Toys

10 incredibly engaging toys for 12-18 month olds

As your little one grows, it is important that the toys they play with on a regular basis not only entertain but also support their ongoing cognitive, physical, and sensory development. Within this post, I’ve curated a list of 10 engaging toys perfect for 12-18 month olds. These items are widely available in the UK and are sure to become favourites in your household.

A selection of wooden musical instruments are scattered on green sun-dappled grass, comprising a hand drum, hand bells, a recorder, a castanet and a maraca.

1. Stacking Cups and Rings

A stack of eight pale multicolour toy cups of decreasing circumference next to six of them in a group (showing their perforated bases) and an image of the original packaging tied with a red bow.

Stacking cups and rings are classic toys that help build hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness and problem-solving. However, these are skills that come with time.

The simple design of lightweight rings, or of cups like these, both of which are easy to hold, meant our son could use them for imaginative play as well as during bath times. Then, when he was developmentally ready, he realised that he could also stack them – if only to knock them over immediately!

2. Shape Sorting Toys

A wooden shape sorting box with colour-coded cutouts is turned on its side, spilling out a dozen colourful block shapes.

Shape sorters are excellent for teaching your child about different shapes and colours while improving fine motor skills via problem-solving. Choose a sturdy, well-designed shape sorter that will withstand plenty of play. Wooden ones, like this from Jaques of London, are particularly lovely.

3. Wooden Blocks

A wooden toy mat is covered by a stacked pyramid of more than two dozen colourful wooden cubes showing upper and lower case letters, numbers and icons.

A set of wooden blocks is a timeless toy that encourages imaginative play and helps develop spatial reasoning skills. Opt for a set with various shapes and sizes to keep your little one engaged with all kinds of combinations. The versatility of these ones are great – they feature letters, numbers, illustrations and shapes.

4. Push-Along Toys

A pale blue and natural wood push-along cart toy featuring three little horses is pictured next to a white and grey toy pram.

Push-along toys, such as a wooden cart or a toy pram, encourage soon-to-be toddlers to walk and explore their surroundings. Whilst enjoying their new upright position, your little one will also enhance their gross motor skills and sense of balance. Our son loves his wooden cart, and calls it his “go-go”.

5. Musical Instruments

A box and a bag with a drawstring are pictured above a selection of handmade toy instruments for children, including a hand drum, a castanet and a mini recorder.

Simple instruments can make for very engaging toys, and will introduce your child, whether 12-18 months or even younger, to the sensory joys of music. Look for age-appropriate models that are easy to hold and play.

We have this wooden set, which not only provides a fantastic range of sounds (featuring a maraca, recorder, castanet, hand bells and more) but is also incredibly durable, making it a firm favourite at home.

6. Chunky Puzzles

A set of four colourful, stimulating chunky puzzle boards toys for infants and toddlers, comprising a farm scene, a selection of fruit, underwater animals and a group of dinosaurs.

Puzzles with large, chunky pieces are perfect for little hands, and will help develop problem-solving and hand-eye coordination. Choose puzzles with familiar objects or animals that are more likely to keep your toddler engaged, like this set.

7. Nesting Toys

An image demonstrating the various ways to use a chicken-themed nesting toy, including a stack of four decreasing sizes, all four birds nesting inside each other like Russian dolls, the four toys in a group and a crawling baby playing with the two largest.

Nesting toys, such as Russian dolls or stacking boxes, teach your child about size and sequencing while improving their fine motor skills. Look for a set with bright colours and various sizes to hold interest. This toy chicken set is perfect for curious toddlers.

8. Play Kitchen

A wooden play kitchen in sage green, cream and white with faucet, oven, cupboard, microwave and stove features, as well as three hanging utensils.

As with any household item-turned-toy, a play kitchen gives children the chance to copy what they see their parents do. Provided they are confident in moving around on their feet, it will encourage imaginative play and the development of social skills as your child pretends to cook and serve meals. 

Choose a kitchen with realistic features and accessories for maximum engagement. Then, when they are old enough to start handling actual food, they will already be quite confident. We’re waiting to surprise my son with one of these for his second birthday, but I know he’d be ready for it now.

9. Ride-On Toys

A white and green 3-wheeled ride-on balance bike is pictured above a squat, four-wheeled, black and white striped ride-on zebra with a pink handlebar.

Ride-on toys, like a rocking horse or a sit-on car, provide a fun way for your toddler to develop gross motor skills in pushing with their feet as well as balance. Look for a sturdy, well-designed ride-on toy that’s appropriate for your child’s age and size. This balance bike is cute, as is this Ride-On Zebra.

10. Sensory Balls

A soft sensory ball set of eight rubber balls in blue, red, pink, orange, purple, yellow and green is displayed in front of the box, each with a different shape and surface relief.

Sensory balls with different textures, colours and levels of hardness help stimulate your toddler’s senses and develop their fine (and later gross) motor skills. Over time, the kinds of games you can play with them (and levels of challenge therein) will expand as your child grows. So in our household, these ones are timeless!

Conclusion

This short window in your 12-18-month-old child’s life is an important time to introduce engaging toys that encourage new growth through play. It can make all the difference in how active they remain in both solo and social settings.

As parents, we’re all too aware of how brief this period can feel so we want to make sure we ‘get it right.’ But the pressure to choose ‘the right toys’ needn’t be so complicated. Hopefully, this list gives you some ideas and helps you in that process.

Above all, look for toys that entertain and educate. For more information on why this is so important, read my post on STEM toys for babies.

Furthermore, find items to challenge both fine and gross motor skills. Choose activities that involve figuring things out (problem-solving) but also give your child the freedom to make things up (imaginative play). They’re on the road to toddler-hood too, so toys that get them walking and balancing are also a good shout.

Be sure to share your top picks and any tips in the comments below. Which ones did you go for? What are your little one’s favourites?

Let’s help each other find the best toys for our curious little explorers!

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