Turn-Taking Toys and Games for Toddlers

The short answer: taking turns is the rhythm of conversation. Your child does something, you answer, and they go again. Turn-taking games build that rhythm long before children can share or follow game rules. The best toys for it are simple ones two people can use: balls, drums, stacking toys, rockets and building sets.

Why turn-taking matters

Harvard's Center on the Developing Child calls the back-and-forth between a child and a caring adult "serve and return", and says these exchanges help shape the developing brain. One of its five steps for parents is simply "Take turns...and wait." Its reason: "Taking turns helps children learn self-control and how to get along with others."

Conversation turns seem to matter for language too. In a 2018 study of 4- to 6-year-olds, children who had more back-and-forth turns with adults at home showed more activity in a language area of the brain. That held even after accounting for how many words they simply heard.

What to expect by age

• In the first year, the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that babies learn turn-taking through smiles and back-and-forth sounds, "the earliest example of social play."
• By 3 years, the CDC lists talking with you in a conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges.
• By 5 years, the CDC lists "follows rules or takes turns when playing games with other children."

So turn-taking with a grown-up comes years before turn-taking with friends. Expect toddlers to need lots of help waiting.

Turn-taking games to play

• Peekaboo and copy-me. Harvard says building a child's brain "can be as simple as playing a game of peek-a-boo." Clap, then wait for your child to clap back.
• Roll the ball. Sit facing each other and roll it back and forth. Say "my turn," "your turn" every time.
• Drum talk. You tap twice, your child taps back. Then let your child lead.
• Tower turns. Take turns adding one block or tile. Knocking it down together is the prize.
• Stomp and wait. Each person stomps the rocket once, then fetches it.

Tips that make waiting easier

• Keep turns short. Toddlers can wait for seconds, not minutes.
• Say whose turn it is. "My turn... your turn!" Pointing helps too.
• Use a timer for longer turns. Zero to Three suggests a timer as a "rule-keeper and visual aid" when sharing a favorite toy.
• Name the waiting feeling. "It's hard to wait. Your turn is next."
• Let your child win the turn sometimes. Going twice in a row is a treat.

Toys we like for turn-taking

• Drum Set (Orange): "my turn, your turn" with sound. We started it with our son at 2. Listed for ages 2–4.
• Stomp Rocket Jr. Glow Launcher (4 Rockets): one stomp each, then a race to fetch the rocket. Listed for ages 3–5.
• Magnetic Building Tiles (100 Pieces): add a tile each and build one tower together. Our notes list social skills. The brand designs its sets for ages 3 and up.
• Kids Karaoke Microphone with Bluetooth: take turns singing a line. For our son, it "gave him a fun reason to vocalize." Listed for ages 3–5.
• Balance & Groove Balance Beam Set: one person walks the beam while the other cheers, then swap. Listed for ages 3–5.

More ideas: our social-emotional toys, our speech and language toys and do talking toys help speech?

Common Questions

At what age do toddlers learn to take turns?

Turn-taking with a caring adult starts in babyhood, with back-and-forth smiles and sounds. By 3, the CDC lists back-and-forth conversation, and by 5, taking turns in games with other children. Toddlers can practice with you long before they manage it with friends.

What toys help toddlers take turns?

Simple toys two people can use: balls, drums, stacking blocks or tiles, stomp rockets, and simple games. Keep turns short, say whose turn it is, and use a timer for favorite toys.

How does turn-taking help speech?

Conversation is turn-taking with words. Harvard's Center on the Developing Child describes back-and-forth "serve and return" exchanges as key to brain development, and research links more conversational turns with stronger language skills.

Why is it so hard for my toddler to wait for a turn?

Waiting takes self-control that is still developing in toddlers. Short turns, clear "my turn, your turn" words, naming the hard feeling, and lots of practice with a patient adult make it easier over time.