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Don't cheap out and buy MEGA Bloks. Kids know they are crap. LEGO Duplo are way better. Duplo also are compatible with standard LEGO blocks as they get older. I will add: - Tegu blocks - sand/dirt toys. Doesn't need to be more than a bucket and a shovel. Little ones love digging in the dirt. - bath toys that demonstrate buoyancy and propulsion. Wind-able toys are better than battery. Simple is better. There is a lot…
I dunno about their take on older kids, but for the young ones I think the Montessori method has exactly the right idea: focus on leveling them up on basic stuff like taking things out and putting them away, and on building intuition for how their bodies and how objects in the world move. Pouring water, building with blocks, that kind of thing. Cleaning stuff (they're terrible at, naturally, and can't be trusted with…
Toy for her age are way too basic. Those are very focused on safety, but due to that there is a giant lack of gameplay value. Duplo so far and a "car track" kind of toy have been the best, with lot of books.
Problem with books is that she requires us to read them. Lego animals have been useful,she take them out of a big lego house we built and call them by names. She learned quite a few words this way!
She likes boxes, plastic bottles, zip bags and such, but she understands the tricks fast and gets bored. Hard!
Obviously playing with mom and dad it's still the best thing