Top Toys for Toddlers 18-24 Months Old

Trumpette Howdy Cows, White

Amazon Price: $26.00 (as of 05/24/2012)

Not only is this soft-rubber cow completely adorable, it's phthalate and latex-free. Once a child figures out that Howdy bounces, it's pretty much irresistible. My daughter is a bouncing addict, so this is perfect for her. If you have more than one child, be prepared to have more than one Howdy Cow to prevent conflict.

Step2 Little Helper’s Grocery Cart

Amazon Price: $33.85 (as of 05/24/2012)

It's got solid, durable construction, but is still easy to maneuver for kids in this age group. My daughter took her stuffed animals 'shopping' quite a bit and enjoyed piling all sorts of things into the large basket. The 'kids' seat is a good size for many dolls or stuffed toys, and there's even an extra storage area underneath. I like that there aren't any holes in the basket for play food, blocks, or other little treasures to fall out.

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Jumbo Cardboard Blocks

Amazon Price: $19.56 (as of 05/24/2012)

These Melissa and Doug bricks are sturdy enough to take a beating from rough and tumble toddler play. Different sizes and colors stimulate creative building and sorting. The set in my church's toddler childcare area gets heavy use each week with kids delightedly building and knocking down, and the blocks still look great.

LEGO Duplo Basic Bricks (80 Pcs.)

Amazon Price: $22.95 (as of 05/24/2012)

It's hard to beat LEGO DUPLO blocks for young childrens' building fun. Most toddlers this age (including my daughter) gravitate toward these colorful, easily handled blocks that can build so many different shapes..from a simple stack, to whatever your toddler's imagination and dexterity can handle. This 80-piece set has a good proportion of each type of block for easy building.

Parents Magazine Bee Bop Band Play & Learn Drum & Instruments

Amazon Price: $38.50 (as of 05/24/2012)

The big drum can store all the colorfully fascinating bug instruments for this appealing set. One of my daughter's friends gets loads of use out of hers and especially enjoys the jingle bell ant and the shakey eggs. I like that the drum is loud enough to satisfy toddlers' noisemaking desires, but still not too much for parents' ears...a big plus for when your child's into drumming. All the instruments are a great size for little hands and feature a good variety of textures too.

Vehicles Chunky Puzzle

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 05/24/2012)

This one's from the trusted puzzlemakers, Melissa and Doug. Our local library has this cute vehicle puzzle in its play area, and it's always in demand. It's technically recommended for age 2+, but I've seen 18 month olds have lots of fun with it. My daughter and I have enjoyed talking about all the vehicles and what they do. They're a great size for little hands, and are sturdy and chunky enough to stand up on their own to be played with separately.

Strider PREbike Balance Running Bike, Green

Amazon Price: $78.60 (as of 05/24/2012)

There's so much to love about this bike. My daughter got one at 22 months and it's been one of her very favorite toys. The seat and handlebars adjust for kids from 18 months to 5 years. Talk about a toy that lasts! It's very durable and stands up to what young children can dish out; ours is still looking great. You may not think that's a big deal until your child decides that he or she has had enough of riding and you're 6 blocks from home. The tires look like they're inflatable, but they're actually a spongy but very durable plastic. They give a good ride, but there's no maintenance.

Go, Dog. Go! (Beginner Books)

by: P.D. Eastman

Amazon Price: $1.99 (as of 05/24/2012)

At this stage, toddlers can handle slightly more complex pictures, so bring out Go, Dog. Go! I loved this one as a child, and my daughter followed suit. There are all sorts of dog activities, colors, motions and the toddler-appropriate suspense of wondering where the dogs are going. We enjoy talking about all the activities at the crazy dog party at the end of the book. You'll find yourself repeating lots of lines from this one...'Do you like my hat?', etc. Another bonus...it's a good one for explaining what we do at bedtime. I told my daughter that at bedtime we go to sleep and sleep all night just like the dogs.

Crayola 3 Ct Washable Tadoodles Crayon Buddies

Amazon Price: $7.19 (as of 05/24/2012)

Cute creatures help your littlest artist get a good grip on her crayons as she's starting out making her mark. As she gets a bit better at holding them, you can use the triangular crayons inside by themselves. I like that the triangle shape keeps them still..they don't roll away.

Fisher-Price Little People Musical Zoo Train

Amazon Price: $16.99 (as of 05/24/2012)

We have an older version of this cute train. While it's a toy that doesn't 'do' much other than play music and have a few moving parts, that's actually a benefit. It's fun to put the animals in and take them out, pull it around, and go 'choo choo' along with the train. Makes for more imaginative play.