It's no secret that babies are developing at record speed during 12-18 months. Luckily, there are some great toys that can help your little one learn through play as they grow from babyhood to toddlerhood and the terrific two's
Toddlers' brains are growing at a rapid rate. Motor skills are advancing. Balance is getting better. Speech is fast becoming coherent and adorable. So, ideally, you'd like them to play with toys that can aid their development.
A favourite toy could be played with daily and perfect on train journeys or road trips. A good trick is to operate the toys on a rotational basis. Hiding some and giving them others to play with. Swapping them over weekly to keep their interest fresh.
The best Black Friday toy deals for 18-month-olds 2023:
With Black Friday 2023 just around the corner, starting on November 24 2023, there are so many deals and discounts to look forward to. We'll be updating this page with the best toys for 18-month-olds 2023, on everything from electronic to soft toys, plush and sensory, you'll be able to grab the best products at a lower price, so be sure to bookmark this page and keep coming back to save yourself some money.
And with a range of toys to choose from, including some that are fun and educational, we've collected the best of them below.
Best interactive unicorn toy
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Best interactive till toy
ON SALE
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Fun and
Best Peter Rabbit playset
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Best learning vacuum toy
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Fisher-Price's push toy vacuum has it all - music, lights, and phrases to encourage your baby to
Best interactive dog toy
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Dr Pooch helps your tot learn how to dress themselves, whilst giving them a cuddly companion to
Best snap-based game
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Although it's for ages two and up, this is a fun, snap-based game that can help your toddler use
Best interactive dragon toy
ON SALE
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This cute dragon is made from super soft plush which will be a perfect playmate in a world of
Recommended puppy interactive toy
ON SALE
www.johnlewis.com
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The puppies talk, sing rhymes and songs, and teach little ones about numbers, letters, colours and
Best ice cream truck toy
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www.johnlewis.com
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Kids will love the tactile wooden block pieces in this sweet colour sorting toy. The house design
Best unicorn ride-on toy
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www.smythstoys.com
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This Baby Clementoni Interactive Ride On Unicorn offers a whole range of play possibilities. This
Best learning and activity workbench
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Best interactive learning cube
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The interactive design of this toy encourages the use of language, motor, and cognitive skills;
Best Peppa Pig toy for boosting development
ON SALE
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There are lots of fun features to discover in the Peppa Pig Weebles Wind and Wobble Playhouse.
Best toy for learning about animals
ON SALE
www.kidly.co.uk
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For those vital first years of schooling, keep little minds active and inspired by their favourite
16. My First Totem
Best stacking toy
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17. Piano Dance Mat
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Best wooden counting toy
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Learning numbers has never been more fun than with Tender Leaf Toys' endearing Counting Carrots.
FAQs
Children aged 12-24 months need stimulation. Toys that are brightly coloured and delight them with noises will help keep them busy and learning.
From ride-on toys to soft toys, look for toys for 18 months and up which encourage your tot to problem solve, and improve their motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
You might think that you have chosen the best baby toy and find that your child only plays with it for a few minutes and then discards it. Don't be disheartened; they have the attention span of a gnat at this age and tend to favour certain toys over others.
Why are toys important to toddler development?
Research shows that learning through play is an important part of a child's development. Educational toys can help develop problem-solving skills, and teach about conflict resolution and how cause and effect work. They also teach children about sharing, help develop their fine and gross motor skills and nurture their creativity and imagination.
What skills will playing with toys help develop?
When your child plays with more educational toys, they are building pre-academic skills. Here are just five of the skills that they build while playing with particular toys.
Physical dexterity
Swings, child-sized vehicles, and ride-on toys help build strength, confidence, and balance.
Creativity
Finger painting and colouring encourage artistic development, plus the fine motor skills required for writing.
Problem-solving
Nature-based activities, like digging in a sand pit, help your child become an experimenter and investigator. Building blocks, or anything your child can separate into groups, also encourages manipulation (good for motor-skill development) and categorisation.
Language development
Reading picture books together or playing with interactive toys that talk and listen are extremely important to building your little one's communication skills.
Social skills
Dolls and soft toys can be used to represent people and play out troubling emotions or situations.