As infants enter the toddler years, their personalities and demands start developing. Parents should also consider introducing them to some great play and activities that can keep them entertained and provide a good means of developing their fine motor skills and brain functions. However, when it comes to finding the best toys for 18-month-old boys, you should be reading this post to understand the right toys for them. Toys are a great way to keep toddlers entertained and engaged. But you should choose the toys carefully. Toys that have some form of learning angle go a long way in helping your child’s growth and development. Some toys pique their curiosity about the important things around them and prepare them as they start learning formally. We have put a list of the top toys for 18-month-old boys that fills them with excitement and creative learning.
17 Best Toys For 18-Month-Old Boys
1. Best Durable: VTech Smart Shots Sports Center – Yellow
Let your boy discover his talent with this 2-in-1 sports centre that includes both a soccer net and a basketball hoop. LED lights show the score and encourage your toddler through 50 different songs, animations, and cheering. A purple lever on the side enables you to reset the score after it reaches 10 goals or baskets. It features buttons and gears that your son can turn that familiarize your baby with shapes, sounds, phrases, and numbers. Made of safe plastic, this sports center is strong and durable and can endure rough playing by your child. This educational toy is sure to keep your baby engaged for hours either alone or with a friend. Check out this video to know more about this product. Pros
Includes a basketball and soccer ball Develops motor skills Enhances curiosity Ideal for 1 to 3 year olds
Cons
Batteries not included
2. Best For Fine Motor Skills: Lego Duplo Number Train
This colorful and attractive number train helps your kid achieve important milestones as they use their imagination and construction skills to build the train engine with an attached cabooze along with 3 wagons. The wagons have bricks with numbers ranging from 0 to 9 as well as 2 child figures and a cat. Some bricks feature tomatoes, pepper grinders, cheese, and ice cream that make a great start for a story. Your child can engage in role play with these figures and also construct and reconstruct the train. This educational toy comprises 23 pieces that are safe and gentle on your baby’s hands. They measure 14 x 2 inches and are 3 inches high— ideal for your 18-month-old boy. Pros
Develops ideas and creative thinking Helps with numbers and counting Develops fine motor skills Helps to recognize shapes and colors Ideal for children between 1.5 to 3 years
Cons
It is not compatible with Duplo Lego tracks.
3. Best Non-Toxic: Top Bright Fast & Furious Ramp Racer
Improve your toddler’s visual tracking with these 4 brightly colored race ramps that have a parking lot on the top. The 4 mini cars slide down the ramp and offer visual stimulation to your kids, who can then collect the cars and park them in the parking lot. The car flips at the end of the ramp and goes on to the next ramp. It helps enhance attention span, dexterity, cooperation, turn taking, communication, and fine motor skills in your child. Weighing about 2 pounds and measuring 12 x 4 x 10 inches, it requires no assembly except for the parking lot. Pros
Made of high quality wood BPA-free Non-toxic, water-based paint ASTM certified EN71 approved
Cons
The small cars may pose a choking hazard.
4. Best For Visual Skills: Holy Stone RC Cartoon Race Car
Let your toddler enjoy seeing this simple RC car zip past and then trying to chase after it. Equipped with sleek wheels, flashing headlights, music, and a honking sound, these features can be activated with the press of a button on the remote. It also features a spaceman figurine that your child can play with separately or place in the driver’s seat. It’s remote control is shaped like a steering wheel and has 2 buttons to move forward and reverse. Colorful and cheerful, it enhances visual skills and helps children develop motor skills. Keeping your kid’s safety in mind, it’s constructed with non-toxic ABS plastic and has rounded edges and a soft antenna. Pros
Great for indoor and outdoor use Ideal first RC toy Can withstand rough handling CPC safety test approved
Cons
May experience remote interference if there’s more than 1 car
5. Best Eco-Friendly: Orwine Inertia Friction Powered Cars
Toddlers simply love this combination of 4 push and go cars— a dumper, a cement mixer, a tractor, and a bulldozer with a fun cartoon driver. They stimulate their curiosity and creativity and help them learn about different vehicles, their functions, and colors. It gives them hands-on experience and enhances eye-hand coordination, focus, as well as visual tracking. Constructed of ABS plastic, alloys, and other material, these vehicles are sturdy and durable and can take rough handling. These brightly colored cars feature parts that are movable as well as those that can be opened and closed by your baby, thus developing motor skills. Pros
ASTM certified No battery required 100% safe Eco-friendly
Cons
The trucks may be smaller than expected.
6. Best With Sound Effects: CifToys Musical Learning Workbench Toy
Help your toddler become a budding engineer with this workbench that comes with all the tools and appropriate sound effects. This fun workbench has colorful lights and tools like a hammer, screwdriver, chainsaw, drill, bench clamp, and wrench. This engineering toy set hones spatial, problem solving, and logical thinking skills while also enhancing dexterity and hand-eye coordination. It also includes 4 blocks in different shapes and a ball that your baby can sort and insert in the correct shape sorter. Measuring 11.5 x 6.8 x 9.8 inches, this sturdy and durable workbench operates on 2 AA batteries and can endure the roughest games your baby may play. Pros
Realistic experience Made of safe plastic Encourages communication and cooperative play skills Suitable for kids between 1.5 to 2 years
Cons
Batteries are not included
7. Best Crafted: WolVol Push And Go Friction Powered Car Toys
Your toddler will thoroughly enjoy seeing these vehicles rev up and speed across the floor when they push them. It has a rotating cement mixer, a street sweeper with brushes that spin, and a harvester with front blades with grains of wheat spinning in them. Made of safe and sturdy plastic, these vehicles can withstand bumping into each other or against obstructions. All the trucks have drivers sitting in the cabin to give it an authentic touch. The vehicles have moving parts and buttons they can press. Measuring 3 x 3 x 4.5 inches, they fit perfectly in your toddler’s hands. These toys are a great way to enhance hand-eye coordination, motor skills, and imagination. Pros
Brightly colored Expertly crafted No batteries required Perfect gift item
Cons
May not travel as far with a single push
8. Best For Early Development: Amy & Benton Press And Go Cars
These 4 vibrantly colored cars help stimulate your toddler’s imagination as each car has a cartoon animal driver— a cat, squirrel, calf, and dog. All they need to do is press the animal shaped button on top and the car will shoot forward with the pattern on the wheels constantly changing. Crafted with safe and non-toxic ABS plastic, they are the perfect size for your toddler’s small hands and have rounded edges and a smooth surface so that they don’t get hurt. The rear of the vehicles has a tail which swings while the cars run, adding to its cuteness quotient. These vehicles are ideal for the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social skills of your precious baby boy. Pros
Ideal for early development Encourages recognition Enhances color perception Ideal gift item No battery needed Energy saving Environment friendly
Cons
Some of the small pieces on the wheels can be a choking hazard.
9. Best Anti-Slip: iPlay iLearn Bouncy Pals Hopping Horse
Let your baby boy have the ride of his life with this inflatable horse that has a plush, removable cover. It includes a pump that can be used to easily inflate the horse at home, after which your toddler can hop on, hold its ears, and bounce along both indoors and outdoors. Made of polyester, this hopping toy is extremely stable because of its anti-slip material. The moisture wicking fabric makes this horse a very comfortable ride and its low center of gravity ensures that your baby won’t topple. Pros
Unisex toy Hand and machine washable Available in 6 different styles Ideal for 1.5-5 year old kids
Cons
Some may find it difficult to inflate the toy.
10. Best Attractive: Skyfield Carrot Harvest Toy
This toy is made of solid and durable pine wood with 7 different sized holes in which your toddler has to insert the carrots. The carrots are also made of high-quality smooth wood with felt leaves which makes them look very realistic. The block has a cute bunny and ladybug to add to the farm experience. It helps stimulate logical thinking and size perception as your kid figures out which carrot to put into the correct hole. It also enhances fine motor skills, attention span, and hand-eye coordination. The vibrant orange color of the carrots is attractive and makes a great interactive toy, encouraging interaction between parents and children and improving bonding. Pros
Non-toxic water-based paint ASTM and CPSIA tested Lead-free BPA-free Phthalate-free
Cons
Will require constant supervision as carrots are rather small
11. Top Bright Caterpillar Lacing Blocks
This toy is both educational and fun and enhances cognitive and mathematical skills as well as logical reasoning. The 20 multicolored wooden beads help kids learn how to recognize shapes and colors and stimulate their imagination, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. The large beads are easy to thread on the cord with a wooden stick, or can be stacked, and kids can create their own patterns. The cord has a safety buckle so that your baby is always safe. The blocks with numbers have geometric designs, and the rotatable sunflower and caterpillar make a pleasant sound to capture your kid’s attention. Pros
Hand-polished, good quality wood Non-toxic water-based paint Environment friendly Ideal way to learn counting, lacing, and sorting Conforms to European EN71 and ASTM safety standards
Cons
Needs supervision as the long cord can be a strangulation hazard
12. Woody Treasures Animal Bus Pop Up Toy
Let your toddler have fun while learning with this yellow school bus that comes with 4 pop up animals and stimulates creative thinking, sorting skills, spatial reasoning, fine motor skills, and problem solving skills. The animals can be pressed so that they bounce out, offering hours of entertainment to your kid. Your toddler will have a blast while using his imagination and creativity and will also learn a lot, as a result. Made of wood, this toy challenges them to sort out problems and come to a solution on their own while also teaching image recognition and color coordination. Pros
Made with non-toxic materials Comes fully assembled Ideal for children between 1 to 3 years Environment friendly
Cons
Some may feel the spring mechanism of the pop up toys could be better.
13. Nicmore 5-In-1 Carrier Truck Transport Cars
This big and colorful transporter truck comes loaded with a mini airplane, a small bus, a medium-sized bus, and a taxi. All the vehicles have cute cartoon characters painted on them to keep your toddler engaged. The taxi even has a button that sets off a siren for 8 seconds with flashing lights. Each vehicle is made of non-toxic and durable plastic that is completely safe for your child, and has a smooth surface with rounded edges so that they don’t hurt themselves. These vehicles are powered by friction and move faster as they are pulled back. The truck can be detached from the trailer while vehicles can be unloaded by opening the tailgate. This toy promotes sharing, communication, and interaction which is great for teaching your child how to develop relationships in the future. Pros
Crash resistant Enhances hand-eye coordination Stimulates imagination Batteries not required Ideal as a gift Suitable for kids between 1 to 6 years
Cons
The wheels may come off easily and may need to be refixed several times
14. Histoye Push & Go Trucks
This set of 4 friction powered toy trucks includes a bulldozer, cement mixer, dumper, and tractor that come with movable parts but cannot be detached by your toddler. They are safe and durable with deeply embedded screws, molded figures, and firmly attached wheels that add to the safety. The trucks move fast when pulled back on hard floors or even on the carpet and they also feature figurine drivers seated in the cabin. Made of premium ABS plastic, these toys conform to international standards of safety. This toy hones hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills of your child and also stimulates creativity, imagination, and color recognition. Pros
Non-toxic material No sharp edges BPA-free Does not pose choking hazard No batteries required
Cons
The vehicles may be a bit smaller than expected.
15. Huanger Soft Car Toy Set With Play Mat
A great toy for sensory development, this set comprises 9 soft, cloth-covered vehicles with a colorful play mat that also doubles as a storage bag with a handle upon folding. The fabric is quite durable and easy to clean and the cars make a squeaking, crinkling, or rattle sound upon pressing or moving them. It helps in training kids to recognize a range of shapes, colors, and sizes and helps them with numbers, vocabulary, and character recognition. These toys will give your child the chance to entertain themselves for hours while learning as well. Pros
Educational toys Encourages cognitive connections Encourages imaginative play Enhances gross and fine motor skills
Cons
Some may find them smaller than expected.
16. Homofy Musical Car Toy
Vibrantly colored with a cute smiling face, this car has 6 holes so that your toddler can put fruit blocks of different shapes and colors into them. This helps immensely in teaching your kid about numbers, letters, colors, fruits, and shapes. This car runs fast and changes direction whenever it hits an obstruction. It plays music and flashes colorful lights while running and encourages toddlers to crawl, walk, and run after them. It also helps in enhancing hand-eye coordination and improving their grip. The back door of the car can be opened and closed and promotes hands-on ability. This car is a great means for parents to interact with their little ones while having fun. Pros
Made of ABS plastic Non-toxic Weighs just 13.1 ounces Ideal for children between 1 to 4 years
Cons
Pull cord and ring are not included.
17. Shierdu Wooden Hammering And Pounding Toys
This cartoon box which is shaped like an elephant is bound to hold your child’s interest with its digital track maze, gear rotation, hit-the-ground mouse game, toddler castanets, number maze game, and drag toy car. Its vibrant colors stimulate their perception of colors and playing with this toy develops hand-eye coordination, refines motor skills, logical thinking, and rapid reactions. Featuring 2 hammers and 12 stakes, it enables them to play with others and the various lights, mice, elephants, stars, numbers, and donuts all over the bus further stimulate their interest. This toy is well polished through a multi-layer process so that there are no splinters or burrs, and the corners are rounded. Completely safe and fun for your baby, it’s also a great learning experience for them. Pros
Made of high quality wood Non-toxic water-based paint Stable and environmentally friendly Ideal for children between 1 to 3 years Makes a perfect gift item
Cons
Cannot be washed Should be kept in a cool and ventilated place
Now that you have been through our review of the 17 best toys for 18-month-old boys, let us give you a few tips on things to keep in mind while choosing one for your little boy so that he has all the fun in the world while also learning.
How To Choose The Best Toys For 18-Month-Old Boys
Safety
Boys at this age are increasingly curious and that’s what makes it so important to buy toys that are completely safe and preferably can be used unsupervised. Toys that have small, detachable, or breakable parts that can fit into your boy’s mouth can be choking hazards. Toys which run on button batteries or have magnets, especially high powered ones are best avoided.
Milestones
The toys you choose for your 18-month-old boy should cater to his developmental milestones which are sensory, cognitive, motor, social, emotional, linguistic, creative, among others. Toys, at this stage, should promote the use of single words and phrases through word books, movement and motor skills through pull toys, and should encourage pretend play and creativity like art supplies.
Physical activity
It’s extremely important to buy toys that encourage maximum movement and enable the child to use their body. It not only promotes the development of motor skills and makes them stronger, it also boosts their confidence. Wagons that can be pulled, loaded, and unloaded, balls of different shapes and sizes that they can run after, and toys that play music that your child can dance to are great options.
Why Trust MomJunction?
With topics of baby health, pregnancy, and nursing being our authors forte, Vibha Navarathna is a trusted source of motherhood information. She writes effectively, with research acting as the backbone of her articles, providing young mothers all the information they need. In her article of the best toys for 18-month-old boys, she lists toys that are appropriate for this unique age group that is developing rapidly. These toys are safe and made of high-quality materials. They are suitable for improving your child’s hand-eye coordination and cognitive skills.
References:
Recommended Articles
Best Toys For 2-Month-Old Babies Best Educational Toys For 8-Year-Olds Best Shark Toys Best Spinning Toys
