What Are Open-Ended Toys? The Lesson I Learned as a Mum of Two Under Two
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What Are Open-Ended Toys? The Lesson I Learned as a Mum of Two Under Two
15 years in early years education taught me everything about play. Then I became a mum of two under two, and learned a lot of it all over again.
Shop Open-Ended ToysBefore becoming a mum, I spent over 15 years working in early years education.
I understood child development. I knew the importance of play. I could explain schemas, learning through play and why open-ended resources matter.
Then I became a mum.
And if I'm honest, when I had two children under two,
all of that knowledge sometimes went out of the window.First-Time Mum Survival Mode
The Toy-Buying Spiral
Like many parents, I was exhausted.
My daughter Elizabeth was just 15 months old when I was pregnant with Harris, and I found myself constantly looking for ways to keep her entertained while juggling a baby, the house, work and everything else that comes with family life.
So I bought toys. Lots of toys.
Toys that promised learning, entertainment and five minutes to drink a hot cup of tea.
But the problem was they rarely held her attention for long. The novelty wore off quickly and before I knew it, I was buying something else.
Our house became filled with plastic toys and clutter, yet somehow I still felt like I didn't have the right toys.
To make things more confusing, we'd also invested in beautiful wooden toys. They looked lovely in our home and supported imaginative play, but when summer arrived I found myself leaving many of them indoors.
I wanted toys we could easily take into the garden, on holidays, camping trips and days out. Toys that could handle water, mud and real family life.
So once again, I found myself buying more.
More plastic tea sets. More blocks. And I'll admit it, a fair few stainless steel pieces from charity shops too (which, to be fair, are still some of our favourites!).
Either way, we seemed to have doubles of everything and far more toys than we actually needed.
And honestly? Even I started to feel overstimulated.
As for me and Dan, my partner, you wouldn't believe some of the arguments we had about toys. He would often say the children had enough already and that they didn't really play with half of what we were buying.
Looking back, I can see what he meant.
But at the time, I wasn't thinking about toy rotation, open-ended play or whether we already had enough. I was simply trying to get through the day.
The children weren't sleeping particularly well, I was juggling two little ones, and I was exhausted.
When you're in that season of motherhood, sometimes buying another toy feels like the solution.
You hope this one might make life feel a little easier.Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Before long, Elizabeth had started to expect something new whenever we went shopping, and our home was overflowing with toys that often held her attention for only a few minutes.
The Turning Point
Rediscovering Open-Ended Play
As my children got older and the fog of those early years started to lift, I found myself returning to the principles I'd always known were important.
Children don't necessarily need more toys.
They need better opportunities to play.It was around this time that I rediscovered the power of open-ended play.
The Basics
What Are Open-Ended Toys?
Open-ended toys are toys that can be used in many different ways. There isn't a right or wrong way to play with them.
Instead of telling a child exactly what to do, they allow children to use their imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills.
One day a set of pebbles becomes stepping stones across a river. The next day they become treasure, ingredients for a pretend café, or food for dinosaurs.
The toy stays the same, but the play evolves, which is why children often return to open-ended toys again and again.
Why It Works
Why Open-Ended Play Matters
Open-ended play encourages creativity and imagination, problem-solving skills, language development, independent thinking, confidence, focus and concentration.
Most importantly, it grows with your child.
Around 12 Months
A simple toy used for stacking, sorting and exploring textures with little hands.
2–3 Years
The same toy becomes part of a castle, a farm, a road system or a small world setup.
And Beyond
Children lead the play, so the learning opportunities continue to grow too.
The Lesson
Less Really Can Be More
One of the biggest lessons motherhood taught me was that more toys doesn't always mean better play.
Often, it's the opposite.
When children have fewer toys available, they often engage more deeply with what they have. Rather than moving quickly from one toy to another, they begin creating, experimenting and extending their play.
I've seen it with my own children countless times. A simple set of bricks and pebbles can become a castle, a road, a small world setup, a shop, a fairy garden or a construction site.
No batteries required. No flashing lights.
Just imagination.Open-Ended Toys For Real Family Life
Toys That Work In Real Life
As a busy mum, I also wanted toys that fitted into family life. Toys that could be taken outside. Toys that could travel in a suitcase. Toys that could be wiped clean after muddy adventures, snack time or water play.
It's a big part of why silicone became such a regular feature in our house. It combines everything I valued as an early years practitioner with everything I needed as a parent.
Durable, easy to clean, versatile and designed to be played with in countless different ways.
Whether we're camping, heading to the beach, eating out or simply playing in the garden, I wanted toys that worked in real life and didn't create more work for me afterwards.
Shop The Favourites
Our Favourite Open-Ended Toys
These are the toys that have stayed in our home long after many others have come and gone.
Building Bricks
Perfect for construction play, imaginative storytelling and creating everything from castles to car parks. They encourage problem-solving and creativity while growing with your child.
View Building BricksStacking Pebbles
One of the most versatile resources we own. They can be stacked, balanced, sorted, counted and used in endless small world play setups.
View Stacking PebblesStacking Cups
Brilliant from babyhood through to toddlerhood. They're perfect for water play, bath time, stacking, posting, filling and pouring.
View Stacking CupsShape Sorters
A wonderful way to support problem-solving and fine motor development while still allowing children to explore and play independently.
View Shape SorterTea Sets
Role play is one of the most powerful forms of open-ended play. Tea parties become cafés, picnics, restaurants and imaginative adventures.
View Tea SetSmall World Resources
From dinosaurs to farm animals, small world play encourages storytelling, language development and creative thinking.
View Small World Range
Final Thoughts
It's Not About Having The Most Toys
Open-ended play isn't about having the most toys.
It's about choosing toys that leave room for imagination.
As a mum, I spent years searching for the next toy that would finally solve everything.
What I eventually realised was that my children didn't need more toys.
They simply needed toys that allowed them to do more with their own ideas.And often, those are the toys that end up being loved the longest.
Start Simple
Simplify Your Toy Collection
If you're looking to simplify your toy collection, start with a few versatile resources that can grow with your child. You might be surprised how much more play, creativity and imagination comes from having less.
Because sometimes the simplest toys create the biggest adventures.
Shop Our Open-Ended Toy Range