The 10 Best Toys for One Year Olds

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Wondering what the best toys for your one year old are?

As a mom who has gone though the one year old stage 5 times, I can assure you that I've learned a thing or two about the best toys for a one year old!

I don't do loud and annoying toys.   I don't do pointless toys.  What I look for are toys that will help my child develop his coordination and also occupy him for a decent amount of time.

These are all toys that we own and have used with all of our kids with success.  Some are a tad too advanced for an early one-year-old, but as coordination advances, they will be perfect as a child gets closer to age two.

1. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pounding Bench

2. Melissa & Doug Latches Board

Update: This particular board has been discontinued.  However, you can still buy a (newer, updated) latch board here.

3. Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube

4. Melissa & Doug Geometric Stacker

(Are you noticing a theme here?  Melissa and Doug creates some of the BEST toys for one year olds!  CLICK HERE to see even more Melissa and Doug toys appropriate for one year olds.  All of the toys at this link have the highest reviews and are all under $20!)

5. Fisher-Price Corn Popper Push Toy
(This one is a tad annoying because it can get loud, but the kids love it!)

6. Gobble & Go HippoThis one doubles as a walker and as a ride-on toy.   It's SO FUN (even as an adult!) – to watch the hippo “eat” the blocks when it runs over them.  Unfortunately it's been discontinued, but if you check this page, occasionally you'll see one pop up from a re-seller.

Update: They have come out with a new toy that is similar here. You can watch this video to see how it works compared to the hippo.

7. Fisher-Price Roller Blocks Tumblin' Zebra

8. Little People Fun Sounds Farm

Update: Since this is an older version, the price has gone up kind of high.  For an updated (and much less expensive!) version CLICK HERE.

9. Playskool Busy Tumble Top
(Some of  these ball poppers are too hard for little ones to push themselves.  We have this particular one, and my little can can push it himself very easily.)

Update:  This one has been discontinued, and the closest one I can find is this one right here.  A customer uploaded a video of it in action, and from what I can tell it looks plenty easy enough for the little ones to push.

10. Board books (we especially like this set by Roger Priddy)

One year olds are so much fun to watch!  They're constantly developing new skills and learning new things.  One of the best ways for them to learn is through their play, so I believe that it's very important to have the right kind of toys for them.  They'll be having fun and developing coordination at the same time!

I hope you've found this list of the best toys for one year olds helpful!  Perhaps you're shopping for a gift or maybe you're just developing your collection for your children or daycare.  I can say without a doubt that all of the toys on the list above have been GREAT toys for my kids at age one!

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