Toddler - essential items you've purchased

[milkyman]

My ds is 2.5 - items I'm glad I've bought are:

video monitor
global 3 to 6 year old size!
rucksack with reins

Should say grobag not global

Nothing to add but bumping and watching with interest for when my baby turns into a toddler!

Little table and stool for the living room so I can watch The Hotel Inspector while she draws and feel as though I am doing some productive parenting

MANY plastic storage boxes to hide all the random crap they become attached to and refuse to let you throw away

Proper all weather clothing so we can go out to the park in the rain/snow.

Scooter and helmet- we can go for fast walks again!

DS is also 2.5

Potette plus travel potty- made potty training so much easier would definitely recommend

'Character' pants, PJs and socks- yes they are not tasteful a la Boden but I only have to say 'shall we put your Fireman Sam pants on' and DS will happily get dressed.

Wooden train set- been played with almost every day since he got it at Christmas.

The Thomas 'busy book'- bought for him by Friends for Christmas its a book with little trains and a play mat, he absolutely loves it and its great for taking on holidays to keep him occupied

Trike and ride on for the garden absolutely beloved bybhim since 18 months but he is getting too big for them now sadly and doesn't seem a bit bothered about his lovely new balance bike!

The iPad

I know, I know....but it has made car journeys and 5am wake ups bearable!

Wooden train set here too was worth its weight in gold, and 'zoomy bike' otherwise known as a balance bike!

a tough spot like this . Throw some rice/lentils/pasta into it if in the kitchen, add spoons and toy vehicles and it will keep them quiet for ages. Keep the vacuum cleaner handy. Can also be put outside with flour/shaving foam/dry sand. Also very useful for lego.

Headphones (plus ipad they have massively helped during long waits for hospital appointments)
Another vote for the potette travel potty, v useful to have as trainer seat too
Cheap plastic cookie cutters - happily plays with them and playdough / saltdough etc for ages
Waterproof trousers - much easier than an all-in-one and can have them in my bag if we need them in wet park/playground etc

Great idea Humphrey

We bought the Kalas cutlery set from ikea; great for meals out (we were always forgetting to take ours home again). Also great for that toddler stage (please tell me it's not just mine!), of launching cutlery during mealtimes. You can take a couple of forks to the table so you don't have to keep getting up to retrieve them.

great suggestions here. which wooden train set did you buy as sounds good.

Little Life backpack reins.
All in one fleece waterproof suit means all season walks and visits to the park.
Balance bike and helmet.
Wellies for winter/autumn, Crocs for summer/spring.
Role play toys, toy kitchen etc.
Gro Clock.

Booster seat for the dining chairs.

Great idea for a thread! See them all the time for babies, havent seen a toddler one before!
I think definitely the little table and chairs. We have ours in the living room and the dc use it if they fancy eating lunch in there, for drawing and crafts, puzzles etc. Really great.
A gro clock - amazing thing!
crocs - the BEST summer shoes. I buy nothing else!
Big slide for the garden - gets all that energy out when I'm exhausted!
A mini micro scooter and balance bike
hippychick tencel mattress protectors. Theyre just so so good. Completely waterproof, not sweaty at all or rustley. I couldnt recommend them enough. We have 2 per dc bed so that we can put a fresh one straight on. Kept our mattresses immaculate so far despite many 'incidents'!

My dd is only 21 months but walked at 9 so has been a "toddler" a while. my essentials have been

little life back pack reins
little wooden trike from etc
swing and slide set for the garden
wellies and regatta waterproof all in one for dog walking
football
books and puzzles
kindle fire and headphones

milkyman we got a wooden train set from Tesco and another from Wilkos - they fit together. We bought some more from the National Railway Museum and that also fits with it. They come with those little magnetic trains.

Mine would be the wooden toy kitchen and all the associated food and utensils. It gets used daily and also keeps guests' children occupied - even the ten yr olds play with it

some great ideas - thank you!

Yes our wooden train set was a supermarket basic wooden track but compatible with brio, big jigs etc so we've bought fancier bits from EBay and Amazon to add to it.

Can I go out on a limb and say our Manduca carrier?! We used it from 5 months. From about 1 we used it pretty nearly every day. You know those "do I bring a buggy or not?" Moments? Manduca solves them, folds down into a handbag, carried toddler for hours safely on our backs! Easy in and out too. Best value for money (currently at >40p per day, we bought new, if you bought secondhand you'd be laughing!)

If you want to see grins that split their face from ear to ear get them their own knife. My sister has the metal zig zag ones, like DS1's playgroup had, but I bought him a giant lettuce knife the same size as the carving knife I normally use to cut stuff. The grin on his face as he cut his own cucumber was adorable!

Stacking things - bricks, cups, whatever - everyone loves building a tower and knocking it down.

Hot Wheels loop-the-loop track

Deck Chair (I have a pic of DS1 lounging in his deckchair with sunglasses watching something on a tablet which makes me smile every time I see it)

As others have said, waterproofs, balancebike/scooter (DS1 didn't get the hang until 3.5, DS2 at 1.5 is already an expert, so it depends on child)

DS is 2.8.
The ikea plastic cutlery is great.
The foam wedge bed bumper for big boy bed - has never fallen out since we got it.
Thomas and friends pyjamas - he will let us change him now!
Also an iPad in an indestructible case...