Toys by Age

Best Toys for 18–24 Month Old Babies

Between eighteen and twenty-four months, play gets physical and imaginative at the same time. Toddlers run, climb, kick, and sort — and their pretend play grows from single actions into little stories. The best toys now support both the energy and the imagination.

At a Glance

Movement: Running, climbing on everything, and kicking a ball.
Building: Towers grow to four, five, six blocks — and come down just as fast.
Sorting: Matching colors and shapes becomes a favorite game.
Pretend play: Two-step pretending — feeding, rocking, “cooking” — takes off.

Recommended Toy Categories

What fits this stage, why, and how to use it.

Pretend Play Sets

Dolls, play kitchens, and everyday-object props.

Why it may be useful

Pretend play at this age practices language, memory, and social routines — and toddlers love repeating the grown-up world.

Good forLanguage and social development

How to use

Join the game and follow your toddler’s lead — narration builds vocabulary.

Safety noteChoose sturdy one-piece props — small loose accessories are still a risk.

Cognitive development toys

Building Blocks

Blocks sized for bigger towers and bigger crashes.

Why it may be useful

Tower building practices control and planning — and demolition is half the fun.

Good forFine motor and early engineering

How to use

Count the blocks as the tower grows — early numbers sneak into play.

Safety noteOversized blocks only — standard small bricks are for older children.

Stacking toys for babies

Ride-On & Climbing Toys

Sit-on toys and safe climbing frames for energetic toddlers.

Why it may be useful

Running and climbing are the developmental agenda — ride-ons and climbers channel the energy safely.

Good forGross motor and balance

How to use

Provide space and supervision, and let repetition do the teaching.

Safety noteKeep climbing play away from hard furniture edges and stairs.

Outdoor play toys

Simple Puzzles & Sorters

Two-to-four piece puzzles, color sorters, and matching games.

Why it may be useful

Sorting by color or shape builds matching logic — and toddlers this age love doing it again and again.

Good forProblem solving and fine motor

How to use

Offer one puzzle at a time and resist doing it for them.

Safety noteKeep pieces large — follow the age label on the box.

Fine motor toys for babies

Musical Instruments

Drums, shakers, and xylophones built for toddlers.

Why it may be useful

Making sound on purpose — louder, softer, faster — is cause and effect with rhythm.

Good forRhythm and cause and effect

How to use

Play a steady beat and invite your toddler to copy it.

Safety noteCheck for small detachable pieces, and keep the volume reasonable.

Musical toys for babies

Balls & Active Play

Balls to kick, throw, and chase.

Why it may be useful

Kicking and throwing take real coordination, and balls turn the practice into a game.

Good forGross motor and coordination

How to use

Start with a large, soft ball and short distances.

Safety notePlay away from stairs and hard furniture, and store balls out of the sleep space.

Gross motor toys for toddlers

Why these toys fit 18–24 month olds

Toddlers in this window have two agendas — move constantly and understand everything. The same set of blocks gets stacked, sorted, counted aloud, and turned into a pretend cake. Toys that are open-ended earn their place because they serve both agendas at once.

Pretend play is the biggest change. A single action — feeding a doll — grows into a sequence — feed, rock, cover, shush — and the toddler narrates more of it as language catches up. Simple, realistic props support that better than anything electronic.

What your toddler is working on

Big movement. Running, climbing, kicking — coordination improves through repetition, not instruction.
Sorting and matching. Colors and shapes become categories — sorters and puzzles give the new skill a target.
Sequences. Two-step pretend play and multi-block towers both practice doing things in order.

Past two years, toy needs change again — but the habits built here (open-ended toys, rotation, floor time, safe sleep spaces) keep working. Browse the toys by age hub for the stage before this one, or explore toys by type to go deeper on a category.

Stage by Stage

18–20 months

Running starts, climbing gets ambitious, and throwing becomes a favorite skill.

20–22 months

Sorting and matching games click — colors, shapes, and object categories.

22–24 months

Two-step pretend sequences, taller towers, and real kicks of the ball.

Newborn

High-contrast, soft and simple toys for the earliest stage.

Explore

0–3 Months

Simple grasping toys and first sounds as babies start to reach.

Explore

3–6 Months

Toys that reward reaching, grabbing, and mouthing.

Explore

6–9 Months

Sitting, exploring, and cause-and-effect toys for active babies.

Explore

9–12 Months

Crawling, pulling up, and problem-solving toys.

Explore

12–18 Months

Walking, stacking, and first pretend-play toys.

Explore

Guides for 18–24 months

Guides for this category are on the way

We are building stage-based toy guides for this category. Check back soon.

Browse all Toys by Age

Sources & Further Reading

Image credits

Toddler in bear-patterned pajamas sitting on a rug playing with a toy beside a white shelf of labeled toy baskets — Placeholder — replace the file (see docs/IMAGE-MAP.md)

At a Glance

Recommended Toy Categories

Pretend Play Sets

Building Blocks

Ride-On & Climbing Toys

Simple Puzzles & Sorters

Musical Instruments

Balls & Active Play

Why these toys fit 18–24 month olds

What your toddler is working on

Stage by Stage

18–20 months

20–22 months

22–24 months

Related Ages

Newborn

0–3 Months

3–6 Months

6–9 Months

9–12 Months

12–18 Months

Guides for 18–24 months

Sources & Further Reading