Gifts for a child who loves sensory play under $25
Melissa & Doug
First Shapes Jumbo Peg Puzzle (paid link)
Under $25 at Amazon
A jumbo wooden peg puzzle of basic shapes, sized for toddlers ages 2 to 4.
Seen at Amazon, 3 Sep 2026
Lovevery
The Pull Pup
$22 at Lovevery
A wooden pull-along dog for the weeks after a baby starts walking and wants something following along behind them.
Seen at Lovevery, 30 Aug 2026
VTech
Bopping and Cruising Baby Driver (paid link)
Under $25 at Amazon
Named by Good Housekeeping, 2026.
Checked 5 Sep 2026
Play-Doh
Modeling Compound 10-Pack (paid link)
Under $25 at Amazon
Ten colors of modeling compound in one pack, a classic craft toy for kids ages 2 to 6.
Seen at Amazon, 3 Sep 2026
Fisher-Price
Wood Montessori Toy Object Permanence Box (paid link)
Under $25 at Amazon
Named by Good Housekeeping, 2026.
Checked 31 Aug 2026
Melissa & Doug
Deluxe Pounding Bench
$24.99 at Melissa & Doug
A wooden bench with a mallet and pegs to hammer through, which is exactly the noise and repetition a toddler is after.
Seen at Melissa & Doug, 30 Aug 2026
Spin Master
Kinetic Sand Sweet Station (paid link)
Under $25 at Amazon
Named by Good Housekeeping, 2026.
Checked 5 Sep 2026
Crazy Aaron's
Strange Attractor Magnetic Thinking Putty
$15 at Crazy Aaron's
Magnetic putty that crawls toward the magnet in the tin, which gets demonstrated to every person who walks in.
Seen at Crazy Aaron's, 30 Aug 2026
Sassy
Fruit Fill N' Spill
$15 at Manhattan Toy
A soft basket of fruit a baby empties and refills over and over, which is the entire game at that age.
Seen at Manhattan Toy, 5 Sep 2026
Mushie
Elastic Shape Sorter
$19.99 at Mushie
A shape sorter with a stretchy silicone top, so the shapes go through without the jamming that makes a toddler give up.
Seen at Mushie, 30 Aug 2026
Manhattan Toy
Click Clack Colorpop
$20 at Manhattan Toy
A linked wooden toy that clacks and twists into new shapes, and it holds a baby longer than anything with batteries in it.
Seen at Manhattan Toy, 5 Sep 2026
Manhattan Toy
Love, Stella My First Doll, Peach
$24 at Manhattan Toy
A soft first doll with no hard parts anywhere on it, sized for a baby who will carry it around by one arm.
Seen at Manhattan Toy, 30 Aug 2026
Mushie
Mold Free Bath Play Set, 4 Pack
$24.99 at Mushie
Sealed bath toys with no hole for water to get into, which is the only bath set a parent still likes six months later.
Seen at Mushie, 30 Aug 2026
Manhattan Toy
Wimmer Bear Lovey
$22 at Manhattan Toy
The flat kind of comforter a baby holds while falling asleep, and cheap enough to buy two so one can be in the wash.
Seen at Manhattan Toy, 30 Aug 2026