juliet's big list of favorite toys: one-year-old edition
Back in October, I published my list of favorite baby toys. But now that I have a toddler (only by the official definition, guys. She's still not walking, so she's still a baby to me. And forever.), I figured it was time for an update. After all, even if your toddler isn't walking yet, he or she certainly won't lie under their play mat for an hour to watch their mobile turn.
These toys are Avvie's favorites, a mix of portable ones we bring out to meals and larger ones that can keep her occupied in her room while I frantically try to brush my teeth and comb my hair in .32 seconds. And yes, we read to her too and no, I don't leave her alone in her room for hours at a time and...
Bright Starts Baby Light and Giggle Drum: Avvie (currently 13.5 months) loves all things musical, as do most of her baby friends. This drum was a Christmas present and quickly became one of her favorite toys. It has these freaky mirrored lights inside that make the drum look much deeper than it really is and she's totally fascinated by it. It also speaks in three different languages and has different modes for letters, numbers, and music.
Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Smart Stages Tablet: We call this her baby iPad. At first, she wasn't strong enough to push the buttons on her own, so she would literally grab my hand and hover it over whatever button she wanted me to push. Now that she's a little older, she loves to press the music button and wiggle around. It's very cute. I also love this because it's light enough to bring in the diaper bag to keep her occupied during meal time.
Fisher-Price Little People Surprise & Sounds Home: I wouldn't have thought she was old enough to appreciate a dollhouse, but this was one of her favorite birthday presents. Many of the elements in the house make noise when you open or push them, so she LOVES to sit there and open and close the oven door.
Indestructible books: I was late to the game on these, but I'm now singing their gospel from the highest rooftops. These lightweight books are rip proof and washable and Avvie adores reading them. I think I might buy one to stash in every one of my purses, which is ... a lot.
Jellycat fabric books: Jellycat stuffed animals have also been a favorite of hers, so it's no surprise she loves their tactile soft books. These are also great to bring on car rides or to restaurants.
Mega Bloks: These were another birthday present that I never would have thought to buy her, but she loves them. Even young toddlers can master stacking them pretty easily and just dumping them in and out of their box is also pretty fun for her.
Melissa and Doug puzzles: I haven't come across much from Melissa and Doug that I don't love and all of their puzzles are no exception. The ones they make for the littlest hands have oversized knobs, so it's much easier for them to pick up and grasp. Avvie has the above barnyard version and it's how we taught her all her animals.
Schoenhut 18 Key Mini Grand piano: It's OK, I know you're rolling your eyes. But I had a Gilt credit and I couldn't pass this up. Also, hers is pink, of course. But most important! She loves plunking the keys and singing a long. I (hopefully) have a mini Tori Amos on my hands.
VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker: Many of you already own this I'm sure, but for those of you with younger babies, this thing is like crack. When your baby is very young, you can detach the music part and place it on the floor for easier access. As they get older, put it back on the walker and it makes noises as they (slowly) pot around. This has really been great for helping her balance and her hand-eye coordination.
What do your young toddlers enjoy? I'd love to know!