Disney’s New Preschool Toy Lineup Includes Some Fan Favorites

In an Instagram world full of wooden blocks and rainbow scarves, it’s hard to find toys that look like the ones we had growing up. I am a nostalgic packrat who kept boxes and boxes of my own childhood toys, and seeing my kids play with my Flintstones characters from the ‘90s movie and all of my Lion King friends makes me super emotional. There’s just something about your favorite characters and movies coming to life in your hands, and Disney’s new preschool toy drop seriously honors that. With so much chatter about less #screentime and more neutral toys for “better imaginative play,” it’s easy for parents to stress about what their kids are playing and what they’re playing with — but play is play. And the new Disney preschool toy collection proves it.

Disney Consumer Products worked with the University of Southern California (USC), who compiled a research summary to find the benefits of play among children with specific categories of toys, including interactive toys that light up and make sounds and plush items. Citing that interactive toys can help children with developmental skills like clapping, dancing, and social bonds, the research feels like a great thing to reference when someone suggests you buy more “neutral” toys for your kids. If your kids like a singing Ariel doll, why not let them enjoy it and all the imaginative benefits that come along with that toy?

The research summary also found that toy cars and vehicles help to promote a sense of danger for kids as they can make the cars “crash” into each other. Plush toys can help create continuity for kids as they play with them and are comforted by them throughout the day while interacting with caregivers and also at night when caregivers are not around.

The bottom line: Toys are toys. And the new preschool Disney toy lineup gives your kids the chance to play with some of their favorite characters from their favorite Disney Junior shows, like Bluey, Spidey and his Amazing Friends, Disney Junior’s Ariel, and SuperKitties. The items below are available for purchase now, with more to come through the fall and winter.

Some of the new Disney preschool toys are also available for pre-order now, including these below.

One of the best things about Disney Consumer Products is that you can find them in a wide variety of retailers, so just be sure to keep an eye out for new preschool toy products as they pop up. New movies and collections will bring out all kinds of fun products, and this preschool line-up is such a fun way to bridge the gap between Disney’s baby toys and the big kid lines. Remember: Play is play. But finding appropriate toys for your kid’s age really makes that playtime shine.