Every mom wants their child to succeed — especially in school — and will try every trick to make that happen. Enrolling them in after-school sports [1] or teaching them a musical instrument [2] have all been proven to improve children's grades. But you don't have to wait until your little one starts school to build their brainpower. Here, nine toys that put your toddler on a path toward straight As.
Hape Balance Boat
Not only is this toy boat [4] ($22) adorable, but it introduces children to problem solving and spatial relationships when they must move the rings to keep the boat balanced.
KidKraft Bead Maze
As kids manipulate the brightly colored beads [5] ($22, originally $28) throughout the maze, they will build their problem-solving skills.
Green Toys Shape Sorter
Introduce them to patterns, shapes, and colors with an eco-friendly shape sorter [6] ($16, originally $20).
Edushape Rollipop Ball Drop
Little engineers will love this build-your-own ball drop [7] ($32, originally $46), which develops their creativity and hand-eye coordination.
Melissa and Doug Beginner Pattern Blocks
Kids must pick the correct blocks in order to complete the colorful pictures in this pattern recognition game [8] ($20, originally $30).
LeapFrog Letter Factory
Once the baby talk wears off, teach your little one how identify and say his alphabet with the LeapFrog Letter Factory [9] ($35).
Glueckskaefer Birds Stacking Tower
This 3D puzzle [10] ($37) is a colorful way to teach tots about shapes and basic geometry.
Tricky Fish
Use this balance maze [11] ($33) to build your child's coordination and concentration on the go.
Boidiko Memory Game
If the memory aspect is too much for your toddler, use the illustrated blocks [12] ($26) to teach them about matching and recognizing patterns.