Toys for Toddlers 18-24 Months Old - My Favorites List
I've seen these toys be tried and true in helping toddlers play, learn and have fun all at the same time
It's mind-boggling how many toddler toys there are on the market. I know it can get overwhelming looking through a toy aisle trying to pick out a great gift for your grandchild, niece, nephew...or even for your own child. There's a lot of cute stuff out there, but if you're like me, you want to focus the purchasing power of your hard-earned dollars on toys your child will actually play with and that won't break after a few weeks.
I love playing with toddlers. Volunteering in my church's childcare program is quite fun for me, and the bonus is that over the years I've seen both through the children in my classes and through my daughter, her cousins and their friends, some great examples of toys that are worth the money and get a lot of use.
To give you some ideas, I want to share my very favorite toys in some general categories of playthings recommended for toddlers 18-24 months (1 1/2 to 2 years) old. These toys consistently get high ranks with parents and children, including my own family and circle of friends, as well as in Amazon reviews.
Here's what gets a toy on my 'favorite things' list:
- Holds child's interest...engages them and invites them to interact
- Fun/Enjoyable
- Durable/Quality Construction
- Age and Developmentally Appropriate
Have fun!
--photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/melalouise/191251537/
How an 18-24 Month Old is Developing and Playing
Knowing where your child is in his or her development, as well what his/her interests are can help you choose the best toys for how they are developing and growing.
I've heard toddlerhood called 'the first adolescence,' in one sense because both stages are about being excited about independence and pushing to see where the limits are. Your 18-24 month old may push you away to try something on his own, only to turn to you for help moments later.
As a result, this age is full of experimentation. She wants to figure out what she can do, so her little hands are all over anything that can be manipulated - knobs, switches, doors, dials and the like. Spinning wheels and bouncing balls can provide great entertainment. Finding a variety of toys that have these appealing factors for your little problem solver to focus on will keep her exploring and testing her abilities in more appropriate places than door locks or DVD player knobs.
You'll see your toddler start imitating what he sees grownups do like holding a phone to their ear or 'driving' with a toy car's steering wheel, and he'll get a big kick out of you taking a 'bite' out of a piece of toy food he offers. On the other hand, the vast majority of children nearing 2 years old aren't able to play cooperatively with other kids their own age yet. Going-on-two year-olds do really well with unstructured play, so give them toys and let them have at it.
In this photo, my daughter's having fun with a musical activity table we got from a toy exchange. Read further down to learn about more great musical toys for 18-24 month olds.
--photo credit: BunnyFabulous - my daughter BunnyJunior enjoying her activity table. It's an older Chicco model that she happened to love, but I don't think it's available any more. Bummer.
Blocks for 18-24 Month Olds - Sorting, stacking and manipulating blocks helps build your toddler's growing motor and organizational skills. Large blocks can bec
More Highly-Rated Toys for Toddlers' Pretend Play - The vast majority of Fisher Price's Laugh and Learn toys are well-designed for lots of toddler fun and skill
One of my daughter's favorite things to do at 22 months was ride her balance bike
Good Books for Toddlers 18 to 24 Months - Your child has figured out more connections between what you say and what's going on in a story. When you read to your
More Great Books for Toddlers This Age - You really can't go wrong with any of these choices; all tried and true favorites. I dare you not to get any of the cut
Award Winning Toddler Toys
- Oppenheim Toy Portfolio
The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio was founded in 1989 as the only independent consumer review of children's media. They test and review products for children the year-round-only we get to do what most parents wish they could do before they buy; open the to