As we eagerly await the arrival of our second baby boy, I wanted to round up a few of Teddy’s favorite toys at 18 months. I’m still figuring out a good system for cycling out toys he’s not playing with as much that we’ll save for future little ones (any ideas welcome!), but I thought I’d share what’s in heavy rotation at our house these days if you’re shopping for gifts or a little one of your own! I obviously think any of these could work for boys or girls — more focused on sharing what’s best at holding his attention as he’s become more capable of independent play (hallelujah!).
{wearing Petite Plume pajamas}
{Melissa & Doug cleaning set, $24}
This was a Christmas gift from Will’s parents and one that’s been in almost hourly use ever since. I don’t know what it is about “cleaning” but I have several girlfriends with little ones around the same age who say their kids are equally obsessed with mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming. Teddy will literally walk around the house with the broom and dustpan exclaiming “yuck!” at specks of dust (visible and invisible) on the floor then walk to the garbage can in our kitchen and want someone to open it so he can dispose of the “mess.” If you’re looking for an absolute home run gift for an 18-month-old, I truly can’t explain it but this one is a winner.
{little helper Dyson vacuum, $29}
Again I can’t explain the obsession with cleaning gear (trust me, it’s not like he’s watching me clean the house constantly!), but we recently introduced this play vacuum and Teddy is in love. He hasn’t totally gotten the hang of holding down the button to make noise while pushing it, but he’s very content to move it around the house and it’s often the first thing he looks for when he comes downstairs.
I ordered this as Teddy’s big gift for his first birthday at the end of September and he’s definitely more interested in riding in it at a year and a half (though we admittedly took the winter off because this thing wouldn’t last ten feet with snow on the ground). I’m admittedly not as big a Doona evangelist as other moms I follow on Instagram — it’s hard to compare the super smooth experience of pushing the Uppababy with the compact but more rickety experience of pushing the Doona stroller (if we’re putting Teddy in a stroller for a walk around the neighborhood, I’d choose the Uppababy every time) BUT these days he gets positively amped about going outside and being pushed in this trike, so this has been part of our daily routine of late. Teddy is particularly obsessed with the cupholder feature on the front and I love that it will grow with him as he graduates from needing to be pushed to learning to pedal on his own.
{Lovevery ball run, $36/month subscription}
Will’s parents very generously gave Teddy a three-month subscription to Lovevery and I desperately wish they sold more of their toys individually vs. as part of monthly subscriptions because I would be gifting Teddy’s go-tos to all the little ones we know! This wooden ball run from the 13-15 month Babbler kit was an instant favorite at Christmas and still sees daily use with Teddy’s truck collection in addition to the accompanying plastic balls. Lovevery toys are truly beautiful quality and something I don’t mind having “on display” in our very centrally located playroom. You can see the toys they sell individually here (the play mat was a must-have in Teddy’s first six months of life) but the subscription has been the gift that keeps on giving and would be great if you’re looking for something higher end.
{Lovevery wooden stacking peg board, $36/month subscription}
This peg board has been Teddy’s top pick from from the 16-18 month Pioneer kit and again while I wish you could purchase certain favorites individually, I do love that their kits take the guesswork out of age-appropriate activities for developing motor skills, etc.
Teddy’s favorite activity has long been pulling every book off his bookshelves and bringing them over to the couch in the playroom one at a time for someone to read to him, but he’s starting to sit down and flip through pages on his own which makes my heart explode every time. These highly engaging board books have been a particularly big hit for fostering this independent “reading” — I have a feeling we’ll have ordered the full collection before his second birthday!
{Little Tikes lawn mower, $25}
Not quite as huge a hit as the cleaning supplies, but this lawn mower is in a similar vein of toys Teddy will push around the house on his own and I imagine he’ll be excited to use it outside once our backyard projects are closer to completion.
{Fat Brain Toys Dimple Digits, $19}
This was a birthday gift from a friend and Will and I have been amazed at how long it holds Teddy’s attention to push and pop the silicone buttons over and over!
Any toys your little ones love(d) at this age? Always on the lookout for new recs!
P.S. 50 gift ideas for babies and toddlers.
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