VTech baby and toddler toys for exciting educational play

VTech-baby-toys

by Samantha Ball |
Updated on

If you’re looking for age-appropriate children's toysthat promise learning and fun packed all in one, VTech toys are bound to deliver. With toys available for babies and toddlers, you’re sure to find the perfect toy for your child that’ll encourage imaginative play and development with bright colours, exciting sounds and features, and easy-grasp toys for seamless play.

In a recent survey of UK parents with children age 4 months to 4 years, and in partnership with ex-England Lioness and new mum, Ellen White, VTech revealed that parents' own personal goals are often re-prioritsed during parenthood, with 86% saying their ideas of milestones changed after having a baby. Ellen White agrees and said:

“As a professional footballer, I have always had a mindset-orientated focus which has driven me to achieve things, sometimes against the odds. But there is no doubt that having a baby, whose needs I want to put before my own, not only changes that focus but has given me an incredible sense of perspective and has brought huge joy. It is so wonderful to see Maeve as she grows and develops - such a delight to watch as she achieves, not just the big milestones such as sleeping through the night and sitting up, but also the small moments of magic, like a little smile.”

That is why VTech take toys so seriously and why they understand how important it is for children to learn through play. In the same survey they revealed that 69% of parents-to-be researched key milestones before the birth of their baby and 88% purchased toys which encourage development. That is why VTech toys work to support development and are appropriate for all your little one's milestones.

Whether you are expecting and starting to think about what toys you want to buy for baby, or your little one is ready for some new toys to support and engage them in their new development stage, VTech toys are a great place to start.

Best at a glance:

  • Best overall VTech baby and toddler toy for exciting educational play: VTech Bluey’s book of games, buy on VTech

  • Best for interaction: VTech 3-in-1 magic move ball, buy on Amazon

  • Best for sensory: VTech 3-in-1 Sports Centre, buy on Amazon

We’ve scoured the shops and found the best VTech toys available to buy for babies and toddlers, including some Mother&Baby Award winners. Tried and tested, they’re guaranteed to be a favourite with your little one too.

Best for interaction

Description

VTech’s interactive Playtime Bus with Phonics features loads of melodies, sing-along songs, and realistic bus sound effects, making it a huge hit with children! It also teaches phonic sounds (said correctly!), letters, vocabulary, numbers, counting, and even safety rules, reinforcing learning through fun play and activities. The bus is made to be durable and has chunky buttons, perfect for little hands.

The VTech Playtime Bus won Gold for Best Toddler Toy at the 2015 Motheru0026Baby Awards. Read our full review here.

Review: "I bought this toy for my son when he was 4 months old and he played with it continually until he was 3 years old. I bought many other toys, which he lost interest in, but never got bored or tired with this toy. It helped immensely with his speech development and enunciation. This toy comes with so many features, but the highlight for my son was the phonics facility, which is absolutely brilliant. The female voice is clear and discernible and with the aesthetics of the bus being so bright, stylish and colourful, it encourages the child to fully interact with it [...] Easy to see why 86 per cent of reviewers have given it a 5 star rating. My only surprise is that it isn't 100 per cent. Excellent and worth a whole lot more."

Pros

  • Perfect learning toy for 2 year olds and older. 
  • Featuring four different activities for your little one to enjoy along with a quiz function to revise what has been learned.

Cons

  • It doesn't open though so if your little one loves putting figures inside vehicles it won't be possible to do with this.

Best for pirate fans

Description

This interactive pirate ship from VTech is filled with excitement as your little one opens the ship up to find a hidden treasure island. They can create their treasure island adventure with three characters, launch a cannonball, and escape the spinning octopus. Plus, with three light up press buttons, they'll enjoy role-playing as a pirate, letting their imagination run wild. A great pick for curious tots.

The VTech Toot-Toot Friends Pirate Ship was Shortlisted for Best Toddler Toy at the 2020 Motheru0026Baby Awards. Read our full review here.

Our mum tester Gail said: "I really loved this product, it was easy to put together and really helped encourage my toddler that is 18-months-old to play independently. I think the product is bright and keeps my toddler well entertained. The play people are large enough for my toddler to move around with ease and helps him build confidence."

Pros

  • Great for role-play fun and encouraging independent play.
  • 4 fun songs, 18 melodies and different phrases this baby musical toy is sure to keep young children engaged while stimulating their auditory and visual senses. 

Cons

  • Not many colours to choose from.

Best for physical development

vtech baby walker
Price: $62.84

Description

VTech's Baby Walker is great to help your baby with their first steps, physical development, balance, and will aid them in learning to walk. This bright and colourful walker will keep your little ones entertained with the range of interactive features and activities that'll keep them busy, including light up buttons, shape sorters, a role play phone, and gears to name a few. It's also easy to store away when you're not using it, fab for helping to keep the nursery tidy.

The VTech Baby Walker was Shortlisted for Best Baby Toy at the 2020 Motheru0026Baby Awards. Read our full review here.

Our mum tester Paige said: "This product is fab for a range of ages. The activity panel is removable which meant I could lie it on the floor to let my 7-month-old play with it while my 3-year-old enjoyed zooming around pushing the walker. I love that it can entertain both my children which frees up my hands so I am able to complete a few tasks around the house. Plus it is easily wiped clean when sticky fingers inevitably get all over it."

Pros

  • Featuring textured wheels, easy grip handle and durable design.
  • A fun-filled activity panel that includes 5 light up buttons, shape sorter, gears, animal buttons and a role play phone.

Cons

  • No grip on the wheels.

Best for sensory

Description

The VTech 3-in-1 Sports Centre is an educational, sensory toy that offers three ways to play to keep your baby engaged. They can enjoy independent role-play fun shooting hoops, scoring goals past the cute, friendly goalie, and counting baskets. There are colourful buttons to teach shapes, colours, and objects, and songs and melodies that'll stimulate their senses. We think this'll make for a great Christmas or birthday present with so many different ways to play.

Review: "Bought for my nephew's 1st birthday he loved it. Plenty to keep him entertained and will last a while he's not walking yet but can use the netball feature and roll the football into the net has he starts walking he will learn the rest and it will grow with him, so will last a while. The netball feature can be raised higher and grow with him."

Pros

  • Great for role-play fun and encouraging independent play.
  • 4 fun songs, 18 melodies and different phrases this baby musical toy is sure to keep young children engaged. 

Cons

  • Reviewer says the screws in the back to secure the net are very hard to screw in.

Best for T-Rex fans

vtech t-rex
Price: $259.64

Description

The VTech Switch u0026 Go Dinos make for the perfect pressie for a dino-mad tot! This fun electronic learning toy will respond with fun phrases, interesting dinosaur facts, sounds, and has an educational flash card with lots of content to keep your little one entertained while learning. The Overseer the T-Rex dinosaur can shape-shift from a mighty robot to a fierce T-Rex in just a few steps, and using the remote control, kids can make the Overseer move, stomp, perform cool stunts, and light up. Guaranteed to provide hours of fun.

Review: "Fab gift for Dino fan! Bought for my 4-year-old's birthday. He loves it and it’s easy to control. He found it a little tricky at first to work out how to change it but soon got the hang of it."

Pros

  • Can go from being a mighty robot to becoming a wild and fierce T-Rex dinosaur.
  • Features a cool LCD screen that displays animated dinosaur eyes and robot controllers

Cons

  • Requires 6 batteries

Best for technology

Description

Available in pink and blue, we think this makes for a great first smart watch that'll make your toddler feel grown up and just like mum and dad. Designed to be durable and splash-proof to withstand day-to-day usage, it's the perfect toy to introduce kids to being both active and creative. It has two cameras with silly photo features to snap pics of family and friends, a choice of 55 customisable watch faces, games, and an augmented reality feature so they can explore and learn through technology.

Review: "8 year old had the older version and naturally the 2 year old wanted one. Wears it daily, changes all the screens, takes photos, will sit and navigate herself around the watch for long periods taking it all in. She has no concept of actual time yet, but I know it'll last a long time. 8 year old has had hers 5 years! So it's most certainly worth the price."

Pros

  • Has a durable splash proof design to resist children day-to-day usage. 
  • 55 digital and analogue customisable watch faces included.

Cons

  • Build quality is average.

Best for sound

Description

With four play modes – sit-down play, walker, pull-along wagon and ride-on train – this is packed with features to keep little ones occupied, including letter blocks, sing-along songs and melodies, a turning book, and manipulative gears to help develop their motor skills and dexterity. It can be a bit tricky to steer, but it’s much more than a ride-on and is excellent value for everything that's included.

Read our full review here

Review: "Very nice little train for my 1 year old son. He loves pressing all the buttons and pushing it around. I also like that you can store all the bits that come with it inside the seat part. Thank you!"

Pros

  • Suitable from ‎12 months - 3 years.
  • Includes 4 different modes; sit-down play, baby walker, pull-along wagon and ride on. 

Cons

  • Batteries are required.

Best for singing

Description

This toy will introduce your little firefighter to sound, singing, and pretend play. They can send their fire engine off to fight fires with this interactive Fire Station that features a spinning fire pole, a slide with flip-down flames, a spinning disk, a launcher, a pop-up fire, an alarm, and swinging flag. It's very child-friendly, has four SmartPoint locations that'll trigger fun responses, and the playset comes with the Toot-Toot Drivers fire engine.

Our mum tester Maria put the VTech's Toot Toot Fire Station to the test with her three-year-old son Seb.

Pros

  • Features a spinning fire pole, a slide with flip-down flames, a spinning disk, a launcher, a pop-up fire, an alarm and swinging flag.
  • Includes 2 sing-along songs and 6 melodies.

Cons

  • Remote control is not included.

Best for logical thinking

Description

Another fun tech toy for toddlers that are growing up way too fast, the VTech Pre School Laptop encourages logical thinking, visualisation skills, and hand-eye co-ordination as they toggle the keys and mouse. Designed for pre-school learning, it teaches phonics, counting, and spelling through five progressive learning categories and 30 fun and educational activities. You can even customise it with your little one's name, age, and favourite food in the 'All About Me' mode, so they can feel like they're owning a truly personalised laptop.

Review: "Bought this for my niece who was turning four and she worked out all the different games, to an extent, on her own. In terms of learning the basic functions and navigation of a laptop this is great for her, but she hasn't quite grasped what all the games mean yet. This is fine as it is a toy that can grow with her and every time I see her she thanks me for it! Also really pleased that there wasn't a pink for girls and blue for boys option, I like that it is a neutral colour (orange). Would recommend this for a gift as it will keep giving for years!"

Pros

  • A user-friendly laptop.
  • Helps with counting, and spelling, tailored for young learners.

Cons

  • Screen is on the small side and batteries don't last very long.

Best for learning

Description

With four double-sided touch pages that introduce letters, phonics, numbers, body parts, animals, music, shapes, colours, seasons, and more (!) this multicoloured, interactive desktop will encourage your toddler to learn whilst having heaps of fun. They can touch, draw, listen to music, and write using all the different available features, 'call' their family and friends through the pretend phone, and can improve their coordination with the LED light up writing pad and stylus.

Review: "Definitely a must buy for a fun learning toy, loads of activities and a variety too with loads of stages to it to keep them interested. My kids have loads of toys but this by far is the best ... I love it."

Pros

  • Features an interactive desktop, 4 double-sided touch pages that introduce letters, phonics, numbers, body parts, animals, music, shapes, colours, seasons, the classroom, town and more.
  • Designed to support preschool development

Cons

  • ‎4 AA batteries required.

Best for magic

Description

Myla, the cute and cuddly magical unicorn, is a great toy for young ones that love to experiment and play with styles and fun accessories, leaving your hair safe! VTech's unicorn comes with a magic wand which will change the colour of her eyes, horn, hair, wings, and flower, and your tot can style Myla's mane with the comb and clips. This cute companion is also a musical toy with tunes and melodies, and lights that flash to the beat. Children will learn to love and nurture their interactive unicorn pal who will bloom and light up with the blow of a kiss.

Review: "My daughter loves her Myla unicorn. Great for interactive solo play. A lovely toy for children that love unicorns. Lights up nicely and keeps my 4-year-old entertained for a good half an hour."

Pros

  • Comes with a magic wand which changes the colour of her eyes, horn, hair, wings and flower.
  • Plays tunes and melodies while lights flash to the beat.

Cons

  • Might be too young for 5 years +

Best for bathtime

Description

For fun, bathtime play, this cute and happy elephant will teach your little one basic numbers and the concept of cleanliness, whilst spraying water from its trunk. It lights up with sing-along songs and melodies and comes with two manipulative beads, a spring back seahorse, spinning starfish, wobbling water container, twisting foot, sliding leg, and scoop accessory for hours of fun bath play. We doubt they'll be much bathtime fuss with this toy in the tub.

Review: "Lovely product, suitable for all ages nothing comes apart so very safe. Plays a song and glows up was a present to a baby and she loves it. Great way to make bath time fun."

Pros

  • This bathtime toy features a range of interactive parts to encourage imaginative play.
  • Includes a large range of songs, melodies, sounds and phrases, including 15 different melodies and 4 special sing-along songs

Cons

  • Very hard to clean.

Best for story

Description

The cute and fun pups love playing pretend using objects around the house! Want to get creative? Choose from 4 different activities. In story mode, Bluey wants to show you her best pretend-play games. Each page includes a variety of games for you to play together.

Review: "Kept my 2 year old entertained on a car journey that ended being 5 hours instead of 2 and a bit. He doesn't play with it much at home but great in the car. Full of lights and sounds and very cute. Will age with him as he learns to play the games too so will be a toy that lasts years."

Pros

  • A colourful narrative toy features illustrated interactive pages showcasing adventures from the show.
  • Encourages reading and listening comprehension and builds vocabulary.

Cons

  • Warning:Not suitable for children under 3 years. For use under adult supervision.

Best for spinning

Description

This free moving ball will have your little one, spinning and dancing with happiness.  Featuring a three easily convertible forms-ball, roller, and drum mode, this interesting toy will help encourage baby’s auditory awareness as they focus on the ball rotating with flashing lights, exciting phrases and tunes. 

Review: "This is a great little toy. Really I get active for little ones. Lovely bright colours so really appealing to babies and little ones. Great quality and really well made. Good value for money."

Pros

  • 3 x AA Batteries (included for demo purposes only) New batteries recommended for regular use. 
  • Suitable for ages 6-36 months.

Cons

  • Not many colours to choose from.

Best for building

Description

Enjoy this amazing 120 piece marble rush magnetic play set, which features an electronic rocket ship, which pops up and sends marbles in a range of directions, all whilst playing super cool music and sounds. It also comes with 10 marbles, 5 of which are special mega marbles that react with the magnetic modules.

Pros

  • Imaginative play.
  • Allows children to quickly innovate and build, promoting creativity and problem-solving skills as they design their own unique tracks.

Cons

  • 2xAA (included for demo purposes only) New batteries recommended for regular use.

Best for tummy time

Description

This cuddly tummy time pillow can be used in four different ways. The soft fawn will support tummy time and sitting, as well as take along and on the go play. The gentle textures support and encourage tactile awareness, then as your little one grows and develops, the detachable hippo rattle, self-discovery fox mirror and electronic piano will keep them engaged. Light up piano keys on the removable piano introduce animals, sounds, sing-along songs and melodies. Part of the Magic Milestones collection, this is a brilliant, versatile toy for your little one.

Review: "This is a wonderful interactive toy for infants. It provides a stimulating and engaging experience for babies during tummy time. The fawn pillow features lights, sounds, and music to captivate their attention and encourage sensory exploration. With multiple play modes and adjustable settings, it can be tailored to suit different stages of development. The toy is designed to support babies as young as 3 months old, up to 12 months and beyond. It offers a safe and entertaining way for infants to engage in important developmental activities. If you're looking for a versatile and engaging toy that promotes sensory development and tummy time play, this is an excellent choice."

Pros

  • Can be used in different ways
  • Lots of textures to promote tactile awareness

Cons

  • Not that engaging for 12 months+

Best for crawling

Description

When you little one starts to crawl, this lovely Explore and Discover Roller, part of the Magic Milestones collection, has five different ways to play. It supports and encourages continuous play with three light up keys to introduce animals, colours, numbers and even piano notes. When you little one interacts by rolling, pushing and moving the roller, it will trigger fun sounds and melodies, and it helps to strengthen muscles and support hand-eye coordination with gears, rollers, beads and a fun ladybird slider.

Review: "I bought this for my granddaughter for Xmas. She loves toys with music and lights. Will also be good for when she learning to crawl."

Pros

  • Great for strengthening muscles
  • Has lots of melodies and sing-a-long songs

Cons

  • Some reviewers feel it might not engage an older toddler

Are VTech toys good for development?

Yes! Babies and toddlers learn and develop through play. The VTech range has lots of benefits for your little one to support them as they grow and develop.  Toys can support many milestones including rolling, crawling, sitting and walking as well as making learning fun and VTech's Magic Milestones range has something for whatever stage your little one is at.

What are the best toys for a child's development?

Rattles and teethers: support physical development as well as motor skills

On-the-go toys: support language and cognitive development

Plush toys and soothers: support social and emotional development

Playmats and sensory toys: support physical development as well as cognitive, social and motor skills.

Children learn through exploration and they love pressing buttons, or interacting with toys that play music, or have useful phrases, even animal sounds. Lights, colours and textures are always engaging. As children grow they will enjoy toys that have teaching elements such as an introduction to phonics to help them learn to read, or numbers to encourage maths skills, as well as activities to support learning about shapes, animals and music.

Remember though that all babies and children are unique and they all develop at different rates, so enjoy playing with them and watching their wonder as they experience new toys and find fun in the everyday.

Samantha Ball is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.

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