Tried and Tested Gift Ideas for Your One-Year-Old Baby

Have you ever been asked by a friend or relative “what should I gift your one-year-old?” and you just draw a total blank?

That happened to me at my twins’ first birthday, Christmas, and even again at Easter!  With these being special occasions, it was clear that our family and friends wanted to spend more money on gifts than usual, and they wanted these gifts to be special.

I had no idea what the best gifts for 1-year-olds were.  Up until then, things just kept being gifted to us and my babies loved everything they got.

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The Best One Year Baby Gift Ideas

Finally, I broke down and spent hours researching the best one year baby gift ideas and compiled them onto my Amazon list.  If my friends and family were wanting to buy my babies lots of toys, then I was going to make sure I chose the right ones. I didn’t want them wasting their money on toys my babies didn’t find interesting.

Even at 9 months, I found my twins were already interested in gender-specific toys.  My son was enjoying tractors and airplanes while my daughter was more into cuddling with stuffed animals. 

What is the Best Gift for a One-Year-Old Baby?

Here’s a list of our favorite tried and tested toys for one-year-olds, some of which are still being played with 3 years later!

Gift Ideas for 1 year old

Let’s start with Mommy’s personal favorite…

Go Baby Go Poppity-Pop Musical Dino Roll the ball down the tail and it goes through a revolving gate and into the Dino’s “tummy.”  The motion detector feels that a ball is in there and starts the popping.  The balls keep popping up until they land in the tube and roll out of Dino’s mouth.

Your babies then chase after the balls, pick them up, (may or may not) bring them back and the fun starts all over again.

All the while the dino plays fun tunes (including my babies’ favorite: “If you’re happy and you know it…”)

The popping motion stops automatically when there are no balls left in the tummy, but you are able to shut it off completely.

Our babies not only enjoy playing with the balls, they also like experimenting with other items in the popper (socks, hair ties, puzzle pieces and smaller stuffed animals.)  Like all things from Fisher-Price, this one is a baby magnet and keeps them occupied for a long time!

Learning Toys for One-Year-Olds

Drop & Go Dump Truck

• Drop a colorful rock into the top of this cheerful dump truck toy and watch it tumble into the bucket to learn numbers
• Once the rocks are in the bucket. Then move it along to watch the rocks rumble around inside

Best Gift for One Year Old Baby

Farm Animal Wooden Peg Puzzle

I’ve shown them a few times, and I think they understand, but at this stage, they’d rather hold and suck on the pieces and toss the board around on the floor.  But that’s okay, they love it!

Best Building Blocks for One-Year-Olds

80-Piece Big Building Bag, Classic

The bag alone is a baby magnet in itself.  They played with it for half an hour before they even noticed the blocks.  The babies love watching me put the blocks together and then they get to take them apart again.  They haven’t figured out how to put them together yet, but it won’t be long.  There are a lot more blocks in that bag than you think.  (Takes awhile to pick them all up again too!)  They are not of the best quality either.  Some blocks hold together, some are too loose.  It took me awhile to appreciate the fact that the loose ones were easier for my baby to pull apart.

Great Baby Board Books

First 100 Words and First 100 Animals by Roger Priddy

My babies use these books a lot!  They’re board books, so they can play with them and they’ll even withstand an occasional sucking session.  The pictures inside are real photographs of the individual objects – not illustrations.  This way the children can see what they look like in “real life.”  A lot of my babies’ first words come from these books.

Pound & Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone

My son (a.k.a. “BamBam”) can’t get enough of his pound & tap bench.  Beware!  If your baby is like mine, he will find that hammer to be the most amazing thing he’s ever held in his tiny little hand!  And be warned, we’re talking a lot more about “pounding” than “tapping.”  So far he’s hit himself a few times where he winced but didn’t cry, and he hit his daddy and sister a few times as well.  Needless to say, he only gets to play with his hammer when we’re in the room (but sometimes we aren’t fast enough.) My daughter is more for tapping the wooden balls through the holes and listening to them roll down the xylophone.  The hammer & xylophone are sometimes used on their own too.  Yes, I deem it a fabulous toy, even if it does require parental supervision. P.S. The wooden balls make for serious projectiles, especially if your baby likes to throw things (ours do!)  Our bam bam just beaned me in the forehead with the green one the other day and our daughter killed our flat screen TV with the hammer.

Best Developmental Toy for One-Year-Olds

Sit to stand activity walker

It was very effective in helping our babies learn to walk and even prevented a crash or two.

It’s great on carpet – moving slowly so your baby has enough time to catch up.

This is still a favorite at our house and my twins are almost 2.5 now. They like to help Daddy “mow the lawn” with it.

Even though it’s a more expensive toy, I don’t regret buying it. It’s an great developmental toy and doesn’t take up as much space as other walkers do.

Gender Neutral Toys for One-Year-Olds

Kids Wooden Name Puzzle
Your children will learn motor skills manipulating the letters and gain recognition of letters and the order in which they spell their name.

First Slide

This Little Tikes kids slide is just the right size for your little one. It folds and unfolds in seconds, which makes it easy to store.

Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book – by Dr. Seuss

Van Vleck, a very small bug, is getting sleepy, and his yawn—contagious as yawns are—sets off a chain reaction, making all those around him feel sleepy, too!

Shape Sorting Cube

This ultimate shape sorter features 12 chunky, vibrantly colored shapes that make a satisfying “clunk” as they drop into the natural-finish hardwood cube. Then open the lid, take them out and start all over again! A classic educational toy for toddlers.

Kiddie Pool

Always fun whether you’re playing with your baby indoors (filled with balls) or outdoors!

Fun Ballz

Put these balls in the pool, bring the slide into it and have fun!

Best Old School Toys for One Year Olds

Fisher Price Classic Farmer Says See ‘n Say

Introduced in 1965, the See ‘N Say Farmers Says was the first talking toy that allowed children to pick the exact phrase they wanted to hear. The classic Farmer Says teaches about 12 animals and the sound they make. Point the arrow and pull the cord to hear all the classic sounds you remember from your childhood.

Fisher Price Classics Retro Chatter Phone

Introduced in 1961, The Chatter Telephone was the ultimate pretend play toy with its ringing rotary dial and its friendly interactive design. Since then, technology has changed quite a bit, but the Chatter Telephone makes children smile just the same way. With eyes that roll up and down, a mouth that chatters, and a dial that rings, this friendly phone is ready for a whole new generation of children to enjoy.

Corn Popper

As your baby pushes the Corn Popper toy along, the brightly colored balls excitedly pop around, encouraging your little cruiser to keep going.

So those are our tried and tested toys for 1-year olds.  I hope this guide is helpful to you or a mama you know (please do share!) What are you baby’s favorites?  What toys do you suggest for 18 Months to two years?  Drop me a line in the comments below, I’d really like to know what you recommend.

Related:

The Best Gift Ideas for Two-Year-Old Toddler Boys

My Twin Babies’ First Christmas List

The Best Gift Ideas for Two-Year-Old Toddler Girls

The Best Gift Ideas for Two-Year-Old Toddler Boys