The Best Toys for 18-Month-Olds, According to Experts (2023)

FAQs

The Best Toys for 18-Month-Olds, According to Experts? ›

"This is a great age for sensory play and exploration," says Schwartz. "Children this age love to get messy! Finger paint, or using foods such as applesauce or pudding to paint with, is a great way to explore art while also engaging in sensory play. Playdough is great to introduce at this age.

"This is a great age for sensory play and exploration," says Schwartz. "Children this age love to get messy! Finger paint, or using foods such as applesauce or pudding to paint with, is a great way to explore art while also engaging in sensory play. Playdough is great to introduce at this age.

Building and construction toys, such as blocks and sets of connecting pieces, promote cognitive development. They are considered “open-ended” toys, which means that children can use the toys to create structures or designs in many different ways.

It's important not to overwhelm the play space with toys. As an approximate guide, try to keep the number of toys immediately available to under 4 for a premobile child, under 8 for a crawling child, and under 12 for a toddler, depending on the size of the space and number of parts to each toy.

Some examples include a puzzle, a book, or any game with a goal. These can be good for helping children pay attention and learn how to work toward a goal. An open-ended toy can be played in different ways with no definite end. Examples include blocks, mirrors and dolls.

Encourage games that make use of hand and finger skills.

Especially good toys and games for an 18-month-old are those that involve holding something with one hand and doing something else with the other. For example, a music box that works by turning a small handle, or threading pasta onto a string.

We can throw some things away and give some things away, but at the end of it all, you are only going to have 20 toys left.” We called it The 20-Toy Rule. 20 toys sounds like a lot… or maybe it doesn't. But you'd be surprised at how many things children can accumulate.

What is 18 month milestone for toddler? ›

Your 18-month-old toddler is now walking and using basic words. At this age, children love to play and explore. They begin to show some independence and may play pretend and point at objects they want. They also begin to understand what things in the house are used for, such as a cup or spoon.

Yes. One simple reason why toddlers won't play with toys may simply be because they're overwhelmed. So, if there are too many selections available, your child might take some time before they can choose one to start with. Moreover, when toys are abundant, your kid might latch on to some and ignore the others.

What is a Montessori Toy? A Montessori toy is one that stimulates learning by encouraging kids to experiment. It should be a toy that they can hold and touch, as learning to manipulate objects is key in helping children develop their fine motor skills.

At 18 months, according to the CDC, developmental red flags may be when a child is not copying others, not gaining new words, and losing any skills they may have once had. For a 2-year-old, look out for an inability to follow simple instructions, walk steadily, or use common items like a spoon.

18 month olds should use least 20 words, including different types of words, such as nouns (“baby”, “cookie”), verbs (“eat”, “go”), prepositions (“up”, “down”), adjectives (“hot”, “sleepy”), and social words (“hi”, “bye”).

Thinking - Cognitive Development

Scribbles with crayon or pencil. Points to at least one body part. Follows one-step directions without any gestures (sits when you say “sit”). Knows what common objects are for, such as a phone, brush or spoon.

Be present in your toddler's life.

Instead take a few moments and address her needs or wants. Take time to play with your toddler every day. Make tents together, color pictures, go on walks, bake together, try these simple toddler activities or whatever your child enjoys doing — do it!

What 3 factors can strengthen a child's cognitive development? ›

Parents and other caregivers can support healthy brain growth by speaking to, playing with, and caring for their child. Children learn best when parents take turns when talking and playing, and build on their child's skills and interests.

Common examples include smart dolls and companions that speak with children or use facial recognition to recognize them, robotic toys that can be built and programmed by children, and smart speakers that children interact with.

Balls. Whether they're bounced, rolled, caught, or thrown, balls encourage gross motor skills, hand–eye coordination, and dexterity. Shape-sorting toys. Pegboard puzzles, nesting cups or blocks, and buckets with holes for different shaped blocks challenge hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills.

Some of the available toys you can use include sing-along audiobooks, listening phone sets, and conversation dice cubes. By far, the best way for helping children listen is by setting a good example in the way you interact with them and other adults.

Things like water play, sand play, chalk boards, finger painting and playdough all help children to develop their awareness of different sensations and can be used to talk about actions e.g. pour, squash, squeeze, pull, rub, as well as describing different colours and textures.

Talk to them and read to them.

Playing simple teaching games along the way, for instance asking them to name or count objects, boosts their intelligence even more. "You can raise your child's IQ by six points by simply doing this over a few years when they are young," Roche writes. Start as early as you can, he adds.

The problem with having too many toys

Similar to cluttered pantries or office spaces, which make it hard for adults to focus, having too many toys around the house can make it difficult for children to concentrate, learn, and develop important skills around play.

What is the toy box rule? ›

Kids can only have one box of toys out at a time. If they are done and want a different box, then they need to completely clean up the first. Simple, right?

Toddler development at 18-24 months: what's happening. At this age, toddlers start to experience new emotions like anger and frustration, guilt, shame, possessiveness and excitement. These 'big' emotions can be hard for your toddler to deal with, and you might see some tantrums as a result.

The CDC is recommending an 18-month-old should be able to say three or more words besides “mama” or “dada.” According to a spokesperson from the CDC, the updated recommendations "reflect what most children (75% or more) would be expected to exhibit by specified ages to better identify potential concerns."

Many children show signs of being ready for potty training between ages 18 and 24 months. However, others might not be ready until they're 3 years old. There's no rush. If you start too early, it might take longer to train your child.

The term "terrible twos" has long been used to describe the changes that parents often observe in 2-year-old children. A parent may perceive this age as terrible because of the rapid shifts in a child's mood and behaviors — and the difficulty of dealing with them.

Avoid marbles, coins, balls, and games with balls that are 1.75 inches (4.4 centimeters) in diameter or less because they can get stuck in the throat above the windpipe and make breathing difficult. Battery-operated toys should have battery cases that secure with screws so that kids cannot pry them open.

At 12 months, they can handle about 15 minutes of solo play. At 18 months, they might play alone for 15 to 20 minutes. At 2 years, they should last around 30 minutes.

Kids must feel safe and sound, with their basic survival needs met: shelter, food, clothing, medical care and protection from harm.

blocks, stacking, and nesting toys. fat crayons or markers. age-appropriate animal or people figures and dolls. toy cars and trains.

The Major Types of Play

The types of play include physical, dramatic, sensory, nature, music and art, and age-appropriate play. Children need the various types of play in order to support and facilitate meaningful learning opportunities as they develop language, motor, social, emotional, and cognitive abilities.

Why is Montessori against plastic toys? ›

Maria Montessori favored “real” toys made of natural materials like wood because they're healthy, safe, and inspiring for children. They're also beautiful and durable; some of the earliest toys ever discovered were made of wood.

Montessori at home doesn't restrict color; it reminds us not to restrict natural beauty. It is more often the case that color is used to overstimulate and distract the child. Our world is beautiful, and we don't actually need to buy so much extra stuff in order to inspire our children.

There are many honest toymakers who craft Montessori-aligned toys and they also charge quite a bit for their products. The reason for the price of their toys is simply that they are not mass-produced.

Toys that are bright and colorful or feature interesting sounds will help capture your child's attention long enough to elicit a smile. Try using rattles, balls, blocks, dolls, or trucks as props in your photos.

Building and construction toys, such as blocks and sets of connecting pieces, promote cognitive development. They are considered “open-ended” toys, which means that children can use the toys to create structures or designs in many different ways.

You can try:

Shape sorters and containers to put in and take out objects. Cause-and-effect toys. Board books. Musical instruments (keyboard, xylophone, drums, tambourine) give great multisensory feedback, encourage engagement with others, singing and hand use.

Toddlers usually walk on their own by 18 months and begin to run. Your toddler will probably walk up and down stairs or climb furniture with your help. Throwing and kicking a ball, scribbling with pencils or crayons, and building small towers of blocks might be some of your toddler's favourite things.

Your 18 to 24 month old is likely to interact more with their world by handing things to others to play, pretending to feed a doll, pointing to interesting things and exploring alone but with a parent or caregiver nearby. At this age, your child starts to feel more emotions like anger, shame and excitement.

Your 24-month-old baby is becoming more coordinated and better able to communicate. You might notice that they can now turn pages on their own, scribble on a piece of paper and jump up and down. Your 24-month-old may now be able to identify different body parts and understand most two-step directions.

What are red flags in child development? ›

Months Is not gazing at objects; does not tune out repetitive sounds; does not move eyes to follow sound Does not respond to loud sounds Does not coo or make sounds When lying on back: keeps hands fisted and lacks arm movements; is not bringing hands to mouth; lacks symmetrical arm movements; does not turn head to ...

Important Language Milestones

18 month olds should use least 20 words, including different types of words, such as nouns (“baby”, “cookie”), verbs (“eat”, “go”), prepositions (“up”, “down”), adjectives (“hot”, “sleepy”), and social words (“hi”, “bye”).

2T: What's The Difference? Clothes that are labeled 24 months are made for those who are anywhere from 18 to 24 months. By comparison, 2T clothing is made for toddlers, generally anywhere from 2 to almost 3 years old.

Your 18-month-old toddler is now walking and using basic words. At this age, children love to play and explore. They begin to show some independence and may play pretend and point at objects they want. They also begin to understand what things in the house are used for, such as a cup or spoon.

With that said, there are some notable signs of a gifted child: Your curious cutie is hitting speech milestones early, has a large vocabulary for her age, and is a quick learner who remembers most of what she sees and hears.

Using only one hand to complete tasks • Not being able to move/open one hand/arm • Drooling during small tasks that require intense concentration • Displaying uncoordinated or jerky movements when doing activities • Crayon strokes are either too heavy or too light to see • Any know medical diagnosis can be considered a ...

Between the ages of 12-18 months, your child will:

Point to pictures in books. Build a tower using 2 blocks. Use their hands together to hold a toy at the middle of their body. Scribble with a crayon.

How many body parts should a 18 month old know? ›

The naming of 2 body parts is normal for an 18 month old. Between 18 and 30 months the toddler should learn to identify 6 out of 8 body parts. Conjugate eye movements and the near reflex can be tested with an interesting object like a finger puppet. Facial movement is noted as the toddler smiles.