Open Ended Toys Kids Will Play with for Years

Lisa R:  Every week my daughter attends an under 2 playgroup, and every week this is the hot item that all the babies are eyeing. Sure there are plenty of other push toys available, but you just can't beat having something that looks exactly like the real thing. We had other types of push carts at home, but they tipped over or slid forward too quickly when my daughter was just learning to walk, and then she quickly lost interest once she mastered them. Not so with this shopping cart, which is stable, easy to steer, and offers years of imaginative play.

Erin P.:  This toy is an oldie, but is hours of fun as no two marble runs are ever the same. The children enjoy the challenge of putting the marble run together and then the satisfaction of seeing the marbles go all the way down the contraption!

Tim Ponisciak:  These magnet tiles are endless fun for kids. Kids can try to make what they see pictured on the box, or they can let their imaginations run wild and build anything they can dream! This set comes with a lot of pieces so it is a good toy that can be shared by multiple kids.

Erin P.:  This toy is such a hit during the summer months! We usually set ours up next to the kiddie pool and the kids enjoy hours of outdoor fun!

Kelly R.:  A set of high-quality building blocks will last a child for years, inspiring a whole variety of open-ended creative play and learning. We love this set of 60 natural-finished wooden blocks from Melissa & Doug, and it comes with a wooden tray for storage.

Erin P.:  Melissa & Doug makes a lot of great costumes which come in handy on many a rainy or snowy day. It is great fun to see just how observant children truly are once they start playing doctor, police officer, fire chief or construction worker. These costumes are great gifts for 4 year olds with a big imagination.

Erin P.:  This is a great pretend play toy with lots of fun pieces that may be familiar to your little one from visits to his or her doctor's office! It is so fun to see what they remember and imitate when you return home. This toy has the added benefit of possibly relieving some of the stress and fear that may surround visits to the doctor!

Kelly R.:  This open-ended toy set includes a cutting board, knife, and veggies that can be sliced and reassembled over and over again. My kids loved this at age 2 and it still gets played with a few years later. Great for developing fine motor skills.

This block set is equipped with built in magnets which means they won't fall down as easily and are perfect for little curious hands. The blocks allow for pattern recognition, problem-solving, and imaginative play as your little one grows.

Chrissy OGorman:  Perfect for the budding engineer in your family! Your child can create endless combinations of moving structures.

Kelly R.:  Six is the age where my son really got into LEGOs. Find a set with a theme that will appeal to the kid you're buying for, or choose a classic kit, like this one, that will let them use their imagination and add on to the sets they already have.

Erin P.:  2-year-olds love to mimic what they see their grown-ups doing, and while I wish that I could say that my two-year old witnessed me using my grown-up versions of these a bit more often for household chores, these toys are a hit with her and with her older brother! ;)

Tracy Snyder Molina:  When my boys were younger, our train table was the highlight of their playroom. One of the best things about the table is it keeps all the tracks and accessories off your floor and higher up at the kids' eye level. This train table comes with 120 colorful pieces that are also compatible with Thomas & Friends and Brio wooden train sets. Here's an extra tip: as your kids get older you can convert the table into a LEGO table. There are lots of how-to videos available online about how to make one!

Jennie Utsinger:  This gorgeous hand-carved rainbow offers endless play possibilities. It's one of those perfect versatile toys for 4 year olds, but delights kids of all ages - and grownups too! Balance the pieces on top of each other, create bridges for cars, rock your dolls, or practice your colors.

Erynn:  These sticky blocks make for hours of open-ended play in our house, and first attracted the attention of our then-three-year-old who is now seven and still takes these out from time to time. For our current three-year-old, these blocks have created everything from a car to a castle to a robot, making them a seriously fun toy that never loses its appeal.