Best Toddler Buys For 1 To 2 year olds

A few weeks ago I posted Ten Best Baby Buys For The First Year, today I’ve decided to carry on the mini series with our favourites from Caterpillar’s first birthday onwards.

That’s Not My…sensory books

Despite these already getting a mention in Favourite Books for Toddlers, I simply had to include them again because we spent so, so long reading them when Caterpillar was slightly younger.  There are dozens of titles in the series to choose from now and he was completely fascinated by the different fabrics and textures (as is any adult reading with him to be honest).

crayolaCrayola Twistables

I love these Crayola crayons because they are completely encased in plastic, meaning it isn’t a big deal if your little one decides they would rather chew it than draw with it.

Mega Bloks

These fabulous, chunky blocks bridge the gap during the time your child isn’t yet strong or dexterous enough for Lego Duplo.  Caterpillar had this First Builders table and it was great for him to cruise around too.

Blocks2Traditional Wooden Blocks

More blocks I know, but again we had hours of fun stacking and knocking down this classic toy – all great fine motor skill practice too.

Play House

After seeing how obsessed Caterpillar was with a friend’s house we buckled to pressure and bought him his own.  Most people seem to go for the Little Tikes version but this farmhouse we found in Argos was really decent quality.  He loves using it for imaginary games and still heads straight for them at nursery and preschool too.

CBeebies

Knowing what a fan I am of allowing my child to watch TV, I simply have to include our favourite channel.  I love that, since it’s BBC, there are no annoying toy adverts plus most programmes have an educational element.

Talking Tots

Of all the baby & toddler classes we’ve tried and loved it’s Talking Tots that has kept us coming back.  Classes include a really great combination of turn-taking tasks, speech activities, singing and storytelling.  You can find out about all our favourite baby & toddler classes here.

Paddling Pool

What child isn’t obsessed by water in Summer?  A simple paddling pool keeps them occupied longer than any toy and it’s a whole lot easier once they become steadier on their feet (Caterpillar was not a fan as a smaller baby).

shapesorterAny kind of shape sorter

Again, a classic toy but a classic for a reason I think.  Caterpillar had several but this basic wooden type was his favourite.  Again, brilliant for shape recognition and fine motor skills.

 

Organix Snacks

We’re huge Organix fans as Caterpillar consumed truckloads of their snacks before he discovered what real crisps and chocolate taste like!  I’ve reviewed a whole host of their products here.

AquadoodleTomy Aquadoodle

This is absolutely perfect if you have a child who loves to paint but you don’t have the energy to constantly deal with the mess!  Only water is required to bring all the rainbow covers to life then you simply allow to dry before using all over again.  Ours was put away at least a year ago but has recently made a comeback after Caterpillar fell back in love with it at a friend’s house.

I hope this has given you a little bit of Christmas list inspiration and I’ll be back soon with Caterpillar’s favourites from this year.

33 comments on “Best Toddler Buys For 1 To 2 year olds

  1. Oh I love the idea of an Aquadoodle – never come across it before. NC is just one and I am struggling to find things that ‘amuse’ him (i.e. don’t make him scream with frustration or put them straight in his mouth). Thank you 😉 #BloggerClubUK

  2. Great post!
    We love the Aquadoodle in our house – me included!
    These are all classics, and have been much loved by both of our girls.
    Have you seen the adult version of the “That’s not my…” series?!
    big love, L
    xxx
    #coolmumclub

  3. I love all of your ideas. We have a ton of blocks in our house, both mega blocks and wooden blocks. Thank you for the idea of the twistable crayons. My daughter likes to break or eat the regular crayons she uses but she is a very good artist for a two year old.

    Nicole

  4. LP loved the That’s not my… books. We had loads of them! Those crayons looks really good, when my two were young they only had the old style so I had to make sure they weren’t chewed. Great list Hun, thanks for linking with #pocolo.

  5. Great post. Twistables are great! We love them. The Aquadoodle is sooooo good too…..no mess and easy to take out and about – we love ours 🙂

    Claire

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