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Pop up toys are one of the most popular types of cause and effect toys for young kids. Cause and effect toys are considered toys that quickly respond to a child’s action, teaching kids that they are able to make a change in their environment. I’ve written a blog post on examples of different types of cause and effect toys, but would like to specifically focus on pop up toys here.
Pop up toys are not only great for teaching cause and effect, but are also great for stimulating cognition. Typically pop up toys have different buttons or knobs that have to be twisted or pushed. This promotes problem solving as a child has to figure out how to activate the toy. Using the hands to activate toys is also a good way to work on fine motor coordination and develop hand muscles.
Now that I’ve convinced you that pop up toys are not only fun, but also super useful, check out some cool pop up toy ideas below.
1) Fisher-Price Tiny Garden Pop-Up Surprise
I love the concept of this toy because of it’s simple design and fruit and veggie idea. Kids will learn to recognize a carrot, pear, beat, and strawberry as they explore the toy.
2) Fisher-Price Monster Pop-Up Surprise
These silly monster characters will delight your child as they pop up. Use this as an opportunity to name the colors and learn new words such as “hello” and “bye bye” as they open and close.
This simple yet fun toy will keep young kids entertained for quite some time. Simply push down on the happy face pegs and watch them bounce back up! The harder you push the higher up they will bounce.
Push the button on the box to reveal the adorable teddy bear. Ted-in-A-Box will keep young kids entertained while actively engaging them in play as they open and close Ted. This makes a great first pop up toy!
5) Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pounding Bench
Kids can use their hands or hammer (for a greater challenge) to push down on the pegs. Just be careful, as you push one down, the one next to it will pop right up.
If your baby is ready for a challenge, this pop up toy with 5 levers will do the trick. Some animals are easier to open than others so be ready to help when needed. Remember to practice naming the animals as you play.
7) Disney Baby Winnie The Pooh Jack-in-The-Box
Winnie The Pooh in the box!? How cool is that! Show your child how to turn the knob to open Winnie, then let them have a turn. Kids will enjoy the gentle music and the surprise of seeing Winnie as he pops up.
If you found this helpful, check out my blog post on more ways to teach the concept of cause and effect to kids of all ages using fun play activities.