“From 1 to 2 years old, babies become ‘big kids’ — walking and talking. They increasingly want to do more for themselves and enjoy toys that give them a sense of independence and mastery. Think about stacking rings, simple knob puzzles, chunky toy cars and trains, big balls to toss, roll, kick and throw, and push-toys they can move,” says Rebecca Parlakian, the senior director of programs at Zero to Three.
The Best Toys for 1-Year-Olds
Walk-A-Long Snail Wooden Pull Toy by Hape
Crawlers can push this multi-faceted toy, while walkers can pull it along. And it's also a shape sorter, with three differently shapes holes so toddlers can learn about colors and how things go together.
Buy Now $21.36
Pop! Pop! Piano by Mirari
Here's how kids learn about cause and effect: They press a key on the piano, hear a sound, and then see a ball pop out.
Buy Now $29.95
Big Rainbow by Small Foot
This toy does so many things at once. It's a stacking toy, teaching kids about what goes where. It's a pretend play toy, as it morphs into a tunnel or a bridge. And kids learn about colors as they play with the rainbow.
Buy Now $18.99
InnyBin Shape Sorting Toy by Fat Brain Toys
Each of the colorful blocks has a different texture, making playing with this toy a rich sensory experience. And the goal is to push the block into the box, thus aiding kids with their fine motor skills.
Buy Now $24.95
Classic Shopping Cart by Little Tikes
What's more fun than loading up a buggy and pushing it around? Unloading it, what's what. This hardy, durable, and very cute buggy is perfect for little adventures.
Buy Now $39.94
Stacking Cups Toy by mushie
These gloriously simple Danish stacking cups leave everything up to the kids' imaginations. They are tunnels. Or towers. Or dragons. Or whatever they want them to be. Toddlers learn how to stack objects, and thus work their fine motor skills.
Buy Now $14.99
Happy Giddy Bowling Set by Melissa & Doug
Put those motor skills to work by having your 1 year old try to knock down these foam pins using the foam ball. Hours of fun.
Buy Now $15.99
Sesame Street Colors with Elmo Magnetic Tiles by CreateOn
It's a mashup of two great concepts: Sesame Street and magnetic tiles. Kids play with Elmo, Big Bird, and Oscar while learning about shapes, numbers, colors, and building whatever their imaginations dream up.
Buy Now $39.95
My First Number Train by Lego Duplo
A wonderful, modular set of blocks that teaches kids problem-solving as they figure out for themselves how things fit together.
Buy Now $15.99
Press & Stay Sensory Blocks by Infantino
When kids press the blocks together, they stick together. Imagine that! Not only does it making building big things that much easier, but it also really works their reflexes.
Buy Now $14.84
Pure 2-in-1 Beech & Cherry Wood Train by Janod
Birds and bunnies, oh my! This train is made up of three wagons that kids can push or pull, and they stack 17 blocks, along with the animals, so everything stays safely in place when the caboose hits the road.
Buy Now $29.99
MiO Modular Wooden Building Set Playset by Manhattan Toy
This delightful starter dollhouse includes 14 wood pieces that encourage hours of pretend play, as toddlers mimic what they see their parents doing. They'll make breakfast. Read bedtime stories. And in doing so, learn about the world around them. And you can keep adding on to it.
Buy Now $30.99
Hungry Pelican Soft Educational Toy by Melissa & Doug
This pelican is very hungry. And toddlers need to feed it plush sea creatures, which are colorful and make fun noises and show kids how to work their motor skills.
Buy Now $19.96
Foxy Magnetic Stacker by Tender Leaf Toys
It's a puzzle that's composed of building blocks. Toddlers work on their hand eye-coordination, spatial thinking, and concentration as they put together the fox, duck, and tree.
Buy Now $18.99
First Shapes Learning Puzzle by Hape
So simple and so perfect: Kids' problem solving skills get a nice workout as they try to fit the correct shapes into the correct openings.
Buy Now $19.99
Ball Hammer Toy by Top Bright
One year olds match each brightly-colored ball to its designated slot. The hammer toys help promote hand-eye coordination and improves dexterity. Plus, it lets kids bang stuff while learning their colors.
Buy Now $19.99
Shape Sorting Clock by Melissa & Doug
Not only does this clock get kids to work on their motor skills, but it also helps them learn numbers and begin to understand the concept of time. And it also helps with transitions: You tell your kiddo that in three minutes, it's time for lunch.
Buy Now $21.02
Ladybug Wood Maraca by World of Eric Carle
A funky, adorable maraca that toddlers shake and shake and shake. And in doing so, they learn all about cause and effect. And hey, it's quieter than a drum.
Buy Now $8.70
Bilibo Blue by MOLUK
Is it a floor swing? A doll house? A mountain? This shatterproof polyethylene shell is a million different things, as kids spin it, sit in it, put toys into it and take them out, and use it however they want.
Buy Now $54.94
Stacking Clown by Brio
Clowns can be cute, as opposed to scary. Just look at this stacking toy. First released in 1955 (yes, 1955), this nine-piece wood stacking toy remains a favorite. It helps children with their reasoning and motor skills, and helps them learn about colors.
Buy Now $23.60
Little People the Helpful Neighbor's Garage by Fisher-Price
It's a working garage for the win. Kids turn the crank to ride the elevator up and down, and when a car breaks down, they put it on the mechanic’s platform to look underneath and fix what's wrong.
Buy Now $26.98
Jungle Activity Table by Melissa & Doug
The hands-on activities on this wood table help toddlers develop their fine motor skills, as they turn, roll, flip, spin, slide, and shake all the attached pieces. Best of all, this table is low enough to the ground that wobbly walkers can sit down and play with the jungle animals.
Buy Now $34.03
Kid's Wooden Shopping Cart by Hape
Beginner and more expert walkers can go shopping with this wood trolley. They put stuff in. Take stuff out. And it never gets old
Buy Now $66.95
Flip Ride-On by Wishbone
A great movement toy for walkers, this one transforms from rocker to push toy to ride-on in seconds.
Buy Now $159.99
Wood Blocks by Haba
These wood blocks help toddlers learn about colors and gravity. And they can stack and stack with impunity until they inevitably fall down, which just makes it all the more fun, and challenging.
Buy Now $19.99
Kitchen Play Set by Hape
Children learn by watching and doing. And this wood kitchen lets them hone their motor skills as they make breakfast or lunch by stirring what's in the pot.
Buy Now $21.00
Magnetic Game of Emotions by Janod
These cards help children with social-emotional learning, as they match the expressions on kids' faces with the corresponding feelings.
Buy Now $24.99
DIY Tool Belt by Fisher-Price
They thought of everything with this tool belt. The measuring tape retracts. And kids can start fixing things around the house with the pretend hammer, screwdriver, and saw with real wooden handles. There's a donut when they get hungry.
Buy Now $19.97
Dancing Butterfly Toy by Hape
Not only is this toy colorful and fun, but it also helps kids develop their coordination, balance, and motor skills.When kids push the toy, butterflies spin around. Kids learn about cause and effect, and burn off some energy.
Buy Now $21.78
First Shapes Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle by Melissa & Doug
A bright and engaging wood knob puzzle, this one teaches kids about shapes and colors while also helping them with their motor skills.
Buy Now $8.99
Baby Stella Baby Doll by Manhattan Toy
Dolls are nurturing toys, teaching kids how to care for something. This 12 inch doll is soft, cuddly, and more diverse than the mostly all-white offerings out there. The pacifier is magnetic, and she has removable and interchangeable doll outfits and diapers.
Buy Now $22.98
Textured Multi Ball Set by Infantino
Kids toss these textured balls, which help develop their senses, and learn all about movement and their own physicality.
Buy Now $9.99
Dune Buggy Pull Toy by Green Toys
This is a pull toy that's handsome, promotes activity in kids, and is built to last — a combination that can't be beat. But it's also responsible: It’s made from recycled plastic milk jugs, which is something every parent can feel good
Buy Now $9.99
Stacking Cars by Melissa & Doug
These chunky toy cars teach kids about motion. These bright cars are stackable, and have wheels that are easy for little hands to maneuver.
Buy Now $9.49
Stainless-Steel Pots & Pans Play Set by Melissa & Doug
Pretend play gets a real-life twist with toy pots and pans that have the look and feel of the real thing. Whether they're used as metal drums or wooden-block carriers or in a play kitchen, to cook up some felt-and-velcro veggies, a kitchen play set launches years of edifying, screen-free fun. This stain-steel set includes a colander, pot with lid, two pans, two wooden utensils, and a rack.
Buy Now $23.99
Stacking Cups by Green Toys
You can go super high-tech with toys, but we love this back-to-basics stacking cup set, which encourages motor skills. It's a surefire winner. Kids can scoop and pour water, build towers and forts by turning the cups upside down, or just sort the cups by size.
Buy Now $12.05
Pull and Sing Puppy by VTech
A more electronic take on the traditional pull toy. This canine plays more than 60 songs and has a light-up nose to keep your child's attention focused. It helps teach numbers and colors, too.
Buy Now $11.73
Play Kitchen by Milton & Goose
If you're looking for a total splurge, the kind of gift that will make your toddler go nuts, behold this stunner of a play kitchen. It's made by Amish artisans from sustainable Baltic birch and North American maple, and topped with water-based, low-VOC, and HAPs-free finishes. It's a keepsake that will last for years, and it's also perfect for pretend play, as kids cook up dinner, and clean up.
BUY NOW $649.00
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