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Parenting

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Original poster

What does your 18 month old like to play with?

22 replies

soundsystem · 16/02/2016 08:13

My daughter likes looking at books and imaginative play (kitchen, dolls, etc), and not a lot else at the moment! I'm on the look out for toys/activities to give her something a bit different but I'm not sure what. Ideally things she can entertain herself with for 20-30 mins while I get the tea on!

What do your toddlers enjoy doing, and what are their favourite toys? I'm not looking to spend a fortune, but don't mind buying her a couple of new bits.

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teaandporridge · 16/02/2016 08:18

Honestly, my toddlers favourite thing to do is clean! He brushes the floor, mops the floor, wipes the floor?! I bought him a kids cleaning trolley from b+m and I give him some micro fibre cloths too lol. But his favourite is any of my brushes for the floor

MintSource · 16/02/2016 08:29

DS is 17 months and is just getting into imaginative play. He also loves books and I find some gems in charity shops. As his understanding and language is really growing, we sit and look at the book together and I ask him to show me certain things on the pages (Where is the frog? etc)

He also loves putting things (anything, little toys, plastic bottle tops etc) into things (again, just boxes, tubs, bowls etc) and taking them out again and repeating.

But the best buy I made recently was a plastic tea set. I don't use water in it yet but he is mad about it and loves feedings his cuddlies. You can also get a huge 150-piece bundle of toy food from Argos for about £6.

Original poster

soundsystem · 16/02/2016 10:45

teaandporridge yes, she is very into cleaning! I'll have a look at a cleaning trolley, thanks.

MintSource I think maybe I'll just get her some tubs/boxes that she can put things it - she'll enjoy that (she enjoyed taking all the pasta out and lining it up on the kitchen floor the other day!)

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splendide · 16/02/2016 11:12

Mine loves his tea set and he has a plastic iron at nursery which he carries about endlessly. Also ride on toys and anything that opens and shuts.

scandichick · 16/02/2016 11:17

I don't think my 2yo knows what an iron is

Scuttlebug is great, she'll scoot around the house on it. Got great mileage out of toot toot cars as well.

LastOneDancing · 16/02/2016 11:23

Oh Yy to the cleaning! Mine adores his mini henry hoover and cleaning trolley.
He also has a latches board which keeps him quiet and in one place for 10 mins or so.
But really he just wants to potter about playing with 'real' things copying DH and I. An ikea step so he can watch me cook/ sit on it at the side table and draw/ look out of the window has been a fabulous buy.

LastOneDancing · 16/02/2016 11:24

You are so good scandi - the toot toots all went to GMs house, they drove me insane singing at the same time!!

scandichick · 16/02/2016 13:50

I find the construction vehicles slightly less irritating - avoid the emergency set at all costs!

splendide · 16/02/2016 14:32

I don't think he knows what his iron is meant to be - he's definitely never seen me with one! I think he just likes the shape for some reason. He also has a scuttlebug, he quite likes it but he's maybe a bit young yet (15 months).

Ilovenannyplum · 16/02/2016 14:39

My 18 month old loves ELC Happyland, he will play for hours putting the people in and out of the cars and houses. Shape sorters are really popular as well, he just likes putting things in things really.

He's currently obsessed with his little tikes car, it's 'parked' in my kitchen. He likes to sit in it and shout BEEP BEEP whilst I cook dinner

Ilovenannyplum · 16/02/2016 14:40

(He has toot toot also, my god, it's SO NOISY - what idiot came up with that?!? It doesn't get set up very often )

NeedsAMousekatool · 16/02/2016 14:45

Mine mainly likes to do annoying things - rattle the Stair Gate, pull things out of cupboards, hunt down the tv remote that I've hidden, climb onto the sofa and wait for me to come by so she can fling herself off at me, drape fabrics around her neck, play with water, throw balls down the stairs etc etc. She does also like putting Things into other Things, and colouring but that needs to be under close supervision to ensure the floor and walls don't get coloured in.

geekaMaxima · 16/02/2016 16:27

Lego! The big duplo type became a firm favourite by 18 months as the blocks are really easy to push together and pull apart. Ditto shape sorters, but there seemed to be more mileage in the lego...

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soundsystem · 16/02/2016 17:04

Haha needsamousekatool that sounds familiar! Although she's not quite into colouring walls yet, she prefers eating crayons, pens, paintbrushes..

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soundsystem · 16/02/2016 17:05

geeka I can't wait for her to get interested in Lego/Duplo. At the moment, DH seems to be getting more enjoyment from it!

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maamalady · 16/02/2016 17:30

Books, crayons, an endless series of egg-shaped toys, shakers, pull-along toys, balls, blankets to wrap other toys up in.

She also loves her own drawer in the kitchen that has safe things in - an old whisk, a metal pie dish, plastic juicer, tea strainer, wooden spoon etc. Those things get strewn all over the floor (and tidied away again) with great enthusiasm.

GrouchyKiwi · 16/02/2016 17:36

DD2 likes any toy her big sister has, anything of DH's or mine that she can get her hands on, crockery and knives and food from the kitchen, etc.

When she's not causing havoc she likes books, her little piano/xylophone toy, the toy food & tea set, and her soft toys. And her ride-on mouse. And the toy shopping trolley.

Toria2014 · 16/02/2016 17:52

I recently got my LO some duplo, she is getting the hang of stacking the blocks now. If I make a house she will play with it. She has a fairy tree house she likes, the ELC one.

She does have crayons but she does try to eat them occasionally!

We have a cupboard in the kitchen that is hers with wooden spoons, plastic bottles and trays etc in it. She likes to empty that whilst I am getting dinner ready.

ODog · 16/02/2016 18:41

My 20mo will sit and do drawing or play doh at the table for a good length of time. He also likes cars, kitchen, duplo, sand table outside, balls.

Avebury · 16/02/2016 18:51

Aqua doodle/mega sketcher/baby and buggy/magna tiles/stickle bricks/duplo/bean bags/little plastic people/fisher price bus/dumper truck/books with buttons to press/keyboard

MrsA2 · 17/02/2016 07:22

I strap my DD into her high chair, sellotape some paper to the tray and let her loose colouring. Books are still our biggest hit. The mega sketcher is popular too. And her soft toys - just wandering about chatting to them/me about them. They're quite strange but wonderful at this age aren't they!

Artandco · 17/02/2016 07:30

At 18 months mine loved:

Wooden building blocks
Brio train set ( but we had to help set up)
Books
A stocking Russian doll style house, with animals in

They still play with all of them and now in school, so all good investment

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