Your kids will love these Ms. Rachel-approved toys

Selection of Ms Rachel approved toys

by Laura Healy |
Updated on

We all worry about our kids watching too much TV or having too much screen time. As a parent I am guilty of giving them screens sometimes so I can work or get on with with things around the house. But that is why parents love Ms. Rachel. Not only does she entertain the kids, but she makes their screen time educational too. My daughter will happily sing along and answer questions without realising she is learning, which is such a relief for me as a parent and helps to alleviate the guilt. If we are honest, for parents it's a win-win.

From doctor's kits for role play to wooden puzzles and toy animals, Mrs Rachel approved toys are great for toddlers who will love playing with them. Many of the toys Ms Rachel includes in her videos are STEM toys or toys which promote curiosity, problem solving and cause and effect, all supporting your little ones' development and learning. I know puzzles are always a big hit with my daughter and she loves doing them independently, or spending time with me solving them together.

Ms Rachel carefully chooses the toys for her YouTube channel to ensure they are educational toys which promote learning. We think having some Ms Rachel approved toys around the house will not only help your little ones learn, but may even limit screen time. Check out the best live deals on right now.

Deals on Ms Rachel approved toys to shop now

Save 19%: Fisher-Price Stacking Toy Baby’s First Blocks Set- was £15.99, now £12.99
Save 12%: Ms. Rachel Official Sensory Learning Farm - was £24.99, now £21.99
Save 24%: Spike the fine motor hedgehog - was £17, now £12.99
Save 37%: VTech Scoop and Learn ice cream cart -was £59.99, now £37.99
Save £14: Fisher-Price Little People Caring for Animals Farm - was £48.99, now £34.99

Best Ms Rachel approved toys

Best Ms Rachel approved toy for colour matching

Peek-a-bird learning buddiesAmazon
Price: £13.85
Alternative retailers
Target$12.99View offer
Walmart$12.99View offer
Tractor Supply$14.99View offer

Not only does this toy look super cute but it has so many learning benefits including colour matching, counting and motor skills. One reviewer said, "I just love this simple sorting game! This promotes colour recognition, matching, counting and fine motor skills and so much more. The set consists of 5 coloured bird boxes with corresponding coloured birds - you can match the bird to the correct box for a sorting game. As an extra learning element, each bird has a different expression ranging from sad, sleepy, angry, confused and happy." However one reviewer was disappointed it didn't hold her son's attention for longer commenting, "in reality it fails to hold our 4 year old's interest for more than 20 minutes per session." We love that the birds all have different expressions too to help kids understand their emotions.

Pros

  • Birds have different expressions to help understand emotions
  • Great for colour matching skills

Cons

  • Maybe too young for children over 4
Age: 18 months +
Number of pieces: 15
  • Develops colour matching skills and counting skills
  • Helps to understand emotions
  • Suitable for different ages

20% off

Best Ms Rachel approved balance toy

National Geographic stepping stonesAmazon
Price: £31.99 (was £39.99)
Alternative retailers
Walmart$51.99View offer

These stepping stone stones can be used both indoors and outdoors to promote coordination and balance. With 10 brightly coloured stepping stones in the pack, kids will have lots of fun setting up balancing challenges. One reviewer said, "bought these for our grandchildren aged 3, 5 & 7, they are thoroughly enjoying playing with their new toy, which is encouraging taking turns, balance, working together, etc.. The stones have been a safe place in a crocodile infested river, amongst red hot larva and who knows what else!" We love that they also stimulate the imagination as well. However, one reviewer did think they could be bigger, commenting, "they are very well made and fun but they are so much smaller than what the picture presented."

Pros

  • Sturdy and brightly coloured
  • Great to develop balance and coordination
  • Stimulate the imagination

Cons

  • Smaller than expected
Age: 3 years +
Material: Plastic
Number of stepping stones: 10
  • Stimulates imagination
  • Develops coordination and balance
  • Sturdy and durable

37% off

Best Ms Rachel approved toy for learning sequences

VTech Scoop and learn ice cream cart Mother and Baby / Laura Healy
Price: £37.99 (was £59.99)

This ice cream cart is so much fun and kids of all ages will love creating ice creams either from their own imagination or following the instructions. It is great for encouraging the learning of sequences as children try to follow the instructions of how to make and sell ice creams. Our Commercial Content Writer, Laura Healy, says "this has been a favourite toy for years with both my girls. My older daughter likes to use pretend money and run a (very expensive!) ice cream business, but it does encourage role play, while my younger daughter loves stacking the ice cream and experimenting with different combinations." The ice cream cart has a magic scooper and also plays songs and words. However, Laura did say that it is fiddly to clean with lots of compartments, it can get dusty and grimy quickly.

Pros

  • Encourages learning of sequencing
  • Great for role play
  • Suitable for toddlers and up to 6 years

Cons

  • Difficult to clean
Age: 24 months - 6 years
Number of pieces: 20
Power: 3 x AA batteries
  • Great for role play
  • Suitable up to 6 years
  • Includes music and sounds

Best Ms Rachel approved toy for imaginative play

Melissa and Doug building blocksAmazon
Price: £78.77
Alternative retailers
Target$41.99View offer
Walmart$41.99View offer
Macy's$56.69View offer
Kohl's$74.99View offer

There's hours of fun to be had with these building blocks and we love how simple they are, made of plain wood. One reviewer said, "these blocks are classroom quality, they will last a long time. Very heavy good quality wood with nice finish. Love that they come with their own box as well." With 60 pieces there are so many creations to make, although some reviewers have said not all are as smooth as they should be and they worried about splinters.

Pros

  • Encourages imaginative play
  • Good quality, heavy blocks

Cons

  • Can be a bit splintery
Age: 3 years +
Number of pieces: 60
Material: Wood
  • 60 pieces in different shapes and sizes
  • Encourages creative play
  • Heavy and good quality

Best Ms Rachel approved toy for creative storytelling

Learning Resources Jumbo Jungle AnimalsAmazon
Price: £34.32
Alternative retailers
Tractor Supply$29.99View offer
Walmart$35.58View offer
QVC$36.99View offer
Kohl's$38.99View offer

This set includes 6 jumbo toy animals, made of durable plastic and perfect for little hands. They are ideal for small world play and encouraging your little one to tell stories. With a gorilla, elephant and tiger, with one parent and one baby animal, there is lots of scope for play. One reviewer said, "I own all the animal sets from this company. My children love them and are very creative and use their imaginations to learn and play. Easy to wipe clean and they look the same as the day I purchased them." However one reviewer did comment that the animals are not of the best quality saying, "I have so many products from Learning Resources and I have always found them to be good quality, so I was very disappointed when I received these. The animals are made up of two parts which are glued together and the two sides are not aligned properly leaving a ridge and the glue can be seen between, especially on the elephants."

Pros

  • Great for creative play
  • Includes three pairs of animals
  • Great size for little hands

Cons

  • Some reviewers thought quality could be better

Best Ms Rachel approved toy for counting

Learning Resources Counting CookiesAmazon
Price: £27.50
Alternative retailers
Tractor Supply$22.49View offer
Michaels Stores$25.19View offer
Kohl's$27.99View offer
QVC$27.99View offer

We all love cookies, but these ones will satisfy your little one's appetite for maths, helping them develop their counting skills. One reviewer said, "brilliant. Cannot recommend these enough. You won’t regret this purchase for your little one. They are educational and double up as pretend play cookies." Do bear in mind though that these are small for younger children and one reviewer commented, "the cookie pieces are small enough for a 1+ year old to fit completely in their mouth and choke on, even if they can't be swallowed."

Pros

  • Great for developing counting skills
  • Can double as play cookies
  • Includes a cookie jar for storage

Cons

  • Cookies could pose a choking hazard
Age: 18 months - 6 years
Number of pieces: 13
  • Encourages maths skills
  • Includes cookie jar for storage
  • Can be used for creative play

Best Ms Rachel approved toys for cause and effect

Battat Pop up toyAmazon
Price: £11.96
Alternative retailers
Kohl's$9.74View offer
Walmart$10.70View offer

This cute toy will help your little one begin to learn about cause and effect, as well as developing hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and mental activities like recognizing shapes. One reviewer said, "I really like this toy and it has been useful in developing my little one’s motor skills. However, the sound when the animals pop up is quite loud so she jumps a bit in shock! Although another reviewer added, "This game is brilliant for hand eye coordination. Learning object permanence and having fun. I really like to see her play with this. She loves seeing the animals pop up." We love the bright colours which will really appeal to baby, as well as the carry handle to make it more portable.

Pros

  • Great for learning cause and effect
  • Carry handle to make it more portable
  • Bright colours and cute animals appeal to baby

Cons

  • Pop up sound can be loud

Best Ms Rachel approved toy for role play

Melissa and Doug Doctor setAmazon
Price: £29.09 (was £34.99)
Alternative retailers
Walmart$19.00View offer
Macy's$23.99View offer
Target$26.59View offer
Kohl's$29.99View offer

If your little one loves pretending to be a doctor and making all their toys better, they will love this cute set. It is ideal for role play and features lots of items including a blood pressure cuff, hearing tester, syringe, scissors, tweezers, rolling forehead thermometer, reflex hammer, otoscope, eye cover, tongue depressors, bottles, and a stethoscope. One reviewer said, "such a handy toy to take on a plane or to a restaurant, hours of independent play from this toy and multiple teddies and Dollies got bandages again and again." However some reviewers were disappointed with the bag commenting, "the one thing that really bothers me is the bag. It’s super cheap/thin and flimsy. I wish it had a zipper too." Overall, this is a great kit, with 25 items, for aspiring little medics.

Pros

  • Includes everything needed for medical role play
  • Easily portable
  • Encourages independent play

Cons

  • Bag is quite flimsy
Age: 3 years +
Number of items: 25
  • Ideal for role play and independent play
  • Includes a carry bag
  • 25 items included

Best Ms Rachel approved toy for peek-a-boo

GUND Baby Flappy The Elephant Plush ToyAmazon
Price: £55.44
Alternative retailers
JCPenney$32.00View offer
Walmart$36.00View offer
Target$40.00View offer
Macy's$40.00View offer

Not only is this incredibly cute but it also sings a sweet song and plays peek-a-boo with your little one. One reviewer said, "bought this for my brother and his girlfriend when they had a baby, and they loved it. It's such a cute toy and the song is great. It also comes with batteries, so they can just use it straight away." One reviewer did comment that it could be more cuddly, saying, "it could do with a bit more padding as it is quite hard and nobbly and the working parts might easily get damaged if dropped." Overall, we love how sweet it is and think it will appeal to all little ones (as well as adults too).

Pros

  • Sings a sweet song and plays peek-a-boo
  • Batteries are included
  • Cute neutral design

Cons

  • Could do with more padding to make it more cuddly
Age: 12 months - 6 years
Batteries required: 3 AA batteries
Dimensions: 19.56 x 26.67 x 30.48 cm
  • Plays peek-a-boo
  • Lovely sweet song
  • Cute elephant, neutral design

Best Ms Rachel approved puzzle

Wooden puzzlesAmazon
Price: £16.99

We love jigsaws and so do kids. They are a great way to develop problem solving, as well as entertainment for a rainy afternoon. This set of animal puzzles is made of wood and will keep little ones entertained independently, or will provide a lovely activity for you to do together. One reviewer said, "My toddler loves these. They are good sturdy material, bright eye catching colours and I love they come in a handy little bag. Due to being wooden they’re fairly heavy but we offset this by only taking a few out at a time." These are sturdy and will withstand rough play from little ones and they will also help them learn their colours. We love that they come in a handy storage bag too.

Pros

  • Includes a storage bag
  • Great for problem solving
  • Brightly coloured to help colour recognition

Cons

  • Quite heavy to be portable
Age: 3 - 5 years
Material: Wood
Number of puzzles: 6
  • Great for problem solving
  • Includes 6 animal puzzles
  • Storage bag included

Best Ms Rachel approved toy for fine motor skills

ON OFFER - 24% OFF

Spike the fine motor hedgehogAmazon
Price: £12.99 (was £17)
Alternative retailers
Walmart$9.82View offer
Target$9.89View offer
Tractor Supply$12.74View offer
Michaels Stores$17.39View offer

Ideal for learning patterns, matching and sorting, this cute hedgehog toy also helps develop children's fine motor skills. One reviewer said, "my children love this toy. My 20 month old will happy sit and play with this. She loves putting in all the spikes and taking them back out again. The colours are great, it one of her favourite toys." While another reviewer added that her "3 year old had no interest, way too simple," so it might be more suited to younger toddlers and will also help encourage independent play.

Pros

  • Great for developing fine motor skills as well as matching and sorting
  • Encourages independent play
  • Brightly coloured pegs are appealing

Cons

  • Too simple for older children
Age: 18 months - 6 years
Number of pieces: 14
  • Encourages independent play
  • Good for development of fine motor skills
  • Brightly coloured

FAQs

Who is Ms Rachel?

Rachel Accurso, better known as Ms. Rachel, is an early childhood educator and is the creator of YouTube channel 'Songs for Littles', which focuses on speech development, featuring songs, interactive lessons, and engaging visuals. Ms. Rachel's warmth, enthusiasm, and background in education make her the perfect guide for small children. She has over 4 million subscribers, and her content has become popular amongst households across the world.

Does Ms Rachel have a background in education?

While her videos might be fun and entertaining, they also help children with their development and reaching milestones and Ms. Rachel has two Masters degrees in education, one in early childhood development and one in music education, so she knows what she is talking about. Also, as a mum herself to a little boy, who inspires her work, she has experience as both a parent and an education expert to really help parents and their littles ones during the early years.

Where can you watch Ms Rachel?

Ms Rachel has a YouTube channel which you can subscribe to, however, you can also watch Ms. Rachel on TikTok and find out more information from her on her Instagram. Ms. Rachel also has her own website, msrachel.com and it is another place to watch her videos, with videos for babies, toddlers and preschoolers available.

About the author

Laura Healy is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby. She is a mum-of-two girls and loves writing about all things parenting, she is particularly interested in the toddler years and eco-friendly baby products, as well as children’s literature. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and has published short stories in the UK and Ireland, as well as previously writing freelance for her local paper.

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Mother & Baby is dedicated to ensuring our information is always valuable and trustworthy, which is why we only use reputable resources such as the NHS, reviewed medical papers, or the advice of a credible doctor, GP, midwife, psychotherapist, gynaecologist or other medical professionals. Where possible, our articles are medically reviewed or contain expert advice. Our writers are all kept up to date on the latest safety advice for all the products we recommend and follow strict reporting guidelines to ensure our content comes from credible sources. Remember to always consult a medical professional if you have any worries. Our articles are not intended to replace professional advice from your GP or midwife.