2012 Gift Guide: What to Buy Your Toddler

This may be the first Christmas your toddler is aware (or at least semi-aware) of what’s going on when a pile of gifts is put in front of her. There are plenty of toys out there for the under three set, but sometimes it’s hard to navigate through the junk to see what the good stuff is.

Try one of these great gifts to hit a home run with your toddler this season!

The No-Fail Gift

So here’s the thing with Elmo—toddlers LOVE him. But I have a big beef with Elmo in toy form—too many bells and whistles. This Elmo is a simple plush toy your child can take to bed, drag around the house and on road trips. The best part—you won’t have to worry about batteries running out!

The Unique Gift

Ok, so I know this thing looks weird. But every time I take my daughter to the local playroom, this bouncy hopper is the toy all the kids gravitate to. They sit on it, jump on it, and throw it around. It comes in several different colors and styles.

The Educational Gift

This wooden shape sorter from Melissa and Doug is a great learning tool for developing brains. But your toddler won’t know that—she’ll just love the bright colors and fun shapes!

The Big-Ticket Item

Toddlers LOVE a good play kitchen. They’ll spend hours standing around opening and shutting drawers and “washing” dishes. If you want one of your own and it’s going to be placed in a main seating area, this one is a great option. Unlike some, it’s not an eye sore!

The Perfect Push Toy

Is your kid into pushing stuff around? So is mine. She’ll push anything she can get her hands on. This little mower is a great push toy as it also makes lots of fun noises and has little gadgets to tinker with on the base.

The Big-Kid Chair

Tired of your toddler destroying your couch? It’s the perfect time to invest in a chair of his own. Check out Pottery Barn’s adorable options—you can even get them monogrammed!

The Pretend-Play Toy

Remember playing doctor when you were little? This little kit will be a favorite through the toddler years well into childhood. At 18 months, my daughter already loves the stethoscope (although I’m pretty sure she thinks it’s a necklace).