Favorite Toy Brands

Not sponsored. No links. Honest opinions only.

My mother always said my kids should be toy testers. She is right. My kids are infamous for breaking their toys. It is an ongoing process, teaching them how to treat their toys properly. But in the mean time, I have become very familiar with brands of toys and which ones have stood up to the torture test. Here are my top companies to buy toys from that will give you the most bang for your buck and confidence in your purchases.

1. Learning Resources

This does my teacher heart good!!!!! It is geared more towards teachers, learning, and educational toys. They have a variety of items and most importantly products that can be used in several ways and adapted year after year.

Their products are midrange to higher price point than the rest of my list, but, so worth it! The quality of these items are amazing. They have survived my children and have been passed down. They have been used over and over again and remain new looking. I cannot say enough good things about their products.

2. Melissa & Doug

Now these products can be found on their websites but also at your local retail stores. Their prices are mid-range, but affordable.

They have great educational toys, awesome sticker activity books, and magnets. I love this company for their pretend play items. They have a lot of toy kitchen food, dress up, and imaginary products.

Melissa & Doug purchases also stand the test of time due to high quality product materials.

3. Step 2

Step 2 is my go-to brand for certain, bigger items. Like a kid outside picnic table, table and chairs, and playhouses.

They too have a range of products and prices, but, it is their attention to detail that I love the most. They really did their research and can check off all my requirements before I buy something for my kiddos. For example, rounded corners, heavy plastic, no hinges to pinch, and proper mounting capacity. The safety measures are appreciated.

4. B toys

This brand is fairly newer to me. I have seen it mainly in my Target stores near me. They have more “traditional” toys, in my opinion. I have see trucks, boats, and musical intstruments. It is the company that impresses me. They have recycled products. Use recycled materials. Their packaging in made from recycled materials as well. Where they can, they use only price tags for selling. If possible, they store the item in reusable bags for your own storage. The company is trying to lessen it’s ecological footprint, and that is a worthy cause. The toys we do own, have been through a lot of wear and tear. They even survived water play!

5. Kid Kraft

This company too, is newer to me. I mostly see it at Target, but also online. I love their attention to detail when making creative play items like toy kitchens and food items. I look forward to watching their selection grow and my options increase as my childrens’ needs and likes differ with age.

Honorable Mentions

This list would not be complete if I did not mention Fisher Price and Little Tikes. I love these two companies, have so many of their products, and even had them when I was a kid. I feel that these two brands are well known since they have been around and at their rising starts in the -50’s and -60’s. Most people have heard of their names, and I felt no reviews needed from me.

Please let me know if you agree with these brands. Do you have any brands to suggest that I check out to help in my quest of good quality toys for my rowdy bunch?