As your child grows up, they require toys that are fun yet educational to satiate their curiosity. If you’re looking for the best toys for 18 to 24 months old children that aid their overall development and promote essential skills, we are here to help. While it is fun for the child to play with their toys, parents can smartly choose ones that enhance their knowledge simultaneously. Such toys are specially designed to support their learning abilities and teach them age-appropriate skills. They help develop your child’s motor skills and hand-eye coordination. When learning happens outside the classroom, children tend to remember them better, improving their cognitive abilities considerably. With exciting designs and features, the options are endless to suit your child’s interests. These toys are interactive, engaging, and fun to keep your little one engaged for hours. So, take a look at our list to learn more.
13 Best Toys For 18 To 24 Month Olds
1. Best For Motor Skills:Learning Resources Spike The Fine Motor Hedgehog
Develop your little one’s motor skills with this toy. It consists of brightly colored quills on the back of a hedgehog. By pulling out the quills from the back of the hedgehog, your child can develop hand muscles. Children can use this toy to identify the colors of each quill and count how many quills have the same color. It’s suitable for children aged 18 months and above, and the pieces are easy to hold and fit your toddler’s hands. This video can help you learn more about the product. Pros
Boosts color-recognition Improves hand-eye coordination Easy to store Easy to wipe clean
Cons
Quills may be a bit thin Children may require constant adult supervision
2. Best For Numerical Skills:VTech Pull And Sing Puppy
This toy puppy comes with a pull cord and has buttons on its body. The buttons are of different colors with numbers labeled on them. When the child pushes the buttons, the number labeled on the button is spoken out loud. This toy performs functions similar to a real puppy–it walks, makes cute puppy sounds, and wags its tail. Pulling the puppy’s cord activates the motor skills of the child, and pushing the buttons with numbers improves your child’s numerical skills. It is suitable for children aged between six and 36 months and runs on 2 AAA batteries. Check out this video to learn more about this product. Pros
Nose lights up Promotes color recognition Stimulate language development skills Helps develop interaction skills Produces more than 60 melodies and songs
Cons
Pull string may be short
3. Best For 18 Months And Above:Playskool Sit ’N Spin Classic Toy
The Playskool Sit ‘N Spin Classic Toy ensures your child is never deprived of fun. The child can sit on the toy and use the wheel to spin around and control the speed. Through this toy, your child can sharpen their motor skills. Thanks to this toy, you can now enjoy watching your child giggle their heart out. Have a look at this video for more details about the toy. Pros
Helps learn balance and coordination Spins smoothly and evenly Easy to assemble Made of durable material
Cons
Color may vary slightly May be a bit small for some
4. Best Musical:VTech Spin And Learn Color Flashlight
The spin and learn color flashlight is a toy suitable for children aged between 12 and 36 months. It consists of a flashlight with buttons on its body and a ladybug on its handle. The buttons are marked with numbers and different colors. Since it is a flashlight with five changing lights, children can learn how to recognize colors too. This toy has more than 50 sounds in the form of songs and melodies. It makes a good toy for introducing children to colors, animals, and songs. Pros
Auto turn-off function Easy-to-operate buttons Teaches numbers and animals Has smooth edges Improves fine motor skills Easy-to-grip handle
Cons
Sound may be a bit louder than expected
5. Best For Gardening:Lydaz Bubble Mower
Children enjoy playing with bubbles, and through the Lydaz Bubble Mower for toddlers, you can teach gardening to your child while your child enjoys playing with bubbles. The toy’s handle is flexible and can be taken apart for storage. Since this toy is brightly colored, it stimulates children’s visual sense and helps them identify colors. The mower runs on two AA batteries, and the set comes with a liquid soap. Pros
Easy to assemble and dismantle Encourages pretend-play Textured wheels prevent skidding Made of ABS material
Cons
No lid for the solution compartment May be lighter than you expect
6. Best Tech Toy:Leapfrog My First Learning Tablet
Introduce your children to technology with My First Learning Tablet by LeapFrog. It resembles a real tablet and features a home button with 20 app icons. This tablet can set the base for digital learning, and your child can learn letters and animals. Your child can also play with a pretend camera and listen to music by pressing the five dock icons and talking on the phone. Children can also switch to music mode and play songs and create their masterpieces. It runs on three AAA batteries. Pros
Includes more than 20 songs and melodies Encourages interactive skills Features volume control Shuts down automatically to save energy Easy to hold
Cons
May require frequent battery change Screen may not be scratch-resistant
7. Best For Identifying Animals:Skyfield Wooden Animal Puzzles For Toddlers
This toy consists of cute animal puzzles made of high-quality and environmentally-friendly wood. The toy’s wooden surface is polished and the round edges are safe for the little hands of children. Through this toy, your child can learn to identify shapes, colors, and animals. The toy helps develop children’s hand-eye coordination, color identification skills, and cognitive skills. Since the pieces are big enough, they are safe to play with. It is suitable for children aged between 12 and 36 months. If you are looking for safe toys to play with, this is a good pick. Pros
Stimulates the senses Thick puzzle pieces Designed to fit comfortably in their hands Improves attention span Develops parent-child interaction
Cons
Some parts may be a bit smaller than expected Paint may not withstand rough use
8. Best For Dexterity:Playkidz Pool A Ball
This toy consists of four balls and a hammer. Let your child place the balls on the ramp, hammer them, and watch them roll into the bottom tray. The toy is designed to improve dexterity, grasping skills, and hand-eye coordination. When the child learns to identify the ball and hammer, there is a focus on the arm movements of the child. This toy can boost the motor skills of your child and encourage critical thinking and imaginary play. Pros
Comes with a convenient grip Built with sturdy materials Boosts self-confidence Burr-free edges
Cons
Tray may not snap well together sometimes Base may not be highly sturdy
9. Best Interactive:Best Learning Mushroom Garden Toy
This is an interactive toy with light-up mushroom buttons that play songs and sound effects. The toy helps spark children’s creativity and improves their logical thinking, motor, and problem-solving skills. By counting the white dots on the brightly colored mushrooms, your child can learn about colors and numbers. Mushroom Garden runs on three AAA batteries and is loaded with four modes–games, music, colors, and numbers. Pros
Helps improve children’s balance Teaches colors, numbers, and music Improves hand-eye coordination Has a volume control button
Cons
May be smaller than expected Mushroom colors may peel with time
10. Best Vibrant:ZHFUYS Rattle And Roll Car
The Rattle And Roll Car is made keeping in mind the needs and wants of children aged between three and 24 months. The set consists of a car with five sounders in the four wheels and the ball on its back. Your child can develop their hearing ability by identifying sounds on this toy. Since this toy is brightly colored, it can aid in visual training too. The toy helps in auditory stimulation, thanks to the different sounding parts. It also provides tactile stimulation when the child touches the parts of the car that are made of different materials, textures, and shapes. Pros
Made of environmentally-friendly materials CPCS-certified Free of BPA Soft and flexible Textured wheels to prevent tip over
Cons
May be slightly smaller than expected
11. Best For Hand-Eye Coordination:Wideland Friction Powered Cars
This is a set of four toys–a dump truck, cement mixer, bulldozer, and tractor. Children can play with these toys by just pushing them around. The bright colors can help children learn about colors and improve their hand-eye coordination, imagination, and sensory perception. Since the trucks have different names and functions, teaching about them can improve your child’s observation skills too. Pros
ASTM-, EN71-, CPSIA, and CPC-certified Made of eco-friendly plastic Non-toxic Tractor features detachable carriage Bulldozer features bucket and digging arm
Cons
May be smaller than expected May have some flimsy parts
12. Best Shatter-Proof:Liberty Imports Little Engineer Multifunctional Tool Workbench
This is a musical workbench with eight fun-filled game modes for your child. The toy plays musical sounds and tracks and flashes light through its hammer, wrench, screwdriver, and chainsaw. Children can improve their hand-eye coordination by playing with the parts of this toy, such as the toy drill, wrench, and hammer. The toy is shatterproof and safe for children aged above 18 months. It is highly interactive, thanks to the number of lights and sounds it emits. You can use this toy to teach colors and shapes to your children. Pros
Can be stored in a hassle-free manner Features volume controller for silent play BPA- and phthalate-free Non-toxic Improves color- and shape-recognition
Cons
May be a bit noisy Battery may drain quickly
13. Best Non-Toxic:Pebira Wooden Sorting And Stacking Toys
Here’s a Montessori toy you can use to teach shapes and colors to your child by stacking the different shapes one above the other in the pegs provided. When the child begins to identify shapes and colors through this toy, their hand-eye coordination improves. The toys are appropriately sized to fit the hands of little children and are safe. Each toy piece is made of 100% non-toxic wood and water-based, odorless paint. Pros
Sturdy pegs Comes with round edges Improves focus Smooth surface
Cons
Base of the pegs may not snap as expected Space in between the pegs may be small
Now that you have a list of toys you can buy for your little one, choosing the right one can be a daunting task because you have to consider multiple factors and then arrive at a conclusion. Are you wondering how to choose the best toys? Read on to know more.
How To Choose The Best Toys For 18 To 24 Months Old?
Safety
For children who belong to the age range of 18 to 24 months, the biggest concern when buying toys can be safety. And for this reason, always look for toys that do not come with sharp edges and rather have round ones. In addition to that, the paint used on these toys should be non-toxic and the material that goes into the making of these toys should also be BPA-free. Toys for children are vibrant with colors, thanks to the paint used. As a parent, you have to ensure that the children play with toys that have non-toxic paint. Furthermore, avoid buying toys that have small parts or removable parts as these can prove to be a choking hazard. It is recommended that you pick toys that are certified to be safe by eminent associations.
Storage
If you can store a toy easily, you can carry it around easily too. Some toys can be dismantled easily and stored. Toys that are easily portable can be carried around easily. However, you have to understand that when toys are dismantled and stored, you have to be very careful about the parts of the toys because you have to store them together, leading to extra responsibility.
Maintenance
Many toys need batteries to function. While some run on AA batteries, some run on AAA batteries. If you plan to buy a toy that involves batteries, you must replace them once the energy drains out. This means that it will involve some expenses regarding buying them. Batteries that stay in a device for a long time tend to lose their efficiency if not used regularly. If you are looking for toys that function using batteries, it is advisable to use them with rechargeable batteries as they can be recharged and used again. You should also ensure that children are supervised when they play with toys that run on batteries, especially the small ones, because if swallowed, it can lead to choking hazard.
Learning
Children can use brightly colored toys to learn about colors and will be able to identify them. Similarly, when children play with toys that are shaped like animals, they can learn their names too. Later, when they see a real animal, they will be able to identify them. Toys set the foundation for their learning pursuits by sharpening hand-eye coordination, dexterity, and gross motor skills. Children should be encouraged to play with children of their age group to learn social and emotional skills like sharing and taking turns. Toys can spark their creativity and imagination, which in turn sharpens their thinking abilities. Kids love to learn new things. As a part of growing up, they develop an interest in their surroundings and are always curious to learn. Toys are a way to stimulate their learning pursuits. They fuel their interests in the world around the children. Right from developing gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity, toys and learning go hand in hand. Since choosing the right toy for your children can be a challenging task, we hope that our compilation of the 13 best toys for 18 to 24 month old will help you make the right choice regarding which toy to buy for your little one.
Why Trust MomJunction?
Priti Bose is a skilled writer who specializes in reviewing and writing about kids’ toys and gifts. After scanning through numerous user reviews on several e-commerce sites, she brings you a list of the best toys for 18 to 24-month-old children. These toys are useful to develop your child’s motor and cognitive skills and provide a playful learning experience. You can select an age-appropriate toy for your little one using the tips shared in the how-to-choose section.
