Fifteen months old. It is just a few months after a year old but so much changes with your little ones in these few months! When your child is only 12 months old, they are just beginning to walk and babble. By the time they reach 15 months old though, they are saying real words (their vocabulary is typically only as extensive as 3-5 words), understanding simple commands, mimicking your actions, pointing to their itty bitty body parts, and beginning to run (surprisingly fast too when they have something they should not, am I right?!). 

With all this new mental, emotional, and physical development happening everyday, what toys should your little one be playing with? Like any good parent, we want to make sure that we are supplying our kids with the tools to foster their development and promote growth, not hinder it. That is why we are here to tell you about the best toys for 15 month olds!

Toys Promoting Development for 15 month olds 

What does a 15 month old need for their development? As previously mentioned, during this stage, they are learning to take direction, mimic your behaviors, expand their vocabulary, and develop their fine motor skills. What can you look for in toys to promote those developments?

To develop their understanding of commands and encourage mimicking, you want to look for a toy that allows for independent creative play for your little one, but also allows for the opportunity of directed play with the parent!  

To develop their vocabulary, keep an eye out for toys and books that include letters and small words with directly related pictures!

To develop fine motor skills, seek a toy with many moving parts-- this could include sliding little pieces from one end to the other, placing shapes in openings, or completing a puzzle! 

Factors to Consider

When it comes to choosing the toys for your kids, there are a lot of factors to consider! Some of these questions you might ask yourself could include:

The list could go on forever, but these are just a few things to think about before purchasing your toys!

Where to Find Toys

After weighing your options and considering all factors, you’re ready to choose a toy-- or maybe you already have one in mind! So now what?

It is time to purchase! Deciding where to purchase your toys from can almost be as important as the deciding factors leading up to purchasing the toys. 

Online Shopping

In the day and age of technology, naturally you’re drawn to shop online-- and why wouldn’t you be! You don’t need to pack your kids up, stroll them up and down the overstimulating toy aisles, and can avoid any meltdowns that might occur in a store. Plus, when you shop online it comes straight to your house-- sounds like a win-win situation to us!

While that sounds all fine and dandy, it is crucial to be able to differentiate between honest sellers and knock offs. Whenever I go shopping, I turn to Amazon for a good deal! Why would I buy something for $20 in a store or a company’s site when I can get it for $5 cheaper from Amazon?

Wall Street Journal on the Safety of Budget and "Knock-off" Toys

Third-party and knock-off toys are becoming more and more prevalent on Amazon. When it comes to toys for young children, it's so critical to know that your toys are produced by a trusted brand with a proven safety record, and here's why:

Did you know, most of these cheaper options are actually available because they are knock-offs of the originals? Their packaging, branding, and description are so similar though that it is almost impossible to tell the difference online. Unfortunately, in many of these cases, a cheaper price equals cheaper quality, which can be potentially dangerous for your child.

The cheaper quality toy could lead to breakage of small plastic pieces during play or ingestion of toxic materials. Are you worried this might happen to you? When in doubt, buy directly from the sellers website or profile! 

If online shopping isn’t your thing or you’re worried about being scammed, try some of these options!

Hand-Me-Downs 

This is the easiest way to go if this isn’t your first kid! It doesn’t cost you a dime and you already have grown to love the toys-- plus learned how to play with them! If you go this route, just make sure that your toys are still in good condition and won’t bring your little one any harm. Check your toy for: broken/sharp edges, eroded batteries (if applicable), and be sure to give it a deep cleaning if it has been in storage for a while!

Garage Sale

If you don’t have any pre-loved toys of your own to pass down to your kid, visit some local garage sales-- they are perfect for hidden gems! In fact, beautiful wooden toys from a garage sale is actually what inspired the creation of ToyVentive! 

Physical Store

By going to the store, you are able to get up close and personal with the toys! You can let your child roam free down the aisle and see what they are drawn to. As always though, keep in mind what would be best for them and don’t just get drawn in by the brightest or loudest toy!

Toys for 15 months old

Now, getting to what you really came here for- what toys should your 15 month old play with? With all the prior purchasing decisions considered, here are some great toy options for your little one!

1. Piece together your favorite puzzles! Puzzles are a great toy for your kiddo for a few different reasons. First and foremost, putting the pieces in place is great for developing hand-eye coordination, which is especially relevant in this time of their lives. Puzzles are also a great option if you are looking for Montessori toys!

2. Get creative with stacking cups! Like the puzzle, stacking the cups together will enhance your child’s coordination. In addition to that, they can be a great tool to develop this understanding/listening skills through command. So, don’t limit yourself to only stacking with the cups! These cups can be used for an array of activities, such as:

• Scooping and Comparison! Have your child scoop sand, water, or flour (really whatever you like) and demonstrate how each cup can hold a different amount!  This might be a little complex for their brains but it is great practice for following directions.
• Pouring and mixing! Now that they have learned how to scoop, you can show them how to dump too and combine ingredients or elements!

3. Activities are best with the activity cube! If you’ve learned anything from our blogs, you’ll know how versatile our little cubes are! The different activities on each side are perfect for learning cause and effect, and of course, strengthening those fine motor skills! 

4. Bring out the board books! Nothing is better than snuggling up with your little one and flipping through a book with them! Introducing reading and storytelling into their lives at such an early age will not only promote their desire to learn, but also increase their creativity! While snuggling up and flipping through the book is the goal, we know that is not always the reality which is why board books are perfect! At 15-months old, it seems like kids have an unlimited supply of energy. These are durable enough to withstand being tossed across the room, taken on trips, or even bitten!

5. Get crafty at home! How many of us have spent hours picking out the perfect toy for our kids only to have them be equally entertained by a measuring cup at home? If you are afraid your little one might outgrow their toys too quickly, try getting creative with common household objects! This could include:

• Making a drum set from some pots! Let them bang away or make an activity out of it! Put colored tape on each of the pots and give them directions on which colors to hit. 
• Spoon or Shovel? Staying with the theme of kitchenware, bring out the spoons and some sugar, flour, or even cereal to bury some figurines in! Now, let them shovel it out - easy as that!
• Time to put the spoon away? Make a game out of clean up time! If you have a silverware holder that has a shape for each utensil (fork, spoon, knife), treat it like a puzzle! Be sure to give your kiddo guidance and direction on where to place each one to strengthen their listening skills and help them out.
• You decide! Have any other great DIY play ideas? Post them to Instagram and tag @ToyVentive to show them off! Who knows, you’ll maybe even get featured on our page!

As we have learned, each month in a child’s development is unique in its own way and brings a new set of questions and challenges! The good news is that although these are the best toys for 15 month olds, that does not mean that they will only enjoy them at this age! These types of toys are perfect for your child's development because the way that they play with them is continually changing and evolving!