CURRENTLY IN ROTATION (18 months)
It’s sooo personal buying toys for a baby. When I was pregnant, I thought I’d be a minimalist– “they don’t really NEED al this STUFF”–which is delusional because it would be the first time I’ve ever been a minimalist in any area of my life. It turns out that the right toys make Zola happy and whatever keeps her occupied for more than a few minutes is a major quality of life upgrade.
Ahead of Zola’s first birthday, I must have read every “toys to give your 1 year old” list plus numerous reddit entries on the subject; there are people who are pretty minimalist, there are people who love go all in on plastics. I fall somewhere between Waldorf and Target. I love a well chosen plasticky situation, like this V-Tech sit to stand . It was in heavy rotation for almost a year, and the sounds aren’t too spastic or grating. I always tend toward being overstimulated, and the engagement this one device has provided has been a totally acceptable trade off. As a bonus, we haven’t had to change the batteries yet. She also has this pirate ship that she’s been loving. It’s pretty good, I like the characters, and ended up going with it because it has a shark, but it’s a little flimsy. I am regretting not going with the very positively reviewed V Tech version though, as I’ve been so happy with the durability on the Sit to Stand.
But I also want to invest in beautiful, more heirloom-grade toys that will be long term workhorses. These gorgeous Bauspiel gem blocks, for instance, which has many glorious sparkly additions such as these fairy windows so you can add to your collection over the years. I would have DIED for this Fairytale Castle. Blocks have so many great developmental benefits, too, so that made them worth the investment for me, too. For a more cost effective option , try these translucent blocks or these gem blocks on Amazon. As much as I love the Bauspiel, though, and have confidence that she’ll get into them eventually, Zola’s preference has been these (also amazing) GRIMM’S SPIEL & HOLZ blocks that were gifted to her on her first birthday. Here’s a well reviewed Grimm’s Blocks dupe for about half the price. These Grimm’s Rainbow Friends have also been a hit– I love that they’re open ended and minimal. This Amazon version looks good too (and I could see the sorting component being a great addition).
While Amazon covers most baby instrument needs, I wanted a good glockenspiel after buying two crappy ones. I also wanted her to have a nice sounding toy piano, so got her a KORG tinyPIANO
Zola came into her “little guy era” shortly after her first birthday. I adore everything Maileg, all of the accessories and beautiful colors. They’re the perfect size for little hands, which make them ideal carseat friends. This Princess and the Pea has been a favorite, versatile set. Same with Calico Critters and their endless variations, accessories, houses, and vehicles (this bus!). While many contain small parts that aren’t great for the under 3 set, this bear family is perfect. Zola is OBSESSED with these 5 little monkeys, have been a surprising hit– here’s an Amazon version as well. The 5 monkeys and Calico Critters school bus are great companions to the songs The Wheels on the Bus and 5 Little Monkeys. I thought maybe I could avoid integrating into our life, but there really is a universality to them, they’re ubiquitious, Zola loves them and there’s no escaping them. I am already dreaming about a future dollhouse we can work on together, but I got her a Little People Big Helpers house and perfect for her age. She especially loves the interactive buttons– a toilet that flushes and a button to play music. It’s provided hours of independent play time and I can’t imagine life without it (or something similar). It’s not currently available but here’s something similar. There are a lot of used options on eBay, Mercari, Poshmark, or Facebook Marketplace. Because of their similar size, the Maileg, Calico Critters, and Little People are all so modular within the different houses/ accessories and it’s fun to see them all coexisting. I also absolutely adore these Ambosius Fairies.
Zola’s also recently gotten into baby dolls– she picked out this Miniland doll at our favorite local toy store Merci Milo (their curation is wonderful, worth looking through their site as they ship anywhere). I love her realistic features, her vanilla scented skin, and the brand’s cozy knit clothing options–Zola vastly prefers her to her other baby dolls.
When Zola was a few months old, I was at the mall with a parent friend and I remember seeing this Melissa and Doug Cleaning set and saying, “is this the worst gift in the world or what?” and she said, “Oh, you’ll have one of these. Everyone has one of these. Kids LOVE them, believe me.” a little over a year later and the prophecy has been fulfilled– it’s an adored addition to her collection and has me considering one of these mini dysons as well. Measuring cups and scoops are also in heavy rotation.
She’s gotten into coloring too– I started with these Honeystick non-toxic beeswax crayons. I got the bath version as well, she loves them. Love rolling out butcher paper and taping it to the table or floor so she has a large space to work with.
It’s a dynamic situation, ever in flux, and I’m sure her preferences will change in a week.
