The 10 Best Gifts For One-Year-Olds
This wiki has been updated 26 times since it was first published in January of 2018. A child’s first birthday is an important milestone when he or she officially becomes a toddler. Help celebrate the momentous occasion by giving an age-appropriate gift any one-year-old is sure to enjoy. Here you’ll find a selection of puzzles, blocks, board books, and other colorful, interactive toys that are designed to engage little imaginations and develop hand-eye coordination. When users buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Mega Bloks First Builders Bag
2. Baby Einstein Magic Touch Piano
3. Munchkin Duck Dunk
Editor's Notes
May 12, 2020:
Several bright, interactive toys come on board in today’s update that are exciting for new toddlers and can also help boost fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The Mega Bloks First Builders Bag is a tried-and-true way to get a child’s creative juices flowing. This set comes with 80 vibrant blocks in a variety of shapes that are great for building towers, animals, or anything else a child dreams up. They’re easy for little hands to connect and remove and come backed by a lifetime warranty. When playtime is done, it’s easy to just pack it all up into the zippered bag with a carrying handle.
The budding musician in your life will love the Baby Einstein Magic Touch Piano. Unlike many other pianos for toddlers, this one comes with a smooth, entirely flat surface with keys painted on. Just tap any of them to create musical notes. This popular selection was a winner of the ToyAward 2019, when it was described as an ideal way to introduce toddlers to the world of music. Also joining our list is the Munchkin Duck Dunk, which is a series of colorful cups that can be attached to your bathtub wall with the included suction cups. Once they’re lined up vertically, kids can pour water into the top one to create an exciting shower that goes through the cups and also the attached spinners. You can reposition the cups to create different effects. This set replaces the MokiDoki Bathtub Toys on our list, which feature paint that can peel after being in the water, users report.
For a one-year-old, you can’t go wrong with the gift of some colorful puzzles with large, easy-to-grip pieces, and the Melissa & Doug Jumble Puzzle Set certainly fits the bill. The pieces feature smooth knobs that are easy for little hands to grab. Included are house- and fishbowl-shaped boards, each of which holds three friendly animal characters. The Little Tikes Push and Ride Racer comes on board today as well, and it’s a good introduction to independent bike riding. Tots can either sit down and push along with their feet, or stand behind it and push it while holding onto the sturdy handle. Lastly, we added the Fisher-Price My First Books, which are written with short rhymes and colorful illustrations to teach the ABCs, numbers, counting, and opposites. They’re board books, which are good for toddlers who are getting used to holding a book and turning the pages. They replace the ToBeReadyForLife Soft Book on the list.
Also leaving the selection today are a couple of stuffed animals, along with the Lamaze's Mortimer the Moose, which is more suited toward infants than a child entering toddlerhood. Ultimately, no matter which toy you give to a child, make sure it’s age appropriate, and always keep a close watch on youngsters as they play with their toys, for safety’s sake.
Special Honors
Pottery Barn Kids Lamb Nursery Rocker This rocker is made of super soft polyester velboa, featuring a huggable body and embroidered facial features. Its wooden handles and precision-shaped runners are designed to provide smooth, secure rocking. It’s made for kids between one and five years of age, and stands 20 inches tall. You can have your child’s name personalized on the wooden glider rails. It’s also available in other animal designs, including an elephant, a bunny, a giraffe, a lion, and a labradoodle. potterybarn.com
Light Pink Ceramic Piggy Bank You can help a little one get started saving their coins with this cute, friendly piglet that bears a silver heart on the side that you can engrave with the child’s name and a message. It opens easily through a lock that turns on the bottom, and measures 8-1/2 by 7-1/2 inches. Also available are similar ceramic designs featuring giraffes and elephants. thingsremembered.com
4. Melissa & Doug Jumble Puzzle Set
5. VTech Drop & Go Dump Truck
6. Melissa & Doug's Pull-Back Set
7. Little Tikes Push and Ride Racer
8. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Puppy
9. VTech Turn and Learn Driver
10. Fisher-Price My First Books
Karen Bennett lives in Chicago with her family, and when she’s not writing, she can usually be found practicing yoga or cheering on her kids at soccer games. She holds a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s in English, and her writing has been published in various local newspapers, as well as “The Cheat Sheet,” “Illinois Legal Times,” and “USA Today.” She has also written search engine news page headlines and worked as a product manager for a digital marketing company. Her expertise is in literature, nonfiction, textbooks, home products, kids' games and toys, hardware, teaching accessories, and art materials.