15 Best Toys For 1-Year-Olds, From Musical Instruments to Shape Sorters

“This classic wooden toy keeps kids entertained and helps promote hand-eye coordination,” says Amanda Vierheller, COO and Co-Founder of Playgarden Prep. They’ll love racing the colorful cars down the ramp and watching as the balls roll down each level. Everything is crafted from 100% natural pine wood and is BPA-free with non-toxic paints. Parents will appreciate that it arrives fully assembled and ready to play.

What does the cow say? “Learning about animal names and sounds is a natural type of play which is very appropriate for this age group,” says Michelle Mintz, M.S.,CCC-SLP, an early childhood development expert and creator of Baby Blooming Moments. “With this toy you get animals as well as a little puzzle work.” It comes with ten extra-thick wooden farm-themed play pieces so little ones can easily grasp and maneuver them. The portable handle means it’s easy to take anywhere too.

“Dolls and stuffed animals provide companionship and teach children to connect with others,” says Vierheller. She recommends this super soft and snuggly doll, as it’s the just the right size and weight for one-year-olds. “With a soft plush body and magnet pacifier, Stella is the perfect doll for 1-year-olds to love.” Her dress, bloomer, and diaper are removable for creative role play, and the company sells different soft-doll versions that come in a variety of skin tones and hair colors to choose from.

The perfect 1st birthday present does exist! This cute and colorful crayon set is customized to spell out your child’s name and writes in a rainbow of colors to delight them. They're big and easy to grip but hard to break because you know your toddler will try. I like that they’re handmade in the USA from recycled premium brand crayons with no other ingredients added. And they look adorable on the shelf in case your little one isn’t quite big enough to get a handle on them just yet.

For busy parents who don’t want to have to think about the perfect toys to purchase, Lalo’s Play Boxes are expertly curated with beautifully-made and developmentally-appropriate modern toys for toddlers. There are several boxes designed for 1-year-olds, which you can purchase individually or sign up for a subscription to receive every two to three months. This particular box is made for children ages 13-15 months and includes a mini phone, wooden drum, push and pull puppy, and suction spinners. It also comes with a play guide to offer parents loads of playtime ideas. I like that the toys are durable, non-toxic, and BPA-free and made from earth-friendly recycled materials. Shopping tip: Lalo’s Play Boxes also made our list for the best baby toys 0-6 months.

Inspired by toddlers' fascination with wet wipes, this colorful tissue box comes with 10 soft and crinkly brightly-colored fabrics that helps toddlers develop color recognition and movement. The sensory box allows toddlers to pull out and put fabrics into the box as they explore, problem solve, and work on important fine motor skills. The toy is well made and beautifully designed.

“Musical toys encourage exploration of cause and effect and can stimulate language skills,” says Mintz. We have this gorgeous, well-curated Lovevery music set in our home, and it’s a huge hit with my 1-year-old. It comes with real, brain-building instruments, including color-coded pentatonic pat bells, a color tab pan flute, concertina, jingle bracelet, loud and quiet stackable shakers, an animal metronome, plus a rhythm and songs book, color match song cards, and a play guide for parents with expert tips to help them.

Vierheller calls this “the best first bike for little speedsters!” According to her, its innovative design is perfect to promote balance, coordination, core strength, and spatial awareness. It only takes a few minutes to assemble and comes in lots of fun colors so you can choose their favorite (or yours). The modern design is easy on the eyes too, which parents will appreciate. It’s made for indoor and outdoor use, and kids adore the cute little rubber ducky on the handlebars.

For parents who want more sleep and little ones who need it, this plush whale projector is what sweet dreams are made of. It plays soft lullabies, underwater sounds, and white noise heartbeats with a light show featuring moving waves and fish to completely mesmerize your child. It doubles as a night light and features an automatic shut-off after 25 minutes so you don’t have to go back in and risk waking them. Parents can control the volume, and there are three different light intensities you can play around with to find their sweet spot. When the whale plush part gets dirty, simply throw it in the wash for a quick clean.

“This toy combines two classic Montessori activities in one charming play experience,” says Vierheller. “Little ones build sorting and fine motor skills while learning about object permanence.” With over 400 five-star ratings, this popular wooden sorter cube is sure to be a hit. It comes with eight unique shapes all in different colors, plus a durable box with colorful rubber bands for kids to push the shapes through and to contain everything when not in use. It helps enhance hand-eye coordination, finger dexterity, sensory perception, spatial reasoning, color and shape recognition, problem-solving skills, and more. Plus, the shapes make a little noise when shaken.

Reading to your 1-year-old is essential for language development, speech, fostering their imagination and so much more. Because toddlers can be quite rough on books, trying to rip out pages, Mintz suggests this Melissa & Doug soft “Whose Feet?” book. “It’s fun, silly, and won't tear,” she says. “Exploration of books and an introduction to reading at this age is a gift.” I like that it’s machine washable, and includes some squeaking and crinkling throughout to capture kids’ attention.

“Kids love stacking these nesters and matching the adorable animals to their homes,” says Vierheller. “The cute critters double as finger puppets for even more fun with pretend play!” The durable set comes with six numbered nesting and stacking blocks, each in a different color, as well as six farm animal finger puppets to play with. They’ll learn about colors, shapes, numbers, animals, practice problem solving, and so much more.

As a parent myself, I will happily invest in a high-quality open-ended toy my child can creatively use for many years to come. These big and colorful SmartMax Start Plus STEM Building bars and balls are just that. They’re super strong and the magnets easily attract (and come apart), making it fun and easy for even 1-year-olds to build and create with independently. “We bought the 25-piece set and came back for more because they were such a hit with our 15-month old son,” writes one Amazon reviewer. “These are expensive, but a very well made and seemingly long-lived toy.”

If there’s one thing almost all toddlers are intrigued by, it’s balls. They can throw, kick, carry, toss, bounce, shoot them, and so much more. This affordable sports ball set comes with six easy-to-hold assorted sports balls, including a mini basketball, baseball, football, rugby, soccer, and playground ball for toddlers to have a ball with. It makes a great first birthday gift, and balls can easily be stowed in the bottom of a stroller to bust out for park play or at home to burn energy. I like that you can easily inflate them and deflate them for storage or travel.

This gorgeous chunky wooden puzzle is sure to excite their senses, as each block presents a new sensation just waiting to be discovered. Toddlers can shake to hear a bell, feel fluffy fabric, look through the kaleidoscope piece, and more. Parents can practice color and shape recognition with littles as they explore and play too. As one reviewer puts it, this puzzle is “a happy medium between a cute toy and one they actually want to play with. Most of the pieces have things in them, so you also get a noise component, but my daughter loves this thing—and I don't mind looking at it.”