When Taeen turned one, we were confused as to what to get for her first birthday. She was hardly interested in soft toys or blocks or any small toys for that matter. How do we keep toddlers of that age entertained?
- The TENT HOUSE
Tent house is every child’s favorite. They help little ones explore and play hide and seek as well as set boundaries. It establishes a space just for them to play or feel freely. (Ours is from Too Two toys.) - The BALL PIT
Ball pits are hours of fun. It does create a mess but if you are willing to overlook that, babies are occupied for a quite a while with this. An added plus, the pit can be used without the balls to keep the baby in with other toys. It acts a like a baby gated area of sorts. (This is the one we have, from Hamleys. It was a gift and super easy to store away too.) - The MARBLE RUN
Marble runs entertain babies, toddlers, adults and makes a great birthday gift. It keeps little ones busy, helping them focus and improve their motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination. (We have the Playmate baby spiral fun from Firstcry but unfortunately has been discontinued since. Found one here instead. Check out another here.) - The PUZZLE
An easy to do basic puzzle does the trick here. Babies love putting things in and pulling them out, which can be easily done with puzzles that have tiny handles. In the long run, they do learn to solve the puzzle. (Taeen still loves playing with hers. Make sure you get the wooden ones rather than any flimsy kind. Babies tend to mouth them.) - The BOUNCE
All that pent up energy can get exhausted with the bounce ball or animal. This is perfect for Covid times, when the little one is stuck inside and needs an outlet to release energy. (Ours is a bounce animal from Hamleys, which was a gift, but there are other options here and here. Adult supervision is a must.)