With a whole new level of mobility, 18-month-old toddlers are extra busy. They’re running, walking, talking and trying to get into everything they shouldn’t, so it’s the perfect time to stock up on some new fun stuff just for them. The best toys for 18-month-olds keep toddlers entertained but also support their cognitive, emotional and physical growth by allowing them to practice important developmental skills.
Keep toddlers happy and encourage skill development with the best toys for 18-month-olds. Baltic Chess
We consulted with early childhood and parenting expert Christine Hernandez, a certified birth doula and founder of Allo Saratoga play space, about what to look for when selecting the best toys for an 18-month-old child. She recommends considering the skills they’re working on and what they’re interested in.
“At this age, it’s great to offer toys and materials that are open-ended, meaning there is more than one way to play with them,” she says. “Toddlers also love to mimic, so giving them child-sized cleaning supplies like a broom or vacuum or a doll, can help them continue to develop their pretend play.” For safety purposes, avoid any toys with small parts, as children this age may still be tempted to put things in their mouth from time to time, warns Hernandez.
As a mom of three young kids myself, I’ve included some of my family’s favorite toys, as well as expert recommendations and toys highly rated by other toddler parents. Read on for the best toys for 18-month-olds you can buy right now.
Micro Kickboard scooters are a staple in our house. From the time my kiddos could basically run, they were scooting around the block on the Mini 3-In-1 Deluxe. Perfect for toddlers from ages 1 to 5, this award-winning scooter has three configurations, so it literally grows with them from babyhood to big kid. Start with the sit and scoot, graduate to standing around 18 months and then transform it into the traditional popular Mini Deluxe Kickboard scooter—with the included T-bar—when they’re ready. It’s great for challenging balance, coordination and tiring them out before nap or bedtime.
If you spend half your day trying to keep your toddler safe from scaling the walls, not to mention everything else in your house, then this handmade and foldable modular playground is absolutely worth the splurge. It provides a safe place for your curious toddler to climb, explore and work on those all-important gross motor skills, balance and hand-eye coordination. Exciting accessories, like a reversible ladder and slide or a 2-in-1 rock wall and slide come with it or can be purchased separately, depending on where you shop. Not only does it look good in the playroom, but it can be used for many years to come.
I bought this little ride-on toy for my daughter’s first birthday, and at age 4.5 she still occasionally hops on it. Depending on where your toddler is development-wise, they can push it around the house or ride it like a bike using their feet to propel them. It’s super lightweight and a great way to tire them out if you’re stuck indoors or live in an apartment—thanks to non-marking rubber wheels that won’t damage your hardwood floors. Of course it can be used outside too and is perfect for cruising up and down the driveway and navigating neighborhood sidewalks.
Amanda Vierheller, cofounder and COO of Playgarden Online, an online preschool prep program, is a big fan of this wooden ride-on toy for 18-month olds. “These adorable ride-on toys promote core strength and balance while providing a fun way to get around,” she says. “Children build gross motor skills and strengthen growing muscles as they ride and play.” The seat is super soft, making it comfortable for little ones to sit on. Kiddos can use their feet to zip around the house, or parents can push them until they get the hang of it. It comes fully assembled and ready to ride right out of the box.
Little gymnasts will have a blast learning to balance on this portable wooden balance beam, which you can fold up fast and stash out of sight when they’re done playing. We have it in our house and it’s easily enjoyed by all our kids. It can hold up to 200 pounds of weight, so multiple kiddos can walk on it at once. It includes four colorful stepping stones and—unlike traditional balance beams—can be adjusted to create a straight line, a square or a zig-zag for obstacle course fun. My kids like using it as a race track or a place to set up their other pretend play figurines.
It’s also Greenguard Gold certified (meaning fewer off-gassing concerns) and made of sustainably-sourced wood so you can feel good about bringing it into your home.
This toy lawn mower combines two things toddlers love most: bubbles and pushing things. The best part is, there’s no bubble mess solution for parents to clean up (or toddlers to dump) because it’s all contained in the mower. Little ones will love the realistic mowing sounds it makes as they push it through the grass or down the driveway. The chance to try and pop as many bubbles as possible could keep them entertained for hours. It comes with 4 ounces of bubble solution, but you want to invest in more, as they’re likely to go through a lot fast.
Balls are life for toddlers, so this popular 2-in-1 interactive sports center was a slam dunk with all three of my kids. Kids have a blast shooting hoops into the tiny basket and scoring goals in the mini soccer net. They love watching the scoreboard light up when they get one in (it even counts baskets and goals up to 10) and listening to encouraging songs, sounds and phrases as they play and the toy cheers them on. Just be sure to have plenty of batteries on hand because you’ll definitely go through them. In addition to helping with gross motor skills and coordination, this toy teaches shapes, numbers and much more.
If your 18-month-old is anything like mine, he’s dying to hop onto a big boy bike. The Woom 1 balance bike is incredibly lightweight, easy to handle and just his size. Kids can ride and keep up with their big siblings while learning all important skills, like balance, steering and stopping, necessary for mastering a pedal bike in a couple of years. It comes in a bunch of fun colors and has a low step-through frame so your child can easily get on and off all by themselves.
As a kid, is there anything more exciting than jumping in a big ball pit? Aside from being really fun, ball pits are an excellent way to get them active indoors and encourage creativity as they come up with their own ways to play. Other benefits of ball pit play include exercising motor and social skills, sensory development and improved balance and coordination as they crawl through the balls and toss them across the room. Available in four gorgeous modern color schemes, this soft ball pit is sure to be a big win with any toddler. It’s lightweight enough to easily move from room to room too.
We’ve had this adorable little mini broom and mop set since my first was probably a year old, and it’s still in great shape. It gets used often to sweep actual messes up, and is great for toddlers who want to “help out” while you get some real cleaning done. The set comes with a nice wooden pretend play broom, mop, duster, dustpan and brush, plus an organizing stand to neatly store everything when not in use.
A Cuddle + Kind doll is a special gift. These animals and dolls are hand knit with Oeko-Tex certified cotton by women artists in Peru, and the purchase of each one delivers 10 meals to children in need. They’re oh so soft and cuddly, and the details like the pinks on the inside of Violet the Fawn’s ears and her ruffled skirt are simply delicious. Kids can snuggle them, collect them and enjoy all sorts of imaginary play with these beautiful handmade dolls. They come in two sizes: a 20-inch doll ($87) or a 13-inch doll ($66).
This doll has the snuggly benefits of a stuffie plus removable and interchangeable clothes perfect for dress up, and comes with a magnetic pacifier for pretend soothing. The ultra-soft Wee Baby Stella Doll is available in a variety of skin tones and hair types. There are also plenty of accessories sold separately, such as a bath or feeding set, to take their pretend play up a notch.
Gund stuffed animals come in all kinds of creature varieties and sizes—but all are soft and exceptionally huggable. This shaggy pooch is sure to win over your tot with its soft coat and soulful eyes. It’s sized just right for carrying (14 inches), so kids can include their new friend in games and imaginary play wherever they go.
Get the tea party started with this adorable interactive tea set that lights up and plays more than 30 songs, sound effects and phrases as your little one pretend pours. It comes with 11 role play pieces, including a teapot, a couple of cups, a sugar bowl, spoon and five treats that fit into the tray like a puzzle to challenge toddlers. There are also three different smart stages of learning that can teach your tot everything from good manners and sharing, to counting and colors. Just sit back, relax and let them serve you.
This toy Dyson vacuum looks and works (almost) like the real thing. It’s been a staple in our home since my 4-year-old received it for Christmas a couple years ago, and my now 18 month old loves pushing it around the house to “clean” alongside me. It twists and turns with colorful spinning balls and features real working buttons toddlers love to push. Perhaps the best part of all for parents though is that it can actually suck up small, lightweight debris in the removable tray.
Hernandez calls these jumbo knob puzzles one of the most developmentally appropriate toys for an 18-24-month-old. “They’re the the perfect size for tiny hands and help develop fine motor and cognitive skills,” she says. The knobs are easy to grip and feature colorful, matching pictures of the animals underneath when lifted. You can try repeating the names of each animal as your little one plays, to help them work on speech and recognition.
From colors and counting to farm animals and fruits, this little board book set covers all the basics in a fun and easy to grasp (literally) way. The books are small enough for toddlers to hold and explore on their own, with bright images and just one word per page. They’re also super durable, so they can stand up to your toddler dropping them repeatedly.
This Denmark-made shape sorting box is the perfect early introduction to puzzle solving, as well as shape and spatial learning. It’s easy for little ones to handle at just 5 x 5 inches and has a lightweight feel. There are 12 interesting shapes to puzzle over. Kids also have a chance to flex their fine motor skills and hand-eye-coordination as they try to pick up the shapes and fit them into the box. Although it’s plastic, it’s free of BPA, PVC and phthalates.
At this age, many kids like to get hands-on with their literature, which is why pop-up and touch-and-feel books are so popular with this crowd. Watch their eyes light up as this big, silly frog opens his mouth wide and heads out on a journey to meets new friends, including an alligator and a blue bird. Each page delivers rich, oversize illustrations with a pop-up feature that’s sure to entrance little readers.
A great bath time toy will keep little ones engaged and entertained in the tub so parents can relax for a few minutes too. This cute, curated bundle gives parents the choice between an organic bubble bath foam, body lotion or bath gel from Minois Paris, a natural French skincare brand for kids, paired with a beautiful soft foam bath puzzle in their theme of choice: To The Rescue, Animal Parade or Whale. As toddlers work to assemble the shapes, they’ll stretch their creative muscles and strengthen fine motor skills, all while splishing and splashing in the bubbles.
If you travel often, a busy board book to entertain your child on the plane or occupy them at restaurants is a life saver. This 8-in-1 Montessori board is jam packed with all the things for toddlers to practice and explore, including a life skills section with shoelaces, buttons, zippers, buckles and snaps to play with. It comes with three more pages you can add to it, featuring the alphabet, a magnetic fishing game, shapes, occupations, colors and a velcro puzzle. Close it up and carry it with the handle when not in use (your little one may like using the handle too).
Chunky Duplo blocks encourage young kids to take those first steps toward building some amazing creations on their own, like this colorful little animal train. You can name the colors as you go, as well as make the animal sounds—or just let them create and build the vehicle sprung from their clever imaginations. There are a number of compatible Duplo train sets, so you and expand the collection if this toy is a hit with your child.
This colorful stacking toy is full of learning opportunities for little animal lovers. “Children practice building, fine motor skills, identifying colors, counting and learning to match animals with their homes using this charming stacking toy,” says Vierheller. The set offers plenty of pretend play fun too, as toddlers can “take care” of the animals, make animal sounds or do really whatever they can imagine.
If you’re into thoughtfully-designed toys that basically double as home décor, you’ll love Lovevery. This award-winning subscription play kit is shipped to you every two to three months (depending on your subscription) and includes toys tailored to your child’s age and stage of development, so you literally don’t have to think about it. Perhaps best of all, each kit comes with a guide to give you lots of creative ways to play with the toys your child receives.
All Lovevery toys are made from sustainably harvested wood, organic cotton, nontoxic paint, as well as baby-safe plastics, and for the most part are durable enough to pass down to siblings or friends. You can skip a toy kit or cancel your subscription at any time too—but speaking from experience, you won’t want to.
There are so many ways to play with these eggs, making them a popular choice amongst parents hoping to keep their toddlers entertained for longer. “They make noise, they come apart, you can match them and as your child's skills develop they can find new ways to play with them,” says Hernandez, who is a huge fan. It’s a great tool for teaching colors, shapes and emotions too, as each egg features a different face—from sad to happy.
Advertised for ages 1 to 99, this 14-piece modern, magnetic wooden block set is truly timeless. Curious toddlers can use their imaginations to stack, build and create with this open-ended toy. The magnetic ends make these heirloom-quality blocks even more interesting. They’re great to play with at home or take out to dinner and entertain your 18-month-old while they wait on their food. Plus, the blocks come in a variety of color and design options.
If Old MacDonald had a first farm, this would definitely be it. All of my littles—from ages 1 to 6—enjoy this interactive farm play set and regularly use the included little animals and farmer figurine for all sorts of pretend play scenarios. It has over 45 songs, sounds and phrases, as well as three smart levels to teach counting, animal sounds (of course), colors and more. Don’t be surprised if you hear a lot more mooing and neighing happening around the house.
With a nearly perfect 4.9-average star rating on Amazon and over 15,000 rave reviews, this bestselling Farmers Market Color Sorting Set is a no-brainer. It comes with 25 colorful fruits and vegetables and 5 bushel baskets for toddlers to sort them into and shop from. They’ll explore and discover new foods, learn their colors, work on language development and practice sorting as they engage in pretend play solo or with friends and siblings. Many parents note how durable and easy to clean the fruits and veggies are, not to mention a welcome addition to any play kitchen.
With tons of ways to play, it’s no wonder this multifunctional musical instrument is beloved by so many babes and their parents—it was also the winner of the 2018 Cribsie Award for favorite first musical toy. Kiddos can bang on the three colorful balls and watch as they drop down over the xylophone and roll across the room. Prefer to just jam out? Pull out the xylophone and make some noise. This toy promotes fine motor development and encourages musical exploration.
These jumbo crayons that are easy for toddlers to grip but tough to break, according to many parents I spoke to. Let them loose with a fresh piece of paper and this pack of crayons to see what they create. This pack comes with eight crayons in assorted colors and is intended for kiddos 12 months and older who are just starting to scribble.
Petite Collage makes some of our favorite baby and preschooler toys. We love this cheery wooden lion tambourine, because it gives babies that immediate cause and effect satisfaction. Shake or tap the rainbow tambourine to hear a jingle or elicit another musical sound. It’s also free of lights and batteries, lightweight and easy for little ones to handle. The wooden toy is made with poplar plywood and printed with non-toxic vegetable inks.
From peek-a-boo games and scavenger hunts to dancing and dress up, there’s a world of possibility when it comes to playing with these versatile silk scarves—and you can totally let your toddler take the lead to see what they do with them. Blast music and have a twirling dance party, turn them into super hero capes or practice colors and counting. A quick Google search can give you hundreds of fun and educational ideas if you want more inspiration.
Finger painting is the ultimate sensory experience for little ones, as it stimulates their sense of sight, sound, smell and touch. It also helps strengthen motor skills, improve hand-eye coordination and teaches colors and cause and effect as toddlers experiment mixing different colors to create new ones. The My First Crayola Fingerpaint Kit comes with blue, yellow and red paints, as well as 10 large sheets of paper specially coated to prevent paint from oozing through so kiddos can create their own masterpieces.
Get the party started with this jamming DJ activity table featuring three piano play modes, multi-color lights, 12 fine motor activities and over 100 songs, sounds and phrases to keep them moving and grooving. Kids and parents can record and play back original messages and listen as the DJ mixes them into a song. Cool, right? There are three smart stage learning levels which help teach toddlers shapes, colors, counting, opposites, Spanish words, letters and much more.
From kitchen sink water play to helping mom cook in the kitchen, a learning tower is a great tool for safe sensory exploration and building toddlers’ independence. This sturdy Little Partners Learning Tower packs in even more fun, with a kid’s activity center that includes a chalkboard for drawing, a paper holder and a shelf to store their stuff. It adjusts to four different heights and is easy to move around the house. If you want your child to be able to easily climb in and out on their own, it has a removable exit and entry panel.
To curate this list of the best toys for 18-month-olds, I relied on my own personal experience as a parenting writer and a mom of three kiddos who has tested and owned tons of toys for this age group. I also interviewed parenting and childhood experts about what types of toys are most age-appropriate and best support the development of 18-month-olds. My editor, Rose Gordon Sala, also a mom of three, weighed in after touring many new items during the 2023 Toy Fair trade show.
Lastly, I scoured top toy websites to see what other parents are purchasing, looked at ratings and only included toys with plenty of positive reviews from fellow moms and dads. Several award-winning toys made our list too. We regularly update this article for accuracy and toy availability, and it was last updated in November 2023.
Hernandez is a huge fan of play scarves, stuffed animals and play dough, which she says work on almost every aspect of toddler development all at once.
“At 18 months, children go through significant developmental milestones,” says parenting expert Christine Hernandez. “Physically, their gross motor skills are becoming more refined, and they should be able to walk unassisted. They may start walking up and down stairs with help, pushing and pulling toys while walking, and climbing on and off the couch with or without help.” And get ready for art time, because little ones this age love scribbling with markers or crayons and doing things like drinking from an open cup or using a spoon all by themselves as they assert their independence.
There’s a huge language explosion at 18 months as well, so don’t be surprised if your toddler is suddenly talking your ear off. “Cognitively, an 18-month-old may engage in pretend play by imitating things they see in their environment,” notes Hernandez. “They are also beginning to problem solve, using simple puzzles or shape sorters.”
When searching for the best toys for 18-month-olds, always check the recommended age of the toy to make sure it’s appropriate otherwise you risk frustrating your little one. Things like jumbo knob puzzles, baby dolls, pretend cookware and food, ride-on toys, stacking sets and board books are all excellent for development.
While there’s no specific number of toys an 18-month-old needs, Hernandez recommends offering a variety of toys but rotating them often. “Having too many toys out at once can overwhelm a child, making it difficult for them to focus and engage with each toy,” she says. “By only offering a few toys at a time and rotating them out for new ones, it helps keep things interesting.”
Open-ended toys that offer a variety of ways to play are excellent for toddler development, as they foster creativity, promote pretend play, encourage problem-solving skills and so much more. Hernandez loves building blocks, shape sorters and pretend play sets (like play food or a tea set) for this age group.
Puzzle Educational Toys Kids Things like busy boards and chunky puzzles are great for fine motor development, while books are always a smart investment, especially those featuring photographs of real children. Active toys, like first scooters and climbing gyms, are not only a good way to get that toddler energy out, but they also support motor development, spatial awareness and more.