5 Must Have Learning Toys For 16 Months Old Toddlers
My little man just turned 16 months. Ahh!! I can’t believe he’s almost 1 1/2!! It feels like yesterday that he was a squishy newborn, and now he’s running all over the place and just enjoying life.
A lot of him enjoying life has to do with his toys! He has a few that are his favorites, others he’s just started mastering, and then some that he’s already mastered but still enjoys piddling with. But I especially love learning toys that he can grow with! Check out Nathaniel’s top 5 favorite toys for being 16 months!
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Pound-A-Peg Toy With Hammer
Nathaniel loves this toy! He uses the hammer to pound on the pegs, which is great for his motor skills. Plus it’s teaching him hand-eye coordination. He also likes to just pull the pegs out himself. LOL. But this still works on his motor skills because I can have him put them back in once he’s pulled them out. I also like this one because we can also work on basic colors with it by having him match the colored peg that I am holding. I could also put in one of each color and then have Nathaniel put the rest of the pegs in the holes, but match them to the colors already in the toy.
Battat – Wooden Activity Cube – Discover Farm Animals Activity Center for Kids 1 year +
Nathaniel has had this since just before he turned one. At the time he just would push and pull the gadgets, and he actually used it to help pull himself up to standing for a long time. Now he deliberately opens the doors, spins the rollers, spins the ABC blocks, pushes the beads along their tracks, plays with the animals and scoots them across the top, and works with the begs to move them up the squiggle paths. It’s pretty amazing how he’s grown with this thing, and there’s still a lot we can do with it!
Fisher-Price Baby’s First Blocks
My teacher’s heart gets happy when I look over at my son when he’s playing independently and I see him trying to put the blocks into the holes. Has he actually gotten one in the right place yet? No. But he will! This is such a simple (and cheap) learning toy! And once he’s mastered this, he’s got a little bucket that he can practice putting things in and taking things out! I love toys that have multiple uses!
I got this book for Nathaniel when he was around 6 months old. When I first showed him this book, he would just sit and try to have his eyes follow the little bug while it ran around the board. When he became more mobile, we played a game where he tried to snatch the bug while she was running around the board. Now he tries to put the bug on the board himself. And one day we will read all of the words together as the bug zooms across the pages. I love Usborne books and have so very many of them, but this is definitely one of Nathaniel’s favorites!
This is one of Nathaniel’s absolute favorite toys! I got it for him before he was one, and he honestly never really payed it any attention. The week after he turned 1, I showed him how to put the ball on the top and he did it effortlessly. Now that he’s mastered putting the balls on top and watching the cause-effect relationship, he tries to put all kinds of things on top to see if they go down. He’s tried other toys, blocks, and even a green bean he didn’t want to eat. I wish I had thought of the idea of trying other objects on this toy!
One thing I like to remember is that every toddler is different! Some may have already mastered these toys, while others may just now be learning how to play with them. And that’s ok! Nathaniel has been ahead of his age in some areas and behind in others. But it never fails that when I read up on his next milestones, he always hits them in those upcoming weeks or months.
So keep introducing your toddler to all kinds of experiences! Thanks so much for reading! If your toddler has a favorite toy, please let me know below in the comments! I’m always on the lookout for new learning toys or activities!
