The 20 best gifts for 1-year-olds

Teach them counting and numbers with this colorful Fisher-Price piggy bank. It comes with 10 coins that they can placing in and pull out of the piggy bank, all while growing their fine motor skills. They can also press on the pig’s noise to hear different sounds, songs, and phrases, which makes it a great interactive toy to keep their interest. And, as your toddler gets older, they can practice their counting as the piggy bank counts as the coins are placed inside.

At this age, your little one is probably starting to become more interested in reading (AKA flipping through books.) This LeapFrog book introduces them to the alphabet and helps them learn more words, even when you can’t be sitting by their side identifying objects for them. It features different word categories, like pets, animals, food, colors, and opposites, and toddlers can touch the words on the pages to hear the words spoken out loud. There are also sound effects, fun facts, and two songs, and the words can be heard in both English and Spanish. 

This musical walker will last your child for years as they get more confident with walking and, eventually, riding and bouncing on the adorable pony. The bar on the back will help them get steady on their feet and serve as a way to push the pony around. If they’re not ready to ride just yet, they sit on the seat and play with the buttons to make sounds and play songs. Parents like that the sounds on this toy aren’t too loud and that it’s lightweight enough for toddlers to easily move.

Most 1-year-olds love listening to music. This Baby Einstein and Hape wooden piano is a great way to help them listen to some of their favorite songs, while also teaching piano basics. It comes with three sheets of music, which encourages toddlers to match the color-coded notes to the keys on the piano. Two modes of play allow them to create their own original songs or to listen to their favorites (there are six songs altogether). It’s easy to wipe clean and it’s adorable to look at.

The Skip Hop Let’s Roll activity table offers plenty of space for interactive play, encouraging your child to stand up and walk around so they can explore every inch. This table stands out among others for its unique activities: a light-up piano, a slide with included balls, a swing, and light-up numbers. It plays sounds and music, and the table can also be taken off and placed on the floor if they want to sit and play. With so many engaging activities to choose between, your toddler will be entertained for hours – and they’ll be working on important fine and gross motor skills, plus learning problem solving and cause-and-effect, at the same time.

LEGO Duplo is an excellent option for younger toddlers: The blocks are large and chunky enough for their small hands to manipulate, and they offer a lot of open-ended play. Some of the blocks are labeled up to the number 10, so it helps them learn numbers, and it also comes with three figures they can use for imaginative play, too. As they get older, they can pull the train apart and put it back together again. My daughters love playing with this together, and they also use the little figures in so many other different kinds of play separate from the train set.

This Pull and Sing Puppy, are great for toddlers who are more steady on their feet, though it can be played with long before your child is walking. Your child can press the buttons to play over 60 sounds, songs, melodies, and phrases. Oh, and the toy lights up as it speaks, too. The colorful buttons are easy for little ones to push and serve as a tool for teaching numbers, colors, and parts of the body. As they start getting more comfortable on their feet, they’ll have tons of fun pulling the puppy along while they practice walking and eventually, running.

Books are a timeless before-bed soother, and both parents and children alike look forward to this part of the bedtime routine. On each page of this board book, your child can push a “button,” shake or tilt the book, and so on. As they perform these actions, the dots multiply, grow, and move, teaching your kids cause-and-effect while helping them work on their fine motor skills. Parents say that their kids love the silly action, while they themselves laugh along with them.

For many 1-year-olds, nothing is more fascinating than stacking a bunch of empty containers so they nestle one inside the other. These nesting cups from Green Toys are sturdily made from recycled milk containers, showcasing a total of three different colors. Each is imprinted with a number, too, so you can use them as a teaching tool as your child gets older. Waterproof and dishwasher safe, they can be used in the bath or a water table, too, to extend the types of play. Parents love that these cups are durable, and have smooth edges that make them safe for your baby to hold and gnaw.

Although there are many push toys to choose from, Melissa & Doug's wooden alligator toy is an electronic-free option that’s sturdy and provides plenty of play possibilities. As your tot pushes the toy along, the gators make exciting clacking sounds. Your tot can also use the toy while sitting with the wooden beads they can spin and slide. Plus, the wheels have a no-skid rubber strip so they won’t damage your floors, yet are still easy for kids to push.

Skinny crayons are a little hard for your baby to hold, and a lot of art supplies are still off-limits until your baby is 3 or older. But these 100% beeswax crayons are made with food-grade pigments that are safe for children and are shaped in chubby little tubes that are easier for your 1-year-old to grasp. Many parents note that these crayons don’t break, even when they’re dropped. Some, however, wish that the colors were brighter.

A toy subscription can be a convenient way to get toys that match your child’s developmental stage without having to do much research. Lovevery offers age-appropriate kits for each stage of your baby’s life, from birth to up to 5 years old. The first kit for 1-year-olds is The Babbler Play Kit, which includes seven toys and a board book, all which target important skills like learning to balance, understanding cause-and-effect, continuing to grow fine motor skills, and more. 

When your baby is around a year old, it's time to turn bath time into fun time, especially since this is when they might start resisting being bathed. This adorable submarine monkey toy is a great way to keep them entertained in the tub. When the string is pulled, it winds the propeller and sets the submarine in motion. They’ll love watching this little guy whirl around the tub, and it’s a fun way to teach them cause-and-effect and work on their fine motor skills while pulling the string.

Toddlers love building blocks to construct tall towers and knock them down — or simply bang against each other! Tegu blocks come in more interesting shapes than typical blocks, and their embedded magnets make them click together with ease. Caregivers note that these blocks are worth the higher-than-normal price tags because of their beautiful construction and wide range of play opportunities. Many note that their older kids enjoy playing with them, too.

There’s a reason the Nugget couch is a favorite among parents: It offers hours of open-ended play, it’s super versatile, and can be used for years. The basic play couch comes with four foam pieces that can be transformed into exciting structures like a slide or fort or a basic couch. It can also serve as a basic couch for your child to lounge on during movie night. 

This state of the art sit-and-play toy features gears, beads, and spin-and-slide letters and shapes that encourage hours of play that will hone their fine motor skills and problem-solving skills. Each side of the cube features a different activity, ensuring it will keep your toddler entertained for hours and still be of interest as they get older. Parents love the high quality of the toy, saying that it’s well-constructed and is also free from any sharp edges.

I’ve used multiple water tables and have found that Step2 Rain Showers has it all: A cascading waterfall tray, maze-like spinners and ramps, and a hand-operated wheel to keep the water moving. And all of these features allow kids to work on their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills. The table is the perfect size for young toddlers and, because there are two levels, it’s ideal for more than one child to use at the same time. Both of my kids are endlessly entertained by this during the warmer months. 

Get your 1-year-old moving with a balance bike, particularly the Retrospec Cricket. It’s shorter than others, so your child’s feet will stay on the ground for them to practice balancing. The Retrospec stands out because it has an adorable vintage look, while also having important, modern features like a comfortable cushioned seat, a rubber, easy-to-grip handlebar, and limited steering to prevent them from falling over on their side. 

Melissa & Doug’s puzzle features bold, colorful images that catch your little one’s eye, and chunky handles that are easy for tine hands to grab. In addition to working their fine motor skills, the puzzle allows them to work on memory and identification: Underneath each piece is a matching picture to help 1-year-olds identify where the piece goes. This gift is also a great tool for teaching animals names and sounds. 

Help your toddler learn more about cause and effect while working on fine motor skills with the VTech raceway. Toddlers can easily place the included car on the ramp, push it, and watch it travel down to the bottom. Plus the tracks can be configured in three different ways to expand on play options and on the longevity of the toy itself. There’s a lot of room for imaginative play, too, as they can use the car separately for play, especially on-the-go play.