Swap the baby monitor for a wake clock
Between one and three, most families need less watching and more routine. A colour-changing OK-to-wake clock gives a toddler a rule they can see, which is far more effective than another camera angle.
If you still want eyes on the room, choose a monitor that works without a phone app — you will be checking it far less often than you did in the newborn months.
Screen-free audio beats a tablet at this age
Card and figure-based players let a toddler choose their own stories without unlocking anything. They fill car journeys and quiet time without the negotiation a screen creates.
A kids tablet still earns its place for long flights and hospital waits. Pick one with a rugged case, real parental controls and a replacement guarantee.
Childproof before they need it, not after
Anchor every piece of furniture a toddler can climb, and fit gates at the top and bottom of stairs. Auto-closing gates are worth the extra money because they close even when your hands are full.
Outlet covers, magnetic cabinet locks and door-knob covers cost very little and remove the three most common household hazards in an afternoon.
Keep potty training equipment simple
You need one seat the child likes, a stable step stool, and a travel option for the car. Anything more usually goes unused.
Thick training pants make the first fortnight less stressful for everyone — buy more than you think you need.
Buy for movement
A balance bike is the single best physical purchase of the toddler years. Children who learn to balance first tend to move to a pedal bike without stabilisers.
Indoors, a fold-away slide or a quiet-wheeled ride-on turns a wet afternoon into an hour of real energy burn.
Hatch
Hatch Rest 2nd Gen Sound Machine & OK-to-Wake Clock
Why parents love it: The green light tells a toddler it is finally morning, which buys you back an hour in bed.
- OK-to-wake colour cue
- Sound machine
- App and voice control
- Toddler-lock
$60–$90typical range
Yoto
Yoto Mini Screen-Free Audio Player
Why parents love it: Stories and music a toddler can start themselves, with no screen and no ads.
- Card-based stories
- No screen
- Night light
- Long battery life
$60–$80typical range
Cumbor
Cumbor Auto-Close Extra Wide Baby Gate
Why parents love it: Swings shut and latches by itself, which matters when your arms are full of toddler.
- Auto-close and lock
- Extra wide with extensions
- Double-lock handle
- Stair-safe mounting
$60–$100typical range
Strider
Strider 12 Sport Balance Bike
Why parents love it: Balance first, pedals later — kids who start here usually skip stabilisers altogether.
- 18 months–5 years
- Adjustable seat
- Lightweight frame
- Puncture-proof tyres
$90–$140typical range
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