Yahoo Movies Kids holiday gifts: The best Melissa & Doug toys are on sale now during October Prime Day!
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
Shopping for kids is supposed to be fun, but finding the right gift a child will actually love (and love for more than a few days) is no easy task. Here at Reviewed, we've accepted the challenge, and that's why we've curated a list of more than 20 of the best gifts from top toy brand Melissa & Doug—and they're all available at Amazon, ahead of their second Prime Day sale of the year. The Prime Early Access sale is happening today, October 11 and tomorrow, Wednesday, October 12, but many of these best-selling Melissa & Doug toys are already on sale at a great price, making for a great opportunity to get ahead and save on your holiday gift shopping for kids right now, before the popular toys are sold out.
Get on the nice list. Sign up for our newsletter to get all the best gift guides, deals and holiday planning advice.
Melissa & Doug has recently expanded their range to include infant toys, many of which we've included below. To make sure you find the best gift for any type of child, whether they're into cars, crafts or dramatic play, you can jump right to the category that fits best:
Play food
Pretend play
Learning toys
Arts & crafts
Baby toys
►Holiday gift guides 2022: Reviewed-approved gifts for everyone in your life
►Prime Early Access sale: The best early Black Friday deals at Amazon before October Prime Day
1. Café Barista Coffee Shop
They love you a latte, so let them make you one. The Café Barista Coffee Shop allows kids to be the barista or the customer with a built-in play espresso maker, drink dispenser, pastries and even a frother, so they can make you a custom cappuccino and then ring you up at the pay terminal.
2. Scoop and Serve Ice Cream Counter
This Melissa & Doug favorite is for ice cream lovers: The 28-piece Wooden Scoop and Serve Ice Cream Counter set includes eight scoops of ice cream and six toppings to create any ice cream cone combination their imaginations are craving. The scooper can even lift, stack and release the scoops. Multiple Reviewed editors' kids own and love this adorable play set — Managing Editor of Commerce Jennifer Ernst Beaudry calls this set "the single best toy we bought for our kids" and her "go-to gift."
3. Pizza Play Food Set
Turn play time into pizza night with the Pizza Play Food Set. Six wooden slices can be topped with pepperoni, mushrooms and other options that stay put with velcro tabs. A tray, pizza cutter and spatula are all included and fit in the wooden box for convenient storage.
4. Freestanding Fresh Mart Grocery Store
Kids love filling up those mini shopping carts at the grocery store with all of their favorite snacks, and with the freestanding Fresh Mart Grocery Store, they can create their own food shopping experience right at home. Don't forget to add the Play Food Companion Set to fill up the shelves, and a toy shopping cart to load up on all the goodies.
5. Modern Multi-Level Dollhouse
Playing with dolls just got a major upgrade with this absolutely adorable, five-room Modern Multi-Level Dollhouse. The dollhouse stands more than two feet tall and comes fully furnished with 19 pieces of hand-painted wooden doll furniture, working doors and drawers.
6. Vroom & Zoom Interactive Dashboard
Kids love the idea of getting behind the wheel and the Vroom & Zoom Interactive Dashboard makes it possible—without any traffic jams. A realistic steering wheel is mounted on a wooden dashboard with a key start, gear shift, lights and even a scrolling GPS to stay on course. There's also a cute Paw Patrol version for fans of the popular kids' show.
7. Magnetic Car Loader
The Magnetic Car Loader is loads of fun for kids who love anything on wheels. The set comes with one red truck, one trailer and four numbered, brightly colored cars to inspire counting and sorting. The magnetic arm on the truck can lift and load the cars, giving kiddos some hand-eye coordination practice while they play.
8. Chef's Play Kitchen
Some toys will be tossed in the matter of weeks or months, but a quality play kitchen is a gift that can be loved and actually used for years. This wooden Chef's Play Kitchen includes an oven, stove, microwave, sink and refrigerator and even a working ice dispenser! The innovative ice maker dispenses two play ice cubes which are also included.
9. Beauty Salon Play Set
Playing "beauty salon" is a classic childhood past time that gets a glow-up with this gorgeous pink Beauty Salon Play Set. Let them role play as a hairstylist, makeup artist, manicurist or client with this 18-piece kit, including a tabletop vanity with a storage drawer and all the tools they need for a glamorous pretend makeover.
10. Examine and Treat Pet Vet Play Set
At some point during childhood, almost every kid says they want to be a veterinarian when they grow up. Gift them some early training with the Examine and Treat Pet Vet Play Set that comes with 24-pieces of play vet medical equipment, including a tote bag for storage and even two brave patients—a plush dog and cat.
11. Wooden Building Blocks Set
Building blocks are one of the simplest, yet most versatile and educational toys a child can have. From developing spatial skills to learning to take turns with friends or siblings, the Wooden Building Block Set is a classic choice for imaginations at play.
12. Band-in-a-Box Musical Instrument Set
Be prepared to get the band back together with the Band-in-a-Box Musical Instrument Set. The little rock star in your life will bang, clap and shake to the beat of their own drum, while discovering different tones and rhythms and helping to develop an ear—(and possibly a passion)—for music.
13. Take Along Tool Kit
Get down to the nuts and bolts of pretend play with the Take Along Tool Kit. This is a fun and practical gift for kids who love "fixing" things around the house. The child-size play hammer, screwdriver, wooden nails and more encourage hours of hands-on play.
14. USA Map Floor Puzzle
This brightly colored jigsaw puzzle is equally fun and educational. Kids learn state names and capitals while putting the pieces of the 51-piece USA Map Floor Puzzle together.
15. Deluxe Double-Sided Tabletop Easel
Young artists can explore their creativity in countless ways with the Deluxe Double-Sided Tapletop Easel. The easel features a dry-erase board on one side and a chalkboard on the other, along with a paper roll, a dry erase marker, five pieces of chalk, an eraser and 36 number and letter magnets. Its compact size fits in any room, but if space allows, the Deluxe Standing Art Easel is another fantastic option for budding artists.
16. Bead Bouquet Deluxe Bead Set
Let their love of crafting blossom with the Bead Bouquet Deluxe Bead Set. They can string together bracelets, necklaces and more with this easy-to-use jewelry making kit that includes eight cords and 220 beads in several fun shapes like flowers, hearts and butterflies.
17. My First Wooden Stamp Set
This set of stamps is bound to brighten any child's day, coming in eight cheerful designs: balloons, rainbow, kitten, puppy, teddy bear, cupcake, flower and butterfly. The easy-to-grasp wooden handles make stamping simple for small hands and two washable ink pads (one pink and one purple), are included.
18. Multi-Sensory Market Basket Fill and Spill
Babies are naturally interested in food, but play food is so much cuter! With the Market Basket Fill and Spill set, babies as young as six months old can sort, squeeze, fill and spill this basket of plush, sensory goodies. They'll discover sounds and textures with a chiming plush milk bottle, a crinkling head of lettuce, a rattling tomato and a squeaking carrot. Hungry for more? There's also a super cute taco-themed fill and spill toy.
19. Natural Play Book Tower
The Natural Play book Tower comes with ten chunky little books that can be read by an adult, and stacked and played with like building blocks by a baby. They're made from recycled materials and come in a box with a convenient handle for easy storage and portability.
20. Rollables Wooden Ocean Slide
An ocean-themed adventure awaits with the Rollables Wooden Ocean Slide. Three rollable toys (shark, crab and octopus) are easy for small hands to grasp, and firm enough to be dropped down the funnel and roll down the wavy slide, encouraging sensory, fine motor and problem-solving skills.
21. Pull-Back Vehicles Set
The Pull-Back Vehicles Set comes with a school bus, a family car, fa ire truck and a police car that are soft, lightweight and easy to lift and roll. There's also a cool rev-up mechanism in each one, so when they pull it back and release, the car zooms across the floor.
There’s a lot more where this came from. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get all our reviews, expert advice, deals and more.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
This article originally appeared on Reviewed: Best gift ideas for kids: Melissa & Doug toys and gifts at Amazon.
