favorite toys at 18 months

I love Luke at eighteen months. This age is so much fun, for so many reasons. One of the things I've enjoyed the most about this stage is the fact that I can play with my boy. Now Luke plays with other people and doesn't need to have someone play for him to be entertained. He is also capable of so many activities now that he's mobile. I hate to say that I didn't really enjoy the baby days as much, but I think I'm learning more and more that toddlerhood is my favorite. Here are a few of Luke's favorite toys at 18 months:

books

This had to be first on the list because my boy cannot get enough of his books. He will sit by himself, in the corner of his room, turning page after page. It's precious to see Luke pull a book off of the shelf, "read" it, then put it into a little stack on the floor before he grabs a new one. He especially loves "interactive" books, where he can either press a music button or lift a flap to enhance the story. 

outdoor toys

Luke loves to be outside, so much so that if you go outside without him, he will have a meltdown at the door. We don't have a swingset yet but I was able to score some fabulous outdoor toys on Craigslist for $10 each. These are great for gross motor development. 

(I'll try to update the post with better photos when the rain stops!)

shape sorters

Next to his books, I think Luke would vote these as his favorite toy. He loves to sit down and problem solve with his shape sorters. I love watching him pick up a shape, look at it, then turn the shape sorter until he finds the matching shape. He's also gotten really good at turning the shape until it fits into the matching hole. My child is a baby genius, I know. :)

anything that resembles a vacuum

 

We have a popper, a little music maker & a mini Dyson, all of which bring daily entertainment for everyone in our house. Luke LOVES it when I vacuum the house and will immediately grab one of the three push toys and start to "help" me. He's really good in the tight spaces, like under the dining room table & in the corners. If I could only get one of those things to actually work!