Climbing blocks. Purchased when D1 was 15 months old and still used daily, just in very different ways as they grow Amazon.com
Magnet blocks. Used daily since around 12 months old. I never take them out of the rotation because they are always being used. Amazon.com
Wooden peg and washer set. Also used ALL THE TIME. We have come up with so many things to do with these. Works on fine motor skills - putting pegs on the board, putting washers on pegs, etc. Then color identification and sorting and patterns. We have 2 sets because the girls fight over the first one. We got this one as a 1st b-day gift for D1. Amazon.com
Busy board with all kinds of buckles and clips and things. At first they can only do the zipper, then they can do the buckles but not undo them, then they do them all up and undo them. Amazon.com
This one is the same concept but buckles on a pillow. Has been a BIG HIT. I wish we had bought it years ago. Amazon.com
Also - thank you for this excuse to procrastinate further on work
If I’m stumped (for my kid or other kids) I refer to this list that’s broken out by age. They only do one year olds and two year olds, though, not eighteen months.
Car ramp/ball ramp
Simple puzzles
(Can go a bit more complicated than this but this level was about right for us at that age)
Pikers triangle with ramp/ slide
Musical instruments
I really enjoyed getting a course about speech and rhymes and so on. Gave me ideas about stuff to sing and how to really encourage speech. It also gave me a bit of anxiety (hah!) but I do think I learned helpful things.
I followed Speech Sisters on Instagram and bought their course. The milestones seemed very aggressive to me, but I used all their techniques and then just let the pediatrician tell me if we were on track or not. (We were.) Once I digested the info I had to unfollow and just let it be. I also later discovered that watching back videos I heard more word attempts than I remember being able to hear at the time.
My parents said this about me when I was a baby, they had a video of me babbling and you could hear them on the video not knowing what I was saying. They watched it again a few months later and we’re like “oh, she’s totally saying (words they understood now)”.
Cuckoo also really likes mega blocks and is starting to be able to build with them! Another thing she’s really into is this Lovevery box where you put carrots into little holes and push them into the box.
Do you feel like she needs a fresh toy/thing at home? If not, maybe a zoo or aquarium membership or something like that?
A set of stepping stone toys are also great for open-ended gross motor, and very compact.
Magna-tiles are great too. My nephew still played with them until age 10 or 11. I bought a 90 piece set used on eBay, still expensive but about half off new prices. The 13 month old already plays with them: he started by smashing little cubes that I built, and now he likes to stack them.
Depending on budget… big money on an outing or membership.
Then one of
Duplo
Bluey garbage truck
Giant screen printed foam mounted poster for her space
Scooter
Sensory bin
Playdough set
A good quality S german brand animal toy
A backpack
Plus whatever clothes and snacks and art stuff you need anyway but also wrapped for more fun
Definitely. All clothes not urgently needed the month before Christmas and the month before Kiddo birthday become gifts. Ditto the random soap “paint” or whatever I see at the Target dollar section that catches my interest for him.
There was a family at the park today who had these reusable water balloons and they were a massive hit! The kiddo was nonstop giggling! We ordered some for ourselves.
They are so fun! We got a pack last year. Be sure to inspect when you get them, some brands the magnets aren’t encased fully and can come out. And inspect regularly just like with magnetiles- super powerful magnets. We have both, and love both, just worth keeping an eye!
