Best Princess Toys for Toddlers in 2023

Princess toys capture the magic of fairy tales, offering toddlers a glimpse into enchanted worlds of kindness, bravery, and adventure. When selecting the best princess toy for a toddler, it’s essential to consider toys that inspire imaginative play while being age-appropriate and safe.

The market is adorned with a variety of princess-themed toys that cater to the whimsical fantasies of toddlers while also fostering essential developmental skills.

Drawing from my expertise in toys and child development, I’ve curated a regal collection spotlighting the best princess toys for toddlers. This guide aims to navigate through the enchanted options, leading you to toys that promise to spark imagination, creativity, and endless royal play.

Let’s embark on this whimsical journey together, discovering the perfect princess toy that will transport your toddler to a land of castles, crowns, and heartwarming adventures.

Best Princess Toys For Younger Children

This adorable push-along carriage playset comes with 2 Little People figures styled like Ariel and Flounder to ride around inside. When kids press down on Sebastian, the carriage lights up with fun sounds and the memorable music of “Under the Sea” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

The carriage fits up to 3 Little People figures, which can be purchased separately, and helps strengthen fine motor skills and encourages imaginative storytelling play for toddlers and preschool kids ages 18 months to 5 years old.

The Fisher-Price Disney Princess Toddler Toy Light-Up Sea Carriage Musical Vehicle with Ariel & Flounder Figures for Ages 18+ Months Ariel’s Sea Carriage is a great toy for any young fan of The Little Mermaid. It is well-made and perfectly sized for little hands.

The toy is also interactive, which keeps toddlers entertained with the beautiful colors, sounds, and lights. If you’re looking for a fun and engaging toy for your toddler, this is definitely worth considering.

The Fisher-Price Little People Toddler Toys Disney Princess Gift Set is ideal for children aged 18 months to 5 years who are just starting to develop their imaginative and creative skills and ideal for any gift guide on princesses for younger children. The figures are made of sturdy materials that can withstand rough play and are easy for little hands to hold and play with.

The set is a great value for the price, considering it includes six of the most beloved Disney princesses and their animal friends. The characters are colorful and bright, making them visually appealing to young children. Plus, the set encourages imaginative play, which is essential for a child’s development.

On the downside, the set only includes female characters, which may not be appealing to all children or boys. The details on the figures are not as intricate as some other Disney princess toys on the market, but this is to be expected at this price point. Additionally, the set does not come with any accessories or playsets, which may limit the imaginative play opportunities for some children.

This playset offers plenty of opportunities for imaginative play, with its Disney Princess theme and variety of activities. Your child can practice their royal twirl on the spinning dance floor, play peek-a-boo with mice, and even high-five a frog. Plus, with the easy-grasp handle, your child can take the fun with them wherever they go.

The playset also features two Little People figures featuring Disney Princess characters Ariel and Cinderella, adding to the fun. And with a dining area, two built-in beds, and a pull-out stable to “feed” animal friends, there are plenty of opportunities for storytelling and imaginative play.

While some parents may find the size of the playset to be on the smaller side, it is still packed with fun activities for your child to enjoy. And while the recommended age range of 18+ months may be too young for some children to fully enjoy the playset, it is a great option for toddlers and preschoolers who love Disney Princesses.

This Princess Dress Up Toys & Jewelry Boutique is a fantastic package that offers a lot of value for your money and is the perfect princess gift. Your little girl will love the three different color skirts with sparkling stars that match with the three colorful toddler-sized heel play shoes, three princess tiaras, three necklaces, and three rings.

The elastic waistband princess skirt has a polyester lining and an outer layer of tulle, which is covered by snowflakes, stars, moon patterned glitters. This brings more fashion flair to her play wardrobe.

The exquisite Storage Case design and neatly holds all pairs of dress-up shoes and sparkling jewels set in one safe and tidy place. It is easy to carry and store, allowing girls to dress up beautiful princess games no matter where they are indoor & outdoor & party.

This is a nice addition to your little lady’s wardrobe of princess kingdom. Lots of lovely and colorful skirts and princess accessories for her choice to become any princess she wants, which not only inspire the girl’s imagination and creativity but also build the confidence and fashion aesthetic.

Comprehensive Buying Guide: Best Princess Kids Toys

Best Princess Toys for Toddlers encapsulates enchanting options that ignite imaginative play and development.

• Imaginative Play: The finest princess toys encourage creative storytelling and role-playing, providing toddlers with the tools to craft their own fairy tales and adventures.
• Diverse Representation: Leading toys in this category often include princesses from various cultural backgrounds, promoting inclusivity and global awareness from a young age.
• Quality and Safety: Exceptional princess toys are made with non-toxic, durable materials suitable for toddlers, ensuring a safe and long-lasting play experience.
• Skill Development: Superior princess toys are designed to develop cognitive and fine motor skills, incorporating puzzles, dress-up components, or building elements that challenge and engage young minds.
• Empowerment Message: The best princess toys convey positive themes of empowerment, intelligence, and independence, steering away from traditional damsels in distress narratives.

Educational Value:

• Learning Through Play:
  • Look for princess toys that offer educational benefits, such as color recognition, counting, or basic language skills.
  • Toys that promote role-playing can help in enhancing social skills and emotional understanding.
• Creativity and Imagination:
  • Princess toys that encourage imaginative play are excellent for nurturing creativity.
  • Look for toys with multiple pieces or sets that can be arranged in different ways to promote problem-solving skills.
• Developmental Milestones:
  • Choose toys that are age-appropriate and help in achieving developmental milestones like fine motor skills, coordination, and spatial awareness.

Safety:

• Non-Toxic Materials:
  • Ensure the toy is made from non-toxic, BPA-free materials.
  • Paint and coatings should be non-toxic and not easily chippable.
• Choking Hazards:
  • Avoid toys with small parts that could pose a choking hazard for toddlers.
  • Ensure that all pieces are larger than 1.75 inches in diameter.
• Smooth Edges:
  • Toys should have smooth edges to prevent any cuts or bruises.

Durability and Longevity:

• High-Quality Construction:
  • Look for toys that are well-made and can withstand rough handling typical of toddlers.
  • Durable materials like wood or high-quality plastic are preferable.
• Long-term Play Value:
  • Choose princess toys that can grow with your child and remain engaging as they develop new skills.
  • Multi-functional toys or those with various levels of difficulty can offer long-term play value.
• Ease of Cleaning:
  • Toys that are easy to clean and maintain are more likely to last longer.
  • Look for toys with washable surfaces or covers.

The best princess toys for toddlers not only spark the imagination but also support developmental milestones and offer a diverse and empowering view of princesses. They are a wonderful tool for parents and educators to foster growth in both play and character. If you need assistance with finding such toys or have specific characteristics in mind, feel free to ask for further guidance!

The Benefits of Playing With Princess Toys

While the stereotype might be a princess that is beautiful but in need of rescuing by a handsome prince, thankfully many of today’s princesses have a bit more to them than that. And in fact, there are plenty of princess stories that offer excellent role models to our children.

Doll play is wonderful and children are drawn to it from a young age. It teaches them to use their imaginations, engage in narrative thought, builds empathy and understanding for others and helps develop social skills and vocabulary.

Playing with princess toys can also cover a wide variety of different types of play. Children can dress up as princesses and go off on epic adventures, enjoying creative role play and building their imaginations. They might be a princess having a tea party or playing with her toys.

Princess toys also encourage small world play and can be combined with many other toys. Their princesses might be friends with all the animals in the forest or they might be helping the fire fighters save the day. Small world play is also great for creativity and the imagination. It helps children build their vocabulary and encourages problem solving and narrative thought.

How Playing With Dolls Encourages Empathy

Playing with princesses and other dolls is a much gentler form of play than playing with superheroes and action figures. There tends to be less violence and more empathy when it comes to playing with princess toys and other dolls.

Superheroes are great fun and kids love them but they tend to smash their way through problems with little thought to the aftermath and many children focus solely on the violence rather than on the good they are doing. The bravery and compassion get lost along the way and it becomes all about fighting the supervillain.

In fact studies have shown that children who watch superhero programs are less likely to help classmates who are being bullied and that they are more aggressive. Instead of being shocked by violent behaviour, they are desensitised to it and so less likely to notice and do something about it.

Playing with dolls however helps children to build empathy and become more sensitive as they are imagining what it would be like to be someone else.

Empowering Playing Princess

Princesses today are also far more empowering role models to children than they might have been in the past. And there are plenty of stories and real life examples of princesses being an impressive force for good in the world. A far cry from the image of weak but beautiful women trapped in towers awaiting rescue by the handsome prince.

Today princesses are far more likely to be portrayed as fearless but kind and just as likely to be doing the saving as they are to need saving themselves. They are clever, strong, inventive and intuitive. All great attributes for children to emulate and admire so next time you are considering gifts, consider princess gifts like a princess castle or princess dresses to dress up in.

What are the names of the Princess toys?

There are many different princess toys available on the market, and their names can vary based on the brand, the specific character, or the storyline they are associated with. Some of the most popular princess toys are associated with Disney Princesses. Here are some examples:

1. Disney Princesses:
   • Cinderella
   • Belle (Beauty and the Beast)
   • Ariel (The Little Mermaid)
   • Snow White
   • Rapunzel (Tangled)
   • Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)
   • Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)
   • Jasmine (Aladdin)
   • Mulan
   • Pocahontas
   • Merida (Brave)
   • Moana
2. Barbie Princess Adventure:
   • Princess Barbie
   • Princess Amelia
   • Princess Isla
3. LEGO Disney Princess:
   • Various LEGO sets featuring Disney princesses like Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, and others.
4. Other Princess Toys:
   • There are many other princess characters from different brands or independent toy lines.
5. Fairy Tale Princesses:
   • Some toys are based on classic fairy tale princesses like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, or Snow White but are not associated with Disney.
6. Princesses from Other Cultures or Stories:
   • There are also princess toys from other cultures or stories like Princess Fiona from Shrek or Princess Peach from the Mario video games.

These princess toys come in various forms including dolls, action figures, playsets, costumes, princess themed gifts, Disney princess books, doll carrier, magnetic tiles and even an electric ride on and other merchandise.

When was the first Disney Princess doll made?

The first Disney Princess doll was made in the early 1950s. The character of Snow White from Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) was the first to be transformed into doll form. The Snow White doll was manufactured by the Knickerbocker Toy Company around 1952. The Disney Princess merchandise line, as we know it today, however, didn’t officially launch until 2000. This line brought a unified branding to the various princess characters from Disney’s animated films.