The best toys for 1-year-olds that encourage fun and development

toddler playing with blues clues wooden puzzle, one of the best toys for 1-year-olds

Elementary toys for 1-year-olds like this wooden Blues Clues puzzle from Melissa & Doug brand great gifts.
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  • If y'all're shopping for gifts to give 1-twelvemonth-olds this holiday, look for simple age-advisable toys.
  • Here are 27 of the best toys for 1-year-olds, from a talking elephant to a archetype activity cube.
  • Still looking for a souvenir? Check out our listing of the All-time Best products nosotros've e'er tested .

One-year-olds are beginning to interact and play, which makes gifting toys exciting for both them and you. In addition to researching and testing products, we spoke to ii toy experts and a developmental psychologist to detect the best gifts for one-yr-olds. Our experts include Jim Silver, CEO of TTPM, Maddie Michalik, senior editor of The Toy Insider, and Bronwyn Charlton, PhD, developmental psychologist and cofounder of Seedlingsgroup.

Information technology doesn't typically take much to excite a one-year-old, simply when ownership them a gift or toy, take their age in months into consideration. A 12-month-old is very different developmentally than a 23-month-old. To account for this difference, some of our souvenir suggestions are recommended for ages 18 months and up.

Silvery recommends but buying toys that are graded age-appropriate. Charlton cautioned gift buyers should recollect twice earlier buying electronic toys. "The more a toy does in terms of lights, music, sounds, batteries, the less your kid has to practice themselves, and the less they benefit," she said.

Whether y'all're looking for that big gift or just demand a few small toys to circular out your shopping, we've found a gift for the one-year-former on your list.

Here are 27 of the best toys for 1-year-olds:

An interactive crockpot

Amazon

LeapFrog Choppin' Fun Learning Pot, available at Target, Walmart, and Amazon, from $nineteen.97

One-year-olds are at the age where they want to be involved in everything yous're doing. While they can't handle kitchen tools and appliances just yet, they tin join in the fun with this interactive pot. It comes with the pot, a bowl, a cut board, a knife, a spoon, and four different vegetables.

Recommended ages: 12 months and up

A baby shark bathroom toy

Amazon

Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Bombardment-Powered Sing and Swim Bath Toy, bachelor at Amazon and Buy Buy Babe, from $12.59

The same reason adults can't get "Baby Shark" out of their heads is why i-year-olds love information technology then much. The vocal is incredibly catchy, and it doesn't take long for kids to learn the tune. This swimming bath toy is water-activated, so all they need to exercise to play is drop information technology in the tub.

Recommended ages: 18 months and upwardly

Toys that stay put with a suction loving cup

Fat Brain Toys

Whirly Squigz, bachelor at Fatty Brain Toys, $21.95

Young kids are notorious for throwing their toys or otherwise misplacing them. Proceed these fun swirly toys exactly where you want them with the attached suction cup. These are perfect for strollers, high chairs, aeroplane windows, or anywhere else you can stick a suction cup. And they're non but fun to play with — they can safely be used every bit teethers.

Recommended ages: x months and up

Their first finger paints

Amazon

Crayola My Start Fingerpaints, bachelor at Amazon, $22.99

Sensory play is incredibly important for evolution, and most kids love nothing more than to go their hands messy. You'd be surprised at how long some paint can occupy a 1-year-onetime. The best office: These paints are washable and nontoxic.

Recommended ages: 12 months and up

A wooden stacking toy with their favorite characters

Amazon

Melissa & Doug Blueish's Clues & You! Wooden Rainbow Stacker Puzzle, available at Amazon and Walmart, $xvi.49

This uncomplicated Montessori-style toy includes vi rainbow stacking pieces and three figurines. Kids can play with them every bit a puzzle, or they can stand them up to build their ain trivial play world. Nosotros tested an editorial review sample of this toy and found the pieces to be very well-made and sturdy.

Recommended ages: eighteen months and upward

A pulsate set with congenital-in games

Target

Learn and Groove Caterpillar Drums, available at Walmart and Amazon, $17.59

What kid doesn't desire a drum gear up? Beginning them early with these caterpillar drums that accept built-in games likewise equally a costless-play mode. The three drums lite upwards, the caterpillar'southward body twists, its anxiety jerk, and its tale rattles. The included songs will encourage young toddlers to get upward and start dancing.

Recommended ages: 6 months and up

A play kit tailored to their age

Lovevery

Lovevery Play Kit,  available at Lovevery, from $36/month

Lovevery Play Kits are subscription boxes designed to match a kid's developmental stage. Every three months, subscribers become a new kit filled with toys like a ball run, wooden money banking concern, puzzles, and flashlight. Each box includes a play guide to help parents sympathize their kid's development and maximize play time with each toy.

Recommended ages: 0 to 48 months

A soft and cuddly infant doll

Amazon

Manhattan Toy Wee Baby Stella, available at Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond, from $19.98

Charlton said Wee Baby Stella is a toy that tin can abound with children as they move through dissimilar developmental stages. The soft doll is 12 inches tall, a great size for a ane-year-one-time. Kids can remove and replace the doll's binky as well as change its clothes, both deportment that strengthen fine motor skills.

Recommended ages: 12 months and up

A Mickey Mouse stacker

Amazon

Green Toys Mickey Stacker, available at Amazon and Walmart, $ix.99

From eco-friendly make Greenish Toys, this stacker toy is fabricated from 100% recycled plastic. It comes with carmine, yellow, and blue graduated pieces, with a Mickey-themed top and base. Stackers promote problem-solving, motor skills, trial and error, and spatial reasoning.

Recommended ages: half-dozen to 36 months

Books that can withstand teething

Indestructibles

Indestructibles Books, available at Amazon and BuyBuyBaby, from $v.95

Indestructibles are ideal books for toddlers because they are water- and rip-proof. Whether kids are teething or don't still sympathize how to handle a book, they will have a hard time destroying these. The books also hold a 1-year-one-time'south attention with colorful illustrations front end and middle.

Recommended ages: 0 to 24 months

A hooded towel for post-bath snuggles

Pottery Barn Kids

Animal Bathroom Wraps, available at W Elm and Pottery Barn Kids, from $34.l

After bath time, one-year-olds get common cold quickly. They'll be excited to snuggle upward in ane of these cozy hooded animal towels. There are five designs with embroidered details: puppy, unicorn, bear, raccoon, and lion. The 31-by-23-inch towels are fabricated of soft cotton terry.

Recommended ages: 0 to 24 months

A sturdy toy chest

Alicia Betz/Insider

Melissa & Doug Wooden Toy Chest, available at Amazon, Walmart, and Melissa & Doug, from $112.99

One-year-olds tend to amass an overflowing collection of toys, so storage is a must. Subsequently virtually ii years with a toddler, this toy chest is still in great shape. In addition to its immovability, we appreciate the safety features, including a swivel on the hat to prevent pinched fingers.

A Lego set with letter blocks

Amazon

Lego Duplo My Kickoff Alphabet Truck, bachelor at Amazon, $20

Michalik recommends toys that encourage hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. This Lego Duplo set activates both of these skills as kids stack blocks and maneuver the truck. It includes 36 Duplo pieces, including 26 alphabetic character bricks, a truck, and 10 other bricks and figures.

Recommended ages: 18 months and up

A puzzle with easy-to-grasp knobs

Amazon

Melissa & Doug Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle, available at Amazon, $15.99

At a year old, kids can begin putting together large knob and peg puzzles, which Charlton recommends for developing fine motor skills. These subcontract-themed jumbo puzzles besides assist toddlers develop vocabulary, perception, paw-eye coordination, and matching.

Recommended ages: 12 months and up

A walker, bouncer, and ride-on toy in one

Fisher-Price

Walk, Bounce, and Ride Pony, available at Walmart, $48.99

One-twelvemonth-olds will work their gross motor skills when they ride, push, or bounce on this pony. The toy plays over 50 songs, sounds, and phrases. When they're done walking, the back handle folds down for piece of cake riding.

Recommended ages: nine to 36 months

A cause-and-consequence musical toy

The Tot

Hape Pound and Tap Demote, bachelor at Amazon and The Tot, from $27.89

Cause-and-effect is incredibly fun and educational for ane-year-olds. With this demote, kids pound assurance through holes then they land on a xylophone below. They tin also play the xylophone independently. At this age, creativity is blooming, co-ordinate to Charlton, and musical toys such as this one aid foster that creativity.

Recommended ages: 12 months and up

A set of bath rattles

Amazon

Munchkin Bladder and Play Bubbles Bath Toys, available at Amazon and Walmart, from $seven.78

Kids can splash and explore in the tub with these floating, rattling bath toys. Each set comes with iv transparent assurance, ii with animals inside and 2 with whirly toys. A textured ring on the outside tin be manipulated to rotate effectually the ball. "Look for toys that assistance ane-year-olds to explore and discover colors, shapes, sounds, and textures," Michalik told Insider Reviews. This toy covers all four.

Recommended ages: 4 months and upwardly

Magnetic building blocks

Amazon

Blockaroo Foam Magnetic Blocks, available at Amazon, $19.99

Stacking can be hard for 1-year-olds, but these magnetic cream blocks remove some of the frustration with magnetic areas that easily bond together. The blocks don't have hard edges, making them prophylactic for piffling kids who like to throw things. Silver recommends edifice blocks to promote creative play.

Recommended ages: 18 months and up

A Batmobile play set up

Target

Fisher-Price Trivial People Batmobile, available at Target, $16.99

This Batmobile transforms into a play set complete with a gym and a dining table for Batman. Little People are designed to exist prophylactic for kids under iii, and 1-year-olds volition likely savor pushing the auto and playing with the figurine. Equally they go older, they'll brainstorm to be more artistic with pretend play.

Recommended ages: 18 months to v years

V musical instruments

Amazon

B. Toys Drumroll Please Instrument Ready, bachelor at Amazon, $35.99

Charlton recommends this musical toy to promote imagination and creativity. It includes a pulsate, ii drumsticks, castanets, a whistle, a tambourine, and a shaker egg. When kids are washed playing, all of the instruments fit inside the drum.

Recommended ages: 18 to 36 months

A frustration-free shape sorter

Amazon

Fat Brain Toys Innybin, available at Fat Brain Toys and Amazon, $24.95

The Innybin is the ultimate toy to develop fine motor skills. It includes a sorting box with rubberband bands and half dozen shapes to squeeze into the box. Traditional shape sorters will likely be besides difficult for younger 1-year-olds, but this one will be just challenging enough to spark marvel.

Recommended ages: 10 months and up

A carriage to send their toys

Amazon

Green Toys Elmo's Railroad vehicle, available at Amazon and Walmart, $24.99

Charlton recommends toys that keep one-twelvemonth-olds agile. This wagon volition do but that as kids push, pull, load, and unload the railroad vehicle during indoor or outdoor play. At under ii pounds, information technology'southward simply the right size for them.

Recommended ages: 18 months and upwardly

Building blocks for little hands

Amazon

Mega Bloks Peek a Block School, available at Amazon, $32.thirteen

This mega bloks fix includes interactive features that inspire creativity and fun similar a slide, a launcher, and two "peek a blocks." Mega Bloks are large, making them rubber for ane-yr-olds and easy to grab. Charlton explained that blocks are "open-ended toys; ones that your child tin utilise in many different ways."

Recommended ages: 12 months and upwardly

A shape-sorting picnic handbasket

Walmart

Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket, available at Walmart and Purchase Purchase Baby, from $nineteen.99

Take shape sorting to a new level with this picnic handbasket that includes a shape sorter, two cups, two forks, two plates, six food items, and a picnic coating. Silver recommends learning toys that focus on fun outset. While 1-twelvemonth-olds have fun playing picnic, they don't realize they're learning concepts like shapes, colors, manners, and sharing.

Recommended ages: six to 36 months