Our founder, Shannon Davis, was recently featured in an article titled, “Best toys for 18-to-24-month-olds” for Baby Center.

Check out her excerpt below and her insight on what toys she thinks are most appropriate for development and entertainment!

Your 18- to 24-month-old is an amazing creature. Newly mobile, incredibly inquisitive, and increasingly independent, your toddler lives in a magical world where reality and fantasy intermingle, and pretend play takes on a new luster.

At the same time, your child is building other skills: “Gross motor skills will evolve: jumping and running,” says Shannon Davis, a San Diego-based physical therapist who specializes in developmental disabilities. “Fine motor skills will be refined: Turning pages in a book, scribbling, and twisting door knobs. Living skills will develop: Self-feeding with utensils, helping with dressing, and putting on shoes.” Davis advises toys that are “multisensory, entertaining, and facilitate learning.”

Below you can find helpful information on what to look for when buying toys for your 18-to-24-month-old:

You may notice, for instance, that your 18- to 24-month-old rarely sits still. Instead, they’re running, hopping, and trying to climb everything in sight. Toys that are dedicated to large muscle development are ideal. Look for toys that allow children to climb, bounce, ride, push, and pull. “Whole body movements support motor planning and coordinating the right and left sides. Foam building blocks (sofa cushions), hula hoop, bouncy ball, and balance bikes are great options,” says Davis.