In Need of Ideas for Christmas Gift for 18-Month-old

I have an 18 month old daughter also. I have got her the aquadoodle and the Mega Blocks Farm. We are asking for more Mega Blocks to go with the farm. She is also into babies and loves to feed things so we are asking for dishes and kitchen stuff that she can pretend with.

We've been tossing and turning on gifts for our 18 month old daughter as well. One thing we did agree upon because she LOVES to color was the Aquadoodle floor mat. (You can get it at Walmart for $20- http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2697442) Its super nice because you fill the "pen" with water and they draw on the mat with that. They also have other items to go with it like rolling stampers and other stampers. We know she'll use it- Plus its easy to transport to bring to grandma's!

Hi! I have an 18 month old daughter I'm shopping for too! She's a busy kid as well and it is hard to find toys that continue to be entertaining to her. One thing we're getting her for sure the child size Elmo chair that vibrates and laughs. She's obsessed w/ Elmo latly. You might want to check out www.fisher-price.com and you can look at toys in her age rage to get some ideas. I think the Bounce & Spin Zebra looks awsome! I know my daughter would have a BLAST w/ it. Well I hope I could help a little! GOOD LUCK!

It sounds like the kitchen set is a hot ticket item for this age!! We are getting our son the whole set dishes, food, kitchen. He is obsessed with pots, pans, spoons, etc. so we figure it is a good time to get this. I remember playing with my kitchen set until I was like 10 years old, so I would definatley say this is a gift that will keep on giving!

WE love the Little People toys. In particular the school bus. I have 3kids 2 and under(2 yr old boy and twin 1 yr old girls) and the Little People bus is by far the most fought over toy at our house. I even bought another one at a garage sale for the downstairs play area. We have more of the Little People stuff (playground, Noah's Ark, zoo, barn) and they all get played with a lot but especially the vehicles and mostly the buses. I even catch my 7 yr old boy playing with the Little People vehicles once in awhile, talk about staying power! They are well built, sturdy and from what I have seen at garage sales they last a long time even after your kids outgrow them. I would totally recommend most of the set for either boy or girl from 12 months to 4 yrs old.(some say recommended for 2 and older so depends on the set but I think most of them are rated for 12-18 month and older) We've asked our relatives for more for them for Christmas and I really want to get the Nativity scene set they have.
Have a great Christmas...
K. H

I've noticed with our 2 year old that the simplest things are the best. He will play with the noisy stuff, the stuff with all the bells and whistles but that only lasts for a week or two. Then he plays with the hotwheels and balls and legos. He gets to play with fun things the way he wants to. Not the way some 40-something old man designed a toy to be played with.
His mind gets a workout and he has fun doing it.

I agree with the leapfrog karokee, ours has been played with for three years straight! also the kitchen set, dolls and stroller, baby bottle, shopping cart and food (these are toys we had from my older daughter and now both play with these toys together). i bought my 19month girl little people amusement park (looks like a blast) and a pretend cleaning set with brooms etc. my kids are also into coloring etc, so for the little one i bought a set of daubers (like you use for bingo) at lakeshore learning. i am sure they will be use a lot!

I try to stick to the basics because all the electronic/computer/bells and whistle toys seem to perpetuate low attention spans, etc. I have found that toys that promote physical activity are best recieved by my 20 month old daughter. She is really into balls currently and loves chasing them and throwing/kicking them. This is a cheap gift and one that kids will enjoy for a long time. Also books tend to be "favorites" and are a affordable option. I also agree that the kitchen sets have strong staying power. Good luck in choosing wise toys for optimal child development.
B.

The best toy i ever bought my kids was the Leapfrog Learning Screen Karoake. I got it about 3 years ago when my son was 2-my then 5 year old loved it too. Now my 20 mo old daughter has been playing with it daily scince she could push the buttons. The kids i babysit for love it too. I rotate toys but it is the one toy that has to stay out so it has definate staying power! Here is a place u can see it :http://www.leapfrog.com/Primary/PreschoolKindergarten/PRD...
the only bad thing was my kids destroyed the microphone right away- but they haven't missed it.It syas it is for 4 year olds and although my 5 year old still plays with it I think it is the most fun for a 18-36mo old. (sorry about the typos I need spell check) HTH H.

My 2 year old AND my 12 month old LOVE the Fisher Price Roll Around Dinasaur toy. I would highly suggest it. Its very interactive and plays music and makes cute noises. I also think thinks like the little people houses or the farm set would be great. My son loves airplanes so we are getting the little people airplane and my daughter the farm set. Good luck!

I got my daughter the bigger duplo legos and the small table that you can play at when she was one. She is now 5 and still loves playing at her lego table.

Kitchen sets they will play with it for atleast a few year and get your money out of it. She's no where near ready to give up her kitchen set yet.

Dolls- My daughter's loved dolls and strollers since she started walking and isn't ready to give that up yet either.

Bathtub toys

Toddler Sled

Outside toys like a picnic table or Slide (you can use these indoors too)