This list covers toys for 12 month olds all the way through 17 months. 14 month olds are young toddlers who need lots of stimulation and exposure to different things to stay busy (and happy… amiright ??!).
It’s built around what kids this age are mastering developmentally, and sorted into the 11 play categories I use at home.
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Developmental Milestones for 12 to 18 Month Olds
I’m pulling from two checklists here: the CDC’s 1 year milestones and the CDC’s 15 month milestones. These are skills most kids (75% or more) can do by that age, grouped the way the CDC does.
Social and emotional
- Plays games with you, like pat-a-cake (by 1 year)
- Copies other children while playing, like taking toys out of a container when another child does (by 15 months)
- Shows you an object they like and claps when excited (by 15 months)
- Hugs a stuffed animal or doll and shows you affection (by 15 months)
Language and communication
- Waves bye-bye, calls a parent “mama” or “dada,” and understands “no” (by 1 year)
- Tries to say one or two words besides “mama” or “dada,” like “ba” for ball (by 15 months)
- Looks at a familiar object when you name it (by 15 months)
- Follows directions given with a gesture and words, like handing you a toy when you hold out your hand (by 15 months)
- Points to ask for something or to get help (by 15 months)
Thinking and problem-solving
- Puts something in a container, like a block in a cup (by 1 year)
- Looks for things they see you hide, like a toy under a blanket (by 1 year)
- Tries to use things the right way, like a phone, cup, or book (by 15 months)
- Stacks at least two small objects, like blocks (by 15 months)
Movement and physical
- Pulls up to stand and walks while holding on to furniture (by 1 year)
- Picks things up between thumb and pointer finger (by 1 year)
- Drinks from a cup without a lid while you hold it (by 1 year)
- Takes a few steps on their own (by 15 months)
- Uses fingers to feed themselves some food (by 15 months)
Here’s how those skills line up with the play categories below:
| What they’re working on | Play Category | Jump to |
|---|---|---|
| Pulling up, cruising, first steps | Gross motor | Gross motor |
| Pincer grasp, putting things in containers | Fine motor | Fine motor |
| Stacking two blocks | Blocks and close-ended | Blocks, Close-ended |
| Finding hidden toys, cause and effect | STEM and sensory | STEM, Sensory |
| First words, naming objects, pat-a-cake | Musical toys and books | Musical |
| Using a phone or cup “the right way” | Pretend play | Pretend play |
| Hugging a stuffy, feeding themselves | Nurturing and self-care | Nurturing |
| Copying other kids, exploring without rules | Open-ended and art | Open-ended, Art |
And the usual reminder: every kid runs their own race. One of my boys walked at nine months (early!) but didn’t start talking until 15 or 16 months. If something is nagging at you, bring it up with your pediatrician. You know your kid best.
Toy Rotation & Independent Play
It’s not too early for independent play, either. At this age it looks like your little one playing in the high chair while you cook, watching you and entertaining themselves for a few minutes. Just stay close, since 1 year olds still mouth everything.
You might be accumulating quite a few toys by this stage, so you can start thinking about a toy rotation system to keep them organized, and keep your baby entertained. Not sure which toys to pull? The 11 toy categories make it quick.
Gross Motor Toys for a 12 to 17 Month Old
Pulling up, cruising along the couch, and those first wobbly steps all happen in this window. A push walker without a lot of buttons is the best help for first steps.
Toddlers love to push anything. Our gross motor toy guide has more ideas for small spaces.
Radio Flyer Steady Start Balance Bike
We put our kids on balance bikes as soon as they were walking, and by 4 both were riding pedal bikes with no training wheels.
Radio Flyer Steady Start Balance Bike
Once your child is walking, they are ready for a balance bike! We had an indoor balance bike that no longer exists. I chose this one because of the super wide wheels (easy to balance), and rubberized wheels (keeps scratches off your floors and kids from slipping on wood and tile surfaces).
- STABLE 3-WHEEL DESIGN: A wide front wheel and dual rear wheels help the bike stand on its own – no kickstand needed – making it an ideal training bike for toddlers as they ride on sidewalks, paved driveways, and indoor floors.
- QUIET RIDE, INDOOR & OUTDOOR: Wide, treaded wheels deliver a smooth, quiet ride on hardwood, carpet, cement, or paved paths – making this the perfect kids bike for playtime anywhere.
- GROWS WITH YOUR TODDLER: The tool-free adjustable, padded seat and comfort handgrips provide a secure, comfy fit as your child grows, ensuring years of active play for toddlers and young kids.
Toddleroo Playard
As your little one is getting more mobile (and adventurous), a playard is a great way to keep them in a safe space… And out of your cabinets!
Toddleroo Superyard Playard
We used ours as a playpen, and when my little one wanted more space to roam, we attached it to the walls (with the adaptor) and created a baby-safe side of the room.
- SAFE PLAY SPACE: Create a safe play area for kids. The 6-panel play yard encloses up to 18.5 sq. ft. and is 26 in. tall. Our portable baby playpen has six bright, playful colors and folds quickly for easy portability with included carry strap.
- INDOOR & OUTDOOR USE: Our baby play yard is great for indoor or outdoor use. The UV-resistant design keeps colors vibrant and ensures long-lasting durability. The SuperGrip feet and skid-resistant pads prevent movement and protect hardwood floors.
- EASY TO USE: The baby fence has self-locking hinges that only bend in one direction. The clicking noise ensures the hinges are locked. Use our Superyard Wall Mount Kit (sold separately) to convert the play yard into an extra-wide baby gate.
- ADJUSTABLE & FLEXIBLE: Adjust our toddler playpen to fit your space. The hinges move independently for angled or straight setups. Need a bigger area? Add a 2-Panel Extension (sold separately) for 6.5 ft. corner to corner, a 34.4 sq. ft. play area.
- MADE IN USA: Our Baby Safety Alliance certified play yard brings peace of mind to the entire family. We stand for the highest safety, quality, and operational standards while creating the ideal collection of products for babies ages 6-24 months. Proudly made in the USA!
Toddleroo Superyard Wall Mount Kit
We used this wall mount kit to convert our playard into an extra wide gate. And don't worry, once you attach it to the wall, it's still easy to take on and off to convert back to a playpen when needed.
- PERFECT FOR WIDE OPENINGS: This wall mount kit allows your Superyard to span openings from 38.5 in. up to over 16 ft., making it ideal for open floor plans or large spaces that need to be sectioned off.
- COMPATIBILITY: For use with Superyards and Petyards up to 6-panels. To ensure safety, do not exceed 6-panels. Not for use at the top of stairs.
- EASY TO INSTALL: The Superyard Wall Mount Kit should be mounted into solid materials such as wood, metal or a stud behind sheetrock. Each Wall Mount Kit comes complete with wall hinges, screws and mounting connectors.
- FLEXIBLE CONFIGURATION: The hinges on the Superyard allow you to move the panels independently for the perfect fit. Stretch the panels straight across or at an angle, the choice is yours.
- MADE IN USA: Our Baby Safety Alliance certified play yard brings peace of mind to the entire family. We stand for the highest safety, quality, and operational standards while creating the ideal collection of products for babies ages 6-24 months. Proudly made in the USA!
Other Gross Motor Toys we Love for Toddlers
I like a push walker that isn’t covered in buttons and lights, so the focus stays on walking. My kids also can’t get enough of their doll strollers, shopping carts, and soft play. Our ball pit actually started life as a baby gym, which is why I put it on my registry in the first place.
Skip Hop Baby Walker
One of the things I dislike about most walker toys is that they are covered in buttons, lights, and other distractions. This design leaves a little market for kids to play with, but the focus is on the walking aspect.
- Grow-With-Me Fun in 5 Ways: From first sit-ups to confident cruising, our convertible baby walker grows with your little one from 6 months to 5 years. Sit, cruise, push the shopping cart, roll the stroller, or dive into pretend play and spark creativity with endless ways to explore, learn, and play!
- Supports Balance, Motor Skills & Early Learning: Our baby push walker is thoughtfully designed to help little ones practice walking, balancing, and counting. Its interactive features encourage gross and fine motor development, imaginative play, and early problem-solving in a fun, engaging way.
- Detachable Play Panel for Floor & Easel Play: The removable play panel turns into a mini easel or floor activity station. Detachable fruits and veggies let kids role-play as farmers market workers or shopkeepers, building hand-eye coordination, cause & effect, and pretend play skills while exploring at their own pace.
- Farm-Themed Fun: With a bright, farmstand-inspired design, the baby activity walker includes interactive fruits and veggies designed to keep your child engaged and entertained for years of learning fun. Coordinates with Skip Hop Farmstand collection. Size (inches): 16.3L x 18.5W x 18H
ECR4Kids SoftZone Traversing Trio
Bright Starts 5-in-1 Your Way Ball Play – Jumbo Play Mat
Both of my kids loved this play gym as infants. From laying on their back watching the singing elephant, to tummy time on the silky mat, to propped up with the included pillow, and when they are ready to sit and play, it converts to a ball pit!
- Includes 40 balls with carrying case for easy storage
- Cheerful elephant toy lights up and plays 20 minutes of music (and detaches for on-the-go fun)
- Includes 7 tropically cool take-along toys: elephant musical toy, crinkle toy, mirror, flash cards, hanging leaf toy and bead rattle
- Grow with me from infant to toddler, ages newborn and up
- Machine washable mat and easy-to-clean wipeable toys
VTech Pop-a-Balls Bulldozer
My kids loved pushing this around and watching the balls pop out. It does take some finess to get the balls to go into the bulldozer, but it was great fine motor practice loading the balls back up with their hands too.
- Push the handle to roll the red bulldozer across the floor and watch it pop balls out of the chimney into the bucket
- Press the buttons to learn colors, numbers, phrases and music
- Grab the chunky handle to encourage motor skill development
Strider 12 Sport, No Pedal Balance
As soon as our kids were walking, we had them on balance bikes! And by 4 both were riding pedal bikes with no problems and no training wheels!
ECR4Kids SoftZone Single Tunnel Climber
Kids love soft play (with foam building blocks and large cushions). Mine play with these at the gym, the library, and science center.
Fine Motor Toys for a 12 to 17 Month Old
“Puts something in a container” and that thumb-and-pointer-finger pinch are both on the 1 year checklist. Anything that goes in, drops through, or comes back out is gold right now. More options live in our fine motor skills toy guide.
Melissa & Doug GO Tots Wooden Barnyard Tumble
My second child loves this barn. It’s the classic coin-slot activity in toy form, with chunky disks instead of actual coins. The GO Tots barn is one of our favorite Melissa & Doug baby and toddler toys.
Melissa & Doug GO Tots Wooden Barnyard Tumble
My second child loves this barn. The disks roll, drop, and make noise in the barn. Hidden doors make each drop exciting.
- 5-piece set includes 4 collectible double-sided GO Tots disks (8 animals and 2 farmers), colorful wooden barn with silo, haystack, sliding doors
- Compatible with other GO Tots play sets; kinetic play with GO Tots offers opportunities to explore cause-and-effect through delightful motion-driven moments
The bead maze is simple and it holds attention. The matching eggs are a fine motor puzzle that doubles as pretend food later. And yes, I’m recommending drink coasters. Stacking coasters were a must-have for both of my kids, and the silicone ones are much better when they end up in someone’s mouth.
Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze
Little ones love to slide the bobbles from one side of the track to another.
- Classic Bead Maze Play: Babies explore four looping wires with 18 beads and 3 rings that slide & spin, encouraging pushing, pulling, & grasping motions while on the floor, at a table, or in a high chair
- Montessori-Inspired Learning Toy: Sliding & spinning actions strengthen fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving while introducing shapes, colors, and cause-and-effect learning through play
Little Tikes Matching Egg Toy
Connect the eggs together and place them in the carton. It's great fine-motor practice. My kids also like using the eggs for pretend play when they aren't solving the puzzle.
- Educational Matching Fun: Our Easter Egg Toy features 12 colorful eggs that promote cognitive development through matching colors and shapes. Each egg separates for a fun and educational experience.
Free ideas: Tape a few paper towel rolls to the wall and let your toddler drop toys through into a bucket (use big toys, since anything that fits through a toilet paper roll is a choking hazard). Or wrap a favorite toy in tissue paper to unwrap. The first time my son tore tissue paper, he spent 45 minutes laughing hysterically. My cheeks hurt from smiling.
Open-Ended Toys for a 12 to 17 Month Old
Open-ended toys are toys that have no “right or wrong,” way to play with them. At this age that looks like dumping, filling, stacking, knocking down, and doing it all again.
It’s also how they copy other kids (a 15 month milestone). Our open-ended toys guide has the ones that last for years.
The First Years Stacking Cups
Playtime, bath time, you name it, my babies loved these. Stack them, nest them, knock them over, fill them with water, fill them with blocks. They hit the “puts something in a container” milestone and the stacking one without trying. If you only buy one thing for a 1 year old, this is a pretty good bet.
The First Years Stacking Cups
Playtime, bathtime, you name it, my babies loved these! Stack them, build them, and knock them over!
- This set of stacking toys features 8 brightly colored cups that stack together with unique holes in the bottom for pouring and water play at bath time
- Montessori Stacking Toys
- Made without BPA for toddlers and kids ages 9 months and up
Play silks are the other toy we’ve used from the newborn days into the preschool years. Right now, hide a toy under one and let them find it (that’s the “looks for hidden things” milestone).
Newcotte 5 Set Magic Color Silk Scarf
One minute you're running these silks through your newborn's fingers for sensory play, the next your toddlers are wearing them as capes, tying them into ropes, building forts, and more.
- More Fun Than You Realize: can use it as a game prop, play hide and seek with their friends, throw the handkerchief and more, offering a diverse range of open ended play experiences
- Versatile: we can use this play scarves as carriers, scarves, capes, grass for rocking horses dance props and even to build forts with play clips, and also can be a sling for a doll or stuffed animal, a decorative backdrop for a make faith scene, there is more fun waiting for you to discover
- Durable: our large square scarves are made of durable reusable satin chiffon fabric ideal for playing dress up, doll blankets, dancing and twirling, capes, activities and songs, Halloween costumes, picnics, traveling, movement, juggling, and more
- Promotes Motor Coordination: the flowing scarves are ideal for dance and movement activities helping to improve balance coordination and rhythm they can also for tossing catching waving and storytelling promoting physical development and boosting confidence
Close-Ended Toys for a 12 to 17 Month Old
Close-ended toys are the ones that have instructions, a solution, or a winner (like a puzzle or a game). This is the age where babies can start to do puzzles, and practice taking turns. Kids need both open-ended and close-ended toys. My close-ended toys guide explains why.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Jumbo Peg Puzzle 2-Pack
These look almost too easy, but even my 2 year old struggled with turning the pieces the right way. The big pegs are easy for little hands to grab, and you can name each picture as they go for bonus words.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Jumbo Peg Puzzle 2-Pack
These may seem super easy, but even my 2-year old struggled with orientation of the puzzle pieces. They can work on them for a long time before mastering the activity.
- Piece together early learning fun with a set of two Melissa & Doug 3-piece wooden jumbo peg puzzles
- House Pets features an adorable puppy, kitten, and bird in a house-shaped puzzle board
- Fish Bowl features a fish, turtle, and crab in a fishbowl-shaped puzzle board
- Pieces have easy-grip knobs, perfect for little hands just developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, and matching pictures underneath for easy solving
My second loved stacking, so the parking garage was a hit (stack the cars or just drive them). The soft block set is just as fun to squish and chew as it is to stack, and later they can match the pictures./
Melissa & Doug Stack & Count Wooden Parking Garage
My second loved stacking. Anything that could stack was a winner in his book, so I knew this would be a hit and it was! You can stack the cars, or play with them.
- Wooden vehicle stacker
- Includes 10 toy cars, sliding counter, and wooden frame
- Clever drop-down counter encourages early math skills
- Compact design
Melissa & Doug K's Kids Match and Build Soft Blocks Set
These blocks are just as fun to squish and chew as they are to stack and build. As kids get older they can solve the puzzles to extend the life of the toy
- Soft block set for babies and toddlers
- Matching activities pair numerals and quantities, animal halves, and everyday shapes
- Soft, lightweight pieces (10 cubes and 4 triangles) are easy for young children to lift and manipulate
- Develops sensory, fine motor, and communication skills
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Blocks and Building Toys for a 12 to 17 Month Old
Stacking two blocks is a 15 month milestone, and knocking down your tower is the favorite part. Our building toys guide breaks down the different kinds.
Mega Bloks First Builders Building Bag
These were the first building blocks we owned, and my kids still played with them until the were over 4! They’re the perfect size for this age: big enough to be safe, easy to press together, and easy to pull apart. At first, you build and they demolish (with gusto).
Mega Bloks First Builders Building Bag
These were the first building blocks we owned and our kids will still play with them (even though we've graduated to LEGOs!).
- PERFECT FIT FOR LITTLE HANDS: Easy to grip, stack and pull apart, our blocks are designed for little hands
- FIRST BLOCKS IN HOME: Features 150 big building blocks including special shapes
- CREATIVE LEARNING PLAY: TODDLERS can build anything they imagine and learn colors
Soft blocks are great for kids who still chew on everything, and my kids love big foam blocks at the gym, the library, and the science center.
B. Toys Elemenoqueeze Soft Blocks Learning Set
Fun and squishy to build and chew.
- Every block is an educational and sensory experience
- Each one features a letter of the alphabet, as well as a different animal for every letter!
- Learning Toy: Build your masterpieces, improve your motor skills, and learn the alphabet along the way with these soft unit blocks.
- Play Any Way: Nibble on them, toss them in the tub, play with them wherever you want!
Infantino Press & Stay Sensory Blocks
These blocks are easy to stick together because of the bristles. They are great for sensory play with the bristles too.
- PRESS, STACK & STAY: When little builders have big ideas, Press & Stay blocks make it easier to bring them to life.
- The interlocking pattern connects without perfect alignment, so children can press the blocks together, pull them apart, and keep building with less frustration
- DISCOVERY THEY CAN FEEL: High contrast colors and interesting textures give little hands more to explore. Pressing, connecting, stacking, and separating the sensory blocks encourages hands-on discovery through every build
Melissa & Doug K's Kids Match and Build Soft Blocks Set
These blocks are just as fun to squish and chew as they are to stack and build. As kids get older they can solve the puzzles to extend the life of the toy
- Soft block set for babies and toddlers
- Matching activities pair numerals and quantities, animal halves, and everyday shapes
- Soft, lightweight pieces (10 cubes and 4 triangles) are easy for young children to lift and manipulate
- Develops sensory, fine motor, and communication skills
The big foam blocks we play with at the gym are from ECR4Kids.
ECR4Kids SoftZone Climb and Crawl Playset
Kids love soft play (with foam building blocks and large cushions). Mine play with these at the gym, the library, and science center.
- Activity Playset: Five big, soft foam blocks for toddlers to use as they develop agility and improve important motor skills in a playroom or classroom; a thoughtful gift for birthdays or holidays.
- Motor Development: Assemble a fun beginner climber by connecting large square and ramp with stay-put fasteners; little adventurers will gain confidence while crawling and climbing across the pieces.
- Durable Materials: Dense foam core is covered in soft vegan leather; platform, wedge and half-moon shapes feature a non-slip base for stability.
- Certified Safe: This latex-free indoor play set is UL GREENGUARD Gold Certified for low VOCs, CPSIA compliant, adheres to CAL TB 117 requirements, and constructed with CertiPUR-US Certified foam.
- Product Dimensions: Platform 40in L x 16in W x 8in H; half-moon 16in L x 16in W x 8in H; rectangle 16in L x 8in W x 8in H; cylinder 16in L x 8in D; Adult Active Engaged & Direct Supervision Required.
ECR4Kids SoftZone Single Tunnel Climber
Kids love soft play (with foam building blocks and large cushions). Mine play with these at the gym, the library, and science center.
ECR4Kids SoftZone Traversing Trio
Musical Toys and Books for a 12 to 17 Month Old
First words, pat-a-cake, and looking at an object when you name it are all on the developmental checklists, and music and books are where that practice happens. My kids’ favorites have always been a guitar that strums, a xylophone, and a karaoke machine. More in our musical toys guide.
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn DJ Table
We love this DJ set. At this age it also doubles as a pull-to-stand toy for cruisers, so it’s gross motor and music in one. Our Laugh & Learn DJ table is one of our Fisher-Price favorites.
Fisher-Price Baby & Toddler Toy Laugh & Learn DJ Table
We love this DJ set! It takes your standard kids piano and raises the bar with other DJ features like a turntable and recorder to recor their own songs. Even better it grows with them and becomes a pull-up-to-stand toy as your little one gets bigger!
- Musical activity table with 3 piano play modes, multi-color lights, and 12 engaging fine motor activities
- 100+ songs, sounds & learning phrases! Press the 8 piano keys, spin the light-up Puppy disc, or press the light-up number pad
- 3 Smart Stages learning levels teach colors, shapes, numbers & counting, opposites, the alphabet and more; Use the globe button to select a language: Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, or English
- This toy helps foster fine motor skills, balance and coordination while introducing cause & effect to babies and toddlers ages 6 months to 3 years old
- Record & play back: Record a fun message and hear the DJ mix it into a song
The pound and tap bench is two toys in one (pound the balls onto the xylophone, then slide the xylophone out and play it). The Skip Hop DJ set is cause and effect in a package that looks like the real thing.
Hape Pound & Tap Bench
A 2-in-1 toy that kids can tap balls directly onto the xylophone for new sounds, or pull out the xylophone and play some tunes of their own.
- Pound the balls and they will drop on the xylophone, tinkling out a pleasant scale of notes
- Pull out the xylophone and play a tune directly on the keys
- Hape finishes are all non-toxic, child safe, and of the highest quality
Skip Hop Baby Musical DJ Set
This is a fun one for budding musicians. It is perfect for cause and effect learning for little ones as they press and slide buttons. It also grows with them because it looks like the real thing!
- Mini mix masters will love to play fresh u201cbeetsu201d with our fruits & veggies-themed DJ set
- Helps encourage fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination & pretend play; Helps teach cause & effect
- Light-Up DJ Bunny: 5 songs, multicolor lights & soft textures; Carrot & Beet Seesaw: 10 sound effects & soft textures
- Tomato Buttons: 4 fun sound effects including airhorn; Melon Turntable & Spinner: 3 scratch sounds & 5 sounds effects; Blueberry Slider: Click-clack sound
Hape Mighty Echo Microphone
An echo microphone doesn't need batteries or produce sounds. Just sing into the center and hear your voice amplified. It's a great addition to a musical instrument set.
- Echo-effect: Clever acoustic design creates a microphone-style voice effect using natural echo, with no batteries needed.
- Pretend-Play Button: The red microphone button is a decorative feature designed for imaginative play and has no functional effect.
- Creative Learning and development: The music toy stimulates speech and singing ability in toddlers. This toy promotes development of musical skills and creative expression
- Age Recommendation: the Hape mighty Echo microphone is perfect for kids 12 months and up
Melissa & Doug Poke-a-Dot Old MacDonald's Farm Book
I will admit I was skeptical about this book series. At a first glace it seemed like just adding a "pop-it" to a book page (I didn't see the value). But after reading, I realized the popping is an interactive part of the story (sometimes finding pictures or words on the page, sometimes "crossing off" items, etc.). Now we are the proud owners of 4 of these books and counting! My kids love them!
Toniebox 2 My First Farm Bundle
We love our Tonie player so much that I have a whole review dedicated to it. Plus Tonies have come such a long way since our original player!
- Screen-free music and stories for children
- Hundreds of audio choices or make your own audio
- Kids can control with the simple buttons
Tonies My First Jungle Set
- Sneak through the trees with a tiger, swing through the branches with a monkey, or fly high with a colorful parrot! With short, lovingly told stories about tigers, monkeys, and parrots, they help build vocabulary, boost listening skills, and encourage early language development in a fun, engaging way.
- Real sounds from the real world: Boost kidsu2019 curiosity about the world around them with real audio, from the roar of a plane engine to that of a tiger. Sounds and songs for the big first words.
- Soft and squeezable design for tiny hands: From the squishy and soft texture to the larger yet lightweight size, My First Tonies are specifically created for kids 1+ to safely handle all on their own.
Free ideas: Wooden spoons plus pots and pans equals a kitchen jam session. Sing lullabies (here’s my free printable of 16 lullabies with lyrics) and play patty-cake, even if it’s just a high five for now. And keep books where they can reach them. Books aren’t part of our rotation. They’re always out.
Art Supplies for a 12 to 17 Month Old
Scribbling is on the 18 month checklist, so this is the warm-up stage: learning to grip, making marks, and discovering that their hands can change what they see. Art doesn’t have to mean mess, either. Our art supplies guide sorts everything by mess level.
My First Crayola Palm-Grip Crayons
These egg-shaped crayons fit right in a little fist, so they can figure out grasp and making color on paper without you helping. Tape the paper to the high chair tray (trust me) and let them go.
Crayola; My First Crayola; Palm-Grip Crayons
These egg-shaped crayons let little ones understand grasp and making color on paper without needing help.
- 6 palm-grip egg shaped crayons are sized to fit toddlers' palms so they can easily make their first marks
- My First Crayola art tools provide children their first art supplies made especially for their little hands so they can create
- Introduces toddlers to color exploration as they develop Physical and Thinking skills
- AP Certified nontoxic
The mess-free finger painting station puts real finger paint under a thin layer of plastic, so they push the colors around and nothing ends up on the walls.
Crayola Mess Free Finger Painting Station
This kit let's your little one play with actual finger paints without any mess. The paint goes under a thin layer of plastic that lets toddlers push the paints around a canvas and create a masterpiece!
- TODDLER FINGER PAINT SET: Features Easy Clean Finger Paint Case, 3 (5 oz) Squeeze Bottles of Washable Finger Paint, and 10 Coated Sheets of Finger Painting Paper. (Refill with Crayola Washable Fingerpaints & Giant Fingerpaint Pad – sold separately).
- MESS-FREE FINGER PAINTING: This toddler painting set lets little artists finger paint on the flexible Finger Paint Unit cover. Finger Paint and Paper are secured under the locked lid for mess-free creativity!
- EASY CLEAN-UP: Put the Finger Paint Unit under the faucet or in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.
- SENSORY ART TOY: The flexible covering allows little artists to explore textures and colors with their hands, making it an excellent sensory art toy for kids.
Free ideas: Water painting is my favorite: a shallow bowl of water, construction paper, and brushes, sponges, or Q-tips at the high chair (if your kid is energetic like mine, tape the paper down). Or squirt paint on paper, seal it in a zip-top bag, and let them squish.
Sensory Toys and Activities for a 12 to 17 Month Old
Sensory play is how 1 year olds figure out the world: squishy, crinkly, wet, cold. Most store-bought sensory bins have too many small parts for this age, so I lean on books and DIY. More ideas in our sensory toys guide.
DK Baby Touch and Feel Animals
We must have two dozen touch-and-feel books from DK. They’re great quality, and every book has different textures (some brands use the same few in every book). They check a bunch of boxes at once: textures to explore, animals to name, pages to turn, and a book they can flip through on their own for a few minutes while you finish dinner.
DK Books Baby Touch and Feel Animals
We must have 2 dozen touch-and-feel books from DK. They are great quality and have a lot of different textures (where some brands have the same textures in every book).
- Touch and feel books help children who are not interested in books engage in books
- The sensory experience of seeing a picture, hearing you read the words, and feeling the texture is perfect for early development
A water play mat is a no-spill way to play with water indoors. The soft activity book is small enough to toss in the diaper bag and works like a mini busy board.
Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers Sensory Splash Water Play Mat
A water mat is a great way to spruce up tummy time when your baby is little. It helps them move their head and arms for gross motor control. As they get older they can start to use their fingers to push around the objects for fine-motor development.
Melissa & Doug K’s Kids My First Activity Book
A cute book to take and toss in your bag. Has lots of sensory input like a busy board, just for babies!
- Play, Learn & Explore: Turn soft pages, lift peekaboo flaps, button & buckle, move clock hands, & role-play with puppets during tummy time, stroller rides and travel, for screen-free learning activities
- Whatu2019s Inside: 8-page cloth book with removable hand puppet, 2 finger puppets, crinkling surprise panel, movable-hand clock, button and buckle activities, built-in handles, and a clear tote for easy storage
Free ideas:
- Sensory bags: A zip-top bag with water or Dollar Store gel and a few things to look at inside. Tape it to the high chair tray.
- Sensory bottles: Water, glitter, and beads in a bottle with the lid on tight. Half water, half oil makes a lava-lamp version.
- Water play: Bath time doesn’t have to be at night. Add cups, funnels, and an empty soap pump (kids are fascinated by pumps). Outside, one of my sons was SO into our garden hose (nozzle on super low), which turned into watering flowers with a little watering can.
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Pretend Play Toys for a 12 to 17 Month Old
Most kids don’t really start pretend play until closer to 18 months, so don’t worry if yours just chews on the figures for now. What you’ll see first is “using things the right way” (holding a phone to their ear, a cup to their mouth), which is a 15 month milestone and the very beginning of pretending. Our pretend play guide has more.
Fisher-Price Little People School Bus
Little People are the perfect first pretend play toys: chunky, sized for little hands, and easy to push around. The school bus has been a classic for my kids. At this age it’s mostly loading people in, dumping them out, and pushing the bus around. We own a lot of Little People, and our Fisher-Price guide has the rest.
Fisher-Price Little People School Bus
Little People sets are fun for babies to explore, and for toddlers to learn imaginative play. The school bus has been a classic for my kids!
- Push-along toy school bus with lights, music and sounds for toddler and preschool pretend play
- Manually fold out the stop sign and open the bus door to load & unload passengers
- Includes 2 Little People figures sized just right for small hands to grasp & move
I think all kids love farms, and the farm set folds up for storage. Frozen gives them a story they already know (familiar characters and scenes), which helps little ones who don’t have much imagination yet act something out.
Fisher-Price Little People Animals Farm Playset
I think it's universal that all kids love farms. This one teaches kids to care for animals, pretend to be a farmer, and folds up for easy storage.
- 3 Smart Stages learning levels grow along with your child & teach counting, opposites, animal sounds, and colors with fresh songs, sounds & phrases
- Playset comes with 1 farmer figure, 4 animal figures & 2 food play pieces, all sized for small hands to grasp & move, helping to strengthen fine motor skills
- Helps foster fine motor skills and encourages imaginative storytelling play for toddlers and preschool kids ages 1 to 5 years old
Fisher-Price Little People Disney Frozen Playset
Using familiar characters from favorite movies helps younger children come up with pretend play stories to act out.
- u200bInspired by the DISNEY Frozen films, this Little People playset includes 4 character figures, 1 roll-along wagon, and 6 accessories for toddler-friendly storytelling play
- u200bIncludes DISNEY Frozen characters Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven, all sized just right for small hands to grasp and move
- u200bPress the snowflake lever to launch the sled and u201cflipu201d the pile of snow
- u200bHands-on activities: spin figures in the hot tub, toggle the snowgie and bakery buttons, turn the picture book pages, and push the roll-along wagon to see Sven bob up and down
Fisher-Price Little People School
A familiar setting, like a school where they are cared for by teachers, nurses, and friends, is a great place to pretend play and act out scenes of nuturing and caring for others.
- Interactive schoolhouse playset with fun songs and sounds that introduces kids to making friends
- Helps strengthen fine motor skills and encourages imaginative storytelling play for toddler and preschool kids ages 1 to 5 years old
Fisher-Price Little People Fire Truck
This fire truck is a lot of fun with the lights and realistic sounds. The kids love to use the ladder to put out fires all over the house (pretend fires, of course!).
- Push-along toy fire truck with lights, music and sounds for toddler and preschool pretend play
- Manually lift and move the ladder to act out fun rescues
- Includes 2 Little People figures sized just right for small hands to grasp & move
Fisher-Price Little People Recycling Truck
My oldest wanted to be a garbage man for the longest time, so we have checked out many garbage trucks along the way!
- Push-along musical toy recycling truck and figure set for toddler-friendly pretend play
- Press the driveru2019s seat or lift the loader to activate fun songs, sounds and phrases about recycling
- Comes with 1 figure and 3 garbage play pieces to sort, lift and load into the truck
- Vehicle, figure and pieces sized for small hands to easily grasp & move, helping to strengthen fine motor skills
Fisher-Price Little People Load & Roll Hauler Playset
My kids loved how realistic this playset is. They could load up cars just like a real tow truck.
- Push-along toy car carrier that transforms into a mechanic shop for toddler-friendly road rescue pretend play!
- Transforming play! Unfold the carrier top to load vehicles, then fold up to haul them away
- Car mechanic pretend play! Place the mechanic figure on the peg & press the Discovery Button to spin the roller and u201cdiagnoseu201d the car trouble
- Includes 1 car and 2 figures. Carrier fits up to 3 Little People small vehicles (Additional toys sold separately and subject to availability.)
Free ideas: A blanket fort or play tent gives them their own space, and going in and out can help with separation anxiety because they’re apart from you but still in control.
Nurturing and Self-Care for a 12 to 17 Month Old
Hugging a stuffed animal and showing you affection are both 15 month milestones. That’s nurturing, and so is learning to take care of themselves: feeding, drinking from a cup, pulling off socks. Our nurturing toys guide covers the whole category.
Fisher-Price Little People Playhouse
Sometimes kids just need a familiar setting, like home, to act out caring for someone. You don’t need a giant dollhouse. This compact one is perfect for a 1 year old, and the scenes they know best (eating, sleeping, a bath) are the ones they’ll copy first. Tuck one of the figures into bed and watch what they do.
Fisher-Price Little People Friends Together Play House
Babies and toddlers alike love Fisher-Price Little People sets. And it *doesn't have to be this set.* There are Little People sets to match whatever interests your little one has.
- Electronic home playset that folds for storage with 3 best friend figures and 7 additional play pieces
- 6 activation points including light-up radio, light switch, front door, kitchen 'tablet,' refrigerator, oven, and toilet that 'flushes'
- Lots of play for kids to discover including 4 rooms in the house, outdoor patio with swimming pool and working tree swing
- Helps foster fine motor skills and encourages imaginative storytelling play for toddlers and preschool kids ages 1 to 5 years old
Fisher-Price Little People Play for All School
This set let's kids pretend play playground scenes and act out teachers helping students.
- Hands-on play: rock both figures on the wheelchair-accessible swing, slide the elevator up & down, spin the weather wheel, toggle the garden, and flip the table scene
- Helps strengthen fine motor skills, introduce cause & effect, and encourage storytelling for toddler and preschool kids ages 1 year and older
Fisher-Price Little People Playhouse
Sometimes kids just need a familiar setting where they are cared for (like their home) to act out scenes of empathy, caring, and nurturing for others. You don't need a giant dollhouse, even this compact one is perfect.
- Interactive pretend playhouse for toddlers and kids with 50 sounds, songs & phrases
- Includes Little People Mom, Dad and Emma figures, plus table and 3 chairs; all pieces store inside the playset with a handle to travel play
- Helps strengthen fine motor skills and encourages imaginative play and storytelling for toddler and preschool kids ages 1 to 5 years old
Free ideas: Let them feed themselves (pouch valve tops were our mess-free starting point), practice pulling off socks, and wipe up spills together. And bring them into the kitchen. My son was constantly at my legs while I cooked until we got a learning tower. It turned out he just wanted to see what I was doing.
A Favorite Stuffie
Around 12 months, children will start to gravitate toward favorite stuffies and lovies. If your little one doesn’t take much interest (neither of mine did!), try a familiar character from a book or show they love.
GUND PAW Patrol Chase 6-Inch Plush Toy, Stuffed Animal for Ages 1+
STEM Toys for a 12 to 17 Month Old (Bonus)
At this age, STEM is cause and effect: I push this, that happens. Every time they drop the spoon off the high chair to see if you’ll pick it up, that’s an experiment. More in our STEM toys guide.
Fat Brain PipSquigz
We never owned this jumbo baby version. But my kids LOVED the regular Squigz, and these give babies and young toddlers so much to figure out. They stick together with suction, pop apart with a satisfying sound, and grab onto smooth surfaces like a high chair tray or a window. Every pop is a tiny experiment, and they’re sized for little hands.
Fat Brain PipSquigz
We never owned this jumbo baby version, but my kiddos LOVED the regular Squigz, and these provide so much sensory input for babies, they had to make the list.
- FUN LITTLE SUCKERS! – Fat Brain Squigz toys are innovative suction toys that stick to each other and most flat surfaces, then pull apart with a POP. Sized for tots, this 6-piece pipSquigz set is a larger, chunkier version, each with fun shapes, textures, and bold colors.
- SAFELY DESIGNED – BPA-free silicone baby toys are easy for little hands to grasp, encouraging creative play. Dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning, they won't leave residue on your tables or windows, and make soothing teething toys.
- BABY FIDGET TOY SENSORY STIMULATION – Fat Brain baby toys encourage the development of motor skills, hand-eye coordination, visual thinking, and concentration. Featuring cool, textured surfaces, the unique pieces rattle when shaken.
- VERSATILE AND PORTABLE – Fun baby bath toys, pipSquigz are also a great baby high chair toy, handy baby airplane travel accessories, and an amusing car window toy. Each baby toy stores neatly in the included zippered case.
- AWARD-WINNING GIFT IDEA – An ASTRA Best Toys for Kids Award winner, this pipSquigz combo makes an awesome birthday, holiday or baby shower present for ages 6 months and up.
Skip Hop Geometric Wonders 2-in-1 Pounding Bench
- 2-in-1 Baby Musical Toy & Pounding Bench: Part interactive pounding bench, part baby music toy, our baby activity toy engages babies 6 months+ with hands-on play, introducing shapes, cause & effect, and early developmental learning through pounding, drumming, and musical fun.
- Supports Early Development & Skill Building Play: Designed to help babies learn shapes (square, triangle, circle), cause & effect, fine and gross motor skills, and sensory awareness, making it a perfect first activity toy, musical toy, or a learning toy for infants.
Hape Fix-It Tool Box Toy
This compact toy covers a lot of ground. Kids can play carpenter, use their fine motor skills to assemble gears, and build their own creations.
Shopping for a party? We have a list of gifts for a 1 year old and a bunch of first birthday gift ideas, including a few that aren’t toys at all.
Still on the younger side? Try our best toys for 9 to 11 month olds. Walking everywhere and copying you all day? Jump ahead to our best toys for 18 month olds.
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Get StartedFAQ
Simple toys that match what they’re working on: something to push, stacking cups or chunky blocks, a peg puzzle, a musical toy, and board books. Toys that go in and come back out are a big hit at this age.
Around 14 to 15 months, most toddlers are taking steps, stacking two blocks, and hugging their stuffed animals. Push toys, blocks, coin-slot and drop toys, touch and feel books, and simple Little People sets all fit. Pots, spoons, and water play count too.
Not many. I put out two or three toys at a time and rotate them every day or two. A 1 year old with a few toys plays longer and more focused than one with a bin of 40.
Not bad, but they tend to do the playing for the child. I lean toward simple toys where your kid makes something happen, and I look for an off switch on anything that talks.
Everything on this list is rated for this age, but always supervise and check labels. A good rule: anything that fits through a toilet paper roll is a choking hazard. Save small-piece activities for when they’ve stopped putting things in their mouth. Make sure to register your toys with the manufacturer so you’re notified of any recalls.
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