The 16 Best Toys and Gifts For 1-Year-Olds in 2023

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When it comes to stocking the playroom, your little ones (and you) deserve the best baby products and gear on the market, including the coolest toys and entertaining finds. With so many colorful and unique baby toys out there, it's inevitable to feel indecisive. That's where we come in. We combed through the internet to find some of the best toys and gifts for the 1-year-old in your life. Whether you're shopping for their first birthday or you just want to shower them with presents, we found a variety of cool gifts that will keep them entertained and engaged.

From toys that teach color recognition to interactive play mats and everything in between, we found several items that will encourage development for the 1-year-old in your life. We also included a few picks that will help them get up and get moving, whether they're at the crawling and scooting stage or prepping to take those first steps. These toys for 1-year-olds will motivate them to explore the world around them and provide plenty of action with vibrant lights and animated sounds. Check out the best toys and gifts for 1-year-olds ahead. You can also find the best gifts for the toddlers and kids in your life with our gift guides, including for infants, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, tweens, and teens.


01
Best Fine Motor Skills Toy For 1-Year-Olds
Amazon

Best Fine Motor Skills Toy For 1-Year-Olds

Mingkids Baby Sorter ($13, originally $17)

This educational toy for little ones will help them hone their fine motor skills and promote curiosity as they work to fit these bright, colorful shapes into the container.

02
Best Learning Piggy Bank For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

Best Learning Piggy Bank For 1-Year-Olds

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Piggy Bank ($18, originally $22)

An interactive toy piggy bank with more than 40 songs, sounds, and learning phrases for infants and toddlers is exactly what your developing kid needs. It will help stimulate their vocabulary and even offers up words in Spanish to introduce them to another language.

03
Best Lounger For 1-Year-Olds
dockatot.com

Best Lounger For 1-Year-Olds

Dock-a-Tot Deluxe+ ($195)

This lounger is a gift that parents and baby will adore. This lounger is cushioned with fiberfill and made from organic cotton, making the little one feel like they're in your arms. The one-year-old in your life can hang out in this while sitting up, lying down, or even during tummy time. Plus, it comes in several chic colors and patterns.

04
A Sports Gift For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

A Sports Gift For 1-Year-Olds

Baby GUND My First Sports Bag Stuffed Plush Playset ($29)

Get the budding athlete in your life their first-ever sports bag with this cute playset. It features plush versions of a basketball, baseball, football, and soccer ball with a gym bag to store their equipment. It's perfect for playing catch with your little one and getting them to practice their motor skills.

05
Best Pacifier Holder For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

Best Pacifier Holder For 1-Year-Olds

Chicco Pocket Buddies Soft Pacifier Holder-Lovey ($10, originally $12)

Give the little one in your life something cute, useful, and comforting like this animal pacifier. This adorable lovey can attach itself to any pacifier as long as it has a handle on it, perfect for babies who have a habit of throwing or losing pacifiers. One editor raved how it helped her son find and be aware of his pacifier in the crib; "It worked so well with my son that I ordered one for my daughter before she was even born — and she loves it, too." Read her in-depth review of the Chicco Pocket Buddies Soft Pacifier Holder-Lovey.

06
Best Bedtime Toy For 1-Year-Olds
walmart.com

Best Bedtime Toy For 1-Year-Olds

Baby Einstein Sea Dreams Machine ($32, originally $40)

Little ones can't get enough of the soothing lights and sounds of this machine. It will comfort them with classical melodies and soothe and glow light effects. Plus, it has an innovative drift-off mode where it gradually softens lights and sounds every 10 minutes. Parents can even reactivate the soother remotely so they won't disturb or disrupt the baby in any way.

07
Best Sensory Development Toy For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

Best Sensory Development Toy For 1-Year-Olds

VTech KidiBeats Drum Set ($13, originally $22)

If you feel like you have a tiny musician on your hands, try out this drum set for kiddos. The drum pads and cymbal each have their own unique sound for sensory development. They can play along to nine upbeat melodies, and it teaches them letters and numbers as well.

08
Unique Gift For 1-Year-Olds
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Unique Gift For 1-Year-Olds

The Play Gym by Lovevery ($140)

If your little one loves tummy time or prefers their own little space, this play gym is something they'll never get bored of. It's a Montessori-inspired play mat with five different developmental zones (or flaps) at each edge. Each offers an array of essentials for all of your baby's learning stages, providing what they want to see, touch, and explore as they grow. The development zones hone in on focus, sound making, sensory exploration, hiding and finding, and color differentiation. Read our in-depth review of The Play Gym by Lovevery.

09
An Interactive Stuffed Animal For 1-Year-Olds
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An Interactive Stuffed Animal For 1-Year-Olds

Baby Gund "Flappy the Elephant" Musical Elephant ($40)

Infants will love to dance and play with this musical elephant. It plays a song when you push its right foot and plays a game of peekaboo when you push its left. It's something they'll love to cuddle with, whether it's during naps or bedtime.

10
A Shapes Learning Toy For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

A Shapes Learning Toy For 1-Year-Olds

LeapFrog Shapes and Sharing Picnic Basket ($23, originally $25)

Help your little one learn about shapes and colors by playing with this sharing picnic basket. Kids can sort, match, stack, empty, and fill the contents of the basket. It comes with plates, forks, cups, food, and a tablecloth and more picnic-themed goodies for interactive role play. It comes in pink and yellow.

11
Bestselling Baby Walker For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

Bestselling Baby Walker For 1-Year-Olds

VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker ($40)

Your toddler will grow quickly, but their toys can grow with them, too! This is perfect toy to help them get moving as they grow. It's an interactive-learning baby walker that has a removable play panel, so they can sit, walk, or stand comfortably. It features colorful spinning rollers, shape sorters, and light-up buttons that develop motor skills and grab their attention. There's even a pretend telephone handset. It can play music and plenty of sounds that will keep them entertained. It comes in blue, purple, and orange.

12
An Affordable Toy For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

An Affordable Toy For 1-Year-Olds

VTech Spin and Learn Color Flashlight ($15)

This flashlight comes with over 50 sing-along songs, music, sounds, and fun phrases. It teaches them their numbers and to count along as well as colors. They'll be entertained whenever you pull this out, and the light isn't too bright for their eyes, either. It comes in yellow, pink, and light green.

13
Interactive Mat For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

Interactive Mat For 1-Year-Olds

Baby Einstein 4-in-1 Kickin' Tunes Music and Language Play Gym ($43, originally $50)

This colorful interactive play mat features over 70 sounds that play 25 minutes of music. It also has introductory phrases in four languages: English, Spanish, French, and German. It comes with seven detachable toys including a crinkle medallion, a triangle rattle, a textured music note, flash cards, a self-discovery mirror, a piano toy, and a tummy-time pillow.

14
Bath Toy For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

Bath Toy For 1-Year-Olds

Nuby Floating Purple Octopus With 3 Hoopla Rings ($8, originally $9)

An interactive bath toy like this friendly octopus will keep them entertained and having fun while getting cleaned up. It helps them develop and practice hand-eye coordination as they try to place the rings on each of the tentacles. It's made out of soft and flexible materials that are BPA free and resistant to mold. It's such a cute stocking stuffer!

15
Bestselling Toy For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

Bestselling Toy For 1-Year-Olds

VTech Pop-a-Balls Push & Pop Bulldozer ($25, originally $28)

This is one of the bestselling toys for little ones. It's perfect for the 1-year-old who is about to start walking. It's a push-and-pull toy that pops balls out of the chimney into the bucket. It has interactive buttons where your little one can press and learn about colors, numbers, phrases, and music. It comes in red and yellow.

16
Teething Toy For 1-Year-Olds
amazon.com

Teething Toy For 1-Year-Olds

Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys ($5, originally $6)

Something about babies and keys go hand and hand. But these teething ones designed for babies will provide your 1-year-old with much-needed relief. It comes with three textured keys that can be put in the refrigerator for a gentle soothing, cooling feel. It helps them with shape and color recognition as well.