kids' learning toys

 Here are secret parents don't want to admit: Most of the kids' learning toys out there are educational in some way. Even the most shameless, licensed TV- or movie tie-in, if it gets kids into the world of their imaginations, fosters pretend play or encourages role-playing, has some kind of value. But we will admit that some toys have more instructional value than others, and if you're looking to work on specific skills with your kids — or develop a budding area of interest — you might want to check out these educational toys for kids.

Our Good Housekeeping Institute pros (and moms!) have found toys that deliver high marks on both fun and entertainment. The team spends the entire year meeting with toy companies to keep up on the latest and greatest offerings, and then calls in the best to put them through the paces in the Little Lab to ensure they are safe, durable, and well-constructed. We look to see that a toy has skill-building attributes across a range of development skills, including physical (gross and fine motor), educational (math, reading, writing), and social and emotional (turn-taking, role-playing) skills. From there, we confirm the best selections with the real experts — kids! Here are our favorite educational toys for 2020, from babies to toddlers to school-aged kids. And, if you're looking for ideas for toys for specific ages, check out our library of toy reviews.