toys and booksHaving a preschooler in the house can be a challenge during my older kids’ school time.  I have found that one of the easiest ways to keep my little girl occupied is to capture her imagination with a great children’s book and then give her an activity that allows her to play out the scenes that we just read about.

I always get the “where did you get that!” question, so I’ve made a giant list of book/toy pairs for you, and I’ve made both the book and the toy images clickable for you. We have collected a crazy amount of both over the years, sometimes they come out individually, and sometimes together.  All are fantastically fun.  To be completely candid – these are affiliate links which means that if you decide to purchase I might get a small commission for my referral at no cost to you, but I only recommend products that we use ourselves.

Have fun pairing toys with your favorite books!

        This is the most fantastic book for emphasizing the importance of a clean bedroom.

   

   Balancing monkeys – too perfect for this book.

   

   Watching ants holds a special fascination for my youngest.

   

   

   This one is our absolute favorite toy – It is one doll that flips into 3 different characters

 

   

 

   Any excuse for a tea-party!

   

   Magnetic letters are so simple that I often forget how fascinating the kids find them.

   

   

   

    What is it with simple wooden animals?  These never get old.

   

   I adore Courderoy – maybe more than my preschooler.

   

   

   Dress up!

   

   This lantern projects constellations on the ceiling.  How cool is that!

   

   

   

   Such a sweet book.

   

   

   Toys don’t have to be complex.  Crayons are always a hit.

   Super compact and portable play houses.  Very well loved in our house.

   Another favorite – A fold flat house for the bears with all of the items in the story.

   

   

   

   Over, Under, Around, and Through!  Endless possibilities.

   

   Water is captivating to little ones.  I can’t tell you how many times I have listened to my big kids read aloud while supervising a little one in the tub.  These bath crayons are always fun.

   

   This is a fantastic game to reinforce kindness lessons, and my kids loved playing with the game pieces even without the game itself.

   

   Beautiful sorting toy.

   

   

   

    A great way to introduce fractions for even the littlest kids.

 

   Practice comparison.

   

   

   Learning to juggle is easy with silks!

   My husband’s favorite stories!

   

There are tons more pairs that can be made.  Just look around your playroom – the kids will love it!

Sheryl e-signature

Keeping Toddlers Busy – Matching Children’s Stories with Toys
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3 thoughts on “Keeping Toddlers Busy – Matching Children’s Stories with Toys

  • February 20, 2014 at 8:33 PM
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    Sheryl,

    I love your post! I am constantly reading books with my son. This is an incredibly fun idea. I saw you had pairs for some of my favorite books, Very Hungry Caterpillar, If you give a Mouse a Cookie. I will definitely be using this great ideas on our book collection as my son grows.

  • February 27, 2014 at 10:41 AM
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    I used to own that Red Riding Hood doll that converts to grandma and the wolf! It was one of my favorite toys as a kid! Thanks for the memories and great ideas!

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