The Best Toys for 18-Month-Olds, According to Child Development Experts

Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog is more than cute to look at — it’s a quiet activity that helps your little one build upon their dexterity as they try to fit the quills into the holes on his back. That’s not the only way to play, though. You can also help your toddler learn colors, counting and — later — patterns by sorting the quills together. For easy storage, everything fits neatly inside Spike’s back. 

Dimensions: 9.1 x 9.1 x 3.9 inches

Introduce your little one to the concept of problem-solving with this school bus puzzle. It has six pieces that make up different parts of the bus like the wheel, door and window with easy-to-lift knobs that will work her fine motor skills.

The matching pictures of the bus, riders and driver on the board help baby understand where and how to place each piece to help build her problem-solving skills. The electronic puzzle plays parts of the “Wheels on the Bus” song as your tot lifts the pieces off. The wooden puzzle pieces are sturdy, which is a good thing, as chances are high your tot will like to bang them together. 

Power: 2 AAA batteries

Weight: 1.2 pounds

Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.65 x 0.65

As your little one is starting to build her vocabulary, a book like the LeapFrog 100 Words Book will help her expand her language skills. It includes various categories such as animals, food and colors with a corresponding image for each word, so you can point to the picture and read your tot the vocabulary word. What’s more is that it also includes a touch feature so she can play independently, too. By pressing the picture, she’ll hear the word in English or Spanish, plus associated sounds and fun facts for building her understanding around each word.

Power: 2 AA batteries required (included)

Weight: 1.1 pounds

Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.2 x 1.9 inches

Your 18-month-old loves to do things just like you, which makes this a great time to introduce a first baby doll. For an affordable, age-appropriate option, consider the Wee Baby Stella from Manhattan Toys. The 12-inch doll is adorable and comes with a magnetic pacifier, as well as a full outfit that comes on and off. It has a soft head and body that are both ripe for snuggling. 

Around 18 months, most little ones show affection to familiar people — so try to encourage empathy by asking your little one questions like, “How is Baby Jenna feeling today?” or “What should we do when Baby Stella is feeling sad?” 

Weight: 4 ounces

Dimensions: 2.5 x 4 x 12 inches

Exercise baby’s fine motor skills with this zig-zag tower maze. Tots get the ball, er, wooden pieces rolling by dropping them on top and then watching them roll down the tower. Baby will also need to figure out how to extract them from the bottom.

Each of the four smooth, solid wood pieces features a colorful animal face. Baby can also match them up with the corresponding animal paintings on top of the tower to develop cognitive skills. When she’s finished playing, all four pieces are stored in the tower as it’s turned sideways — though, it’s almost too pretty to stash in a toy box.

Weight: 1.92 pounds

Dimensions: 7.25 x 5 x 10 inches

Another way for your 18-month-old to express her creative side is through music. While she likely won't be composing symphonies just yet, this classic rainbow-colored xylophone plays eight soft notes that are pleasing to the ear (baby’s and yours).

Tapping or banging the keys helps develop her hand-eye coordination, as does using the mallet (which is attached, so you won’t lose it!). It also has a pull string and wheels so your little one can take it around wherever she goes, which also helps her develop gross motor skills. At just over a foot long, this fits nicely on baby’s lap when she’s seated.

Weight: 14.8 ounces

Dimensions: 12.4 x 7.28 x 3.03 inches

There’s nothing like blowing bubbles to get a tot moving! Kids love to chase after them and pop them, or jump around as a shower of bubbles rain down on their heads. Of course, one of the problems with most bubble containers is that in all that excitement, tots can knock over the bubbles.

This ingenious no-spill tumbler has solved that problem by creating a container with a small opening that’s just large enough for the wand to slip through. Encourage your little one to take a turn dipping the wand and blowing the bubbles — it just so happens to help her build upon fine motor skills, too, as she figures out how to get the wand in the hole

Volume: 4 ounces of bubble solution

Does your little one have a lot of energy to burn? This durable Little Tikes rocking horse can help, no matter the weather. The toy can be used indoors or outdoors and is safe enough for the younger set to ride, thanks to a low, wide profile and easy-grip handles as they work on motor skills. A nice bonus: Because it’s made of a smooth plastic, it’s easy to wipe down after playtime. 

Weight: 6.5 pounds

Dimensions: 17.5 x 33 x 10 inches

For pretend play on a smaller scale, look for one of the Fisher-Price Little People sets. This garage comes with two chunky vehicles that kids can put on the platform and lift up so the mechanic can take a look. Baby will be able to engage in imaginative play and can also develop communication skills when you play with her. Meanwhile, she’ll enhance her  hand-eye coordination and as she fills the tank with gas, places cars in the elevator, and turns the crank to raise the platform.

Weight: 2.43 pounds

Dimensions: 13.5 x 5.28 x 12.52 inches

Baby can create a chain, crown or line with these snap-and-lock beads. When she’s done, she can pull this early STEM toy apart while working her fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and dexterity.

The 28 large, colorful and textured beads are fun to play with on their own, too. When baby is older, have her sort them by color or create patterns. The beads are made of sturdy plastic and can be wiped clean when inevitable messes occur.

Weight: 1.5 pounds

Dimensions: 10.7 x 6.5 x 5.4 inches

Caplan-Colon loves dump-and-fill toys, like the Fisher-Price piggy bank, because they promote hand-eye coordination. And this particular toy also allows ample opportunities for important one-on-one interaction with your little one, from singing together to counting to pointing out colors. Plus, she’ll develop her fine motor skills by picking up each oversized coin and dropping it into the cute bank.

Help your baby enhance her vocabulary by saying things like, "Can you put the yellow coin in the piggy bank, please?" The coins also have numbers on one side and animals on the other so you can practice counting and making each animal’s sound as she gets older. And, the more than 40 songs and phrases will keep her engaged and entertained. “This toy gives babies much room for exploration,” Caplan-Colon says.

Weight: 6.2 ounces

Dimensions: 6.69 x 6.1 x 6.3 inches

If you have a little climber on your hands, they’re sure to love this U.S.-built indoor climbing gym. The climber is plenty strong for toddlers’ active lifestyles — it's constructed of strong, sustainably sourced bamboo wood and sealed with a non-toxic finish. There are plenty of add-ons to add to the play potential, including a rock wall accessory and a reversible ladder/slide. As they explore, there’s no doubt this climber will help your little one vastly improve their ever-expanding gross motor skills and balance.

Weight: 20 pounds

Weight capacity: 90 pounds

Dimensions: 31.5 x 31.5 x 24 inches open, 31.5 x 6.75 x 28 inches folded

Before your little builder gets into Legos, consider the brand’s larger, easier to grasp Duplo blocks. With this seat (and the help of a parent or caregiver), she'll be able to assemble her very own train using the 23 included blocks while practicing her problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination Once constructed, your tot will have fun zooming their train to and fro, working on her motor skills and potentially engaging in pretend play. Eventually, she'll begin to learn her numbers as she counts the cars on the train.

Weight: 1.2 pounds

Dimensions: 3 x 14 x 2 inches wide (train with wagons attached)

“Providing toys that allow for real-world play strengthens the developmental skills used for social connectedness and critical thinking,” says Dr. Burgert. “Although playing with a kitchen set, for example, may not seem very complicated to an observing adult, the skills a child uses during pretend play are foundational for social and emotional growth.”

With this Fisher-Price kitchen playset, toddlers can engage in open-ended pretend play to plant, pick, prepare and serve their own farm-to-table meals. The two-sided kitchen affords plenty of play potential, thanks to a home garden on one side and a play kitchen on the other. It also has stimulating lights and music to add to the fun. What makes this playset even better is that there’s plenty of opportunity for caregivers to play along, too, whether through expanding baby’s vocabulary by pointing out the different fruits, vegetables and animals or “cooking” a meal with her.

Power: Requires 3 AA batteries (not included)

Weight: 13 pounds

Dimensions: 17.4 x 22.72 x 30 inches

By the time your child is about 18 months old, they can begin to experiment with basic arts and crafts supplies, Dr. Burgert says. Think tactile toys (like finger paint and magic sand) for texture exploration and fine motor play, she explains. This set by Alex Discover is a great starting point, since it includes six simple activities to introduce your child to the world of art. Inside you’ll find easy-to-grip crayons, crinkly tissue and fringe papers, doilies, stickers and activity paper shaped like a tree and giraffe. You’ll be glad to have this toy at your disposal on a rainy day!

Dimensions: 12.13 x 12.13 x 2.13 inches

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that containers, floating toys and waterproof books help your baby enjoy time in the tub. So, your budding toddler is sure to love this fun, floating purple octopus. Dr. Hafeez says this type of toy — the kind that requires kids to manipulate their hands — encourages hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, making it a double-win. During bathtime, your little one will hone her skills while grabbing floating rings and placing them on the friendly octopus’s tentacles. Also nice: There are no small holes to let in water, so you won’t have to worry about keeping it clean and mold-free.

Weight: 6.7 ounces

Dimensions: 6.8 x 6.8 x 5.6 inches

This VTech electronic sports center is a basketball hoop and soccer net all in one. For active tots, it’s a great foray into the world of sports. Your little one can practice her motor skills by shooting or kicking the ball,pressing the interactive buttons and turning the spinning gears as her caregiver cheers her on. An LED scoreboard provides further encouragement and learning as it counts the number of baskets made, plus displays fun animations and plays lights, sounds and songs.

Weight: 2 pounds

Dimensions: 16.53 x 22.83 x 24 inches

Blocks are always a favorite, but this isn’t your average block set. With 70 wood pieces in a rainbow of 18 different hues and 18 different shapes and tools, the Lovevery blocks provide endless play potential. In fact, it comes with a stage-based activity guide that features more than 20 fun learning and developmental activities ranging in complexity, which helps parents make playtime more fruitful. Plus, the blocks come perfectly packaged in a wooden storage box that converts into a pull car. But since stuffing all those shapes back into the storage box isn’t all that practical, it also comes with a drawstring bag for quick cleanup. Win!

Recommended age: 18 months – 4 years-plus

Weight: ‎8.1 pounds

Dimensions: 15 x 6 x 5 inches

Bring the joy of playing at the playground to your home with this Step-a-Trail set. It's designed to look like brightly colored logs and tree stumps that will tempt your LO to practice walking and hopping along them, all while they develop motor skills like balance and coordination. Each of the six pieces included — three logs and three stumps — is made of a sturdy plastic with rubber grips on the tops and bottoms so that slipping isn't an issue. They're built to withstand more than 790 pounds of weight, so you can get in on the fun with your toddler, too. And don't worry if you’re short on yard space: this toy can be used inside or outside. 

Weight: 6.35 pounds

Dimensions: 18.9 x 5.4 x 2.5 for the logs, up to 11.3 x 5.2 for the stumps