A toy fishing pole is an absolutely wonderful gift for any child — even if they have no interest in fishing. Not only are these fishing toys fun but they also provide kids an opportunity to develop their eye-hand coordination as well as their motor skills. I know that kids don’t care about that but as a parent you should.
A quality toy will not only provide your child enjoyment but also an opportunity to interact with the world around him or her in a meaningful way while strengthening their body and mind at the same time. A toy fishing pole engages the imagination of any child while developing their motor skills and exercising their curiosity.
Best Toy Fishing Pole
I’ve gathered a list of the best toy fishing poles that I could find, but I will admit, a few stand out from the crowd. All of these toy fishing rods are good but they all have their own unique sense of style and focus. I’m confident that whatever your looking for in a toy fishing pole for your child, or a gift, you’ll find it in this article.
If you’re interested in browsing the full list of toy fishing poles then you can do so via this like: Toy Fishing Rods. Just so you know, I spent many hours browsing and researching so you don’t have to.
Over the past several months I’ve been spending a lot of time finding and writing about cool and fun outdoor toys for kids because I personally feel that kids today are far too sedentary due to TV, video games and other screen-based technology. I’m adamant about the fact that children need to be far more active and it’s the responsibility of parents to encourage more active behavior and providing an environment for them to do so. I feel that providing your child with quality toys is one way you can encourage and inspire them to move while they play.
I created Outdoor Kids with the sole intention of showing toy ideas that inspire kids to go outside and play. All kids begin their life with an insatiable curiosity about the world around them but societies obsession with electronic screens seems to be dulling and numbing those original instincts. Some of the toys we’ve covered are:
- Toy Chainsaws
- Radio Flyer Wagons
- Peg Perego Ride On Tractors
- Black and Decker Junior Power Tool Workshop
- Toy Weed Eaters
Now, let’s look at our list of wonderful toy fishing poles that I truly believe children will have a lot of fun with. There’s a toy fishing pole here for even the most finicky child.
Learning Resources | Pretend & Play Fishing Set
If you’re a parent and you’ve never heard of Learning Resources then I’ll be happy to introduce you to the organization. They’re a top manufacturer of educational toys for parents and teachers. They sell 1100+ products that have been developed by top educators. Honestly, their range of toys is staggering. I highly recommend you browse their website to see what they offer.
View their product line-up on Amazon. I love their toys because they’re focused on education and learning. Far too many toys are mindless these days so it’s refreshing to see your kids playing with toys where they’re having fun and learning. What more could you ask for.
The Learning Resources Pretend & Play Fishing Set is my top pick for one reason — because it provides a full fishing experience for kids. It’s not the best fishing pole out of the bunch but I like that it includes such a wide range of toys that feed into the fun of going fishing. Not only does it come with a toy fishing pole but it also includes: tackle box, net, vest, activity booklet, 3 magnetic fish and 3 worms. Add it all up and it’s a great value.
Maybe I should have named it the “best value” of the toy fishing rods on my list because that’s probably more accurate. As a parent you’ll love that everything fits in the tackle box for easy storage. If you’re lucky your child might even tidy up after herself — if you’re lucky.
Overall, a well-made toy that will provide many hours of enjoyment for any child. This is a highly rated product on Amazon with a rating of 4.6 (out of 5) with more than 250 reviews. The Learning Resources Pretend & Play Fishing Set is best suited for younger kids as its rating is PreK+.
Some of the other toy fishing poles on my list are better geared for slightly older kids. I’ll point them out as we go.
Buy from Amazon: Learning Resources Pretend & Play Fishing Set
Features:
- Tackle box size: 13”L x 7”W x 6”H
- Fish have embedded magnets for increased safety.
- Complete toy fishing kit to provide kids the ultimate fishing experience.
- Comes with a guidebook with 6 pages of fishing themed activities.
- Magnetic fishing toy.
- Suitable for grades: PreK +
Includes:
- Tackle box
- Fishing pole with magnetic hook.
- 3 Magnetic fish (small, medium, large)
- 3 Worms (small, medium, large)
- Net
- Adjustable vest (plastic, nylon and canvas)
- 6-Page write & wipe activity booklet.
Tolo Toys | Funtime Fishing | Toy Fishing Pole
Tolo Toys Funtime Fishing was designed to make bath time fun for children. Bright, bold and colorful. Kids will have a good time catching fish by lowering the happy magnetic worm into the water. One of the great features of this bath toy is the fact that the fish blow bubbles when they’re underwater. It’s a nice touch that creates a sense of realism for your child.
As a parent this particular toy fishing pole will turn your bathtub into an interactive experience. I know that I would’ve loved this when I was a kid. Sadly, I don’t recall having any bathtub toys to play with. Maybe I did, I just can’t remember that far back.
If you have more than one child you can teach them how to take turns. Maybe you could have a fun mini fishing competition. The one with the most fish caught in a certain amount of time is the winner.
This is an attractive toy for younger kids. Excellent to help improve a child’s motor skills, and eye-hand coordination, and also a great opportunity to introduce words such as “float”, “bubbles”, “catch”, “underwater.”
Buy from Amazon: Tolo Toys Funtime Fishing
Features:
- Perfect for bath time.
- Watch the fish and fish blow bubbles when they’re underwater.
- Includes a magnetic worm to catch the fish.
- Includes 3 vibrant and beautiful fish.
- Great toy to help your child improve their eye-hand coordination.
- Recommended ages: 3+
ERTL John Deere | Electronic Toy Fishing Pole
The ERTL John Deere Electronic Fishing Pole is a very well-constructed toy. It has a telescoping toy fishing pole that makes 5 distinct sounds, including splashing and bubbling sounds. These sounds will really help immerse kids in the experience of pretending to fish.
It has a magnetic hook that triggers the fishing rod to emit “D-E-E-R-E” whenever a fish is caught. Unlike the Tolo Toys Funtime Fishing, this ERTL magnetic fishing toy is not designed to go in water. It’s not a bath toy. It’s designed to be played on the floor. Just keep that in mind when choosing the best toy fishing pole for your own needs.
Having said that, this is a very durable toy fishing pole that can be used indoors or outdoors. Let’s face it, your kids will knock this toy around so I consider durability to be an important factor. ERTL makes a lot of great toys for kids that I’ve written about in other articles: ERTL John Deere Toy Combine.
I love this particular toy fishing rod because it looks like the real thing, but in miniature, and it creates a unique experience by adding a variety of sounds to the experience. Another fun toy that will aid in developing your child’s motor skills.
The fishing pole extends from 12 to 24 inches.
Buy from Amazon: ERTL John Deere Electronic Fishing Pole
Features:
- Magnets in fish attach to safe fishing hook
- 12″ fishing rod extends up to 24-inches.
- Makes realistic water sounds, including splashing and bubbling.
- 90 day limited warranty.
- Includes 2 AA batteries.
- Perfect for kids 4 years and up. Small parts.
- Size: 12.3 x 8.0 x 5.2 inches.
- For ages: 4+
- Note: The pole is not fully extended in the package.
Small World Toys | Catch of the Day **Discontinued
Kids will enjoy pretending to go bass fishing with the Small World Toys Catch of the Day. What makes this toy fishing pole unique is that the fish has a battery inside that allows it fight when the magnetic lure hooks its mouth. What a great experience for children. The fins, tail and mouth all move in an orchestrated manner to create a realistic bass toy fish.
A fantastic fishing toy for kids 3 years and older. This toy fishing pole was designed to be used in either a bathtub or swimming pole as the fish will start swimming around as soon as you place it in water. The fish has a variety of swimming patterns programmed into it so kids will never be bored with it.
This is an excellent toy, but if you’re not convinced just read the comments on Amazon and you’ll see how satisfied customers are. With over 170 reviews it’s rated at 4.4 (out of 5).
Best suited for slightly older kids as it will require a reasonable degree of eye-hand coordination to catch the fish, and even if they don’t, they will have a lot of fun trying to.
Features:
- For ages 3 and up
- Fish size: 9 x 4.5 x 2 inches.
- Realistically mimics the thrill of catching a fish.
- Includes: toy fishing pole, reel, 2 lures & a battery-powered fish.
- Requires 2-AA batteries (not included).
- The fish fins, tail, and mouth move and when caught, it puts up a fight.
Melissa & Doug – Fishing Magnetic Puzzle Game
Melissa & Doug is hugely popular contemporary toy company that specializes in toys for kids. Founded in 1988 by Melissa and Doug Bernstein. They’re an American company headquartered in Wilton, Connecticut.
The Melissa & Doug Fishing Magnetic Puzzle Game is different from the other toys on this list as it’s played by using the magnetic “wand” to catch the colorful puzzle pieces that happen to be underwater sea creatures. I love the style of the illustrations for this toy game. I think kids will also fall in love with them and hopefully inspire their imagination while they play.
Designed for kids 3+ this is the most popular toy (as far as ratings go) on my list. With over 450 reviews it has a 4.6 (out of 5) rating. That’s an exceptional level of customer satisfaction and speaks a lot to the quality and craftsmanship of the product — something that Melissa & Doug is known for. Browse the full line-up of Melissa & Doug toys.
If this article was focused on puzzle games I’d rate this as my top pick but since the focus of this article is for toy fishing poles I can’t, but it would be silly for me not to include it as it has a similar mechanism — and it’s a lot of fun. Similar to the other toys though, it will also help develop your child’s hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
Another wonderful thing about this toy is that it’s a quiet game. No loud noises. No water to have to deal with. Your child can play this anywhere without creating a lot of noise.
If you find the underwater themed game exciting then you’ll definitely be interested in their Magnetic Bug Catching Game or the Magnetic Towing Game. They are all identical in how they are played. The only difference is the subject matter and the art.
Buy from Amazon: Melissa & Doug Fishing Magnetic Puzzle Game
Features:
- Magnet-based toy fishing game with colorful art.
- Use the magnetic fishing pole to capture the sea creatures from the board.
- Excellent for your child to increase eye-hand coordination and motor skills.
- 10 beautifully drawn sea creatures to capture.
- Recommended for Ages: 3+
Munchkin – Gone Fishin’ | Bath Toy Fishing Pole
The Munchkin Gone Fishin’ Bath Toy was designed to make bathing fun. It comes with two fish that both float and squirt water when you squeeze them; making them great bathtub companions and posing as double-duty bath toys.
The magnetic fishing pole was created to comfortably fit your toddlers hands. This is clearly a toy for younger kids and built with safety in mind as the magnets are securely placed inside of the fish so there’s no chance of your child removing them.
The biggest complaint with this toy is that the magnet isn’t quite as strong as it should be so it may be a little more challenging for your child to catch the fish properly. You can read the customer reviews on Amazon to find out more about the details of this product.
Buy from Amazon: Munchkin Gone Fishin’ Bath Toy
Features:
- Comes with: hook, reel, and two squirting fish that also squirt water.
- Great tool to develop your child’s hand-eye coordination.
- When you turn the reel it makes a clicking sound.
- Recommended ages: 2+ Years
Many customers complain that the fish is too heavy for the magnet, so be aware of this if you decide to purchase this toy fishing pole.
Fisher Price – Grow With Me Fishin’ Fun / *Discontinued
The Fisher Price Grow With Me Fishin’ Fun toy is, well, a very long name for a toy, and secondly, a great looking toy but not the best on the list. Although, it has a unique design feature in that it allows younger kids to catch the fish with a bobber, which has a velcro strip that attaches when your child touches the fishes mouth.
And for older kids, they can use the hook and use a little more skill to catch the fish. I think Fisher Price has create a nice solution that enables a child to grow with the toy, rather than outgrow the toy.
The reel on this toy fishing pole actually raises and lowers the hook to mimic how a real fishing rod operates.
This is not a particularly popular toy for kids. In fact, the few customers who bought it complain that the fishing line is too short and the fish can also be difficult to catch. Also, it’s not made for using in water.
I can’t recommend this toy when there are much better toy fishing poles on my list, but it is a cool looking toy, for whatever that’s worth.
Features:
- Grow-with-me feature allows young kids to catch fish with “grip” bobber & older kids can use the hook instead.
- Raise and lower the hook with the fishing reel.
- Comes with: Toy fishing pole (with reel), bobber, hook and fish.
- Helps improve motor skills and eye-hand coordination.
- Size: 14.2 x 3.5 x 11 inches.
Which Toy Fishing Pole is right for you?
As you can see, there are many toy fishing rods and puzzle games available on the market. I took my time and did the research so you don’t have to. These fishing toys are all unique in their own way and they all have two things in common. First, they’re all fun (although some are more enjoyable than others) but I’ll get into that in a moment. Second, they are excellent tools to further develop your child’s hand-eye coordination, motor skills and concentration.
My top pick is the Learning Resources Pretend & Play Fishing Set because it offers so much value and provides a complete package to simulate the fishing experience for kids. But I also highly recommend the following toys for other reasons.
- Tolo Toys Funtime Fishing: Great bath time toy for younger kids.
- ERTL John Deere Electronic Fishing Pole: Sophisticated & durable. Recommended for older children.
- Melissa & Doug Fishing Magnetic Puzzle Game: Pure & simple fun for younger kids.
The two toy fishing poles that I can’t recommend are the Munchkin Gone Fishin’ Bath Toy and the Fisher Price Grow With Me Fishin’ Fun because they have design flaws that take away from the joy of pretend fishing.
