We are delighted to announce the Best Toys in the Early School Years Category for 2025. These toys have been awarded our top honor, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award ! Early School Years children like more complex building toys, puzzles, and games. They're also ready to use fine motor skills for crafts. they need toys for social and active play as well as quiet solo time. To read our full review of each toy click through the titles below. You'll find our entire ev

( Super Smalls $40) Our testers loved this kit that comes with three small frames to decorate with puff paint (four colors) and "gemstones" to gemify the frames. School aged kids love making things that they can display in their rooms as well as making gifts for others. Ages: Early School, Tweens Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2025 Shop this product on Amazon

( POPDARTS $24.99) Popdarts are a great family game for mixed ages. The set comes with two sets of suction tips that each player takes turns throwing at the red suction marker. The closer you get the more points you receive, the first player that has 21 points wins. You can play tossing the Popdarts on a table or onto a glass door. 5 & up. The company also makes more advanced sets. Ages: Infants Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2025 Shop this toy on Amazon

(eeBoo $15.99) There's so much to know and name in this puzzle deep in the rainforest. Toucan, sloth, frog, anteater, monkey, a gorilla - just to name a few. The pieces are mid-size, not giant floor puzzle types, but bigger than small jig saw pieces. The finished puzzle is 15 X 15 inches. Marked 5+ , but that depends on how experienced your puzzler is. It will be a good choice for slightly older kids. When you choose puzzles you want kids to have challenges but not outright

(Horizon Group $14.99 ) Everything you need for creating necklaces and bracelets with more than 20 interachangeable charms that go on with easy to change lobster claws. There is a chain bracelet and necklace as well as elastic cord for making bracelets with more hundreds of beads (accent colors, alphabet beads and metallic beads). Would make a great holiday gift for jewelry lovers. Marked 6 & up. Younger kids will need adult assistance. Ages: Older Early School, Tweens Opp

( LEGO $69.99) A fun multi-level, fully tricked out tree house that comes with 701 pieces - including four Friends and two animals. There's a sleeping area, a piano , a slide, a work station that includes a circular saw, a kitchen area (for making donuts). There's also a working pull-up chair for getting up to the next level. Our testers loved all the attention to details - just to name a few : mini carrots from the garden, mini ice cream cones, and a hardhat with a protect

( eeBoo $14.99 each ) The perfect take-along set of dominoes for kids that are fascinated by space. The set comes with 28 shiny pieces that give you an opportunity for talking about the planets in our solar system. Illustrated by Uta Krogmann. Also fun -- Mini Dinosaur Dominoes . Marked 3 and up Ages: Preschool Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2025 Click here to shop Space Dominoes on Amazon

( Super Smalls $39) If brushing hair is an issue in your house, this wonderful new kit from Super Small may do the trick. The kit comes with a large pink plastic brush and 246 gem stickers to add to your brush. Our tester also loved that the kit also included 16 small clips that have gem flowers on them. A great holiday or birthday gift. Ages: Preschool, Early School Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2025

( Tree Town Toys $15.99 each) Art Café is a really clever painting kit that includes a to-go coffee container with four lids. Inside the cup you'll find three acrylic paints, a wooden stick for pulling the paint and instructions. We love open-ended painting kits and this one introduces kids to a painting technique that can be used on other materials. There are three sets with different color palettes: dreamy colors, beachy colors and cheery colors. Note-- because these use

(Horizon Group $22.99 ) A wow-wee kind of bead kit with 800+ beads that come in a fun round plastic case that spins. There's a rainbow of colors here as well as metallics and alphabet beads. Set comes with enough elastic cords to make 25+ bracelets. A great holiday gift for 8 and up. Ages: Older Early School, Tweens Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2025