Have you ever sat there and looked at all the toys that your toddler has and wondered if they really needed all of them? (Of course you have, let’s be honest you’re not really a parent unless you’ve contemplated this.) Everyone loves to give your toddler toys and sometimes it’s hard to not pass up a toy at the store that you just know your toddler is going to love. I don’t know about you but I LOVE seeing the look of astonishment and surprise before giving you the biggest smile ever when receiving a new toy.

Then there are other times and you start to worry that your toddler doesn’t have the right type of toys or maybe you need a gift for another toddler and you aren’t really sure where to start. So I’ve compiled a list of our current favorite toys and staples I feel every toddler should have!

1. Mega Blocks/Building Blocks

Mega Blocks

Infantino Balls, Blocks, and Buddies

*excuse the mess, we’re making memories 🙂

2. Books, Books, and More Books!

Here are some of our recent favorites:

Snuggle Puppy; Good Night Texas The Good Night Series is absolutely amazing! They have one for every state and even have some for big cities. We’ve been picking them up and collecting them as we have visited new places. J absolutely loves these!; First 100 Words We love this one, there are so many different variations, we even have one that’s Disney based. It’s be great with learning his animals, transportation, and many other things!; The Pout-Pout Fish I have this whole book memorized, we turned it into a little song and it has been so much fun to sing/read.

We created a little reading nook for J and we have so much fun hanging out there and going through all of his books! I love when I have a mini heart attack because he’s silent and I peek around the corner and see this –

3. Puzzles

Melissa and Doug have become a quick favorite of ours in every toy that they make but here are a couple puzzles J adores!

Farm Animals, House and Shapes, Farm, Safari, and Vehicles.

And for some great organization of the puzzles, we love this rack.

4. Stuffed Animals

Okay, full confession, J has never been a big one for stuffed animals. I don’t know why but he’s never had a ‘lovey’ blanket or binky or stuffed animal that he absolutely adored until recently. We took him to a bookstore to pick up a few books and he found this Clifford and has even since absolutely loved his stuffed animals. I never knew what I was missing until I saw him cuddling his doggie at night and my heart melted. I mean, look at this!

5. Cars/Trucks

Roll n’ Rattle – these are perfect for those little hands and fingers!

Dump Truck – this has been perfect for outdoor play and I can’t wait for it to warm up a little more so we can take it to the beach!

Bonus: Squishy water things (official name)

Infantino Tub O’Toys– J has been absolutely obsessed with his ‘animals.’ He loves to carry them around in his mouth (he learns this from the dogs lol) and he loves to chew on them. They definitely seemed to help with teething.

He loves to also line them up on the windowsill while watching the cars drive by.

**I will say that you have to be careful to not actually get any water in them because they mildew very easily and we have yet to figure out the best way to clean them so we wind up throwing them away and buying more. Do you already have these and have a great cleaning tip?? PLEASE share with me below!

What have I left out? Am I missing anything? Tell me what your favorite toys are for this age!

**As an Amazon Associate I earn a small profit from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to reach out to me!

Hello all you beautiful people! It’s a lazy day in our household and I figured it would be the perfect time to tell you all a little bit more about me and some of my favorite things. So, without further ado…

10. Traveling

You guys, I absolutely LOVE to travel. I love getting to explore new places, eat at local restaurants, and get lost in a new city. Check out my post with my 5 Best Travel Tips!

Uptown Charlotte

9. Florida State University Football

Yeah, we may not have the best team or reputation lately but I will always be a Seminole!

8. Elephants

There are so many reasons to love elephants; the strong matrilineal family, their love language is touch, they have emotions and never forget often times pausing to mourn where family members have passed. Symbolically elephants represent strength, honor, and stability. Plus baby elephants view humans the same way we view puppies, I mean how freaking cute is that?!?

Yes this is a fake elephant from Jungle Cruise at Disney World, but it’s the best I’ve got.

7. Bullet Journaling

Okay, this one really changed my whole view of journaling. I always hated the whole ‘Dear Diary’ thing but have always wanted to journal. One day while on maternity leave, a video came across my Facebook feed about bullet journaling. There are no rules, you can make it as pretty or as messy as you want. You can draw, you can do short bullet notes, you can even rub the journal in the dirt, whatever you want! So I quickly went out and bought one. I joined a few Facebook groups and searched Pinterest for all the fun ideas. While I don’t have a single original idea in my head and copy everything for the most part from other images, the whole process is incredibly therapeutic. I have always wanted to be artistic and of course I’m not very good at it but it makes me feel like I have a small artistic bone in my body.

Acceptance is my word of the year and Be Present is my family’s word(s) of the year. I love taking time each day (or week) and really try and focus on what these words to me and how they are being put into play each day.

6. Target

Are you even a stay at home mom if you don’t love Target?

Little J making sure I head towards the toys next.

5. Reading

Is there anything better than getting lost in a good book? Confession: my guilty pleasure is young adult novels. I’m so obsessed.

This was right after my husband built me this bookshelf, it’s definitely gotten a lot fuller and messier since then but I absolutely adore it!

4. Dogs

I don’t even have the words to explain how much these two mean to me. I’ve always been partial to dachshunds because that’s what we’ve always had but I’m sure my dogs are the absolute greatest.

3. Coffee

That first sip of coffee in the morning when it touches your soul and you know that whatever life throws at you today you can conquer it.

2. Pure Barre

I have always been the least athletic person you have ever met (I still am if I’m honest). I have never once found a work out and stuck to it. I knew that I liked the group fitness classes but always felt like such a dork in Zumba and forget any of the other classes (omg spin class was awful). But I have two great coworkers (who are more like family) who convinced me to try Pure Barre with them. My whole life changed since then. I was immediately addicted! Each class is set up very similar but the workouts are different with different instructors, it’s amazing for all fitness levels, ensures you’re held accountable (you can’t cancel class within 4 hours of class starting without being charged, something I definitely needed to ensure I actually went), and the most amazing group of women you have met who are there cheering you on! I could sing the praises of Pure Barre all day everyday! I’ve lost all my baby weight and even more, I’ve got some killer biceps and my abs are starting to pop through. But most importantly, I feel fit and healthy and it does absolute wonders for my mental health!

Signing the barre after completing the Black Barre Challenge which was a year long challenge, I’m so proud of myself for sticking it out!

1. Being a mom

Oh man, there is nothing in the world that I love more than being a mom. I never wanted to be a mom, the idea of actually birthing and having a child scared the living crap out of me and when I found myself pregnant (big surprise to us) all of those fears and more came out. But when I held him in the hospital, it sounds so cliche, but it was the most amazing feeling in the entire world. I am so proud to be a mom but more importantly, I’m proud to be HIS mom.

My tiny baby, chillaxing like a master.

Those are my top 10 favorite things but let’s be honest, I could go on for days!

What are you favorite things? Do any of my favorites stick out to you or do you share similar favorites? Let me know! I want to know each and everyone of you!

Remember: Happiness blooms from within 🙂

Rhoad to Life

Be the change. Explore new possibilities. Most importantly, love yourself.

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5 Must Have Toddler Toys