Top 5- Items for Toddlers

Did you miss the Top 5 post from last month? Check it out here-- Top 5 items for babies.

This month is following a similar theme, but upping it to Toddlers. Here are my Top 5 items for kids aged 1.5-3.

1. Mini Trampoline

Once Booger got to the point where she needed creative ways to get her energy out, I knew we needed something inside the house. I wanted to get her one for Christmas, but we got her a slide instead (which she still loves). When the weather outside is too bad to send her out to run around, she can bounce!

2. Plastic Bowls and Plates

 (from Ikea)

We received other plates as gifts before, but these have held up the best. Unfortunately, when you have a toddler that throws bowls and plates on the wood floors, other items just cant hold up! These are dishwasher safe, and honestly, I use them for myself sometimes! And they come in a pack of 6 for only $2.49!

3. A DVR

If your kiddo is like mine and only likes to watch a few shows, you NEED to have those shows available at all times! Our bedroom TV has a DVR on it, and it literally only has Disney Jr shows (Sophia, Lion Guard, Mickey, Elena and Miles) plus some movies when they play them. This way, we always have a happy camper! I let her watch sometimes while I'm nursing Chunk and its so much easier to be able to press play instead of hoping a show she likes is on!

4. Puzzles

One thing I like about puzzle time is that there are so many ways to learn from them. Once the kid masters doing the actual puzzle itself, it doesn't end there! I always find a new way to play with Booger and puzzles-- I ask her to find a certain piece (where's the horse? where's the square?) or a certain color. I turn the pieces upside down and see if she can figure it out without looking at the picture part of each piece. I time her and see how fast she can finish a puzzle. She loves doing puzzles and never is bored with them!

5. Blanket, Animal, Lovie, something they love

Toddlers are great about finding one item and becoming obsessed with it. However, it's the items that last that make the difference. By this age, toddlers usually have a blanket or an animal they just cannot live without. Booger has 3 blankets and 2 dolls (a Minnie and a Corgi). They bring her comfort when shes upset, she shares them with her brother because they are important to her, she sleeps with them every night, she brings them to snuggle time, etc. While they are her favorites, they do have rules-- none of them go downstairs unless mama or dada say so. This way they stay clean, don't get lost, or ruined. But it's important for a kid at this stage to have something that brings comfort besides a person. They're learning to wean themselves from a parent, but still need a physical item to feel safe.

Those are my Top 5 items every Toddler needs! What are some other items you would add to the list?