The best toys for 12 to 18-month-old babies
What are the best toys for 12 to 18-month-old babies?
Increasingly, these children can walk without support. However, they are still unsteady on their feet. Now they want to explore everything; though their curiosity far outweighs their judgment for predicting outcomes or foreseeing dangers.
Children of this age can recognize the names of familiar people, objects, pictures, and body parts. They often imitate common actions they see, such as talking on the phone, “drinking” from a bottle or cup.
They can sing to themselves and will move their bodies to music. Since they are more mobile, they can self-select toys that were once outside their reach. They find basic grasping easier, and can manipulate toys that require simple twisting, turning, sliding, and cranking.
Through trial and error, they continue to explore cause-and-effect relationships like dumping and filling activities, and now they enjoy a variety of actions with objects, such as pressing, pushing, pulling, rolling, pounding, beating, clanging, fitting, stacking, marking, scribbling, carrying, and poking their fingers into objects.
They delight in the many effects their actions cause, and enjoy toys that take advantage of this by the use of, for example, various sounds, blinking lights, and spinning wheels. Simple toys that encourage pretend play, such as dress-up materials, dolls, stuffed animals, and small vehicle toys, are appropriate.
What to Avoid:
- Toys with small parts that can be swallowed
- Stuffed animals with loosely sewn-on parts that can be easily removed
- Sharp-edged toys
I think it’s pretty important to get kids toys that encourage pretend play like you said. This will help them develop and learn real life skills early and quickly. It is also critical to avoid those toys with small parts. Kids get into things so much I’m always scared they will grab something they shouldn’t and put it in their mouth. Kinda funny how kids put everything in their mouths.
Hi Luke,
Well yes, that’s one of our sense we don’t use it independently as grown ups. If you can’t see or hear anything and you pick up something you wont put it in your mouth because it might be dangerous. As an infant you dont know that so you use it as one of the sense you have.
I’m considering a Rocking Horse is super cute because it looks like a stuffed animal, but I’m concerned that this may be a little too advanced for the 13 month old baby boy that I’m considering buying it for because I wouldn’t want him falling off of it and getting hurt. I didn’t want to buy him anything that was too small, because like you stated in your article here, “toys with small parts can be swallowed” and I definitely don’t want that to happen, so that’s why I was considering something bigger like this stuffed rocking horse….I just want to be sure it’s safe for him.
What are your thoughts and recommendations on this type of toy? …but I’m definitely open to other suggestions or recommendations you might have. Please let me know as soon as possible because Christmas is going to be here before we know it and I still have holiday shopping to do. Thank you very much!
All The Best,
Jeremy David Wilson
Hi Jeremy,
I really appreciate all of your comments But I had to remove the link to amazon since we don’t share links of other websites within the comment section. Thanks for understanding.
For a 13 month old it should be fine, but he should at least started walking. If you are too concerned it’s always good to consider the fixed one. The kids would still love it.
I’m making a list toys for all ages with some products. You will see part of it by the end of this weekend. Thanks for asking and sharing your concern with us.
Cheers