33 Open Ended Toys Kids Will Play with for Years

Marble runs are wonderful educational building toys for kids of all ages, with endless possibilities for creating structures of all sizes. The connectors in this Marble Genius set fit together snugly, ensuring a stable structure, and are easy for kids to put together.

Water table with toy accessories for kids to scoop, splash, pour and njoy plenty of water fun.

The Melissa & Doug Shopping Cart is a sturdy, child-sized metal cart with pivoting front wheels that lets kids enjoy realistic, imaginative grocery play.

Got a creative builder who's dreaming of skyscrapers? This magnetic construction set features 100 colorful tiles that connect to form amazing 3D structures — from simple shapes to elaborate castles and towers.

A beautifully painted 17-piece play food set with a wooden knife.

The Learning Resources Doctor Set encourages imaginative role play and early social skills as kids care for patients with realistic, kid-friendly medical tools.

Classic wooden building toys for kids, a set of high-quality building blocks will last a child for years, inspiring a whole variety of open-ended creative play and learning.

Plastic building toys for kids that have withstood the test of time. Always a good, safe gift option for the kid who has everything.

3D building toys for kids that offer diverse ways to play. The large magnetic frames and 3D panels can be connected in various ways to build structures and tracks that kids can then play on.

Alexandra F. said:  What I love most about this magnetic building toy is how it inspires kids to be creative by building - and testing, and improving - structures they can actually play with once they’re done. Unlike other magnetic building toys, Squaregles actually hold together well without randomly collapsing, and the set comes with fun pieces like ramps and towers for making things like castles or racetracks. It takes a little practice to master putting the pieces together, but even my three year old loves building with them, and my older kids (and me!) get a kick out of trying out new creations every time we play.

A perfect first tea set! The Green Toys set is made out of recycled materials, it is non-toxic (does not contain BPA, phthalates, or lead paint), meets FDA food contact standards and is dishwasher friendly.

Kids tool sets let little builders pretend and learn with realistic toy tools designed for safe, hands-on construction play.

Kelly R said:  My kids both loved having a little tool set at age 3, and still played with it years later. Whenever my husband or I would fix something around the house, my son would grab the toolbox and come running to help.

Schleich animal figurines are highly detailed, hand-painted toys that bring the animal kingdom to life. They are crafted with precision and authenticity, making them both fun and educational for children.

Kelly R said:  Schleich animal figurines are so much more durable, realistic and beautiful than other brands, and our trusty T Rex still looks pretty cool in our tween's room years later! They are some of my favorite ideas for stocking stuffers that will get used for years and years. The reindeer is a perfect nod to Christmas!

Baby Stella dolls all feature magnetic pacifiers, life-like toes, fingers and belly button, perfectly plump tummies and embroidered facial features. With removable and interchangeable doll outfits and diapers, these ultra-soft and huggable first baby dolls truly are Baby's First Friend.

The KidKraft Kitchen inspires imaginative play with realistic details, durable design, and plenty of space for kids to cook up their pretend feasts!

This line of larger, colorful building blocks is specially designed for toddlers and young children as early learning toys that promote creativity through safe and easy construction.

Alexandra F. said:  These chunky bricks have been been used pretty much constantly in our home for the last 15 years, and are one of my favorite open ended toys because they can be used from such a young age and still be fun to play with even when kids are ready for the smaller LEGO sets. A couple of building plates, a set or two of classic bricks, and a few DUPLO figurines have been some of our most played with toys these last couple of decades.