Reading, alphabet and phonics toys for toddlers

Neurosurgeon-reviewed. Designed by Nikita Aakhade, Harvard-certified in Early Childhood Development.

Reading starts with looking and naming, long before letters. A high contrast cloth book at 0 to 6 months, board books and first words flashcards from 6 months, an alphabet book and letter board from 2, then tracing workbooks and a phonics spelling game from 3. Everything here is sized for the hands and attention span of that age, and each stage is explained below.

Not sure? Take the Toy Finder Quiz

Guided toy finder

Find toys for the stage your little one is in right now

Pick your baby's age and the skill you want to spark. We'll show toys that match real developmental moments parents notice at home.

Age-appropriate matchesFrom newborn vision to toddler problem solving.
Built around milestonesEvery result is filtered by developmental fit.

Start here

What should we help your baby practice?

Set the age, then pick a focus for today's play.

Pick an age
Slide to your baby's age

Slide to set your baby's age

Pick a developmental focus

Books for a 1 year old: where reading starts

Books for a 1 year old need thick pages, one picture a page and a grown-up who names it. The first words board book set, five books across eight topics for 0 to 24 months, is the one we hand parents first. The animal board books, set of 5, give one animal per book, elephant, monkey, cow, dog and cat, the first words most toddlers say on their own, and first words flashcards (animals, fruit, vegetables and shapes) work the same way, one real picture at a time. Before all this, the high contrast jungle cloth book with crinkle pages and a neem teether ring is the first book a baby's eyes and mouth can use; the Reading Roots Kit for 0 to 12 months packs the cloth book, board books, flashcards with mirror and a parenting guide in one box. More in board books for babies and cloth books.

Alphabet toys for toddlers (2 to 3 years)

Alphabet toys work at two when the letter comes with a picture and a sound you say. The alphabet and number board book set pairs A with an astronaut and Z with a zebra on big, bright pages, with a numbers book alongside, and the board books set of 4 adds fruits and vegetables, colours and shapes to the same alphabet and numbers books. From two, the Sea Adventure 5-in-1 board flips from a sea animal puzzle to an A to Z alphabet, 0 to 9 numbers and a wipe-clean tracing board, so one toy carries a child from naming letters to writing them. Point to the letter, say its sound (mmm for m), and let the child find it again on the next page. Browse toys for 2 year olds.

Phonics games for kids 3 to 6

Phonics games start once a child knows a handful of letter sounds and wants to build something with them. Our wooden spelling game does this with 52 letter blocks (A to Z twice) and 28 double-sided picture cards, 56 words in all: the child matches the letters to the word on the card, says each sound and reads the word back, and the set corrects itself so a wrong letter shows straight away. It comes in the Preschool Prep Combo with the counting abacus, for 3 to 7 years. The My First Alphabet Tracing Workbooks (capital A to Z and small a to z) teach the strokes with grey dotted letters and a picture cue on every page, and Faces Match Fun Cubes give the words for feelings, happy, sad and upset.

Reading readiness: what to look for before school

Reading readiness is four small habits, and each has a toy on this page. Holding a book the right way up and turning one page at a time: board books from 6 months. Naming pictures and then asking for the name: first words books and flashcards. Knowing that letters have sounds: the alphabet board book and the Sea Adventure board's A to Z side. Making the strokes: the tracing workbooks. Stories carry all four, so keep reading aloud daily: the mythology board book set (Ganesha, Rama, Krishna and Hanuman), the Good Habits board book and the first board book of shlokas and mantras give a toddler stories and rhythm to ask for on repeat. See Indian story books for kids and all books.

How to choose reading and alphabet toys by age

Under one: cloth or thick board, high contrast, safe to mouth. One to two: one picture a page, real objects and animals the child sees daily, five books at most so each gets read a hundred times. Two to three: an alphabet with a picture for every letter, and say sounds rather than letter names. Three to six: self-correcting phonics (the spelling game) and tracing with a dotted guide, ten minutes a day. At every age the book in your lap does more than the book on the shelf, so pick the ones you enjoy reading aloud, and keep small pieces like letter blocks for table play with a grown-up close.

Best alphabet and reading toys: 5 picks

What are the best books for a 1 year old?

Board books with one clear picture a page: the first words set of 5 across eight topics, and the animal board books (elephant, monkey, cow, dog, cat). Five books read daily beat twenty read once.

Which alphabet toys suit a 2 year old?

An alphabet board book with a picture for every letter, and from two the Sea Adventure 5-in-1 board with its A to Z side and tracing surface. Say the letter's sound as the child touches it; the name can come later.

When should phonics games start?

Around three, once a child knows a few letter sounds and asks what words say. The wooden spelling game in the Preschool Prep Combo lets them build 56 real words and check the answer themselves.

What is reading readiness and how do toys help?

Four habits: handling a book, naming pictures, knowing letters have sounds, and making strokes. Board books, flashcards, an alphabet book and tracing workbooks cover one each; reading aloud daily ties them together.

Do Indian story books help language development?

Yes. Stories a family tells in its own words, like the mythology board book set or the shlokas and mantras book with English and Hindi meanings, give a toddler rhythm, repetition and new words in one sitting.

Shop by age: newborn baby toys 0 to 6 months · baby toys 6 to 12 months · toys for 1 year olds · toys for 2 year olds · toys for 3 year olds · learning toys for 4 to 6 year olds
Shop by type: baby teethers · play gym attachments · stackers and nesting toys · wooden puzzles · board books for babies · cloth books and touch and feel books · Indian story books for kids · books for babies and toddlers · toy boxes and Montessori kits · combos
Shop by skill: brain development toys by age · counting toys · reading, alphabet and phonics toys · senses and discovery · movement and motor skills · thinking and problem solving
Gifts by age: gifts for a newborn baby · gifts for a 6 month old baby · gifts for a 1 year old · gifts for a 2 year old · gifts for a 3 year old · gifts for a 4 year old · gifts for a 5 year old

Popular searches: alphabet toys · phonics toys · phonics games for kids · books for 1 year old · reading readiness · alphabet toys for toddlers · board books for babies · alphabet tracing workbook · first words flashcards · cloth books for babies · counting toys · brain development toys

Let customers speak for us

from 9683 reviews
Animal Board Books – First Words & Picture Reading Set of 5| Elephant, Monkey, Cow, Dog, Cat | Baby Animal Books for 4-48 Months
Great for building vocabulary

My 13 month old points at the animals and tries to say their names now, and the thick pages survive her page turning.

Pooja N.
Extra Pegs for Numbers Peg Board | Pack of 20
Exactly what I needed

Lost a few pegs under the sofa and my 3 year old kept noticing the empty holes. These fit the board perfectly and the colours match the original set.

Deepika R.
1-1.5 Years Toy Box
Great quality

Worth every rupee

Sneha D.
1.5-2 Years Toy Box
Great for this age

Keeps her busy!

Pallavi D.
Montessori Nesting Bowls - Stacking Toys for Babies 6-36 Months
Worth it

Great quality, baby loves stacking them!

Meera B.
Montessori Hanging Balls – Reach, Hit & Movement Toy
Rattle sound keeps her hooked

Got this for my 7 month old and she figured out the grip within a day. The rattle sound inside is what really got her attention, she shakes it and then looks up at me every single time. Light enough that she can hold it on her own without help.

Sneha G.
Play Gym – 360° Sensory & Movement Space
She reaches for it on her own now

My 5 month old stretches up and bats at the hanging toys by herself now, and it buys me a good twenty minutes to get something done.

Meera D.
Interlocking Discs Neem Teether - Montessori Grasp, Roll & Teething Toy
Finally something she can hold

My 5 month old is teething and this is the only thing she actually keeps in her mouth. The discs are light enough that she can pass it from one hand to the other on her own, which she could not do a month ago. Easy to rinse and there is no smell to it.

Sneha K.
Interlocking Discs Neem Teether - Montessori Grasp, Roll & Teething Toy
Finally something she can hold and chew herself

My daughter is 6 months and right in the middle of teething, so these have been the easiest thing to just hand her. The discs are linked together so she passes them from one hand to the other, which she has only recently started doing. Easy to wash and no strange smell after boiling. Best part is she has stopped going for the TV remote quite so much.

Tanvi T.
Pull Toy – First Walking & Follow-Along Toy for Babies & Toddlers | Montessori Walking Toy | 8-36 Months
He walks all over the house with it

My 14 month old pulls this around the entire house and it has really helped his balance while walking.

Karthik R.
Newborn Baby Toys Gift Set (0-4 Months) | Montessori Toy Box | BrainyTots
Great box for the newborn months

Bought this for my 3 month old and it is the one box I keep reaching for. The high contrast pieces hold her attention through tummy time and she has started swiping at the rattle on her own. Wood finish is smooth with no rough edges, feels sturdy for daily use.

Ananya K.
Spiral Hanging Mobile – Reach & Focus Play (Montessori Inspired)
Bought it for the crib, it lives on the pram now

My son was about 2 months old and would start fussing the moment I put him down anywhere. I wrapped this around the pram bar mostly hoping it would buy me ten minutes. He locked onto the spiral and just stared at it, kicking his legs, long enough for me to finish my tea. It is honestly the first thing he has ever properly focused on. Now we move it between the crib and the pram every single day.

Sneha K.
Spiral Hanging Mobile – Reach & Focus Play (Montessori Inspired)
Perfect first toy

Baby is hooked!

Gaurav C.
Montessori Spelling Game – Early Word & Letter Matching Set | 28 Spelling Cards (56 Words) & 52 letters Blocks, Montessori Educational Learning Toy, Phonics Puzzle Game, Birthday Gift for Toddler Ages 3-7
My 4 year old asks for it daily

Bought this hoping it would help with letter recognition and it has done more than that. My 4 year old now sits and builds the three letter words on his own while I finish my calls. The blocks are chunky and smooth, and the cards are thick enough to survive a preschooler.

Rahul S.
Sensory Texture Mat – Touch & Feel Discovery Play Mat
My 8 month old keeps coming back to it

Got this when my daughter started sitting up on her own and she spends a good ten minutes running her fingers over the different patches. The rough and the smooth ones get the most attention. Colours are bright and the stitching has held up well so far.

Meera T.