Your favorite toys inside or out for a 15 month old??

[melissaflorida]

On the hunt for some new toys for my dd who is 15 months old. Something to keep her occupied during this hot summer in Florida.

We already have a water table which she loves and a play kitchen.

Any ideas??

TIA,
Melissa

[brittone2]

DS is 16.5 months

Playsilks draped over an easel for a little "fort" that he likes to climb in and out of

Ride on toy-foot propelled (no pedals)...isn't pushing himself yet but likes us to take him for rides

Swiffer with half the stick removed...just his size ;)

Baby doll and doll stroller

Simple puzzles-like the giant peg puzzle from Melissa and Doug with a big triangle, circle, and square

Books, books, books

Music-especially Raffi and Laurie Berkner (likes to dance)

We're about to buy a sandbox, although you are probably covered already with your sand/water table. DS enjoys a small shovel and a bucket for shoveling the stones from our driveway.

Play kitchen (again, you already have this but DS enjoys his)

Musical instruments-tambourine, maracas, clacker, musical triangle

Balls-starting to kick

Bubbles-he just recently learned how to blow bubbles once in a while with the bubble wand

Outdoor baby/toddler swing hung from a tree

Big vehicles...giant tonka truck, big wooden truck

Some developing interest in train table at Barnes and Noble, starting to push trains around on track a bit at home (we don't have a train table)

Art supplies-beginning to use chalk on chalkboard side of easel, crayons, markers, sponge paintbrush with dishsoap/water on it and he "paints" the all-glass storm door

In all honesty, he mostly plays with found household objects. Various pots, pans, containers, lids, utensils, etc. He's starting to imitate "fixing" things I think...DH has a screwdriver with removable tips where you can take the tip out and you are left with a hollow, non sharp cylinder on the end. DS likes to hold this up to screws on furniture, the baby gate, etc. and tries to "fix" things now.

[mudder17]

Beth, where are good places to get those wooden peg puzzles? I think Kaya's at just the right age for those things.

Kaya is fascinated by containers of all types. She's learning to unscrew them, so I have to be careful what types of containers I leave around the house. She loves her wading pool, not just to splash in, but to carry water around, sometimes to sprinkle on the cats or me or the flowers, or just the ground. She especially likes the peri bottle, but really any bottle. Of all the intentional and unintentional toys Kaya has, her favorites have to be bottles, followed by the other containers. I'm thinking as she gets a little older, I'll also give her dried beans to put in and out of the containers, but until she stops sprinkling these things all over the house, I'm going to restrict the beans. :) I am thinking of letting her play with dried beans while in the kitchen because at least I can easily sweep it all up afterwards.

She likes playing with the Lego buckets with the lid that has 4 different shaped holes (square, triangle, oval, star) through which different blocks will fit. It's frustrating to her when she can't get it through, so DH or I will play this one with her. But she is really thrilled when she can get them to fit through. :)

She's just starting to push cars around, so I think her fascination with rolling things is developing. Along those lines, she LOVES the rolling chairs and asks me to put her in them so that I can spin her around and around and around...she'll even spot, which is funny. She also likes rocking chairs.

Ice--that's a fun toy. Put her out in the wading pool, give her a bucket of ice and she's happy. :)

She likes playing with hats and shirts (she's in that fascination stage of wanting to put things over her head and then take them off. She also tries to put her feet through things like shirts, pants, socks, and DH's underwear. ;) So give her some clothes and she'll have fun, especially if the clothes have pictures of cats and dogs on them.

Bucket with handle--she likes to carry it around the house and put things in it. Then bring it somewhere else and empty it. Then go around and put other things in it. She does something similar with bags. But make sure the bag has handles. :) She likes to hold these types of containers over her arm while she walks around.

Musical instruments--drums, xylophone, kazoo, piano (with supervision), bells, etc. Yes, things that make noise are fun to play with. :)

Kaya's recently started enjoying stacking toys like this one:
http://store.yahoo.com/kidsurplus/lig576.html

I'm looking there for some peg puzzles right now. :)


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

[melissaflorida]

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions!!

I would like to know where to get the wood puzzles too. Spencer my dd loves to carry around bottles too.

I will try out your ideas!!

Thanks again,
Melissa

[mudder17]

Okay, I'd like to see Beth's suggestions, but I did find a few peg puzzles on the kidssurplus site.

Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

[ethansmom]

Not Beth, but I often see the beginner Melissa & Doug puzzles at stores like TJMaxx or Marshalls.

[SJ mom]

From the description, I believe TJ maxx and Marshalls usually have them.

[ett]

Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, and Target are the cheapest place to get the peg puzzles. TRU and independent toy stores also carry them. I've seen the ones with the big knobs at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and TRU.

[squimp]

I like the Puzzibilities puzzles. They are painted instead of paper laminates like the Melissa and Doug ones we have. Kidsurplus has a few now. I also saw a lot of nice puzzles here:

http://www.usillygoose.com/

edited to spell Puzzibilities correctly!

[ett]

Most of our peg puzzles are also Puzzibilities. We got all of ours pretty cheaply (5-6 dollars) at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Tuesday Morning.

[mudder17]

Thanks for the heads-up on the Puzzibilities. Some of the ones on Kidssurplus look pretty nice.


Eileen

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/candle.gif for Leah

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif , 16 months & counting


http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_4_Kaya+is.png

[melissaflorida]

Thanks for the info on the puzzles!

[brittone2]

Yep, TJ Maxx, Ross, etc. sometimes have them. I think we got our giant peg puzzle at kidsurplus if I remember correctly. Logan can't quite get the smaller sized peg puzzles yet although he tries, but the jumbo style ones, he can handle. Any of the preschool oriented catalogs (like for schools) carry them too but TJ Maxx, etc. is the cheapest probably. I like this one....

http://www.sensoryedge.com/giknfobo.html

Similar to ours, but ours is only a circle, triangle, and square, which is probably easier. I'd search more but I'm NAK trying to get Logan down for his nap. You can also search for "form board" as they are similar.

Eileen...great suggestion on the bucket. Logan is very into buckets right now too...I forgot that one! It is funny...he and Kaya are so close in age, and it is so neat to see how kids have similar interests at specific ages, kwim?

[starrynight]

Those are fabulous puzzles, ds got one when he was 1 year old and it's still going strong with his 2 sisters after 6 years! I agree these hold up better than the laminated M&doug ones, I still like those but if your toddler is rough on things for for the puzzibilities ones. They are made by Small World Toys if you see them somewhere without the puzzibilities label.

[youngmommy]

BUMP!!

My DD is almost 15 months old. I'm also looking for some of the best toys for her age group. I will look into getting her some peg puzzles. We have serveral balls which she loves. Is she too young for playsilks? She loves playing with unmatched socks while i'm folding laundry, and playing with handtowels she grabs from the kitchen. We read lots of board books. She really enjoys her doodle pro. Maybe an aquadoodle would be good? Any other ideas? Thanks!

[brittone2]

DS started being more interested in his playsilks around then. His favorite toy du jour is a big oval hatbox filled with assorted dried beans and spoons. He asks for "beans" first thing in the morning and last thing at night....I kid you not.

He also started to enjoy the easel a bit at that age (he loves to use it as a playhouse. DS is very into shape sorters at 18 months (has been a big hit in the past month or two) although I know a lot of kids that just don't like them.

Play kitchen has been a pretty big hit in the past 2-3 months as well.

He's getting quite into trains now. He's been interested in a cheap-o Ikea set we had and in the past 2 months his interest has really taken off quite a bit.

He loves to help "sweep" with his child sized Brio broom

He's very very very into his Learning Tower, which was a pricey investment but well worth it! He goes to the pantry where I keep it and says "tow-ah, towah!!!" He is starting to help me assemble dinner (putting things in bowls for me for example. He enjoys being at the sink in it and I just leave the water on a slow trickle. He looooves this and it gives me a chance to do things in the kitchen.