Jack’s Toy Box: Learning is Fun

Little Kids
Written By Gio Green

Our complete collection of professionally recommended toys

Back-to-school readiness for toddlers starts with play! Our therapy team and parent community have carefully selected toys that build the foundational skills your little one needs for their educational journey. From fine motor development to early literacy, these picks make learning feel like the adventure it should be.

Why Play-Based Learning Matters

Before formal education begins, toddlers need strong foundations built through purposeful play:

• Fine Motor Skills: Preparing hands for writing through manipulation, grasping, and coordination activities.

• Cognitive Development: Problem-solving, cause-and-effect, and early STEM concepts through hands-on exploration.

• Social-Emotional Skills: Turn-taking, sharing, and emotional regulation through interactive play.

• Language & Literacy: Vocabulary building, storytelling, and pre-reading skills through engaging activities.

• Independence: Self-directed play that builds confidence and decision-making abilities.

Every toy we've selected targets multiple developmental areas while keeping the joy in learning.

Fine Motor Builders

Strengthening little hands for big achievements

• Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog: Color sorting, counting, and pincer grasp development all in one adorable friend.

• Fat Brain Toys Sensory Shape Learning Toys: Soft, textured shapes perfect for exploring and problem-solving with developing hands.

• Montessori Sensory Pull String Toy: Pop, push, and poke the silicone bubbles for finger strength and bilateral coordination.

• Stacking & Spinning Toy: Spinning discs that build wrist rotation and visual tracking skills.

Cognitive Champions

Building problem-solving and critical thinking skills

• Farm Animals Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle: Jumbo knobs perfect for grasping while learning animal recognition and matching.

• Carlos The Pop & Count Cactus: The flowers are a perfect way to promote your thumb and pointer finger coordination - such a fun way to play while learning.

• Wooden Baby Walker Push And Pull: Multi-functional learning center with shape sorting, counting beads, and more.

• Activity Table: Interactive learning station with multiple educational activities in one place.

Creative Expression

Fostering imagination and artistic development

• Toddler Mix & Learn DJ Table: Musical exploration that builds cause-and-effect understanding and auditory processing while encouraging babies to stand up.

• Little People Big Yellow Bus Musical Pull: Imaginative play that practices social scenarios and storytelling.

• Fisher-Price Game Controller: Pretend play that introduces numbers, colors, and shapes with lights and sounds.

• Jumbo Farm Animals: Realistic figures for storytelling and vocabulary building.

Gross Motor Movers

Building strength, balance, and coordination

• Indoor Slide: Safe climbing and sliding for proprioceptive input and confidence building.

• Play Tunnel with Balls: Crawling through builds core strength while ball play adds hand-eye coordination.

School Readiness for Children with Down Syndrome

Building Foundations (18-36 months)

  • Extended sensory exploration time
  • Repetition with favorite activities
  • Visual learning with real objects
  • Celebrate small motor victories
  • Focus on engagement over completion

Growing Skills (3-4 years)

  • Break tasks into smaller steps
  • Use visual supports and demonstrations
  • Practice turn-taking in play
  • Build stamina gradually
  • Pair movement with learning

Pre-School Ready (4-5 years)

  • Practice routine transitions
  • Build independence with visual schedules
  • Strengthen core for sitting
  • Social stories for new experiences
  • Celebrate progress, not pace

Investment Priorities

Must-Haves

  • Shape sorter
  • Simple puzzle
  • Stacking/nesting toys
  • Musical instrument

Nice-to-Have

  • Activity table
  • Indoor slide
  • Pretend play sets
  • Fine motor tools

Can Wait

  • Electronic learning toys
  • Complex building sets
  • Advanced puzzles
  • Writing tablets

A Note from Our Therapy Team

"School readiness isn't about academics - it's about building the foundation skills that make learning possible. Focus on play that encourages problem-solving, persistence, and joy. These are the skills that truly prepare children for success."

"Remember: every child develops at their own pace. These toys meet children where they are and grow with them. Trust the process and celebrate every small victory along the way."

- Jack's Friends Foundation Pediatric Advisory Team

When you shop through our carefully curated Jack's Toy Box collections, small commissions help fund our Pony Express Postcard Club, sending encouragement to families navigating Down Syndrome.

These commissions come at no additional cost to you—you pay the same price whether you use our links or not. Thank you for supporting our mission!

Gio Green
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Jack’s Toy Box: Fun in the Water