Hellobee

Panda is almost eighteen months now and here are some of his favorite toys. While we didn’t have all of these when Lion was the same age, I think he would have enjoyed them, too. As a bonus, Lion (at almost three-years-old) enjoys all of the toys on this list, so they’re also great for encouraging the kids to play together.

Duplos – When Lion was younger, we only had a few mega blocks. The library has duplos and we’ve found that they’re actually easier to use for both kids.

Blaze and the Monster Machines – Lion has a ton of monster trucks and books from this series and they are some of the toys that Panda plays with the most. He loves to drive them all around the house or lay down on his stomach and watch them roll after he gives them a good push. The best part is that Lion and Panda love to play with them together. We also have a few Hot Wheels Monster Jam trucks which the kids enjoy, but I personally think that the Blaze ones are better made and the kids love the recognizable characters.

Cars – Almost as big a hit as monster trucks, Panda loves some of the Pixar cars that we have. Despite having never seen any of the movies, he is well aware of Lightning McQueen and actually calls all of the cars we have “McQueen!” Another toy that he loves to play with his older brother.

Play kitchen and play food – This is a toy that has definitely withstood the test of time. This was Panda’s favorite toy beginning at about seven months and still one that he plays with on a daily basis. It’s greatly enjoyed by Lion, too, and because there’s plenty of room for both of them, we often find them cooking together and feeding each other play food.

Puzzles – Interestingly, these are not his favorite toy at home, but every time we go to the library, Panda makes a beeline for the wooden puzzles.

Shape sorter – This one wasn’t as of great an interest to Lion, but Panda loves it. He loves emptying out the box, putting the lid on, then sorting each shape back into the box. This is obviously too simple for Lion at his age, but he does like to help Panda put the lid back on when his brother’s struggling with it.

Wooden blocks – These are a bit more successful than Magnatiles for Panda’s age, but a building toy that he and Lion can both enjoy together. Panda loves to stack blocks in a tower as high as they can go, then rebuild again and again.

Sticker activity books – What child doesn’t love stickers? Lion and Panda are obsessed.

Musical instruments/noise makers – These are loud, but the kids sure do enjoy them. The xylophone seems to be a favorite of both kids, probably because they get to hit them with sticks.

Bubbles – Another obsession of both kids. We tend to reserve the use of bubbles and only break them out when we’re desperate because they always work. The kids could spend an hour watching bubbles, chasing after them and trying to pop them.