Another popular set that we have is the Viking Chubbiesset of vehicles. My kids use these by themselves but more often then not they end up in the block area.

Occasionally, I can find ones similar to those wooden sets at The Dollar Tree and even Target had some in their train section for $2/each. I have these two sets: town vehiclesand everyday vehicles. Plus they can be combined with other toys to extend the play. I also stock up after Halloween when most stores offer clearance prices on costumes! VehiclesĬars and vehicles are a hit with all ages and genders. If are looking for dress-up clothing I always check Goodwill and secondhand stores for hats, scarves, shoes, purses and more. I love our wooden one and it’s stood up to constant use (see my review of our kitchenset) but get what fits your budget and space.

In time I think it’s important to have more kinds of dramatic play items (clothing, hats, tools, etc…) but I’d recommend starting with a kitchen set with simple food and dishes set. Pretend play activities are the ultimate open-ended play activities, they offer infinite ways to play because it’s all based on whatever the kids can dream up! When starting a home daycare I recommend at least a pretend kitchenand a food set. I generally stick with the Lego Duplo sets because they are large enough for small toddlers but still engaging enough that 4 and 5-year-olds still enjoy them, which I’ve found not to be the case with the larger Mega-Bloks. I highly recommend a set of unit wooden blocksbut even smaller wooden block setsor Lego Duplo sets work great when you’re first starting out. Personally I think blocks are the best investment you can make when buying toys. Not everything has to be brand new but make sure it’s in good shape and will last you at least a year. Remember secondhand stores, garage sales, and craigslist are great places to start looking. These aren’t the only toys that work but they are ones that I have found to be great for group care.ĭon’t see something that’s well-loved in your home daycare? Tell me in the comments! The Best Toys for Home Daycare Below are my favorite toys that I always recommend to new providers. You don’t need to have a large number of toys but you do want well made and easily adaptable toys. Most of these toys listed below are open-ended toys that allow for a variety of play and span multiple ages. Affiliate links provided for convenience, see my disclosure for more info

Play day toys