Top Open-Ended Toys for Creative Play

Building Blocks 

• Building blocks are a staple in any child’s toy box. They allow children of all ages to be creative while improving both their motor skills and dexterity. For a fun, durable option, we recommend CarePlay’s Grid Block Sets, which can build life-sized creations.
• CarePlay Grid Blocks come in sets of 16, 32, and 48, allowing you to upgrade your grid block collections when your little one wants more to work with. The blocks easily snap to one another and can be combined to make towers, bridges, houses, and more—basically whatever your child puts their mind to! 

Play Silks

• Play silks can be anything your little one wants them to be. They are a great accompaniment for storytelling, as they can be used to create a costume piece during playtime. Play silks can be used as a cape, skirt, shirt, dress, or headpiece, for example. These simple-yet-timeless items give your child unlimited creative potential. Though there are products out there designed to be used as play silks, a spare piece of fabric will work just as well—making play silks a great entry-level open-ended toy!  

Moluk Bilibo

• One of the most popular toys in the open-ended toy space is the Moluk Bilibo, a shell-shaped, brightly colored toy that your child can use to enhance their motor skills and balance abilities. As the Bilibo comes in many different size and color options, your child will have endless creative ways to play with and enjoy theirs—whether that means using it as a hat, sled, pouring vessel, or rocker!    

Magnetic Tiles

• Like grid building blocks, magnetic tiles are a fun and creative way to get your child to enhance their fine motor skills and improve their dexterity. Magnetic tiles are usually smaller in size and come in a wider variety of shapes, so your child may prefer to use these for activities such as practicing basic math, building tabletop designs, and learning basic shapes. They can even combine their grid block and magnetic tile collections to create a multi-dimensional structure, using the magnetic tiles to make the smaller details!  

Toy Kitchen Sets

• Cooking or baking in a toy kitchen set gives your child a scene to act out their own make-believe stories and adventures. Since everything is designed to be child-safe, they are able to safely and creatively mimic how the grown-ups around them behave. As your child gets older, this play set could inspire them to help out and get involved in your family’s “grown-up” kitchen.  

Animal Figurines 

• Choosing more general, classic figurines ensures that they will stand the test of time as your child grows up. They likely won’t be watching the same things when they are a toddler as they will when they are in elementary school, so supplying more open-ended options means your child will always be able to come back to them. With animals, for instance, kids can do everything from practice their names and sounds, to build “zoos” that are organized by species or regional origin. 

Play-dough or Modeling Clay 

• Playdough (or modeling clay) can be the perfect medium for your child to express their imagination and create models that are unique to their interests. The possibilities are endless—no two creations are the same, so your child can craft unique, interesting creations without growing bored. On top of being fun to play with, using playdough is great for building up hand muscles to develop fine motor skills, and can help your little one unwind, practice their numbers/letters/shapes, and hone their hand-eye coordination. Who knows—introducing your little one to art when they are younger could inspire them to pick up a lifelong hobby! Be warned, though, that it can get messy! 

Play Tent 

• Play tents are the ultimate open-ended toy: they accommodate children of all ages, allow for endless creative uses, and give your child a mini sanctuary to play in and around. Adding a tent to a playroom or children’s bedroom gives your child a dedicated place for play and make-believe. Plus, with most tents, you can fold them up and stow them away when not in use.