GROUPON GUIDE TO CHICAGO

Recommended Age Guidelines for Toys

BY: Groupon Editors |Aug 31, 2022

These age recommendations are approximate guidelines only. Check the specific packaging for manufacturer age recommendations.

Age Range	What to Shop For	What to Stay Away From
1-6 months	Toys designed for sensory development: colorful, textured rattles, mobiles and teethers; unbreakable mirrors	Sharp-edged toys; small objects and toys with small parts that kids can swallow; stuffed animals with loosely sewn parts
7-12 months	Toys that encourage standing, crawling, and cruising; action/reaction toys; stacking, sorting, and building toys	Sharp-edged toys; small objects and toys with small parts that kids can swallow; stuffed animals with loosely sewn parts
1-2 years	Easy-to-follow board books and songs; pretend toys: phones, dolls, and doll accessories; toys that encourage muscle use: large-piece puzzles, balls, and toys with knobs and levers	Sharp-edged toys; small objects and toys with small parts that kids can swallow; stuffed animals with loosely sewn parts
2-3 years	Toys that encourage creative thinking and pretend play: battery-powered ride-on toys, dollhouses and accessories, and themed play sets; toys designed for physical play that help with coordination and balance	Sharp-edged toys; small objects and toys with small parts that kids can swallow; stuffed animals with loosely sewn parts
3-6 years	Toys that encourage creative and imaginative play: play sets and action figures, dollhouses and accessories, battery-powered ride-on toys, cars and other remote-controlled toys; Learning toys that teach basic skills and encourage a love of learning	Sharp-edged objects like scissors, electrical toys, and remote-control toys operated without adult supervision

Toy Category	Age Range
Dolls and Action Figures
Dollhouses and large doll furniture	3+ years
Dolls and action figures	3/4+ years
Toy trucks	5+ years
Plush dolls	1+ years
Arts and Crafts
Play sand and Play-Doh	3+ years
Easels	3+ years
Crayons, coloring books, and kids' paint	2+ years
Educational
Interactive toy tablets and smartphones	2+ years
Teaching tablets/electronics	6+ years
Kids' digital cameras	3+ years
Games and Puzzles
4D puzzles	5+ years
Building Sets and Blocks
Oversized blocks	3+ years
Small blocks and complicated building sets/models	6+ years
Train and car tracks/sets (non-electric)	3+ years
Pretend Play
Kitchens and other household-themed play sets	3+ years
Food	3+ years
Tools and workbenches	3+ years
Money	3+ years
Cookware and cleaning products	3+ years
Dress-up clothes	3-4 years
Toddler and Baby
Rattles and teethers	3+ months
Crib and floor gyms	0-6 months
Mobiles and safety mirrors	0-6 months
Nesting and stacking toys	6 months-1 year
Push/pull and walking toys	9 months-1+ years
Blocks and pop-up toys	1-3 years
Bikes and Ride-Ons
Ride-ons and motorbikes	3-7 years
Wagons	3+ years
Wide-platform or three-wheeled scooters	2-3 years
Scooters	5+ years
Rockers	2+ years
Feet-propelled ride-ons	1-2 years
Electronics
Remote-controlled cars, drones, and planes	8+ years
Interactive and remote-controlled animals	6+ years
Outdoor
Toy guns/blasters/crossbows	6+ years
Tunnels and tents	3+ years