Today I thought I’d share what Ben’s current favorite toys are. These baby toys have proven to be the best at entertaining for longer periods of time – that’s pretty much how I rank a toys value. Sometimes I wish I was one of those Moms with all wooden toys and a full Montessori setup but truthfully, kids love colorful plastic stuff and I work from home. The entertainment is necessary and wonderful.
We have a good amount of toys for Ben and I rotate them down to the basement and then back up to the living room every few weeks. It’s amazing how toys he was totally “over” two months ago are suddenly new again when he hasn’t seen them.
Some of the below we have gotten as gifts, some we’ve gotten at the consignment store (I’ve noted that below), and a few we’ve bought new (usually from Target or Amazon).
I want to note – not all of these toys are indicated as safe for an 18-24 month old. You may choose to go by what the manufacturer states on the packaging. Ben stopped putting everything in his mouth a while ago and I am always in the same room with him and closely supervising when he is playing with any of the toys below. Bottom line: Use at your own risk.
Below are a few of our absolute favorites. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something via one of my links, I hope your kid enjoys it and I thank you for helping me fund our next round of toys.
1. Squigz
I’ll be honest with you, we got these at a rummage sale at a local church for $1. Even if we’d paid full price, they’d have been worth every penny. Ben loves to put these on our slider, on our mirror, and connect them to themselves. They’re also good on tables in restaurants. Once he’s a little bigger they’ll also be a great car toy for sticking them to the windows (he can’t reach quite yet).
2. Fisher Price Little People Travel Together Airplane
I bought this recently at Once Upon a Child (a consignment store) and he loves it so much! I was surprised that these are not very expensive at full price. I would have thought it was a $20 toy but it is actually less than $10. Now I’m eyeing the bus version for him on Amazon because he’s very into pointing out buses these days.
3. Kidsthrill Rainbow Stacking and Nesting Cups
And the award for the toy that has been a hit for the longest time? Ding ding! We have a winner! Ben still loves these. There are several versions of stacking cups on Amazon but these are the best ones. The cups are slightly bigger than the set that’s “amazon’s choice” and $3.99. They also have holes in the bottom, making them a fun bath toy or beach toy.
4. Fisher Price Corn Popper
We call this his vacuum. I bought it during a weak moment in Target when I saw it on sale for $6.49. If he plays with it for more than five minutes I want to lose my mind but he loves it and it gets a lot of energy out as he races around the house with it.
5. Race Car Ramp
We bought this in December and it’s still something Ben enjoys. The cars are fairly small so we’re careful that he doesn’t put them in his mouth (he doesn’t but I’m still super aware when he’s playing with it). If your kid is still putting things in their mouth, this is not the toy for you. This is great for fine motor development since you have to put the cars on the ramp in the right direction for them to go down properly.
6. Buckle Pillow
We bought this originally for our flight to California in December. We thought he just didn’t like it but actually, he just wasn’t developmentally ready for it yet. Now he loves it! We bring it on every road trip because it can amuse him in the car for nearly an hour. This toy is a legitimate MVP.
7. Sesame Street Elmo Activity Plane
I got this for $7.50 at Once Upon a Child and Ben is obsessed. He doesn’t get much screen time (very much weather dependent – we’ve had a few days that are too hot or air quality alerts) but when he does watch tv, it’s Sesame Street. He’s a big Elmo fan. This makes tons of different Elmo noises and songs and the propeller spins and lights up. Honestly, it was underpriced at $7.50, even used.
I would not have paid full price for this unless it was for Christmas but I do think he’s gotten at least $50 of enjoyment out of it so the jury is out.
If you’re looking for some type of sit on and scoot around toy, definitely check consignment stores. There are dozens of options every time I go to Once Upon a Child.
8. Little Tykes Basketball Hoop
Do I love having a basketball hoop in my living room? No. But does it provide ample entertainment (for children and adults)? Yes. I think my husband may like this as much as my son. Ben is at the perfect height for this right now (22 months). It comes with three bouncy basketballs. Beware that the basketballs are not even a little bit dog proof (we now have two basketballs).
9. Cars/Trucks of all kinds
I finally caved and bought a few matchbox cars (even though they say 3+ and made me little nervous). He found one at the park one day and was over the moon about it. They’re too big for him to put in his mouth and unless a wheel came off, I’m not sure how they’d be a choking hazard. He loves them. We have lots of hardwood floor in our house so zooming these across the living room is a popular activity these days.
I’d highly recommend checking out Once Upon a Child or another consignment store for gently used cars and trucks. I recently got a few big dump trucks for $4.50 each. Most car/trucks are easy to sanitize and buying them used is the way to go.
I have a basket from Ikea that I keep all his car like items in and that basket alone can provide a half hours worth of entertainment.
I hope you found this helpful! Let me know if there’s a toy your little one is loving. We’re always looking for recommendations!
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