15 best toys for 12- to 18-month-olds

This adorable Skip Hop 3-in-1 ride-on toy grows with your child, converting to three different modes as your child’s motor skills, balance, and coordination all blossom. First, your child uses it as a combination walker and wagon, helping them steady themselves against the handlebars. Next, the wagon bed converts to a seat to comfortably hold your child as they scoot along using their feet. Finally, once they’re coordinated enough, the seat comes off, and you’ve got a stand-up scooter with functional headlights, songs, and sound effects. Some parents note that it can wobble a bit, so if your little one has trouble balancing on it, being there to act as a counterweight can help keep them steady.

Heads up

Some parents felt that it was difficult to transition from one phase to the next, so make sure to hold onto the directions.

Specs

Dimensions: 22.75 x 13.5 x 20.5 inches

Weight: 5.4 pounds

Weight limit: Maximum weight 44 pounds

Power: Requires 3 AAA batteries, not included

For little ones who are on the verge of walking, the VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker is a must-have. Before babies can walk or even cruise, the Sit-to-Stand’s front activity panel comes off so your child can play on the floor, encouraging core strength as they spin gears, play the five-key piano, talk on the telephone, and sort shapes. When your baby’s finally ready to pull up and take off, the Sit-to-Stand is steady enough to help them learn how to balance as they delight in pushing it all over the room. Parents appreciate the value of this multi-stage toy and find that their babies are able to use it for a long time.

Heads up

The walker maneuvers better on hard surfaces rather than carpet. The phone isn’t attached, so it may be easy to lose.

Parents say

“We use the VTech Sit-to-Stand with my little guy and he's great at strolling with it.” 

“We have the Vtech Sit-to-Stand Walker and it has been my LOs favorite toy for months.”

“I got her this VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker and within days, she had the confidence to walk.”

Specs

Dimensions: 16.5 x 14.2 x 18.1 inches

Weight: 5 pounds

Power: 2 AA batteries required, included

The Green Toys Shape Sorter is an eco-friendly version of a classic toddler toy. Made entirely from recycled plastic milk jugs, the shape sorter will help your child develop hand eye coordination as they flip the shapes this way and that, developing fledgling problem-solving skills along the way. Parents like that all the shapes fit inside for easy storage in between play sessions. As your child grows, you can use this toy as a way to teach shapes, colors, and counting, too.

Heads up

Some parents noted that the shapes were a bit tricky to fit through the openings and that kids need help opening the saucer to remove the shapes.

Parents say 

“Green Toys makes some great toys.”

“I’m obsessed with the brand Green Toys!”

Specs

Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 5.2 inches

Weight: 12.8 ounces

Includes : 2 stars, 2 circles, 2 squares, 2 triangles

At this age, kids are delighted by music and rhythm, and the Hape Pound, Tap, & Shake! Music Set gives them so many ways to play. Little ones can practice their fine motor skills while making music (and learning cause-and-effect) when they hammer the balls through the open holes, allowing them to fall onto the xylophone and roll down and out with a delightful noise. There are also different ways to play as they can pull out the xylophone and use it solo, with the included mallet. The tambourine is another way to hone in on those fine motor skills (grabbing and shaking) while having fun with sensory play, too. As your child grows, they’ll be able to use this music set more skillfully, which will keep them engaged in it.

Heads up 

Some parents noted that the balls are a bit heavy, so make sure your little one isn’t throwing them at anyone or anything that may break.

Specs

Dimensions: Bench: 9.5 x 5.9 x 5.3 inches; tambourine: 6.5 x 6.5 x 1.8 inches

Weight: 3.8 pounds (total)

Expand your child’s vocabulary with the popular LeapFrog 100 Words and 100 Animals books. These books each contain six double-sided interactive pages, with vocabulary for animals, colors, objects, and more. When your child touches the pictures on each page they will hear fun facts and sounds, allowing them to further explore each word. It’s a toy that will grow with your child as their vocabulary develops; eventually, they can use them to learn how to read short words.

Heads up

Some had a difficult time getting the buttons to work properly.

Parents say

“I got her this Leapfrog 100 word electronic book and it’s great and she loves it.”

Specs

Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.2 x 1.9 inches

Weight: 1.52 pounds

Power: Requires 4 AA batteries required, not included

Your child will go on immersive imaginary farm adventures with this cute farm set that includes five barns, each with an animal inside. It’ll help them practice fine motor skills as they lift animals in and out of the barns, while also learning their colors and expanding cognitive skills by matching and sorting. As they get older, it can also be used for learning counting, thanks to the numbers printed on each barn.  Each animal also doubles as a finger puppet, so your child can use them for imaginary play, acting out their own farm scene.

Heads up

If the animals aren’t positioned just right, the lids of the barns are hard to close.

Specs

Dimensions: 6.2 x 10.4 x 2.7 inches

Weight: 1.1 pounds

Your toddlers can work on both fine and gross motor skills with the VTech Smart Shots Sports Center, a cool combination activity and sensory toy. The animated scoreboard lights up while keeping score and plays engaging sounds and phrases. It’s a great long-term toy because babies can interact with the buttons around the net to learn shapes, colors, and numbers (and work on fine motor skills from pressing buttons and turning gears on the net). Then as they get older and gain coordination skills, they can use it to kick balls into the net and try to throw balls in the hoop. Parents find that it’s a highly engaging toy and keeps their kids busy, noting that kids love the sounds the toy makes when scoring a basket or goal.

Heads up

Some parents say the sounds are annoying to listen to.

Parents say

“The VTech Smart Shots Sports Center is one of my daughter's favorites.”

Specs

Dimensions: 16.54 x 22.83 x 24.02 inches

Weight: 2 pounds

Power: Requires 3 AA batteries, not included

With children this age, putting things in their mouths is very much a reality, so it’s important to find safe, non-toxic toys and art materials. Honeysticks crayons are made from pure New Zealand beeswax and food-grade colors, giving them a gentle beeswax scent. They are also free from paraffin wax which you may find in more traditional crayons. We love Honeysticks because they are a natural, safe way to foster a love of art with your toddler. 

Heads up

Parents find that these are sticky to the touch. They will also arrive with a white coating on them; Honeysticks notes that this natural effect is called “blooming” and is nothing to worry about, start using them and the white coat will disappear. 

Specs

• 12 crayons
• Each crayon is 2.2 inches long and .8 inch wide
• Recommended for age 1 and up

Sized just right for your toddler’s hands, the Mega Bloks Deluxe Building Blag includes starter stacking-style blocks that are big enough to stack up into a fort or wall, or any other way your toddler wants. These thick blocks are easy for your child to hold, while their hard plastic design makes them extremely durable. Parents like that this set comes with a storage bag – especially since there are 150 pieces to keep track of! – and that you can build on your set by buying more Mega Bloks.

Heads up

It is a big set with tons of blocks, so a few might easily go missing.

Parents say

“Magna tiles for the win. We’re a lego family so I’m partial to Duplo, but I think the megablocks are awesome for kids too young for duplos.”

“We have all of them...the small legos, the duplo and the mega blocks. My kids love and play with all of them! They love the fisher price trio blocks too. The mega blocks are bigger then the duplo blocks...I don't think the duplo blocks and little legos fit together, we have never tried though lol. The mega blocks would [be] for the young ones (starters) then they move on to duplo and then the small legos.”

“My boys are 9 and 5 and still play with the mega blocks like crazy. They like the small legos too but the mega blocks get way more use.”

Specs

Dimensions: 18 x 8 x 11.5 inches (total)

Weight: 14.45 pounds (total)

Bath time is a great opportunity for additional play and learning (plus, it’ll get your kid excited to take a bath!). This fish-themed set includes several different toys to play with: stackable cups to scoop and pour water, a boat that floats, a fishing hook and fish to catch, and even fish-themed nail brush and comb. Your child can work on fine motor skills and expand their imagination while engaging in creative play during bath time. And, because there are multiple items, it’s a great toy if you’re bathing siblings of different ages. Parents also like that all the toys store neatly in the boat, and there are no small holes so water won’t get trapped inside the toys.

Heads up 

The boat is quite large, so keep in mind that you’ll need somewhere to dry and store everything.

Specs

Dimensions: 11 x 7.5 x 6.5 inches

Weight: 2.2 pounds

Toddlers often start to climb and explore as they get more steady on their feet, which means that this climbing triangle is a great way to channel their energy in a safer way than scrambling all over furniture. As they climb and play, they’re working on gross motor skills, balance, and coordination without finding themselves too high up off the ground. The triangle design also helps stabilize the item, while the thick bars are easy for toddlers to grasp and hold onto. This set also comes with a ramp that you can add on, which allows them to slide and also climb up and down. Parents love that it’s easily collapsible so you can store it under the couch, under your child’s bed, or in a closet.

Heads up

Some parents said that this was hard to assemble.

Parents say

“I just bought this for my toddler. She’s a little monkey so we bought this as a distraction from climbing things we aren’t supposed to.”

Specs

Dimensions: 36 x 24 x 24 inches

Weight: 20.4 pounds

Weight limit: 170 pounds

Taking toddlers on a long car ride (let alone a road trip) calls for extreme measures to keep them entertained and happy – luckily, this lightweight, compact Buster Square buckle toy is easy for on-the-go fun. The bright green plush square has multiple buckles on each side, with different clasping mechanisms for your child to explore closing and opening (all while honing their fine motor skills). They can also try their hand at the zipper on top, while the colorful straps and numbers printed on the back offer more educational fun. The best part? It’s a completely silent toy, making it great for traveling on a plane or for a child who does best with simple toys that aren’t overwhelming. 

Heads up

Your child may need guidance in the beginning to figure out what to do with the buckles.

Parents say

“We have a buckle toy and she knows how to buckle ALL the buckles. And a lock board...she knows all of those too. She’s really interested in stuff like that and my DS never was.”

Specs

Dimensions: 6.5 x 3 x 6.5 inches

Weight: 3.4 ounces

Practicing fine motor skills has never been more fun than with this colorful Melissa & Doug Zig Zag Tower. Your child can use adorable wooden pieces with animal faces to roll down the zigzag maze. As your little one picks up the pieces to place them on the track, they’re using their fine motor skills to manipulate them with their fingers. And, the many different colors and animals present allow for additional learning opportunities to expand their vocabulary and identification abilities. 

Heads up

Some parents said their kids struggled with getting the spinners in and out on their own.

Specs

Dimensions: 7.25 x 5 x 10 inches

Weight: 1.85 pounds

Stacking is an important skill for your tot, as it not only enhances small finger movements, but requires concentration. These Battat nesting cups are a simple stacking toy that offers tons of ways to play. Your toddler can try stacking them on top of each other to build a tall tower (each cup has a ridge on the base to make stacking easier) or they can use the cups and large bucket as a water toy in the tub. The multiple hues present a great opportunity to learn colors, while the compact design means that this store can be easily stored.

Head’s up

There are many pieces to this set, so they might get lost while playing.

Parents say

“Another thing is stacking buckets. This has been a hit with both of my kids for multiple uses. I pulled them back out for LO, and my 5-year-old is playing with them as well. Cause and effect and patterns are a big thing for them right now.”

Specs

Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 5.25 inches (total)

Weight: 1.01 pounds (total)

Kids can practice crawling, reaching, grasping, and recognizing colors with this toy tunnel from Little Tikes. It has two playstations: a tunnel to crawl through and two different types of ball-drop towers. Kids can crawl through or hide in the tunnel and practice their gross motor skills, then work on fine motor skills by rolling balls through the two tower mazes.

Another engaging feature: Kids can press the buttons on the maze to play silly sounds and music (and there’s an adjustable volume for parents’ sanity!). Parents also love that the tunnel is made from flexible fabric, so it can move and bend in different ways. It even easily collapses for storage. 

Heads up

Some parents complain that the Velcro fastener that holds the tunnel to the ball towers becomes disconnected too easily. 

Parents say

“This year I got him the Little Tikes Learn and Play tunnel because he loovvees crawling under stuff so I think the tunnel will be fun for him.”

Specs

Dimensions: 25 x 42 x 23.25 inches

Weight: 6.5 pounds

Power: 3 AAA batteries required, not included