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Let’s be real — it can be quite an effort to find the best toys for 1-year-olds — especially if they seem to have everything.
Luckily, we not only put together a gift guide of the 50 best toys for 1-year-olds, but we also turned to experts in both child development and retail trends to provide expertise on what the most resourceful items may be that will benefit their learning.
“The best toys that aid in a child’s learning development are those that are both entertaining (to keep them engaged) and educational – whether that’s motor skills or emotional play,” Joe Glass, Zulily’s resident toy expert, told the New York Post. “For instance, a wonderfully colorful toy that offers children unlimited creativity and imagination, while also teaching them about ‘building’ skills is great.”
Click to jump to the best toys for 1-year-olds:
“It’s important to note that the best toy for your 1-year-old may not be the best toy for another 1-year-old, and that’s okay,” Krystal Starke, PhD candidate at Buffalo University’s Graduate School of Education — studying early childhood development and play-based learning — told The Post. “What’s great about the toy industry’s approach to designing these products is that there really is something for everyone.”
From a child development perspective, there really isn’t a difference between what boys and girls need at this age, Starke adds. “Traditionally, ‘boy toys’ focus on vehicle play with more bold and primary colors, and ‘girl toys’ focus on doll play, with more pastel and secondary colors. Providing your child with a balance between these options is the best way to let them show you their interests, because following the child’s lead will ultimately lead to the best play and development.”
What’s more, that perfect toy for a one-year-old is going to look different than, say, a toy for a three-year-old. “For [one-year-olds], we look for toys that are stimulating and engaging for babies and toddlers,” Ali Mierzejewski, editor-in-chief at The Toy Insider, shared with the New York Post. “We look for things that start to hone those basic developmental skills, including fine motor skills, movement, exploration and more.”
According to Mierzejewski, this extends to interactive toys with bright colors, tactile play or lights and sounds to keep babies engaged.
See our hot list of the best toys to buy for the 1-year-old you know below, along with shopping recommendations from our retail and child development experts. We know these great buys are going to make the unwrapping experience ten times better.
It’s the teddy bear, reimagined. The LeapFrog My Pal Scout is one of the hottest toys this year, according to our experts, and has nearly 15,000 positive reviews on Amazon. With more than 15 different activities, it’ll teach your one-year-old first words, feelings and emotions and colors and counting.
We’ve never seen a toy like the Dancing Cactus Toy, and we’re absolutely glad we did. Not only are we mesmerized by its glowing, spinning and singing nature but it’ll encourage your one-year-old to dance and laugh.
The Fisher-Price Lil’ Gamer Learning Toy is a great budget buy that teaches directions, colors, shapes and numbers. When the buttons are pushed down, lights, music and hands-on activities will play.
“Your kids can be the friendliest neighborhood Spider-Man as they cruise along on this ride-on,” Ali Mierzejewski , editor-in-chief at The Toy Insider, told The Post. “It’s kid-safe to ride, so little ones can enjoy while parents can feel comfortable and secure!”
Even better, it’s a wonderful gift idea for less than $75 — a ride-on toy they’ll love.
Let’s be real — every little one loves stacking and lining up Little People. This adorable Fisher-Price Little People Musical Travel Together Airplane with Lights, Sounds & Figures is a great toy less than $25 and will allow your little one to learn about jet-setting before preschool. Plus, its musical nature is sure to keep them well-entertained.
We all love CoComelon, the Netflix show that’s taking over the world by storm. This Upholstered Chaise Chair makes a great gift and is great to teach your little one how to prop themselves up and climb (with supervision, of course).
For a fun collectible that teaches one-year-olds colors and how to clean up, the Creative Minds Assorted Baby Basket Set is a wonderful less-than-$50 buy for the holiday season. Not only are the plushies safe to hold and walk around with, but they make great friends!
The Fisher-Price DJ Bouncin’ Beats Interactive Toy is another less-than-$50 buy that’ll teach little ones the alphabet, colors, counting from one to 10 and even opposites. Plus, there are more than 75 songs and phrases with multi-colored lights and bouncing action.
We recently gifted the Farm Animals Learning Toy Set to a one-year-old we know, and it was a hit. Not only will this all-in-one set allow your little one to learn colors and farm animals but it’ll also help improve their fine motor skills and sorting. Oh, and it’s just too cute.
“CoComelon is so, so popular — and there are tons of JJ toys out there — so we’re excited to see this one featuring Nina!” Mierzejewski says. “Of course, there’s tons of learning packed into this doll, but it’s also bilingual as an added bonus.”
For more options, check out our guide to the best CoComelon toys.
You don’t have to go to an amusement park to reap the benefits of a sweet ride. The Flybar FunPark Racer Bumper Car is a hidden gem at Target that the toy experts love. Not only does it have a cute black-and-white checkered flag at its end, but it provides a safe and comfortable ride.
Speaking of rides, the Dynacraft Jurassic World 6V T-Rex Quad is just shy of $75 and is one of the coolest toys on this list. Not only do we want one in an adult version (if only) but it features an easy-to-use acceleration button that keeps the dinosaur steady and stable.
Montessori toys are in, and we’re glad they are for their simplistic nature. On that note, the UFO Food Grade Pull String Activity Toy makes a great gift to stimulate a baby’s curiosity and exercise the ability of their little fingers. It features bright colors, too, which helps inspire their vision development.
Kickstart your one-year-old’s musical ability early with the Fat Brain Toys Lamaze Squeeze Beats First Drum Set. For less than $50, it encourages sensory learning, motor skills and cause-and-effect learning, thanks to its pat-and-make-sound functionality. Plus, the vibrant colors make it adorable for any baby.
We have nieces, and this is No. 1 on our shopping list. The Little Tikes Look & Learn Window is a wonderful way to teach your child shapes, colors and the weather in this all-in-one learning hub. It’s even two-sided, so there’s nighttime features on its flip-side.
“I’m really obsessed with how cute this is!” Mierzejewski shares, recommending the GUND My Little Food Truck 5-Piece Plush Playset. “It’s awesome to have a playset safe for babies made out of plush — but it’s a super-trendy food truck that parents will love, too.”
It also has more than 15,000 rave reviews and is travel-friendly (#score).
For a toy your one-year-old can grow with, the CoComelon My First Sing-Along Boombox is that perfect $50 gift that they’ll love. It features Bluetooth compatibility to stream to your device, 24 built-in songs to encourage learning and a rechargeable battery (charging cable included).
Tummy time is encouraged by pediatricians to develop strong neck and shoulder muscles, so the Crawligator Tummy Time Toy is perfect to supplement your one-year-old’s growth. Namely, it provides mobility and a comfortable surface to lounge on (what’s better than that)?
Though the BabyBjörn Bouncer isn’t a toy per se, it’s recommended by our retail experts to encourage movement and mobility. Plus, it’s great for on-the-go use to help keep your baby in a safe, contained area.
Though you can’t necessarily purchase an Xbox for a one-year-old, you can purchase the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Video Game Controller with Games & Activities. For less than $15, it features music lights, activities and a portable, on-the-go entertaining hub for your one-year-old.
OK, we’re all about the CoComelon Ultimate Learning Bus. It’s one of the buzziest new toy launches this year and recommended by our retail experts for how it encourages developmental learning. With music, shapes and letters, it’s perfect to kick-start their school journey in advance.
“With its 100th anniversary celebration, Disney is hot, hot, HOT this year, and this playset is no exception,” Mierzejewski says. “Bringing everyone’s favorite silly old bear to playrooms and nurseries, this set is not only good for imaginative play, but is also a shape sorter!”
Not to mention, we recommend sprinting to this trending toy ASAP before it sells out.
The Mega Blocks 54-Piece Green Town Building Set is perfect for teaching your one-year-old how to build a green thumb early. Even better, all the pieces are CarbonNeutral-certified, so you’ll feel good about your sustainable purchase.
Finally, there’s a Barbie Dreamhouse suitable for one-year-olds. We’re telling everyone about this IRL for its traditional Little Peoples figurines and incredible learning play set that encourages sensory learning (especially with an elevator that moves up and down), along with sounds and phrases thanks to its ability to play music.
For more options, check out our guide to the best Barbie-themed gifts.
“One of my favorite toys for vehicle play is this Top Bright Wooden Ramp Racer,” Starke says. “By design, the cars can be put on in any orientation and still ride down the ramps. This allows baby to play without frustration while still working through that hand-eye coordination of placing the car onto the ramp.”
Plus, this all-in-one play set is an Amazon’s Choice product with nearly 11,000 rave reviews.
“These are great investments as kids can work to grow their little world as they get older, with the wide age grade of 1-5 years old,” Starke shares. “At 1-years-old, you can expect the baby to explore the buttons and sounds of these toys, carry around their favorite figures as a comfort item, and even begin to role play with the characters after watching their grown-ups create stories with them!”
We love the traditional dollhouse feel of this set, too, along with the included people and adorable, vibrant furniture pieces.
“This advanced stuffy supports the baby’s cognitive development from number, letter, shape and color recognition to body parts and first words,” Stake adds. “This is a great all-in-one learning content gift for baby that can be brought just about anywhere with them.”
What’s more, it’ll introduce more than 100 words to your one-year-old, and encourage motor skill development by pressing the soft buttons.
“What’s not to love?” Mierzejewski questions. “It’s packed full of LeapFrog learning, it has tons of activities to keep babies busy, and it’s looks super cute on your playroom shelves!”
Oh, and it makes for a great (and educational!) gift idea for less than $40.
Similarly, the Fisher-Price Linkimals Interactive Musical Learning Toy is an adorable gift (because who doesn’t want to have a baby penguin toy around at all times?)
“These tech-infused learning toys cover just about all of the cognitive development content you can think of in a highly-stimulating way for baby.,” Starke highlights. “The songs are catchy, the lights are flashy, and the characters are collectable.”
Though a splurge, Lovevery’s play kits are worth every penny for developmental learning. Specifically, its Babbler Play Kit encourages cause-and-effect learning, fine motor skills, routines, rotation, spatial relationships and parts of a whole.
For more options, check out more play kits suitable for babies around the one-year mark.
For $8, The First Years’ Stack N Count Cups is an eight-pack worth snagging as a cute, learning-inspired add-on to any holiday gift. It’s great for sensory play, too, especially when filled with water or purchased with a water table ($86).
We’re just about ready to frolic to a picnic ourselves with this outrageously cute Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket by LeapFrog. For less than $30, it’s one my nieces love, thanks to the ability to learn shapes, colors and discover where items fit.
You know what they say — be like a pineapple and stand tall. The Melissa & Doug Multi-Sensory Pineapple Soft Stacker Toy is a great less-than-$25 buy that’s a unique way for one-year-olds to discover textures and sounds. Plus, it’s great for car and stroller play time.
According to Mierzejewski, this is “the ultimate baby fitspo!” And, we wholeheartedly agree.
“This cute stacker is part of TOMY’s language inclusive line, co-created by Peloton’s vice president and head instructor Robin Arzón,” she explains. “The colors are super cute and it can help to instill healthy habits early on!”
Also from Melissa & Doug: the Wooden Shape Sorting Grocery Cart. Its all-in-one toy helps encourage walking while teaching your little one shapes, colors and fruit! Plus, it’s one of the best (and cutest) toys to teach balance.
Dinosaurios Toys Everyone’s racing to the Little Tikes First Slide, and for a good reason. Not only is it a wonderful outdoor toy to welcome the upcoming springtime season with, but it’s safe, easy to set up and American-made.