Best Toys for 1 Year Olds

Sometimes it's the classic toys that are the best and it's difficult to go wrong with this combined toy of a shapesorter and stacking rings. By 1 year old babies have developing fine motor skills and will have a good go at getting the shapes into the right holes. A shapesorter is not only fab for developing fine motor skills but also fantastic for teaching the shape names and colors. Little ones will also enjoy carrying around this shape sorter by it's handle when they start toddling around.
At around 1 year old, children will also have a good go at getting the stacking rings on the pole.
​A stacking ring is a great toy for teaching babies about sorting from the largest to the smallest too. They can also have a go at trying to stack the rings on their own without the pole too.
Lots of play value in this set. It's a nice, quiet toy as well when adults would like to go without any flashing lights or music.

Toys for Outdoor Play

Toddlers just love to play with water and a water play table will be an investment in play for the next few years. Both my boys loved his the water table. They would enjoy the toy for a long time pouring in water and watching the water wheel turn around. They stand holding onto it, splashing in the water, playing with the little toys that come with it. It's a great summer toy (great from when children are standing up). It is guaranteed to keep little ones occupied with play while the carer can relax a little bit.

This water activity table has lots of cool features and toys.
Drop balls down the funnel and watch it spiral down the tube in the water and float.
Then scoop the balls up in the hand crank ferris wheel.
Turn the spinner to make waves.
Pour water into the big funnel or the small funnel to watch the twin wheels spin.
The toys includes 1 water cup and 5 round characters that squirt water
There's a drain plug to easily drain the water.

Play Tents

Play tents make a great summer toy for 1 year olds.  They're great for having picnics or filling with play balls. When the sun gets too hot, they're great for shading baby while they're playing with toys or reading books. As they get older they are perfect for imaginary play too. Some play tents offer high UV protection and others can be taken to the beach as a sun shade too.

Radio Flyer 4 in 1 Trike

I can't tell you how much my younger son loves his smart trike. It was another first birthday present and he is so content being pushed around. I have used it to pick up my eldest son on the school run.
The great thing about this trike is that it will grow with your child. There is a 3 point harness and safety bar for babies. The push handle will allow you to push 1 year olds around in the trike. As your child grows, you can adjust the trike to suit each developmental stage. The seat is adjustable and the safety bar, push handle and harness is removable. Eventually it turns into an independent trike which they can pedal on their own.
An excellent gift!

Little tykes Rocking Puppy

 


 

This is such a fun toy which can be played with indoors or outdoors.

The seat is designed to stop kids falling forwards or backwards.

Kids will love rocking back and forth. It's a great balance toy and little ones can learn to get on and off and rock by themselves as they get older and bigger, building their confidence.

VTech Pop-a-Balls Push & Pop Bulldozer

The Vtech bulldozer is so much fun!

Push the handle to roll the bulldozer across the floor and watch it pop balls out of the chimney into the bucket
Press the buttons to learn colors, numbers, phrases and music
Roll the bulldozer and trigger motion sensors to listen to fun tunes and songs on the move stimulating attention and coordination
Grab the chunky handle to encourage motor skill development

Wooden Activity Center


​This wooden activity center has five sides of fun.

There is lots for babies and toddlers to do. It keeps little hands and minds busy. It's a good toy for developing fine motor skills too.

The activities include beads, a shape sorter, a clock and more. It comes with bonus stacking cups too.

Imaginative Play

It's not too early to try and introduce some imaginative play for 1 year olds. One idea is to use food in the imaginative play as babies will have experience of eating foods in different situations. Check out the Leapfrog Picnic baskets which facilitates imaginative play for young children and gives lots of learning opportunities too.

LeapFrog Shapes And Sharing Picnic Basket

I bought this for my nephew for his 1st birthday and he loved it. It's a great toy for this age.
It features a shape sorting plate, where babies can learn to fit the different foods into the correct place on the plate. There's lots of songs which are great for learning about shapes, manners, colors and more. There is a lid which plays music when opened. As babies get older they will love to carry around the basket and put in and take out the items. It's also great for imaginative play, have fun having pretend picnics.
A great toy that will grow with the child.

Walkers and Push Along Toys

Many 1 year olds will just be learning to walk so a walker is a good toy. Look for a walker which can be used as a toy after they've started walking. Some walkers come with bricks and activity tables, others convert into ride ons and other toys. Toddlers love to push things around, that is why any toys they can push are great.

Car Toys

Car toys make great toy for 1 year old babies. My youngest son loves cars, He lays on the floor pushing and pulling them backward and forward.
A fantastic 1st car garage is the Vtech
These toy is great because the vehicles it comes with is chunky and perfect for little hands.
The toy offers lots of other play opportunities.
It features interactive role-play including a gas station and a car wash.
Moving the vehicle around and through the different features and pushing it down the ramp will improve fine motor skills.
You can also purchase more vehicles to play with the set. Each vehicle says a different letter. The vehicle included says the letter "V".
As the vehicle passes through smart points on the toy it plays music and says different phrases which is great for increasing babies and toddler's vocabulary.

Vtech Drop and Go Truck

This is the perfect vehicle toy for this age group.
It's big and chunky so little hands will have no problems moving it around.
They can also use it as a pull along toy once they are toddling.
As well as pushing and pulling the vehicle which my boys would have just spent hours doing at this age, there are lots of other activities. Put the balls in the top of the truck and it will fall into the bucket. Hear the truck count the balls as the go in. Then lift the hinged bucket to unload the rocks and start again!!
There are also 3 colorful buttons to press that play melodies, phrases and teach tools and colors.

For Energetic Kids - Vtech Smart Shots Sports Center

Suitable for kids aged 1 and up this is a great way to introduce very young children to balls and sporting activities.
Both my boys loved balls between the ages of 1 and 2, like a lot of children do. This toy allows you to shoot baskets and score goals.
It counts the number of shots scored too so a great way to introduce numbers. There is an animated board which displays the number.
There's also shape buttons which introduce shapes, numbers and sounds. The toy has over 50+ songs, sounds and phrases. And there's gears to turn which is great for developing fine motor skills.

​Kids Ball Pit Tents and Tunnels

This is an awesome toy with tons of play value.

1 year olds will love crawling through the tunnels to sit and play in the ball pit. (Balls aren't included). As they get older they can have a go at shooting balls into the hoop.

There are other games to play too including a super cool target wall (with 3 dart balls included).

The entire play jungle gym pops up and open in seconds! Tunnels fasten closed with frustration-free easy-locks. It easily bends and folds away in the included lightweight carry case.

Books

Although books are not strictly toys, babies love playing with them and having stories read to them. Lift the flap books are particularly popular. There are some great lift the flap books for 1 year olds. When looking for lift the flap books, choose books with big flaps as they are easier for little fingers to open.Also I've learned from experience, never leave alone a baby or a toddler with a lift the flap books as their game will become rip off the flaps!My own 1 year old loves the Karen Katz book featured below.

Where is Baby's Belly Button?

This book has big flaps so is perfect for younger children and my 1 year old son enjoys looking at it.

Each page has a question such as "Where's baby's belly button?" and an answer such as "under her shirt".

You then lift the flap to find baby's belly button.

It's great for teaching body parts and other vocabulary.

My baby enjoys flipping the pages of the board book and helping me lift the flaps too.

Musical Toys

When buying toys for babies and toddlers it is very noticable that many of toys have music and songs. Also throughout time nursery rhymes have developed due to adults singing to babies.

Music and songs is very good for babies. Babies respond to and appreciate music. It is also instrumental in the early wiring of a babies brain. Singing to babies helps them learn language as the words are slowed down and emphasized.

Babies and toddlers learn a lot through rhythm too. Rhythm is also fantastic for language development and helps babies learn how words should sound.

There are tons of musical toys for 1 year olds that they will love, check out some ideas below.

Fisher-Price Bright Beats Smart Touch Play Space

This toy accommodates babies who are sitting, crawling, standing or crusing. So whatever stage the 1 year old you are buying for is at, it will suit them. It will also grow with as a 1 year develops too.
The toy features a smart bar which responds to babies touch with music, lights, colors, sung songs & more!!
There are 3 ways to play.
Piano play allow baby to sit in the middle and press the bar for different piano notes, music and lights.
In the dance party mode babies are encouraged to get up and move with upbeat music, spoken phrases, sounds & instruments as baby cruises around and touches the bar.
The learning mode taches baby ABCs, counting, numbers. There is also a game where baby looks, cruises and follows the moving lights.
On top of this the toy features ramps for fun ball play, a spinner and a colorful, bat-at roller ball.

Drum

1 year olds will love the effect of making noise when banging the mallets on a drum. Drums introduces babies and toddlers to rhythm and music. My son is now 2 1/2 and still loves banging on drums so I think it will be a drum will be a toy that lasts.

Vtech Drum Set

This is a cool little drum set. Be aware it's smaller than it looks in the picture but that doesn't make it any less of a great toy.
Although the drums are actually aimed at 2 to 5 year olds, 1 year olds will really enjoy banging on this. They can use the two drumsticks or if they are not ready for these yet, it will work by using their hands too.
​​1 year olds will enjoy using the free play mode the most. Here they can just bang away to their hearts content and enjoy the lights and sounds that respond to their movements.
There are lots of learning elements with this toy that will be great when babies get to age 2 or 3. This means this toy will grow with a child too so there should be lots of use to come out of it. The learning elements include follow the lights and learning numbers and letters.

Fat Brain Toys Dimpl

This is a very unique to that little fingers can't resist.

It's a simple but brilliant toy that really keeps little one's attention.

The toy features 5 vibrant silicone bubbles that you can push and pop through the other side.

It's portable and lightweight so really easy to transport and makes a great travel toy.

It engages thes sense and helps fine motor skills. The sensory exploration facilitates cause and effect learning.

This is what an awesome 1 year old looks like

A very cute 1st birthday onesie that comes in a variety of different colors.

He or she can wear it on their birthday but can also wear it all year long too.

It's 100% cotton so soft and comfortable for baby to wear.

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