First birthdays!! Your baby is no longer a little baby, but not yet a full-blown toddler. It is such a fun phase and there are so many new things they can do and new toys they can play with. If you’re stumped trying to give your relatives a list or picking out something special for your kiddo, here’s a great list of our favorite one-year-old toys that will grow with them!
When it comes to toys in our house, we have a few rules:
- No batteries. Unless its REALLY worth it. We prefer our house to be calm and not constantly playing little jingles. However, I totally understand that some battery toys are life savers when you need to entertain little people! I just don’t like having to replace them (or hear them).
- No little pieces. We will probably have a baby crawling around and putting little things in their mouth for the foreseeable future, so we just try to say no to things that require a lot of little pieces being kept together because…it probably won’t happen.
- Worth the money. – Meaning well-made, won’t get old after a few uses, and is very fun or very useful for many years to come and for a variety of ages.
Here are some great first birthday gift ideas that will not be a short-term toy. And will not drive you crazy or just be ‘donated’ very soon after. You can also checkout my Ultimate Toddler Gift List for more inspiration, as many of those toys would be great to invest in for a one-year-old.
Indoor Toys
Even though I have dreams of my kiddos only playing outside, at one-years-old, they are probably still bopping around in the house for most of their days. Here are some of our favorite toys that will not get old once they venture towards two, and are loved by many!
- Car Ramp – We love this one and this one
- Pull Back Cars
- A little table – This is a must-have! If I only got my one-year-old one gift, it would be this one.
- A Toddler Tower – we use ours every day!
- A Play Kitchen – We love our Ikea Kitchen
- Pull Toys – We love our Hape Puppy
- Ride-on toy – Here’s a cute John Deere one, and here’s a cute lady bug!
- Radio Flyer Wagon Walker – One of the best first birthday gifts!
- Knob Puzzles
- Little People Figures – like the Farm and farm animals or the School bus with people
- Balls – Like the ones you get in the big thing at Target or Walmart. So much fun as an indoor toy.
- Baby Doll – Here’s a soft one for younger babies that people love! Also, a baby stroller to go with it is a hit at this age too!
- Mega Blocks
- Wooden Blocks
- Shape Sorter
- Pounder Toy – We love this Hape One and This Melissa and Doug one
- PipSquigz
- Squeaky Eggs – This sound is annoying but they love it so much I’ll tolerate it 😉
- I also recommend all the toys on my Ultimate Toddler Gift List like a play kitchen, toy cleaning set, and the Nugget Couch. Checkout the post for even more indoor ideas!
Outdoor Toys
I love outdoor toys. They seem to be more timeless and encourage fun for the whole family. When I am outside with my toddler, I am usually happier too! Here are some of my favorite ways to get outside with my littles that make awesome gifts:
- Outdoor Baby Swing
- Baby Pool – We prefer the hard plastic ones for this age or the mini splash pads.
- Climbing Structure
- Little Slide
- Playhouse
- Bike Attachment
- Helmet
- Wagon or Foldable Wagon
- Bubble Machine
- Baby Pool Float
Practical Gifts
If you are overloaded with toys from your older kids and don’t need any more baby or toddler toys in your house (or just don’t want them!), practical gifts like clothes and shoes are perfect for birthdays and Christmas. Especially the big ticket items like a bigger carseat! Here are some of our favorite things to ask for:
- Pottery Barn Chair
- Convertible Carseat
- Bath Toys
- Color Bath Drops
- Baseball Hat
- Clothes
- Walking Shoes
- Snack Cups
- Water Bottles
Memberships
Between the ages of 1 and 2, your baby will just explode with what they are able to do and play with. They will become so fun to take to places like the ones on this list because they can actually enjoy them now! However, a lot of fun places like these are expensive, and having family members go in together on a membership is a really fun and useful gift that they can enjoy all year long! (And, it doesn’t clutter your house which is what we all really want, right? 😉 )
- Zoo Membership
- Indoor Play Place Membership
- Children’s Museum Membership
- Tickets to play places or splash pads/pools in your area!
Books
Books are such a timeless gift! My kids have really loved to start actually sitting for a book around age one. It is so fun to have that special cuddle time. Interactive books with little flaps are so fun for this age. Also books that make them point to a certain color or animal are great for this age.
- Poke a Dot Books by Melissa and Doug
- Pat the Bunny
I hope this helps as your family bombards you asking what your little one-year-old wants for their birthday or Christmas and you totally blank! Let me know in the comments what your favorite one-year-old toys are! I pray that you and your little have a wonderful second year! Peace,
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