Image: MomJunction Design Team
Your baby is growing up! Woohoo! So, now it’s time to get them the best toys for 16-month-olds and help develop their imaginative skills. Yes, toys are for playtime, but they are more than that. When your baby plays with these toys, it helps boost their observational skills and improve their motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Colorful and interactive toys can enhance your child’s overall development and be an indispensable tool to improve their sensory skills. We’ve listed some best-selling toys below that your child will love. So, pick one that’s suitable for them and let the playtime begin!
Top Picks
11 Best Toys For 16-Month-Olds
1. Best For Developing Motor Skills:Little Tikes Learn & Play 2-in-1 Activity Tunnel
Featuring two ways to play, this age-appropriate toy is a crawl-through adjustable soft tunnel made from flexible fabric and featuring side holes for playing peek-a-boo. The other game is a spiral ball drop attached to the side of the tunnel, and it allows your little one to have fun and develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they drop the five multi-colored balls. Suitable for ages one to three, this collapsible tunnel also has buttons for playing music, making their playtime more fun. Also, this toy can help promote your child’s physical activity. Moreover, the setup is made of durable plastic and is collapsible for easy storage. The tunnel measures 24.75×17.5×8 inches and weighs 8.73lb.
Also Recommended By: The Little Tikes Learn & Play 2-in-1 Activity Tunnel has also made it to the list by Babycentre.[1]Best toys for 12- to 18-month-olds. Babycentre https://www.babycenter.com/baby-products/activities-and-play/best-toys-for-12-to-18-months-old_40007656
Quick tip2. Best Durable:Skip Hop 3-in-1 Baby Activity Push Walker To Toddler Scooter
The colorful animal-themed scooter is designed with a wagon for early walkers to push it around with ease, promoting physical activity. Once your toddler is old enough, the wagon’s storage tub could be used as a ride-on toy seat like a scooter. The handle of the scooter is adjustable to make it suitable for children of all heights, and there is a button for the headlight, sounds, and melodies, making the ride more entertaining. Suitable for children aged between one and three, this toy requires three AAA batteries not included in the package. Measuring 13.5×20.5×22.75 inches, this scooter is made of durable plastic, weighs 5.4lb, and offers a maximum weight capacity of 44lb.
3. Best Child-Safe:Battat Wooden Activity Cube
Suitable for children aged one and above, this animal-themed wooden activity cube features spinners, a bead maze, a zigzag racetrack, mix-and-match animal puzzles, and openable doors for engaging your little one for long hours. Your child can play peek-a-boo with the various farm animals, making it the perfect gift for little ones. Suitable for developing hand-eye coordination, this skill-building wooden cube has been made from child-safe materials, measures 13.4×11.81×17.72 inches, and weighs 13.24lb.
Also Recommended By: Verywellfamily has also listed Battat Wooden Activity Cube in their top 10.[1]
Also Recommended By: Verywellfamily has also listed Battat Wooden Activity Cube in their top 10.[1]The 40 Best Toys for 18-Month-Olds of 2024. Verywellfamily https://www.verywellfamily.com/best-toys-for-18-month-olds-4173465
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
Over 8,633 customers on Amazon have opined that this is one of the best products in its category.
4. Best Easy-To-Clean:Sago Mini Dennis’ Bathtub Squirter And Boat Floatie
Suitable for children aged one and above, this tried-and-tested set includes a bath squirter and a bathtub boat float to encourage your little one to bathe and have fun while playing. Made from BPA-free and phthalate-free material, these bath toys are easy to clean as the squirter twists apart with ease. Thus, you can keep the toys mold- and mildew-free and hygienic. Loved by many reviewers, these toys also promote storytelling and make-believe play to keep your children entertained.
5. Best Interactive:VTech Baby Babble and Rattle Microphone
The pink sing-along baby rattle microphone is an interactive device that can amplify your toddler’s voice like a real microphone. It has a puppy button that can play more than 60 songs for your children to sing together and a ring that can play 12 different animal sounds and playful melodies. Besides, the toy instrument button helps your child understand real musical instruments and play classical or rock ‘n roll music. When you shake the device, it plays sounds and phrases. The device runs on three AAA batteries and has an auto-shutdown feature and a durable design. It weighs 6.6 pounds and measures 7.2×2.8×2.8 inches. Check out the YouTube review detailing a tester’s experience with the toy to know why it is one of the best out there.
Quick tip6. Best For STEM Learning:Step2 Rain Showers Splash Pond Water Table
The colorful water table is made from sturdy plastic and features a 13-piece accessory set for your child to enjoy the thrill of a waterpark in their backyard. It has many features for your child to enjoy as they pour water from the pond using the large bucket that comes with the set. Pouring water into the waterfall tray, your little one would love to observe the water splashing back to the pond like rainfall. There are maze-like spinners, hand-held spinning wheels, flippers, ramps, and more that activate once the waterfall drains into the pond. This skill-building STEM toy is made of durable plastic, measures 39.02×24.02×32.01 inches, weighs 14.96lb, and can hold up to five gallons of water.
Quick tip7. BestFor Teaching Shapes:Melissa & Doug Take-Along Shape Sorter
The on-the-go shape sorter comes with a padded carrying case with an easy-grip padded handle and a compact design with nine brightly colored plastic shapes. This baby-friendly game has crinkly flaps with pictures on top for your child to identify them, and the shape under the flap matches the image displayed on the flap. The entertaining game allows your child to recognize and learn shapes in a fun way and drop the textured blocks through the sorter, making it the perfect gift option. It has a plush dog that you can pull around the edge to open the case and restart the game. There are two activity slides in the shape sorter that measure 14x10x4 inches and have 120 total pieces.
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
Over 4,251 Amazon shoppers have left good reviews about this product, citing its quality features and benefits.
8. Best Interactive:LeapFrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket
The pink pretend picnic basket allows your child to learn colors, shapes, and manners creatively. After lifting the lid, it will play melodic phrases and open 15 different colorful plates, cups, forks, and food. A creative shape sorter on the lid fits various food pieces and interactively prompts each shape and color. It makes food requests and plays cheerful learning songs upon pressing the butterfly-shaped button. Each time your child recognizes the correct food in the basket, the toy gives an encouraging response and teaches good manners. With many positive reviews, it has three modes for shapes, colors, and music with more than 150 songs, sounds, and phrases. The product measures 6.22×8.66×6.69 inches and weighs 2.08 pounds.
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The 10,071 reviews on Amazon indicate that this product has a loyal following.
9. Best For Visual Tracking:Playskool Busy Ball Popper Toy
The vibrant toy from Playskool allows your child to pop the toy balls in the air, drop them on the ramps, and watch them roll through the transparent spiral tube. This time-tested toy comes with five balls of different colors and has eight sound effects and bouncy music installed to make this ball cycle toy an engaging experience. Suitable for children aged nine months and above, this toy has a push button to activate the ball roll and gives a sensory playing experience to your little one. It measures 5.63×13.11×17.99 inches, weighs 3.51lb, and operates using 4D batteries.
10. Best Lightweight:Gimsan Trihorse Wooden Marble Run
Designed using premium-quality beech wood, this wooden marble run allows your little one to concentrate more as they keenly watch the four vibrant balls roll down from one track to another. It comes with a cute rolling clown, a rolling flower, and four balls. The lightweight ball track is delivered pre-assembled, measures 28.74×21.06×4.41 inches, and weighs 7.17lb.
11. Best Easy-To-Grasp:Guidecraft Circle Sorter
The durable wooden circle puzzle features five circle cavities in a base tray with different-colored circle pieces of various sizes for your little one to develop their gross and fine motor skills as they fit the circle pieces in the cavities. Suitable for children aged nine months and above, this toy serves as a color-matching game as it comes with stickers to color-code the base cavities and make it easier for your little one to identify the right circle piece for each cut-out. Made from high-quality materials—rubberwood stained with low VOC aniline dyes—this toy measures 12x12x3 inches and weighs 2.15lb. The circle pieces measure two to five inches and have two-inch knobs for easy grasping.
How To Choose The Best Toy For A 16-Month-Old?
Here are some factors to consider when buying the best toy for your 16-month-old.
1. Safety: Most toys are rounded with smooth edges and surfaces to provide additional protection to your child. Ensure that the toy’s parts are large enough to prevent swallowing and are built with high-quality materials. Also, ensure the toys are made of non-toxic and soft materials.
2. Shapes and colors: A toy with various colors and shapes helps your child understand and recognize them while contributing to their motor development. Shape sorting helps them to strengthen their coordination skills.
3. Interactive toys: Most toys that play rhymes and phrases instantly capture a toddler’s attention, allowing them to understand and communicate more quickly and expressively and contributing to their emotional development and social skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What kind of toys should a 16-month-old be playing with?
Whether your 16-month-old baby is still crawling or mastering the steps, they should be playing with toys that promote hand-eye coordination like stacking and nesting, safe ride-ons as they love to explore and move, and interactive sound books and musical toys are some of the best options for them.
2. How should I stimulate my 16-month-old’s senses?
You can stimulate your 16-month-old’s senses by exposing them to different textures or temperatures of food–this helps them to stimulate their taste and touch senses while allowing them to enjoy meal time. Choose toys or books that have squeezable parts or material, colorful pictures, and are interactive to stimulate their sensory skills.
3. Can toys help with the hand-eye coordination of my 16-month-old?
Yes, most toys for babies are ideal for developing hand-eye coordination. They encourage the child to either grab and sort or press and play, which are helpful in their overall development.
Why Trust MomJunction?
Priti Bose is an experienced product writer who enjoys reviewing and choosing toys and gifts for children. She has analyzed countless customer reviews and sifted through several websites to compile this list of the best toys for 16-month-olds. She has specifically chosen those products considering their skill-building benefits, so they can help boost the little one’s hand-eye coordination, cognitive skills, language development, communication skills, and memory skills. Also, the toys Priti has chosen are colorful, interactive, and safe for babies.
The Bottom Line
At 16 months, your baby is rapidly growing and is in a constant state of movement as they begin to play, walk, and even climb. The toys you present to them in this stage are crucial as they directly impact and improve their motor and cognitive development. For early walkers, we suggest choosing the Skip Hop 3-in-1 Baby Activity Push Walker To Toddler Scooter with features such as durability and musical engagement. The Battat Wooden Activity Cube fosters shape recognition and hand-eye coordination, making it another great option. You can also try the Step2 Rain Showers Splash Pond Water Table with multiple activities to enjoy. When choosing the perfect one, ensure the toys have smooth, round edges for safety. Also, ensure they are vibrantly colored and have interactive features to aid their development. You can consult a child development expert to find out the right toy for your child.
Infographic: Guide For Buying Toys For A 16-Month-Old Baby
A 16-month-old baby can walk and dance and would be trying to jump. They will also be growing rapidly with the quick development of their skills. Therefore, when selecting a toy for them, you must ensure that the toys can help their development. Check out the infographic below for more tips for buying toys for 16-month-olds.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
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