DAD POV: My Son’s Favorite Toys Right Now
18 Months and Counting, His Tastes Have Evolved
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Man, kids grow fast. It seems like only yesterday my son was lying on his back, rocking side to side like a turtle left on its back. Now, he’s a little man on the move. So, certainly the mobiles, and excitement over a little mirror or mom’s boob have long faded. But, at 18 months, what makes his world turn, and what does he excel at? He’s very curious, but also very energetic and wild. Naturally as dad, I want to foster that. So, here is what has been working for me in my developmental role of my son.
Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon
This one has kept my son happy for a long time. At first, it was just putting him in it and slowly rolling him across the floor. Then he liked to, and still does, take off the wooden side panels. After that, he started using it to help him stand up, and support him trying to take some first steps. Next, he would try to push others around in it. And now, you can’t push him around in the Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon fast enough. He wants to go fast! He still likes pushing it around, and is getting better at putting the panels back in.
This is a much smaller wagon than their classic metal models, but much more stable and flexible in the transition from infant to toddler. It’s very durable, so I could see this getting a lot more use. But, there is a reason it is referred to as a walker wagon, and it served that purpose great!
COOP Hydro Lacrosse Game Set
Lacrosse seems like a logical, basic game to start teaching your child. That is, if you can find lacrosse sticks small enough. I used to have a mini set for a long time made by Brine, but they eventually broke. And my old lacrosse stick is still to big and heavy for my son to pick up. It’s also hard watching him drag it across the pavement. I haven’t played in a long time, but I would hate to see my valuable ball tosser for my dogs break down.
I tried for awhile to find something small enough. A lot of the mini lacrosse stick models seem geared towards youth able to start thinking about seriously playing. At less than two years old, I needed something small and light enough to teach him the very basics, such as picking up the ball, and throwing it. That’s when I was able to come across this set by COOP. The COOP Hydro Lacrosse Game Set was actually made with the pool in mind, which is great, because they will have a purpose still whenever he thinks he outgrows these sticks. But for now, they are the perfect, small size for working with a toddler, even if right now all he can do with one is poke check the dogs.
Chuckit! Sport 12M Medium Ball Launcher
This is the pint sized model of the Chuckit! After watching my son drag around the larger sizes I got him the smallest model they offered, and it has been much more manageable for him. He can get really attached to the stick itself and carry it around everywhere, driving the dogs crazy thinking he will throw them the ball. But, he isn’t quite there with actually throwing the ball, but the smaller size has gotten him closer to doing so. I also like having options with the launcher and lacrosse sticks to keep him interested.
Learning Resources New Sprouts Fix It!
He loves running around with tools. And, it doesn’t have to be specifically this set, but it is what I got him. He loves to run around with hammers, screwdrivers, and drills. And, running the hand saw across the back of his knee has proven to hit a very ticklish spot. But, this set by Learning Resources is affordable and durable. You can teach your young Bob Vila or Ana White some tool basics, such as not not running around with tools in your mouth, not to hammer the dogs tails, and jabbing a plastic screwdriver into the table still does damage. Thank goodness he didn’t find a real screwdriver to carve the table up with.
Melissa & Doug Pound a Peg
His enjoyment of the hand tools made it no surprise he would really like the Melissa & Doug Pound a Peg. He comes and goes with it. He’ll walk around with the hammer banging on anything he can. But, he will end up back pounding a few pegs before trying to go off to something else. Its a very simple toy, and easy to store. And, the fact the pegs don’t just dump out, it has been a much cleaner toy than all of the puzzles and LEGOs. God forbid anyone experiences one of those horrific Lego injuries from stepping on one.
LeapFrog Chat and Count Emoji Phone
This has been great for a quick swap when he’s fixated on your cell phone. I’ll hand my son this LeapFrog Phone and he gets right into playing with it, pressing all of the buttons, and putting it to his ear as if pretending to be on a call. Too soon for that?
VTech Click and Count Remote
Another quick option for when my sneaky little guy gets the TV remote and starts pressing all of the buttons and laughing. He’s a little devilish at times. He may only be 18 months, but he’s already playing games with everyone. But, the joke is on him when I swap out the real remote with this remote from VTech. All he wants to do is push buttons and see something happen. I could hand him a remote to a light and fan, or I have a desk lamp connected to an extension cord with a button clicker on the end he presses on and off over and over again. He looks at me as if waiting for me to react. But once again, I just hand him this, the phone, or a flashlight and he’s occupied for awhile.
UTEX 3pc Space Astronaut Kids Play Tent
Every child growing up needs to experience tents and forts. I think before you get into helping your kids with their fort building game let them experience these cool tents that come with a tunnel. These style of tents are also lightweight and easy to travel with if you need some entertainment anywhere. Throw in a blanket and some plush toys and you might find me in there taking a nap with him. I like this style pattern for my son, but there are plenty of others to choose from if you think it might encourage him to join the Space Force. But, I have been happy with this set of tents, and so has my son.
Step2 2-in-1 Ford F-150 Raptor
I know this will hurt some moms and dads who are really into the brand rivalry of trucks, but this has been by far his favorite toy, and my greatest mode of exercise. Early on, he enjoyed the smoothness of the driveway or patio, but did not enjoy the bumps when pushing him through the grass. But, now? I can’t go fast enough in the grass, and you can catch me regularly running wind sprints down the driveway to go as fast as I can to hear him scream Weeeeeeee!!!
He can almost lock and unlock the doors himself. Sometimes he tries to push it around himself. It’s been a good tool for practicing some car safety and safely getting off of some of his bigger toys. He now runs straight to it and is already climbing inside before I can help him out. Pretty soon I will remove the floorboard and take the push handle off, but I am afraid he won’t like that, because who is going to push him so fast?
Schwinn Roadster Tricycle for Toddlers and Kids
My son can’t quite reach the pedals on this bad boy, but I also realized I skipped over the adjustable seat. Bad dad! I’ll go fix that after finishing this post. Regardless, what I like better than the Radio Flyer models with the Schwinn Roadster Tricycle is the seatback, and the sturdier step board. The seatback will keep my youngster from flying off the back, and it has a bit of a bucket that keeps him from rolling out the side as well. The step board is nice because he likes to hop on it by stepping on that back step board and climbing over top of the seat. And he looks badass in the lower seat, and hands out wide like he is about to ride off with his Rebel Tricycle Club.
I haven’t had any issues with the pedals, but that seems to be a bit of a problem. I would rather deal with the pedals than my son sliding off the back and bumping his head. If the pedals did come apart,
Peanuts Snoopy Plush Dog by Khol’s
The reviews on Amazon are great for this particular Snoopy. I will tell you I did get mine from Khol’s. If you have one nearby and one of their 30% off coupons, go see if you can find one. But, be careful not to walk out with the whole Peanuts cast, or Star Wars cast, or the last deal I saw on toddler sized Converse All-Stars, or a new outfit and frying pan for yourself. Be careful!
If you have a hard time in Khol’s like I do, perhaps Amazon is safer. If so, luckily they offer their plush Snoopy there. For my son, it was an instant bond, especially since we have dogs. While trying to teach him that Snoopy is a dog, he heard me make woof noises along side the dogs barking. Snoopy is currently named Woof Woof, until we can teach him to say Snoopy later on. In addition, he calls any dog we pass by Woof Woof. But, he has his Woof Woof at almost every meal, in the car, any nap, and when he goes to bed, as well as his two real dogs both also named Woof Woof.
What toddler toys are your kids enjoying? If you have any of the toys mentioned in this article, how has your child liked them?
