Some call her a godsend, some call her a co-parent, others just call her Ms. Rachel.
If you have a little one, you’re probably familiar with the brunette woman in her signature pink headband, pink T-shirt, and jean overalls, and you likely hear “Hi friends!” in that angelic voice several times a day.
Ms. Rachel, the teacher-turned-YouTuber who specializes in toddler learning, has become popular among parents who want their children to enjoy a little educational screen time. Ms. Rachel, or Rachel Griffin Accurso, has two master’s degrees in education and teaches toddlers and preschoolers through her engaging YouTube videos.
Ms. Rachel often uses music to teach young viewers about animals, colors, numbers, shapes, letters, and more. She focuses on speech practice, first words, and taking it one step at a time! And in most of her videos, Ms. Rachel utilizes toys during her lessons.
Whether it’s challenging kids to use their words to find out “what’s in the box,” or discovering which animals are hiding inside a peek-a-boo toy, Ms. Rachel carefully selects toys that allow her to reinforce her lessons that help enhance kids’ fine motor development, gross motor skills, and more. She uses the toys to provide visual explanations for different concepts like counting or spelling, recognizing patterns and sorting items, identifying different emotions, and more. Toys from Learning Resources, Fisher-Price, Melissa & Doug, Lakeshore Learning, and more appear on her channel.
And while we are all still anxiously awaiting Ms. Rachel to debut a toy line of her very own, in the meantime, we’ve rounded up 35 toys that Ms. Rachel herself has featured in her epic YouTube videos. We’ve vetted each item ourselves to ensure it’s made by a Toy Insider-approved manufacturer, so you can rely on the quality and safety of each product. Enjoy, friends!
ANIMAL RESCUE WOODEN PLAY SET
Kids can rescue the animals as they go on a safari adventure! The playset features a slide-up cargo door, seven wooden animals, and two wooden rescue rangers. The alligator, elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, lion, rhinoceros, and zebra fit into the truck's sides through their respective slots. Kids can use this wooden play set to improve their…
Buy Now
SWEET MANNERS TEA SET
This interactive toy tea set includes a teapot that lights up as toddlers pour the spout, two cups, a sugar bowl, one tray, one spoon and five different treats. Kids can match the treats with the same shape on the tray and host pretend tea parties! Tea party participants will learn about colors, sharing, shapes,…
Buy Now
POP-UP PALS
This hands-on, screen-free pop-up toy features four animals for babies and toddlers. Kids will push, turn, press, or slide the four colorful buttons to reveal a dog, lion, elephant, or bear. The cause-and-effect toy encourages animal, shape, and color recognition.
Buy Now
POUND-A-PEG CLASSIC TOY
The toy features two red, yellow, green, and blue pegs, creating a fun, classic pounding activity for babies and toddlers. Kids can develop their color recognition and hand-eye coordination skills while hitting the pegs with the hammer.
Buy Now
FISHER-PRICE BABY’S FIRST BLOCKS
Kids can sort, stack, and place 10 different blocks into the shaped holes. The blocks fit inside the bucket for storage and introduce kids to colors, shapes, and sorting. The blocks come in several colors and shapes like stars, triangles, and squares.
Buy Now
LEARNING RESOURCES HIDE-N-GO MOO
Enhance sensory awareness by reaching into the barn to identify animals by touch! Kids can match four mama animals with their babies and make connections between color and size. The barn stores the two cows, two pigs, two ducks, and two horses.
Buy Now
LITTLE PEOPLE SIT WITH ME SCHOOL BUS
The bus comes with two Little People figures, so kids can sit the figures inside the bus and take them out! The school bus rolls on four wheels and features a friendly face. Kids can also press the large red button for sounds, lights, songs, and phrases about traveling.
Buy Now
SPIKE THE FINE MOTOR HEDGEHOG
Kids can learn colors, numbers, and strengthen their fine motor skills with a cute hedgehog friend! The numbered holes will teach kids how to count and sort while the quills help them learn how to grip and place. The quills can be easily stored inside Spike.
Buy Now
FISHER-PRICE LAUGH & LEARN SMART STAGES PIGGY BANK
This interactive toy piggy bank comes with more than 40 songs, sounds, and learning phrases. There are two Smart Stages levels that teach numbers and counting, colors, and Spanish words. The piggy bank also comes with 10 colorful coins with numbers or animals on each side and helps strengthen fine motor skills and introduce cause…
Buy Now
MEGA BLOKS FIRST BUILDERS
This bag of 80 big building blocks is the perfect toy for little ones who are just learning how to build with their own two hands. Kids can stimulate their imagination and learning skills, while encouraging discovery, fine motor skills, and open-ended play. Plus, the bag provides practical storage for all of the pieces in…
Buy Now
FARMER’S MARKET COLOR SORTING SET
This color sorting set includes five baskets, 25 pieces of play food, an activity guide, and stickers for labeling. Kids can work on color recognition, counting, and sorting skills as they put the play food in the appropriate basket! Kids can also add to their vocabulary by naming the food as they sort. Plastic food…
Buy Now
FINE MOTOR FOREST FRIENDS
This playset includes a tree and seven friends made of soft plastic that's perfect for little hands. Tots can work on developing fine motor skills as they pop each squeezably cute critter in and out of the cozy tree.
Buy Now
ALPHABET ACORNS ACTIVITY SET
This set puts a unique twist on typical matching games. Kids will learn letters and the alphabet as they put the acorns together by matching upper- and lowercase letters. In addition to learning their ABCs, kids can also work on their color recognition skills or even practice making simple words out of the acorns' letters.…
Buy Now
BIG FEELINGS PINEAPPLE DELUXE SET
The deluxe version of the Big Feelings Pineapple comes with 41 interchangeable pieces, including mouths, eyes, eyebrows, and hands. Kids can switch the pineapple’s expressions as they build preschool-level social-emotional learning skills.
Buy Now
CURIOUS GEORGE JACK IN THE BOX
Kids can turn the handle and listen to "Pop Goes the Weasel" until a soft, Curious George plush pops up! The metal bin also features illustrations of Curious George.
Buy Now
CARE FOR ME LEARNING CARRIER
This interactive pet carrier features an activity panel packed with learning fun. Press the light-up buttons to learn about colors, letters, shapes, pet care, and more. The carrier also includes a puppy and accessories so toddlers can groom, feed, and play.
Buy Now
BANANA BLAST
Banana Blast will drive you bananas in the best way possible! Players will roll the die to see how many bananas they'll pick from the tree top. One of the bananas will cause Banana Joe to soar into the air! The first one to catch the jumping monkey gets a bonus, and the player with…
Buy Now
SORTING SURPRISE PIRATE TREASURE
Kids can use the keys to unlock pirate chests with the matching symbol, connect the number on the chest with the number of coins inside, and sort the pirate treasures! The set comes with five pirate chests and keys, several coins, and colorful toys in each chest.
Buy Now
RAINBOW SORTING CRAYONS
Kids can refine their sorting skills, color recognition, and learn new vocabulary words with eight large, colorful crayons! Each crayon comes with six smaller toys of the same color and doubles as storage.
Buy Now
POP-UP PIRATE
Players can take turns sliding colorful swords into the barrel to see who will launch Pete! Players don't know which sword slot will send Pete flying, and it changes each time you play!
Buy Now
SMART SNACKS COUNTING COOKIES
Kids can learn how to count to 10 with chocolate chip cookies! Each cookie, sized for a kid's hand, has a certain number of raised chocolate chips with the corresponding number printed on the bottom. There are 11 plastic cookies, ranging from 0-10 chocolate chips, that can be easily stored in the cookie jar.
Buy Now
FIVE LITTLE MONKEYS FINGER PUPPETS
These five little monkeys are jumping into the world of finger puppets. Kids can hear the story of the jumping monkeys while playing with these 5-inch tall puppets, which are safe for all ages. The monkeys come in colorful pajamas and bright smiles perfect for storytimes and playtime.
Buy Now
POP IT PRO
This electronic Pop It game features LED lights in the bubbles. Players can race to pop the light-up bubbles as fast as they can.
Buy Now
HIDE AND SEEK LEARNING TREEHOUSE
Toddlers can develop fine motor skills and number association through various activities within the treehouse. Place the five apples in the treehouse according to their color and the number of icons featured, play hide and seek with the animals hidden behind the doors, and find the hidden holes connected to the apple chute!
Buy Now
LA NEWBORN DELUXE DOLL BATH TIME SET
Toddlers can learn how to help take care of a baby or younger sibling with this adorable playset! This baby doll set comes with everything kids need to give it a bath, including a tub, a rubber duck, a clean diaper, a pacifier, and more.
Buy Now
PET VET
Learn about colors, animals, and refine hand-eye coordination while caring for others! The Pet Vet kit comes with keys to unlock the assigned doors, four doctor tools, and two small plush animals.
Buy Now
TOOMIES HIDE & SQUEAK EGGS
When kids crack open these eggs, they'll reveal colorful chicks inside! These chicks peep when kids press on their heads and can be matched by color!
Buy Now
LEAPFROG YUM-2-3 TOASTER
Start the morning with a smile with the Yum-2-3 Toaster! Make friends with this sunny little toaster as kids pretend to make breakfast. Put the bread in the toaster and learn about opposites as kids choose their toast setting. Ready to count? Press the one, two, three food buttons to learn about numbers, colors, food…
Buy Now
DIY FELT CHRISTMAS TREE
Kids can decorate their own Christmas tree this holiday season! The felt Christmas tree comes with 18 felt, velcro ornaments for kids to stick on and pull off as they decorate. Kids can refine their fine motor skills and color recognition while handling the vibrant holiday ornaments. The tree also folds for easy storage.
Buy Now
WHAT’S INSIDE? SOFT FEELY BOX
Kids can stick their hand into the soft, machine-washable box to discover what's inside! There are 10 different sensory objects for kids to feel, recognize, and learn about. The box includes a small car, lion, airplane, ladybug, frog, and more.
Buy Now
MELISSA & DOUG FARM ANIMAL WOODEN TRAIN SET
This train set includes an 8-piece wooden railway, two animal-carrier cars, a wooden cow, a wooden horse, and wooden train engine. Kids can different recognize animals and learn how to move an item on wheels back-and-forth. The set is also compatible with other wooden train sets.
Buy Now
CODIE THE CODER PLUSH DOLL
This 16-inch plush doll has more than 75 phrases, songs, and sound effects relating to coding and coding tricks! The doll comes with a doll-sized backpack and wears a tutu and headphones. The packaging includes a small mirrors so kids can see themselves as coders and also introduces kids to STEM subjects like coding.
Buy Now
EXAMINE & TREAT PET VET PLAY SET
Give young animal lovers everything they need to examine and treat pretend pets! The 24-piece collection for aspiring veterinarians includes two plush pets (a dog and a cat), a stethoscope, thermometer, syringe, ear scope, tweezers, and clamp. Featuring bottles, tubes, and tubs of pretend treatments and ointments, bandages and a cast for boo-boos, and even…
Buy Now
KID O GO CAR EARLY LEARNING PUSH & PULL
Kids can learn how to push, pull, and roll objects with this small blue car. It easily fits in small hands and has headlights for extra fun.
Buy Now
FISHER-PRICE ROCK-A-STACK
There are five colorful rings to stack, grasp, and shake with this stacking toy! The base rolls for immersive play and the top ring has a shiny surface with rattle beads inside. Kids can move the rings around on the floor, roll them to parents, or stack them on the plastic pole.
