The Best Gifts for 1-Year-Olds to Celebrate the New Toddler

Baby Einstein Clever Composer Tune Table

Musical toys hold great appeal for toddlers, who gravitate toward anything that helps them make noise. Although 1-year-olds aren’t quite ready for instrument lessons, they can still benefit from musical experiences: Music can even help babbling babies develop language skills faster. 

With more than 20 musical instrument sounds and three modes of play, including modes for music-making and language development, the Baby Einstein Clever Composer Tune Table will help any toddler create music. Depending on the baby’s development, you can remove the legs so they can sit on on the floor while playing. Or, add the legs on for standing play.

Lovevery Play Kits

My parents gifted us the Lovevery Play Gym before my daughter was born, and since then, we’ve purchased several of the play kits—including the newly released ones for 4-year-olds. The kits are designed for different ages in increments of 3 months, so each toy and activity is developmentally appropriate. 

Each one comes with a variety of toys, a kids’ book, and an instructional book to guide parents through ways they can use the toys to help their kids practice skills. While expensive, I’m consistently impressed by how durable and well-made the toys are.

World of Eric Carle My First Library 12-Book Set

Starting at a young age, books are incredibly important: They introduce children to a love of reading, provide a way for parents to bond with their kids, and, of course, help children learn new words. Many caregivers will remember books by Eric Carle, and this is a beautiful set of educational board books featuring Carle’s beautiful illustrations. Throughout the 12-book series, the beloved Very Hungry Caterpillar guides readers through lessons on shapes, the alphabet, and more.

Peek-A-Who?

This board book uses cut-out pages to create a classic game of peek-a-boo. My daughter received it for her first birthday, and we’ve since gifted versions to other friends to mark the occasion of their children’s first birthday. It’s a short, interactive book, ideal for a 1-year-old’s attention span, and since it’s small, it fits easily into a diaper bag for on-the-go entertainment or distraction.

Mega Bloks Big Building Bag

A classic toy kids will play with for years is this giant bag of Mega Bloks. There are 80 blocks of different sizes and colors, so littles can build any creation they want. All the blocks come in a giant zippered bag for easy storage.

The Wonderful Things You Will Be

This charming book from Emily Winfield Martin, an artist and writer whose work is inspired by fairytales, imagines all of the things a young child can grow up to be while encouraging them to be whatever they want to be. The rhyming text makes the storyline fun to read out loud, and my child adores picking a new thing she wants to be each time we read it.

The Snowy Day

First published in the 1960s by writer and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, The Snowy Day is a classic children's book. I remember my parents reading me the beautiful story as a child, and I love reading it to my own kid decades later. The story and illustrations are simple yet magical, detailing the excitement of a day exploring the snow. Plus, this durable board book version stands up to teething and is easy for little hands to hold.

Slumberkins Sloth Snuggler & Board Book

Soft, cuddly, and adorable, this Slumberkins set comes with a sweet sloth stuffed animal, plus a corresponding book. The board book helps introduce children to reading while also starting to teach them about routines, daily plans, and mindfulness.

Created by a family therapist and special education teacher, Slumberkins’ animals and books encourage social-emotional skills such as self-regulation, empathy, and kindness. As a child gets older, there’s even an Apple TV show based on the characters for them to watch.

Fisher-Price 2-Sided Steady Speed Panda Walker

Of all the physical milestones a child might reach during the first year, walking may require the most effort. Pushing toys are a type of safe baby walker alternative that can help build the strength and coordination babies need. Many, like this one from Fisher-Price, have extra play features—like a built-in shape sorter and buttons to press—that help your kiddo practice other skills, too.

The broad handle on this two-sided walker is ideal for toddlers just starting to pull up to standing, and its low center of gravity provides maximum stability. It also has a longer shelf life than your average walker: Babies as young as 6 months old can play with the activities while sitting down, and over 100 songs and 10 activities will still keep a toddler entertained well after they’re walking unassisted.

Orange Tree Toys Shark Pull Along

Pulling toys, like this beautiful wooden shark, help teach toddlers balance and coordination. The shark is hand-painted in lovely bright colors (with non-toxic paint) and is suitable for little ones ages 12 months old and up. This pull-along toy also comes in a few other animal shapes, including a pony, chameleon, and giraffe.

VTech Pull and Sing Puppy

This interactive pull toy includes lights and sounds that are activated when a toddler pulls the string. It also includes colorful buttons that will help kids develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. (Just make sure that the family you’re giving it to is okay with noisy toys!)

labebe labebe Ride Unicorn

Ride-on toys that encourage 1-year-olds to push with their feet to gain momentum help build muscle tone, coordination, and body awareness. This adorable unicorn rocking horse is low to the ground for safety, and it’s made from a soft fabric that toddlers will want to hug. We also appreciate that the toy has a safety belt that clips around the kid’s waist.

The Hair Book

It’s never too early to start teaching kids about being proud of themselves and recognizing the different but beautiful ways people show up in this world—a great start to lessons in diversity, inclusivity, and identity. This sweet board book celebrates different types and textures of hair, and its colorful pictures are sure to engage little ones. The book is also available in a hardcover option, though the board book is your best bet for withstanding rough-and-tumble toddlers.

Little Tikes Cozy Coupe 30th Anniversary Car

The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is an absolute classic toy—many parents likely owned one themselves as kids. The little car allows kids to use their feet to move, helping them with coordination, body awareness, and muscle tone. Plus, around the 1-year-old stage, they’ve likely started mimicking their parents, so they’ll love having a car of their own to play with.

BusyPuzzle Busy Board for Toddlers

This personalized busy board is kind of like a puzzle—when ordering, select up to 10 letters, and you’ll receive a custom engraved board with the kid’s name (or another fun word) on it. The 1-year-old can slot the letter pegs into their places and practice their fine motor skills and letter recognition. Plus, you can also opt to add extra pegs, like an animal or a flower.

Nuby Floating Purple Octopus Interactive Bath Toy

This purple octopus is a fun addition to any family’s bathtime routine. The 1-year-old can toss the three included rings onto one of the floating octopus’s tentacles, encouraging fine motor skills. Plus, it’s designed without crevices to prevent mold from growing.

Munchkin Farm Animal Squirts Baby Bath Toy, 8 Pack

Little ones love playing with water toys of all types. Taking their wet fun indoors, these farm animals make bathtime sweet and interactive. When filled with water, kids can squeeze them to spray a small stream of water, practicing those fine motor skills while they’re at it! Plus, the toys can help teach kids the names of barnyard animals.

Odin Parker Wooden English Alphabet Blocks

These small, stackable wooden blocks come in a set of 26: one for each letter of the alphabet. On one side, the blocks have a letter, and on the other, there’s a small design that corresponds with the letter, like “B” for bear. This is a great opportunity for little ones to practice their letter recognition and language skills, and parents will appreciate that the blocks have child-friendly rounded corners and edges.

Crayola My First Palm Grip Crayons

A creative first birthday gift, this 12-pack of egg-shaped crayons is made for little fingers to grab. Holding and manipulating crayons helps toddlers develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, and it’s a great opportunity for the 1-year-old to learn their colors. It’s also a fun way for parents, caregivers, and siblings to play with a little one.

Hollow Woodworks Personalized Puzzle Step Stools

This personalized Pottery Barn step stool is a thoughtful and functional first birthday gift. You can select up to eight letters (or up to twelve, for an added fee), and you’ll receive a customized step stool that doubles as a name puzzle. It’s a fun way for kids to learn the letters in their name. Plus, having a kid-sized step stool comes in handy down the line during potty training when the toddler needs to reach the toilet.

Fat Brain Toys InnyBin

Fill-and-spill toys, like the InnyBin from Fat Brain Toys, introduce toddlers to the concept of object permanence. With bright colors and textures, each of the differently shaped pieces provides a sensory experience for 1-year-olds while also helping them develop curiosity and memory skills as they push the shapes through the bin.

Hape Scoot Around Ride On Wood Bike

A balance bike helps kids practice their motor skills and strengthen their muscles. This wooden balance bike comes in green or blue and is made with water-based paint and non-toxic finishes. It’s low to the ground so little feet can reach the floor and scoot around.

Wee Gallery Nesting Blocks

Blocks allow for tons of open-ended imaginative play. The blocks in this 10-piece set are numbered and are each a different size, so kids can practice counting and problem-solving when stacking them together. Made from eco-friendly and non-toxic materials, the black and white blocks have a sweet woodland theme featuring deer, owls, and more.