23 Toys and Gifts Every 18-Month-Old Will Adore
Purchasingtoys for an 18-month-old can be great fun, but it can be a challenging task to decide what to buy. Since your little ones are picking new skills every day, it is crucial for the gift to be age appropriate so that it fosters some kind of skill of the child while it provides entertainment. These toys come in a variety of forms, dimensions, colors, and textures, which makes them even more interesting.
From improving their social interaction skills and motor skills to getting introduced to basic mathematical concepts, a toy can have multiple uses if chosen smartly by a parent.
Here are 23 thoughtful and creative suggestions for toys for 18-month-oldtoddlers that will enhance some kind of skill, sharpen their cognitive ability and provide them with hours of nonstop amusement.
1. Shape Sorters
This item is the perfect learning toy for an 18-month-old. By playing with a shape sorter, a toddler can learn to differentiate between various kinds of shapes, colors, and sizes. The baby can even get to know the concept of spatial understanding by sorting shapes and figuring out which piece fits which part.
2. Toddler Slides
Toddler slip-and-slide toys can be a great source of entertainment for your young one. They come in all kinds of colors, and some are also available for a basketball hoop and a swing. The all-in-one set can inculcate the habit of playing outdoor games and draw them away from mobile screens.
3. Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles are the best way to hone the mental skills of a child. Puzzles that are manufactured for toddlers have big cardboard pieces that are easy to lift, understand and place. Since it is a compact toy, it can be carried anywhere, and the kids will have a great time assembling it every time you shuffle it.
4. Palm Grasp Crayons
To enhance your baby’s creative skills, palm grasp crayons are the best. These big-sized crayons can help when your child wants to draw and color. The crayon does not need a sophisticated grip and can easily fit in the hands of a child. There are no choking hazards with such a design, and they are, therefore, safe to play with.
5. Balance Beam
The most entertaining way for your child to learn proper balancing and coordination is to use a balance beam. It will help your toddler’s muscles to grow, enhance his or her concentration power as well as motor skills, and even let him or her have fun with his friends. Balance beams are available in all sizes and materials. You can opt for wooden as well plastic balancing beam toys for18-month-olds.
6. Board Books
Board books pertaining to animals, birds, shapes, colors, and sizes are the best way to inculcate the habit of reading before your child starts school. Primers are also often introduced to a toddler before he or she starts formal education, as they can enable your child to learn and read. Board books are eco-friendly as they can be recycled and even reused.
7. Sensory Toys
Sensory Toys like a toy piano or a colorful turtle can help your baby to strengthen his or her motor skills through hands-on play. They will learn what seems pleasant to the eyes, ears, nose, and touch and understand the concept at a very early age. Sensory toys can keep your little one engaged for a long period as it involves understanding concepts and discovering new ones.
8. Animal Stacking Toys
For the betterment of your child’s balancing skills, logical thinking, and motor skills, the animal stacking toy is the best item available. It will keep the attention of your child hooked and interested in a long time. These educational toys for 18-month-olds are available in various colors and textures.
9. Ride-On Toy
Ride-on toys are one of the favorite toys of a toddler. Since they ensure a rocking movement for a long period of time with minimal effort, your little one can have a great time on it for hours together. Certain ride-on toys are also available in the shape of a scooter and have functional features like lights and horns. This can be a fascinating asset for your 18-month-old and allow him to have fun and enjoy it.
10. Color Sorting Test
A color sorting test toy is the best learning tool for your child. These sets have tools in the shape of vegetables and fruits that are available in multiple colors. Such toys for 18-month-olds can help them in expanding his or her vocabulary and develop a baby’s sorting skills and color recognition skills as well.
11. Wooden Blocks
Since Lego sets are not safe for a toddler because of choking hazards, wooden block sets are the safest option available. Such toys stimulate a child’s growing mind as he or she will arrange blocks of all shapes in an orderly fashion. This will give them a sense of proportion, fractions, geometry, and other such concepts.
12. Bilingual E-Book
Books are a man’s best friend. By imbibing the habit of reading in your child at a young age, you will be enhancing the baby’s retention power at a very early stage. Moreover, by learning two languages simultaneously, the brain development of a child will get faster in a short period of time. These bilingual audiobooks are also available with music that makes the process of learning enjoyable and interesting.
13. Outdoor Water Table
Outdoor water tables are the ideal tools for your child’s entertainment. If your child is a water baby, these compact water tables can let you splash, drizzle, pour, and even scoop water to his or her heart’s content. It is the best toy to play with in case there are other kids coming over. However, you must exercise caution while you’re buying such toys for 18-month-old as they will be playing with water.
14. Shopping Cart
Since toddlers love imitating elders, what could be a better accessory for a child than a shopping cart? These carts can be pulled as they are lightweight and come with items like artificial fruits and vegetables to fill the cart. Certain times, these carts have to be assembled at home as a shape-sorting toy. Therefore, assembling it can be a fun activity for the child and the parent. Separating the cart from the trolley is another feature of most of these toys for 18-month-olds.
15. Activity Cubes
Activity Cubes are one of the most diverse and multi-functional toys for a toddler. Some of the characteristics of activity cubes are peek-a-boo flaps, alphabet, and number flaps, animal puzzles, racetracks, and so on. The color theme is gender neutral and in multiple themes. Colorful beads, spinners, zig-zag paths, and multiple other features make this toy more fun to play with.
16. Doll Houses
Dollhouse toys for an 18-month-old girl are the ultimate gift, as it is a toddler’s ultimate dream to own one. At this stage, your toddler has started observing you, imitating you, and even wants to re-enact all kinds of imaginary scenes. These dollhouses will allow your toddler to spend some time away from the screen and develop her social skills at the same time. There are all kinds of accessories like furniture, kitchen sets, gardening tools, and so on that come with it.
17. Musical Toys
Musical toys are equipped with the latest soft touch technology that works as soon as a child gently taps on the key. You can opt for simple ones that make some noise when they are shaken and rattled, small wooden xylophones, or pianos that play the music at the slightest touch. These simple toys engage a child’s sense of hearing and help them in having fun with sounds.
18. Toy Trains
Many kids, especially toddlers like toy trains. The movement of the train, the puffing of smoke, the sound effects, and the multi-colored compartments captivate your child’s attention. These trains are available in all shapes and sizes. The parts of the train are big enough not to present any choking hazards and can be easily maneuvered by an 18-month toddler. Trains with a wooden finish are more aesthetically appealing than ones made with plastic and are an eco-friendly option.
19. Rainbow Bead Abacus
The rainbow bead abacus is a wonderful way to introduce mathematics as a subject to your toddler. These toys for 18-month-olds are great for enhancing your kid’s color recognition skills. They are available in various shapes like triangular and semi-circle so that it resembles a rainbow, and so on. Your child will have a good time shuffling beads and learn to count in a playful yet effective manner.
20. Wooden Family Figurines
If you want a substitute for typical dolls, then these wooden figurines are an excellent option for you. The wooden figurines are available in all shapes, are flexible, are realistically designed, and are more long-lasting than plastic dolls. Such toys enable your child to work on their creativity and dramatic play and inculcate the importance of family interaction in imaginative settings.
21. Ball Bulldozer
For kids aged one to three, this bulldozer pops balls out of an outlet and provides your child with pure fun and entertainment. The toy bulldozer can be dragged as it has wheels and is available in multiple colors, which interests the child. The toy doesn’t need to be assembled at home and comes as it is with a set of balls.
22. Sensory Balls
Balls have never failed to fascinate a child. These sensory balls have spikes on the surface which prevents the ball from rolling too far and helps the toddler to hold it tightly with a tight grip. Such toys for18-month-old can easily be grabbed and thrown around as they are soft and will not cause any harm either to the child or to the surrounding.
23. Bead Maze
A bead maze is another interesting toy for your toddler that will improve your child’s cognitive ability, concentration prowess, and even eye-sight. The toy is available in a wooden finish and has a compact design. It is an interesting present for your toddler as there are multiple components in the toy in the shape of bugs and caterpillars.
Conclusion
Apart from entertainment, toys for 18-month-old must impart some kind of productive and educational skill to your child. However, it is important to make sure that the toy does not pose any choking risks.
Also, selecting toys that are made of recycled material and wood is an eco-friendlier option. Plastic toys cause a lot of pollution and are not good for the environment.
This way, you will be setting an example for your children in the future so that they understand the concept of being considerate towards the environment.
If you have a better idea about a toy or a present that can add to a child’s skill set, let us know in the comments section.
