I am not one to collect "stuff." This has trickled down to Isabel. Poor girl. She has very few toys, and even fewer that we've purchased for her. But, as she's getting older, I've realized that she needs at least a few things to play with! ha. With her birthday and Christmas both right around the corner, I have been trying to come up with a list of toys, books, puzzles, etc. that we would like for her.
I would love to know what your favorite items were for your 12-18 month old! What books did your kids most enjoy? What toys kept them engaged?
9 comments:
Babies. Hands down the most entertaining (especially self entertaining!) toy Lyla has. Especially a baby stroller (Walmart 10 bucks) some blankets, and get a baby that can be bathed. Accessories are col, but optional, since they can be things around the house as well.
Definitely baby dolls for Annabelle-she loves her stroller we got for her for her 1st bday. It's a stroller but good for early walkers because it is more of a walker toy. She loves building towers w/her blocks, she has a toy piggy bank with fake coins that she loves to put inside, board books, crayons & WASHABLE paints ;) , she also has a dashboard/steering wheel that plays music...and now she is totally into Little People! She LOVES her little people handed down to her from her cousins. I hope this helps and get that girlie some toys ;) xo, Laura
I LOVE Sandra Boyton books for that age.
Bath tub toys are always a blast!
My boys also love Little People. They have the farm set and love it.
They also enjoyed musical instruments/noise makers at that age.
I'm with you, I don't like a lot of "stuff", and with 6 of us in a small 3br house, I'm constantly de-cluttering...just the well-loved toys stick around.
For little boys, little wooden (Ikea) cars with a road rug have been great. This year, I'm getting my 16-month-old boy a Little People bus, and I'm looking for a (used)wooden rocking horse, and I've ordered "Read Aloud Bible Sories Vol. 4" because the story of Joshua is in it (and his name is Joshua)...we have Vol 1 and we love it.
My little girl (who is now 3) loves her babies (she has an American Girl Bitty Baby, but I think she likes her little cuddly $10 Wal-mart one the best.)and stuffed animals, especially dogs. She wraps them up and puts them in a (2nd hand wooden)doll crib. I think "play silks" are great...they can be used as dolly blankets, but also to dress up in and build houses with. I agree with a doll stroller...we've been through 2 plastic ones, but the 2nd-hand wicker one has out-lived them. She has also loved "reading" her books. She sits at her little table and looks at the pictures...so I'd agree with the cardboard books suggestion too!
Have fun shopping! :)
Sandra Boyton board books. (Especially "Opposites", "The Going To Bed Book", "Horns To Toes And In Between", and "Barnyard Dance".)
Baby doll.
Blocks (wooden or the jumbo lego type)
An inexpensive keyboard or any kind of musical instrument.
Wooden toys are great - they last for ages and seem to have a longer lasting appeal than most plastic things. (And we've had LOTS of plastic toys to test the theory on!) As far as books go, we like books that fire the imagination without being "dumb". At the risk of sounding like a snob, I've found it's really hard to encourage reading *good* books when they're older if you don't read *good* books when they're little! We've fallen in love with anything by Tasha Tudor, and though the concepts and stories will be a little beyond her now, it's more about spending the time, listening to parts of the story and enjoying the time together!
It's funny how the things they gravitated to when they were little are the same things that hold their interests now. Ashley always loved books and puzzles. Emily spent hours with her baby dolls and stroller. Harry had tools, a workbench, and a bubble mower (can't even count how many of these we went through). Tim only needed a ball. Even though they are much older now you can always find Ash with a book; a child gravitating to Emily; Harry fixing something; and Tim playing some sport.
Fisher Price farm animals and farm.
Airport with working crank elevator.
Memory games.
Look and feel books.
Musical instruments (high quality, not screeching). You can get a real harmonica for 7-12 bucks. Train her ears young to hear good music. Besides, a stainless steel harmonica won't break, is portable, and can be easily stored out of reach of other slobberers.
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