Best Toys for a 1 year old - Christmas and Birthday Gift Ideas

It can be difficult to know what are the best toys for a 1 year old, especially if you've not had children before. When my son was one, I did a lot of research into the best gifts for 1 year olds before I purchased any toys. The list below gives advice on what to buy a 1 year old and is based on the toys my son and niece loved to play with between the ages of 1 and 2. They are based on what they liked to play with at toddler groups, home and friend's houses. Therefore if you're looking for the best toy for a 1 year old you should find some ideas and inspiration below.

Ride on toys are great toys for 1 year olds.

The Little Tikes Push and Ride Racer is a great little ride on toy, inexpensive but with fantastic reviews. My son did love this toy and used to play with it at one of the playgroups we went to. I think he liked it so much because it was quite low so easy to get on and off. It was easy for him to scoot around on and he used to go on it until he was over 3. It comes in different colors for boys and girls. Opposite find the girls version featured.

The Step 2 Push around buggy is another great ride on toy. We had this one at my mother in law's house. It's particularly good for 1 year olds as you can push them around with the handle at the back. As toddlers my son and niece used to be loved being pushed around and around the garden (good exercise for the adults!). It's also good for pushing little ones outside to the park etc without having to use a stroller. There is a hood for storage, a steering wheel and a little horn. The reviews are good in this one.

Once they start getting mobile babies have a habit of climbing up anything - furniture, stairs etc. Instead of having them climb all over your home, it's a great idea to have a climbing toy to facilitate this play.

This Little Tikes activity bus opposite is perfect for little climbers. Features include include spinning tires, dashboard with clickers and buttons, spinning steering wheel, stop sign that folds in and out and 18" high slide.

The Little Tikes climber is designed for children from 1 year and has a slide too.

The Step 2 climber and slide is another option. It is designed for children from 24 months so a 12 month old will probably need strict help and supervision to use but as they get older it provides lots of opportunities to play. It features activities including basketball, soccer, rock wall, football toss and slide.

My son used to love playing with shapesorters at around 12 months old. They are perfect for this age as they are able to hold them and start to try to fit the shapes through the right holes. They are great for developing fine motor skills. My son learned all his shapes and colors from using a shapesorter.  

One year olds will love fridge magnets. They enjoy sticking them on the fridge and pulling them off again. I used to find magnets were brilliant for entertaining my son whilst I did the washing up and tidied the kitchen. You can use them on the washing machine too. The farm yard animal magnets are particularly good. The toddler has to match up 2 different magnets to form an animal. Once they've matched the two different parts they hear a voice say the animal name. They are great for teaching a child the animals and great for fine motor skills. The magnets also play learning songs. In my opinon this is the best toy for keeping a 1 year old occupied while you're doing other things.

If you would like more choice of magnets available for children aged 1 and over, check out this article on magnets for small children.

Shopping from the UK? Check out the LeapFrog Fridge Farm Magnetic Animal Set for £14.67

A bounce and spin zebra looks like so much fun. The toddler sits on it and bounces and spins around. There are sounds to reward movement and an activity handlebar with a rolling ball. It's guarenteed to get lots of use as the child can use it until they're at least 3. This gets my vote as the most fun toy for a 1 year old.

Shopping from the UK, check out the Fisher-Price Baby Gymtastics Bounce & Spin Zebra and its reviews on Amazon.co.uk.

Many toys for 1 year olds have educational value but one toy which I think is particularly educational is the Leapfrog Learn and Groove Musical table. This toy has lots of activities which introduce numbers, colors, shapes and opposites. It also has a bilingual option so the activities can be in English or Spanish. There are also lots of songs and nursery rhymes to introduce new vocabulary, re-enforce language and introduce music.There's also a variety of play instruments which encourage baby to push, pull, press, slide, open and close, helping develop fine motor skills

This toy is highly recommended, has lots of activities and will keep baby engaged for a long time. I definitely think its one of the best toys for a 1 year old.

Fisher Price make a great series of Learning toys for 1 year olds called the Laugh and Learn series. There are lots of different toys that introduce numbers, words, colors, shapes and lots of other concepts like manners. Some toys also help hone fine motor skills and teach about cause and effect.

I like the Laugh and Learn Say Please Tea Set. 1 year olds can learn about numbers, shapes, opposites, manners, greetings manners and words through imaginative play. It includes 2 teacups, a shapesorting cookie tray, 3 teethable cookies, and 3 songs. The teapot features sound effects too.

Another top toy in the Laugh and learn series is the soccer ball. It's a soft plush soccer ball with teaches counting, abc's, sportsmanship, manners and colors,