Best toys for one year olds 2024
Toys for one year olds are the best. By the time they’ve hit their first birthdays, babies’ personalities are shining through and they’re at such a curious age that even the giftbox offers hours of play. If you’re preparing for your baby turning one, or just searching for gift ideas, here’s a list of the ultimate toys for one year olds – for birthday, Christmas and beyond.
Crayons
At one years old, most babies LOVE colour – so it makes sense they would want to play with it. Plus, crayons are a great way to teach your baby the names of colours – as you hand each one over for them to explore. Crayola Easy Grip Crayons or Palm Grasp Crayons are great for early fine motor skills or – if you’re like me – a water based Doodle Mat might suit your fear of mess.
Mega bloks
Mega bloks are great – toddlers can use them from a year old as they’re chunkier for little hands compared to other brands like Duplo. Much like crayons, they help teach children colours as you can describe each brick as your baby plays with them and they’re great for fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. Mega bloks are also a great investment: if you get them at one years old, it’s likely your child will still be using them two or three years later.
A sit-to-stand walker
As this is the time your little baby will move from being a sitting bundle of joy to fully fledged toddler, a walker is a must. Fortunately, so many also have toys attached to give them more longevity, making them a mainstay even after your child is racing across the living room. I’m personally impressed with the ones which turn into activity tables afterwards like this one from Baby Einstein.
Ball
The humble ball. It might sound so basic but this is the year when your child will learn how to kick, throw and dribble – the footballing kind. It might be a bean-ball or a cheap plastic one, but sometimes the most obvious ideas are the best. Just think, you might be training a future English Lion or Lioness.
Pop up toys
Cause and effect toys are often used at this age as it encourages talking further down the line. Pop up toys are great at this, as well as exercising those fine motor skills. I like this one from Battat because it helps babies get to grips with switches, twist-knobs and levers – plus I’ve seen Ms Rachel use it in her videos. But there’s plenty out there – some even have hammers to whack them back down.
Musical instruments
It doesn’t matter which musical instrument, just get them one that your ears can stand on a regular basis. My toddler had both a mini keyboard and guitar, as well as a tambourine and xylophone. Not only do they help with fine motor skills, they improve memory and attention span.
Ball pits and tunnels
As your child moves from crawling to walking, make use of their fearless character by giving them a network of surfaces to move across. While ball pits and tunnels might seem like a summer-only garden activity, we moved ours indoors so our toddler could play in the pit throughout winter. They’re also great to begin treasure hunt-style games by hiding your baby’s toys around them.
Stacking toys
We all had these types of toys when we were kids – the different colour hoops on a large post or a set of cups which get bigger and bigger. Stacking and nesting toys help toddlers develop their hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. As they stack each object, they learn about cause and effect and develop problem solving skills.
Shape sorter
Another cause and effect toy. Toddlers love putting the shapes in the holes, as well as trying to reach in and take them out again. You can also use the different shapes to teach your toddler the name for them, as they can hold each one in their hands. This apple-themed one from VTech really grabbed my toddler’s attention, leading to some arguments between my 2 under 3.
Books
Books are great at any age but there’s definitely some you want to get at one years old. The Acorn Wood books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler are a must as they have flaps to open which engage your curious baby. The Peekaboo books by Camilla Reid or any by Rod Campbell also hit the mark. As this is the year when talking kicks off, all my top speech therapy books are great choices.
