Between 12 and 18 months your child will begin talking/babbling more, walking, and really trying to engage you in play. They are really developing their own personalities. Here is a list of the best learning toys for 12-18 months. These materials are to help your child learn, grow, and develop.
Let’s start this list off right with our usual book suggestions. Always be sure to pick books you love at this age because you will read them over and over and over again.
It is likely that your child sees you clean up around the house throughout the day. As they become more mobile, they will inevitably get under foot more as well. Put their passion and excitement to work by offering them cleaning supplies that are their size to use. You will be amazed at how excited your child will be to push around a broom.
It’s time to engage your child’s developing imagination using puppets. You have to get into them, but puppets are a great way to teach children. You will be amazed at how much more your child will listen to a puppet than to an adult. They can be great for song props as well. My favorite are the animals for Old MacDonald.
I like to think of this set as the “staging” set. This toy is really great for children who like to set up their materials over and over again. It’s also great because children this age tend to be excited about animals and the sounds they make.
Some children are especially interested in cars at this age. If your child tends to put a lot of things in their mouth, go with a set that offers larger pieces. Cars are great for driving around the floor, sending down ramps, and cruising over a rug.
These blocks have so many names I had a hard time selecting this title, but I hope it is the most clear. Duplo blocks are large, easy to manipulate blocks that stay together when you stack them. Some come with little car sets or people as well. These are blocks you can keep and expand on over the years.
Keep plenty of paperwith markersaccessible for your child. Be careful of caps becoming choking hazards, and don’t hesitate to make some rules. At our house, Monster can have full access to markers, but they are only allowed to draw on paper or themselves.
Clay, even once warmed up, is a little tougher to mold. This extra work is great for helping develop small motor skills in your child’s hands. These skills will lead them to success later in life using pencils, scissors, and other fine motor items.
Dumping and filling at this age is very important. So if your child seems to be dumping everything in your house out, give them something to dump out on purpose. Many children like to fill their basketwith small treasures (animals, markers, even coins) and walk around with them. Then they can easily show off their goods to you.
Now is a great time to introduce a shape sorter. Think of it as your child’s first puzzle. If you get a box one where you store the pieces on the inside as well, it can also be satisfying to dump out for your child, extending the playtime duration.
A little bit of work from Montessori here, these stacking rods are great fun for your child to use. At this stage, don’t expect them to match colors or shapes correctly, but as they get older, you will start to see them develop the idea that red goes on red and blue goes on blue.
You can start offering very basic puzzlesat this age to see if your child has interest. Aim for simple, no more than 4 pieces, with knobs or large pieces that they can easily grip.
Theseare here to build your child’s dumping and pouring skills. This skill will help them with math concepts later in life, as well as things like baking and visual spatial awareness. Plus they are something you might use yourself, which makes them all the more interesting for your child.
Pulling things after you is fun. We happen to have an electronic dog, but I know there are also wooden pull toys as well, which I personally prefer. This action encourages waking and also helps children learn cause and effect.
If your child likes to pull toys, getting a little pull along wagonis perfect. They can fill it up with stuff and cart it around to their hearts content. This particular wagon is a two in one, since it also comes with the blocks I was mentioning earlier.
As your toddler masters walking, they are going to start climbing as a way to challenge their bodies. You can facilitate this by offering safe stuff for them to climb on, or crawl under and over.
What goes up, must come down. Stair and slide practice are a blast at this age. Keep your slideshort and simple. Also be sure you keep appropriate fall material under it and stay close by while your child is using it.
Having found her love for children in 2005, Karina received her Bachelor's Degree in Early Childhood Education in 2013. She is now a mom to two wonderful children and loves watching them grow.
She devotes her time to helping families find their own flow. She is a certified birth doula, postpartum doula, and breastfeeding consultant.
When not with her kids, she loves rock climbing, writing, and reading. When she can afford it, she loves to travel, and she is passionate about learning about pretty much anything.
FreedomInsidetheBox, thanks! And thanks for sharing your great posts every week!