Your baby is becoming a toddler, and is likely learning to walk and become more confident in their balance and coordination skills. At this age, play skills shift towards imaginative play, and your toddler will likely pretend play with a doll or stuffed animal. Here are some toys that are (in general) developmentally appropriate for this age. As a reminder, I am not sponsored by any of these companies or links mentioned, and the appropriateness of a toy is going to depend on your toddler's developmental trajectory, which can vary greatly.
1) A Tunnel: This is a fun and versatile toy that can be used to make obstacle courses, play hide and seek, or use as a basketball "hoop."
2) Push/Pull or Ride On Toys: This includes play cars and tricycles that teach reciprocal pedaling, in addition to toys that require a toddler to learn to maintain balance and grade his or her movements.
3) Smaller blocks to stack: I love ones that are multi-use in that they can be used to practice colors and shapes at the same time.
4) Simple Puzzles: These simple puzzles from Melissa and Doug have large knobs that make the pieces easy to grasp and maneuver. It is a great way to learn the concept of puzzles, and move towards more difficult ones as they get older.
5) Crayons: There are so many crayon options available, and it is important to introduce coloring to your child at a young age so that they can strengthen their grasp and explore. While of course it is important for your toddler to not immediately try and eat the crayon (and if you can't keep it out of their mouth try again in a month or so!), there are new crayons made out of natural products that can make craft time less worrisome. While I generally recommend larger/thicker crayons for young toddlers, there are shorter crayons, triangle (tripod) crayons, washable crayons available as well.
*A note on grasp! It is totally normal for your child's grasp to look "weird" at first, where your toddler is scribbling thumb down and switching hands. Do not feel as though you need to correct your toddler's grasp, it is normal for the grasp to change and adapt during the first few years of life until they figure out what is most efficient.
Here is a link to a variety of crayon options: Click Here
6) Peg boards: I love these because they are versatile. They can be used to practice grasp strength and visual motor skills, as well as color identification. They can be stacked together and pulled apart as well, if you don't want to always use the board.
7) Baby doll or stuffed animal: this is an important toy for your toddler's cognitive development, and a way for them to practice feeding, grooming and dressing skills.
8) Books: Books are so important at every stage, and even though this was on past lists, I wanted to bring it up again. Keep reading to your child, and allow them to help turn the pages and identify what is on the book pages.
You may notice that a lot of these toys are simple, and do not have an electronic component. While electronic toys can bring value, children get exposed to screens often, so having play activities that allow for movement, imaginative expression and sequencing steps is valuable. Electronic toys can also have a lot of sensory components, so be careful if your child has challenges with processing auditory and visual components. If your child had a favorite toy at this age, comment below to share with others!
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