18 Month Old Gift Guide

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We searched and found the best toys for 18 month olds. These are our favorite toys for toddlers that help them learn through play.

Whether you’re looking for birthday or Christmas gifts for 18 month olds, there’s something here your little one will love. We’re sure of it!

Feeding Toddlers Favorites

1. Thermos Funtainer: This is one of my favorite cups for toddlers on-the-go! These are easy for toddlers to open, and leakproof when the lid is closed. With lots of fun colors and characters to choose from, your toddler will use this water bottle for years!
2. WeeSprout Suction Plates: These are great silicone divider plates for toddlers. They also come with lids, so they’re great for traveling or packing for daycare! 
3. Lalo Smock Bib: I love this smock bib! It’s made of a thicker material and provides great coverage. Use it for mealtime or arts and crafts. It’s machine washable!
4. Lalo Booster Seat: A booster seat is the perfect, practical gift for 18 month olds. I love how this design is SO EASY to clean! It straps securely on the dining chair. Your little one will sit flush with the table. Better yet, the pelvic piece can be removed! So when your child wants to start climbing in on their own (around age 3), you can remove that piece and continue to use the booster.
5. Stainless Steel Utensils: Silicone and stainless steel (plastic-free, woohoo!), these utensils are great quality and come in so many fun color combinations. 
6. Elk & Friends Bento Box: We love these bento boxes! They’re great quality and leakproof when sealed. The perfect size for packing snacks or meals on-the-go.
7. Elk & Friends Stainless Steel Cups: These cups have a wider straw for 18 month olds. A thicker straw for milk, smoothies, and water is good! These stainless steel cups are easy to clean and also come with sealable lids. You can use them as storage, or as an on-the-go container!
8. Lalo Toddler Tower: I love this toddler tower! They’re great for 18 month olds to get more involved in meal prep. We have two and Paul still uses his at 4 years old. 
9. Lalo Big Bites Kit: This kit has everything you need. Made with food-grade silicone and stainless steel, it’s one of our plastic-free favorites for feeding! You get the mealtime cup, plate, bowl, fork, and spoon.
10. WeeSprout Snack Containers: Between 1-2 years of age snacks become more prevalent. These silicone snack containers are great for on-the-go! They’re easy to clean with no compartments that trap food.

Outdoor Toys for 18 Month Olds

1. Radio Flyer Trike: We have this trike and it’s great. The bucket seat is comfortable and it handles really well! It’s a great toy for gross motor play!
2. Cozy Coupe: An iconic ride-on toy for 18 month olds. This cozy coupe has been around forever and still ends up being a crowd favorite. 
3. Sloosh Bubble Gun: We have these bubble guns and love them! They’re fun for outdoor play. Practice chasing the bubbles and popping them!
4. Little Tikes Game Time Sports Climber: This toy for 18 month olds has it all. Your little one can climb, slide, crawl, kick a goal, and throw a ball through the hoop. It’s so dynamic. It’s a toy that will grow with your child.
5. T-Ball Set: A perfect introduction to baseball for toddlers! This set will help your child work on gross motor skills like swinging and throwing. Don’t forget about hand-eye coordination. 
6. Outdoor Toddler Swing: Toddlers love to swing! Bring the park to your backyard with this outdoor toddler swing. Attach it to a tree, or add it to your swing set so your 18 month old can join in on the fun!
7. Water Table: Another really great water table with several accessories! Water can “dump, spin, splash, shoot” and more! Great water play for toddlers and play dates with friends, too!
8. Little Tikes Basketball Hoop: This is a classic! Adjustable height and a wide rim, this is great for practicing hand-eye coordination and playing independently or with peers. 
9. Little Tikes First Soccer Set: Get your toddler outside kicking the soccer ball with this kid-sized ball and goal. Perfect for running around, working on kicking, and getting some energy out. 
10. Green Toys Watering Can: Toddlers love to help and water the plants! This is a perfect age appropriate skill that works on increasing independence, wrist rotation, motor strength and more.

Best Arts & Crafts for 18 Month Olds

1. My First Sidewalk Chalk Set: I always think of springtime play when the chalk comes out! This chalk is great for 18 month olds as they work on gripping and grasping. Short, thick writing utensils are recommended for toddlers as their hand strength increases and fine motor skills develop!
2. Honeysticks Beeswax Crayons: These non-toxic crayons are great art supplies for 18 month olds. Work on holding the crayons with their thumb towards the paper and making 1-2 scribbles on the paper. 
3. Art Smocks: A total game changer for arts & crafts! These art smocks for toddlers are affordable and protect clothing well. I love the little pockets in the front to store art supplies.
4. Dot Stickers: An unsung hero in the arts and crafts department. These affordable dot stickers are great for crafts and fine motor activities. 
5. Reusable Stickers: This on-the-go activity for 18 month olds is perfect for increasing fine motor strength and coordination. Your toddler will use their fingertips to grasp, peel, and place stickers on the different pages. They’re reusable, too!
6. Finger Paint Pad: Big pages for your 18 month old to fingerpaint and color on. Arts and crafts are always a great way to engage in sensory and fine motor play. 
7. Paint Sticks: One of our favorite arts and crafts supplies for toddlers! These paint sticks are a great size for little hands. They glide on the paper so smoothly. 
8. Non-Toxic Finger Paint: Messy play is great for learning and sensory exploration! This brand is 100% non-toxic and edible. Also, it’s made with organic vegetable ingredients and free of many major allergens.
9. Do A Dot Markers: These are a perfect less-mess alternative to markers. They help your toddler practice things like grasping and blotting. You can work on labeling colors and “drawing” pictures while developing hand-eye coordination.
10. Tabletop Paper Roll Dispenser: Turn any table into an art table for your 18 month old! With a solid wooden base, this dispenser holds 12” paper rolls. Grab some crayons, markers, or paint and have fun!

Developmental Toys for 18 Month Olds

1. LED Busy Board: Both my kids love this busy board! It has several switches and buttons that help with fine motor development. The best toy for keeping toddlers entertained – it’s one of our go-to travel toys. 
2. Little Tikes Trampoline: We have this and my kids go bananas on it. It’s great for learning to jump – a gross motor skill! I love the bar for toddlers to keep their balance. This toy is also great for deep pressure input. The packaging says 3 years and older, but toddlers can get great use out of this with supervision.
3. Melissa & Doug Sound Puzzle (Nursery Rhymes): Puzzles are great toys for fine motor development! Work on using a pincer grasp to pull the puzzle pieces out. Listen to the music while you play.
4. Stacking Cups: A simple, affordable toy for 18 month olds that teaches so much. Stacking and nesting works problem solving skills and hand-eye coordination. Stacking cups also allow opportunities to model functional language like “up, down, in, out, on top.”
5. MEGA BLOKS: These large legos are great for 18 month olds as they increase fine motor strength. Push them together, pull them apart. You’ll have so much fun building together!
6. Shape Sorter: Work on sorting 1-2 shapes in the shape sorter. The circle and star are the easiest to start with because there is not a lot of wrist rotation involved to align it. Pro Tip: Take the lid off and place it on the floor to complete the shape sorter like a puzzle. This will help your little one see how the shapes fit into the sorter. 
7. Foam Climbing Blocks: Climbing structures are great gifts for 18-month-olds because they are working on balance, coordination and body awareness. Sets like these foam blocks are sure to please!
8. Hape Pound & Play Musical Toy: A fun, developmental toy for 18 month olds. I love this because it combines music and hand-eye coordination. It’s such a fun toy and teaches cause and effect through play!
9. Balance Bike: This balance bike for toddlers works on gross motor skills like balance and coordination. Your child will love zooming around the house with it. Or, take it outside!
10. Bubble Machine: We love this for outdoor play! Work on finger isolation and practice popping the bubbles together. Or, work gross motor skills and run after them!

Pretend Play Toys for 18 Month Olds

1. Little People Farm: This little farm is a great interactive toy for 18 month olds. It has working doors, different sounds and songs, and all play figures are included. You can play pretend all day long!
2. Couch Swag Play Panel: We love to use these on our play couch. They bring so much imagination to pretend play. The car wash is a total hit in our home!
3. Green Toys Tea Set: The Green Toys brand makes high-quality toys for kids! This has been a favorite toy in my house. A great tea set for pretend play!
4. Baby Doll: Now is the time your toddler can really start mimicking you and others. Get them a realistic baby doll to take care of. 
5. Baby Doll Stroller: This has a wide base and sturdy wheels for your newly-minted walker. Let your little one push their baby doll or favorite stuffed animals around the house. Or, go on a walk together!   
6. Melissa & Doug Pizza Set: Make a pizza together. We love Melissa & Doug pretend play toys for kids. They’re so well made and last forever. 
7. Lalo Play Tent: A fun spot for your 18 month old to read or play. Make it a cozy corner or the best hide and seek spot. There are endless opportunities with this tent!
8. Learning Resources Farmers Market Sorting Set: Learning Resources makes great toys for 18 month olds. This sort and play food set is good for getting toddlers interested in colors. It’s one of our most-used toys. A bonus, it doubles as pretend play food! 
9. Little People Dollhouse: For the little one who loves Little People, this playhouse is wonderful! There are so many opportunities to learn and play. 
10. Animal Figures: Realistic looking animal figures are great to have for pretend play. This set is perfect if you already have a toy barn.

Car Toys for Young Toddlers

1. Melissa & Doug Puzzle: So many modes of transportation on a puzzle. Your toddler will love getting the puzzle pieces into the board and hearing the vehicle sounds. 
2. Wooden Ramp Racer: Toys like these make great gifts for 18 month olds because they hold their attention! Perfect for the toddler who loves cars, practice language like, “ready, set, go!” Watch as the cars fly down the ramps.
3. CAT Excavator: The perfect toy for your construction-loving toddler. This excavator looks realistic and has working parts. Play indoors or outside!
4. Pull-Along School Bus: A best-selling toy for 18 month olds, this pull-along super-sized  bus plays songs and comes with Little People. As your toddler grows, you can take the handle off to store and just play with the bus.
5. Melissa & Doug Nesting and Sorting Garages: These garages can be nested, stacked, or sorted. They also come with matching cars! This is such a cool gift for 18 month olds because it’s so versatile. Build, stack, play pretend, and practice functional language. 
6. Melissa & Doug Tabletop Train: This is one of the best toys for toddlers in my opinion! It provides great opportunities to model functional language like, “go” and “stop.” We love packing this when traveling for easy entertainment. 
7. Green Toys Pink Dump Truck: Another Green Toys vehicle for 18 month olds, and such a cute color, too. These dump trucks can be played with inside and outside. They’re durable and easy to clean. Practice loading it up and dumping things out!
8. Step2 Push Around Buggy: Great for getting your little one out for a walk, especially if they’re not a big fan of the stroller. I love the steering wheel and working horn for pretend play and keeping your toddler engaged while riding. 
9. Melissa & Doug Road Rug: An affordable gift for 18 month olds who love cars, this road rug is tons of fun. Get on the floor and play! Use functional language like “stop, go, around” and practice driving to the store, school, home, and more.
10. Hape Musical Train: Such a cute train with musical components. Listen as the train runs over the xylophone tracks. Watch as the monkeys go up and down as the train passes.

Big Gifts for 18 Month Olds

1. UTEX Pop-Up Tents & Tunnels: This play tent and tunnel will keep your 18 month old entertained and active! You can’t go wrong with a gift like this.
2. Lalo Play Kit: The cutest table and chairs! We got this right when Paul turned 20 months, and it was PERFECT. It’s durable, wipes down easily, and looks pretty! It’s the perfect size for smaller spaces. Your child can use it during playtime, snack time, and more.
3. Strider Bike: Practice balancing and steering to get the feel of riding a bike, which makes transitioning to a pedal bike easier!
4. Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair: This is the cutest chair for toddlers. They’re a cozy spot to read or watch a show!
5. Toniebox: The perfect “no screen” option for toddlers. Tonieboxes play your child’s favorite stories in an easy-to-operate audio player. Listening to stories read aloud strengthens your child’s attention, listening, and comprehension skills! Our team has them and loves them.
6. Lalo Play Kitchen: The best play kitchen for 18 month olds! The drawers and cupboards are very easy to open and close, and it’s the perfect size for toddlers. It doesn’t take up a lot of space in your kitchen. Best of all, it allows for tons of creativity! Plus, you can put it together in 5 minutes. 
7. Train Table: It’s a table and it’s a train station. The train is so fun to play with, and all the pieces can be stored inside the drawer. build the tracks in different ways. It’s such a cool toy for 18 month old train lovers. And it will grow with them! 
8. Sensory Table: This sensory table for toddlers is made with solid wood and comes with different sized bins. It’s an awesome toy to engage in sensory and imaginative play. Fill it with seasonal items, rice, beans, dried pasta, and other textures. Your child will use this for years to come!
9. Little Tikes Cape Cottage Playhouse: Toddler playhouses are the best. I love that it has a functioning door, windows with shutters, and a mail slot. Use it indoors, or outside. Bring pots and pans inside to cook, draw pictures and deliver the mail in the slot, etc. Pretend play is endless!
10. Figgy Play Couch: I would argue this is one of the best gifts for 18 month olds. Hours of fun and pretend play! Make a fort, an obstacle course, or a comfy space for reading. The covers come off for easy washing, too. You’ll have this for years! CODE: EATPLAYSAY saves 10% off any order.

Looking for more?

Make the most out of playtime and pair a toy with a book! Check out our favorite books for babies & toddlers.

Have other little ones at home? Don’t miss our toy picks for babies & toddlers to see more of our favorite ways to play for all ages.

We also curated our top 10 stocking stuffers for toddlers for the holiday season!