If you want the short list, these are my top toy picks for a grandparent’s house, and you’ll find the details on each one further down.
When the grandkids are coming to visit, it helps to have something ready for them to do. This article covers toys worth keeping at your house, sorted by infant, toddler, and school age, so you can keep the grandkids entertained.
I have fond memories of heading straight to my grandparents’ “toy closet” as a child. The toys were always in the same place, and they were still there when I brought my own kids over.
Toys for Infants
They’re so sweet and innocent when they’re so young, but their toys need to be kept safe and simple:
Manhattan Toy Sensory Teether Toy
It’s easy to find baby gifts, but not necessarily easy to find fun ones. If you’re looking for something unique your grandkid doesn’t already have, this top-rated toy might just be it. It’s very effective for building up dexterity and teething.
GUND Sleepy Owl Soother
The GUND Baby Sleepy Eyes Owl Soother is a soft plush owl made to help a baby settle down for sleep. Its big round eyes droop and close while it plays seven soothing sounds and gentle melodies, with soft LEDs glowing along with them.
It has two play modes. You can run it with the night light or with sound only, adjust the volume, and it plays for 20 minutes at a time. That suits a sleepover well, since you can pick the quietest setting for an unfamiliar room.
It runs on 3 AA batteries, and they come included. The owl is 8 inches.
One thing to know: it shuts off after 20 minutes, so it helps with falling asleep but won’t keep playing all night. If your grandbaby wakes up partway through, you may need to start it again.
Nueplay Stacking Ring Set
A stacking ring toy is one of those things nearly every baby gets at some point, and for good reason. Reaching, grabbing and putting rings on a post gives little hands plenty of practice.
The Nueplay set has six soft rings in graduated sizes, topped with a unicorn piece. As a child gets the hang of it, they start working out which ring goes where, which is an early lesson in sizes and order.
Each ring has its own texture: dots, waves, ridges, triangles and paw shapes. Every ring also gives a soft squeak when squeezed, so a baby learns that a squeeze makes a sound. The pastel colors are muted rather than bright, and the rings are described as lightweight and flexible.
The trade-off is that the look leans toward girls’ nurseries, so if you want bold primary colors for teaching color names, this isn’t that kind of set. The squeaks are also part of the fun, so know that they will be heard around your house.
Fisher-Price Kick & Play Piano Gym
As much as you want to protect the youngest from the world, you can’t keep them swaddled up, in your arms, or in the crib forever. The right play mat gives them just a bit of breathing room to start taking in the world around them.
Colorful imagery on the mat and dangling toys from the arches can keep a baby entertained on the ground, exploring in every direction, or truly reaching up for the sky as they learn how to stand and walk.
Just make sure you keep the camera handy if that magical first walk happens at your home without the parents around. They’ll never forgive you anyway, but they’ll be less mad if you can share it with them digitally.
Toddler Toys
The infant years are so precious and yet so fleeting. As they grow up just a little, their taste in toys is going to change a lot.
BUNMO Wooden Stacking Blocks
Wooden blocks have been on toy shelves for generations, and a set like the BUNMO 40-piece stacking blocks shows why. There are arches, cylinders, wedges, and rectangles, so your grandkids can build a tower one minute and a bridge or a barn the next.
The blocks are solid wood with smooth, rounded edges, which makes them comfortable in toddler hands. They don’t need batteries, so there is nothing to run out or beep at you at seven in the morning. They also tend to hold up well to being knocked over, which will happen often.
The play is open-ended. There is no right way to use them, and along the way your grandkids are building fine motor skills and learning how things balance and fall.
What to know first: No storage container comes with the set, so plan on a bin, basket, or drawstring bag. Also, the listing calls the blocks non-toxic, but I don’t see an outside certification behind that claim. If that matters to you, it’s worth keeping in mind.
Wood is also harder than plastic, and a block underfoot is no fun. (Pro Tip: Offer cookies to anyone who helps put every single block back in the bin. You both win.)
Melissa & Doug Wooden Horse Stable
Grandparents, if there is a horse lover among your grandchildren, the Melissa & Doug Take-Along Show-Horse Stable is worth a look. It is a wooden stable with a built-in carry handle, and it comes with 8 detailed horse figures.
The stable doors open and close with a latch, so the horses can be tucked in for the night. A breed guide is included, which gives you an easy way to chat about each horse.
There are also write-on name tags. Your grandchildren can name each horse and label the stalls, and then you get to hear all the stories that go with them.
The carry handle makes it easy to bring along to your house, or to send home with them. It is meant for ages 3 and up, and it is screen-free play.
One thing to know: this set is all about horses. If your grandchild prefers cows, pigs and chickens, a general farm set would suit better. It also pairs with the Melissa & Doug Wooden Fold & Go Barn if they want to build up the play later.
Radio Flyer 3-in-1 Folding Wagon
This Radio Flyer wagon turns three ways: a hauling bed, a seat for two riders, or a bench seat. You switch between them with the zippers on the side.
It holds up to 150 pounds of kids or cargo, so it can carry grandchildren one day and snacks, sand toys, or garden supplies the next. There are two front cup holders and rear storage loops for the extras.
It has seat belts and a padded seat, and it meets the ASTM F963-13 toy safety standard. It is recommended for kids 1½ and up, so it won’t suit a younger baby.
It folds with one hand to 7″ x 18.5″ x 32.68″ for storage. Set up, it measures 39.4″ long, so you will want a closet or garage spot that fits it. Because it is a fabric-sided wagon, it suits sidewalks, lawns, and park paths better than rough ground.
Liberty Imports Medieval Castle Playset
Grandkids love playing like they own their own place. They see their parents and you enjoying a home, and they want to build a little world of their own to run.
A castle playset is a good version of that. The Liberty Imports Medieval Castle Kingdom set comes with knight figures, a horse, a treasure chest, and a catapult that really works. The drawbridge raises and lowers, so there is always something to defend or sneak past.
The pieces are made of durable plastic, and it all packs into a storage bucket with a carrying handle. That makes cleanup easy when it is time to go home, and it keeps small pieces from wandering around your house.
One thing to know: this is a set with lots of small parts, so it suits kids who are past the stage of putting everything in their mouths. It is also built around knights and battles, so a grandchild who prefers quiet, домашний play may enjoy a dollhouse more.
Toys for School Age Children
This might be the time of their lives when you start seeing them less frequently, but it also means they can start enjoying more sophisticated entertainment. They’ll be much closer to you in terms of skill, reasoning, and vocabulary, so you’re likely to enjoy playing with them more yourself.
Queensell Loomino Dominoes Game
Classic games are the ones most of us grew up on, and dominoes is right near the top of that list. Loomino is a version of it with a twist.
The tiles are curved instead of straight. That lets you build circular patterns and block other players in ways regular dominoes can’t.
Kids and adults follow the same rules, so nobody has to play a watered-down version. A grandchild and a grandparent can sit down as equals, which kids tend to love.
I have demoed this one myself, and the tiles are hand-sized and well balanced, so they are easy to grip and move around the table.
One thing to know: if you have played dominoes for decades, the curved placement takes a little getting used to. Expect a round or two of adjusting before it feels natural.
It also may not suit anyone who wants the plain, traditional game exactly as they remember it. For that, a standard set is the better pick.
When the grandkids get older, you can move on to games to play with teenagers.
Fingerlings Interactive Baby Monkey
Fingerlings are small interactive monkeys that cling to a finger, and they have been a popular gift with grandchildren. This one is Leo, a blue baby monkey.
Leo reacts to touch. There are sensors on his head, mouth and belly, so your grandchild can pet him, kiss him and feed him, and he answers back. He also responds when he is shaken or flipped upside down.
He has more than 70 sounds and reactions, from singing to laughing. His heart beats and he says “hello” when he goes on a finger. He acts a bit differently on the finger than off it: a daredevil when he is off, a fun-loving buddy when he is on.
He has soft fur and a posable tail.
One thing to know: Leo is made to be worn on a finger and played with up close. He is not much of a toy for a child who wants to build or run around, and a very young child may not be ready for a toy with this many reactions to sort out.
Melissa & Doug Paper Roll Dispenser
Doodle Rolls, Anyone? No, this isn’t competition for your famous biscuit recipe. The Doodle Roll is an innovative way to always have paper for coloring and drawing.
You can roll out paper for the grandkids to color on, and then either tear it off or keep it when it’s time to put it away. Don’t forget to post their latest masterpiece on the refrigerator too! Don’t forget the crayons or markers to go with it!
Radio Flyer Red Rider Tricycle
This one is a classic first trike for ages 2.5 to 5. The seat adjusts, so it fits a child as they grow and as their looming bicycle adventures get closer. It has steel construction, quiet ride wheels and comfort grip handlebars.
There’s a covered storage bin at the back for toys, snacks, or whatever treasures turn up along the way. That leaves your hands free to wave to the neighbors or take pictures and videos with your phone.
A handle on the back of the seat makes it easy to lift over a curb or carry to the car.
One thing to know: it is a trike for a child to pedal, so it suits the younger end of your grandkids. Once they are past age 5, they will have outgrown it.
Wooden Puzzles for Toddlers
If the grandkids come over often, a few puzzles kept at your house are a good thing to have. They are quiet, they don’t need batteries or a screen, and a toddler can sit with one for a good while. They also give you something to do together on the floor, which is half the point of the visit.
Here is what to look for. Wood holds up better than cardboard, which gets chewed, bent and soggy faster than you would think. Look for big pegs or knobs that small hands can grab, and pieces too large to be a choking worry. A few different themes keep a child from doing the same board every visit. The downside is that wooden puzzles take up more room than a flat box of cardboard ones, so figure out where they will live. They are also made for a certain age, and a puzzle that suits a two-year-old will bore a six-year-old.
GRINNNIE Wooden Peg Puzzle Set
This is a set of seven wooden peg puzzles meant for ages 2 to 4. The themes include dinosaurs, animals, numbers and fruit, so a toddler is not working the same board every visit.
I have demoed this one, and it suits a grandparent’s house well. It is screen-free, and the solid wood holds up to repeated use better than cardboard puzzles do. The oversized pegs are easy for small fingers to grab, and they help build fine motor skills.
The trade-off is storage. Seven wooden boards take up more room than a flat box of cardboard puzzles, so you will want a shelf or a basket. They are also made for ages 2 to 4, so a child ready for higher piece counts will outgrow them quickly.
Summary and Final Recommendations
Grandkids love visiting their grandparents. The aroma of freshly baked cookies, welcoming hugs and kisses, and lots of fun things to do with their grandparents make them feel as special as they really are.
They know that grandparents mean a lot more spoiling and a lot less discipline, but they also know that there are going to be toys, toys, toys. I hope these ideas will keep your home well-stocked for future visits with your family’s youngest.
Do you recommend any other toys for grandparents to keep at their house? Tell me about them in the comments below!
My grandkids love puzzles, dress up purses and old phones, bean bags, bubbles and sidewalk chalk in a box outside with badminton, frisbees, (for the older kids).