Toddler Essentials: Months 12-16

Shop Toddler Essentials: Months 12-16

HIGH CHAIR: Abiie  //  SIPPIE CUP: Munchkin //  PLATE: Nuby //  LEOPARD SWEATER:  Walmart  //  GREEN PANTS: Walmart  //  VELVET BOW WRAP: similar Walmart  

I always get a ton of questions from you about the gear/toys/clothes Everly is into at the moment. I know lots of you found my newborn essentials post helpful, so today I’m sharing my top toddler essentials for babies ages 10-16 months.

I hate even calling Everly a toddler because she still feels like a baby to me (and I’m also not ready to admit that she’s becoming less and less baby-ish every day), but apparently any baby beyond 12 months old is officially considered a toddler.

So now when I talk about Evie on the blog, I suppose I’ll have to call her that. Now that we’re one month into Everly’s toddler-hood, I’m teaming up with one of my go-to places for finding baby essentials for less, Walmart, to share my top 10 must-haves for toddlers ages 12-16 months.

From crawling and walking to trying new foods and communicating (in the best way they can), these months promise to bring a ton of changes for your baby as they transition into being a toddler.

I’m so excited to share the top 10 necessities that have helped this mama keep her sanity and have helped Everly during this exciting time of growth and development. From feeding essentials and snacks to baby proofing and our favorite developmental toys, click through to read my top 10 toddler essentials.

Top 10 Essentials For Toddlers

Everly is currently going through a phase where she seems to constantly change. After being gone for just one week, Everly was visibly bigger, had more hair, said more words and was walking way better than before I left.

She’s now not just walking, but running down the halls, constantly discovering new words and new emotions (“Marshmallow” the scary snowman on Frozen now officially scares her y’all), and discovering new things + making new friends every where she goes.

While I don’t like to call her a toddler, we are definitely in the in between stage and this mama can already tell that the toddler years are gonna be very fun but also very exhausting! F

or all my fellow mama’s out there, here are my top 10 must-haves that have made the last few months a little easier for us both.

1 – A High Chair That’s Easy to Clean

Nothing could have prepared me for just how messy this whole solid foods thing was going to be.

From about 9-10 months on, Everly refused to be spoon fed, so we had to implement baby led weaning not by our choice, but by hers.

It worked out great and she’ll try just about anything as long as she’s allowed to do it herself, but boy is it messy!!

Choosing a high chair is an important decision, and I did a lot of research before we decided on one.

We actually didn’t register for one since we knew we wouldn’t need it for a while, and I’m actually glad I waited because I think it allowed me to make a more informed decision.

We went with the Abiie Beyond Wooden High Chair and I’m SO glad we did!! This high chair is AMAZING y’all!!

It has a plastic tray that pops off so you can easily clean it + it’s super high-quality and study and better yet, it grows with your baby through their toddler years and into childhood (in fact it even can turn into a chair for your teenager, but I have a feeling we won’t need it quite that long!) 

I also love its clean, sleek design that doesn’t make it an eye sore to keep out in the kitchen (because ain’t no mama have time for constantly storing and taking out a high chair!)

Of course, Walmart has the best price you’ll find in this high chair, and while it is a little steep, it’s SO worth it (we’ll definitely be using it for all of our babies!)

2 – Sippy Cups & Trainer Cups

I’ve had lots of questions about the sippie cups we use for Everly. First, we introduced a sippy cup starting with the Nuby Grip N Sip Cups right when she was six months, just giving her water here and there so she’d be used to it.

I went with the Nuby Grip N Sip Cup after doing lots of research and reading reviews on the best first sippy cup and it was perfect. It’s still the primary sippy cup we use and you can get a pack of 3 for just $8.50 from Walmart.

After doing more research, I decided it was time to introduce a trainer cup, which will help ease her into regular cups in the future. Earlier this week, we introduced the Muchkin Miracle 360 Trainer Cup and she seems to be doing okay with it (although she’s still trying to figure out exactly how to use it haha).

3 – Stay Put Plates & Bowls With Suction

Like most toddlers, Everly LOVES throwing things off of her high chair, so any bowls and regular plates with no suction are off the table (quite literally, haha).

Lots of times, we just put the food directly onto her high chair tray since it’s removable, but when we want to separate items for her, we love the Nuby Silicone Stay Put Mat and the Munchkin Stay Put Suction Bowls. We even use the suction bowls to stick to our coffee table for afternoon snacks while she plays around our living room.

4 – Snacks On-The-Go

I never leave the house without taking a few snacks (our girl likes to eat!) and my go-to’s are Gerber’s Lil Crunchies, Gerber Organic Yogurt Melts and blueberries (it’s the one fruit she’ll ALWAYS eat, plus I don’t have to cut it!) Love that you can buy the Gerber snacks in bulk for amazing prices at Walmart.

5 – Pacifiers and Little Soothies

Everly loves her Little Soothies and Pacifiers and we never go anywhere without either option.

I love that the Little Soothie animals make it easy for me to find the pacifier but she also prefers a regular pacifier when she sleeps (like her mama, Evie loves to sleep on her belly, no matter how many times we lay her on her back!)

6 – Sunscreen and The BEST All-Purpose Ointment

Now that Everly spend a lot more time outside (she love splaying in the water or outdoors in general!) having sunscreen on hand is absolutely essential.

I love the Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50 Fragrance Free and lately I’ve only been using Babyganics for her body wash and lotion. It’s organic and free of any parabens, artificial fragrance or dyes, etc. and I love how soft it makes her skin feel.

By far my NUMBE RONE recommendation when it comes to skincare/diaper care is Burt’s Bees Baby Multi-Purpose Ointment. This ointment is perfect for any kind of diaper rash or chaffing (which happens once your little one starts moving) and also for any kind of skin rash/irritation. It’s 100% natural and petroleum free so you can rest assured that your baby bee isn’t exposed to any harmful chemicals.

7 – Comfy Clothing (& lots of backup)

Now that Everly is walking and we’re out and about more, finding clothing that’s comfy and cute is essential. As darling as all of her Disney dresses are, they’re not the easiest to crawl in and not super comfortable for napping either.

Having lots of comfy sweaters and leggings like this set I found at Walmart is essential, especially for the fall and winter months for our little walker.

I love that Walmart has such amazingly low prices on baby clothing because they grow SO fast and often need at least one or two back up outfits a day in case of diaper leaks (or getting into the dogs water bowls, etc.)

8 – Shoes She Can Walk In

Everly never really wore shoes before, but now that she’s walking and the colder months are coming up, finding shoes that keep her feet warm and protected, but are also comfortable enough for her to walk in is so important.

I LOVED these little booties I found at Walmart (they were just a bit too small – our girl has big feet haha!) Walmart has lots of options that are cute and comfortable for your little walker.

9 – Baby Gate & Baby Proofing Kit

The second your little one begins to crawl, you’ll know it’s time to baby proof the house. To be honest, when I was pregnant, I had so many other things on my to-do list (and we were also moving into a new home), that baby proofing was totally off my radar.

And I’m actually glad I waited. It wasn’t until Everly began to crawl and walk that I saw where we would need to baby proof most. You’ll be surprised at the places in your home your baby finds the most interesting.

My suggestion is to keep a very watchful eye on them for a few days after they begin to crawl/walk and THEN baby proof. You’ll have a much better idea of the exact tools you’ll need and spots to focus on.

I loved the versatility of this $20 baby proofing kit from Walmart. From plug covers (which was the first thing we noticed we needed) to cabinet locks (which are now a HUGE help because Evie likes to open and explore EVERY cabinet) and even door knob covers, this kit is the perfect place to start.

One thing you’ll also need is a baby gate or two to keep your little walker in a confined/baby proofed space. I LOVE this rustic wood baby gate that won’t be an eye sore in your home and is currently marked down to almost half off!! Or you can opt for a classic baby gate like this one.

10 – Toys that Encourage Play and Development

The truth is, babies don’t really use or need toys at all for the first several months.

Flash forward to now, and our 13 month old can’t get enough. Everly absolutely loves playing with toys and I love seeing her learn and develop while she plays.

Having toys that encourage learning is so important (I’m no expert but I’ve done lots of research I promise!) and Everly has developed so much over the last couple of months just by playing with her toys.

Above are a few of her favorite, and you can find some of her favorite Mickey Mouse toddler toys here.

11 -BONUS – Plush Toys/Animals

I read somewhere that babies start to learn social skills when interacting with stuffed animals and dolls.

This couldn’t be more true with Everly! At around 8 months, she discovered the collection of Disney plush animals in her room and just “oohhhed” and “ahhhed” over them forever.

She now regularly has conversations with the, (especially her favorites, Mickey Mouse and Simba), which you’ll see if you watch my instagram stories. She gets really excited when she received a new plush toy friend as well. Walmart has lots of plush toy options for incredible prices!

Stay tuned for my post on Everly’s favorite toys of the moment, coming soon. Click here to check out all of my pregnancy/baby-related posts.

Fair-well xx,

**thanks so much to Walmart for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.