Best (educational) toys/games

[Cait73]

Ideas please, 14 month old bored with his toys (me to!) what can I get to play with him, educational toys and games preferably but not essential, some things can just be fun 🤗

He's at an awkward age, too big for baby toys but not big enough for anything too complicated so looking for recommendations

There are some ideas [] https://www.howwemontessori.com/how-we-montessori/otis-1-year/ here]] but don't forget to do things like getting him to put things in the washer or get him a small brush and see if he will brush the floor.

Getting outside is good too. If you've got a garden or yard, I'd get a small football and some outdoor chalks.

At that age mine loved her Little Tikes activity cube (to climb on), Leapfrog picnic basket, aqua doodle mat (with paint brushes and sponges instead of the pens!), musical instruments, dancing to kids CDs, play tunnels and tent, small doll and pram, pots and pans from the kitchen, (catching) bubbles and those spiky sensory balls.

Water play was her absolute favourite though, we used to make puddles on the patio to splash in!

Water and sand and various containers from the kitchen. Instead of sand, you can have flour, rice, beans etc, or mix water&corn flour and colouring to make a gloopy thing.

Pouring and mixing is fun for toddlers.
My 2 year old would play with these things for up to a hour , since he was under 1 year old.

You can also hide small toys in the messy material.

Orchard make good games, you could have a look at those.

Toy kitchen and play food.
Wooden railway - IKEA do a good starter set that is compatible with Brio, Bigjigs etc.
Toy till - every kid I know likes the little Tikes one.
First jigsaws - the wooden single piece lift out ones.

He does pretty much everything with me (within reason obviously) and we don't have a garden but we have a wonderful local park where we walk the dog every day and now the little man can walk he's not confined to the pushchair he gets out and pushes it.

We're stuck at home with a viral infection and impetigo and I'm bored of him emptying cupboards and taking down all the cd's

Pots & pans & spoon
Filling and emptying - pom poms are great for this or pasta/lentils/rice if you don't mind the clear up
Those toot toot cars - they are annoying though
Posting things - can use a cardboard box. We've also got that talking pig that all kids love
Cushions off the sofa for an obstacle course
Story sacks
Drawing

I found going to a few different groups helped as I saw what he liked to play with and could then buy similar things for here.

Magnatiles!! (Or slightly cheaper equivalent - I think ours are called Children's Hub)

They are open ended STEM toys and every child I have bought them for (no matter what age) become so engaged with them!

I also suggest buying the Flisat table from Ikea to everyone! (Pictures attached of some of our set ups!) As it can be used as a play table to colour, paint, draw, do playdough etc. But you can also remove the lids and use it for messy play (water, sand, foam, pasta, rice etc) - children under 2 learn through their senses, so anything you can do to encourage any sort of sensory play will help with all areas of development!

This article is fascinating on play: www.littleoneslondon.co.uk/blog/2020/01/the-importance-of-play-in-child-development

Or follow my Instagram for ideas! (munchandscrunch)

@addyt you're a hero thanks