Need toy ideas for 1 year olds

[maslex]

I have 3 grandbabies that are turning 1 in a few months. Grandson will be one in Nov and twin granddaughters will be one in Oct. (then there's Christmas). Let's just say it's been a while since I've bought toys. I don't want to go overboard with their birthdays or Christmas especially since they're so close together.

I've already told my boys that probably for both their birthdays and Christmas I'll get each baby a case of diapers and a case of wipes (can never have extras of those). But I'd also like to get them each a toy or two.

Any suggestions or must haves for that age? Thanks!

 

[princesscinderella]

I love musical instrument toys for kids that age, it’s so good for their development. They have ones that are combo small keyboard/drum pads with buttons that make background songs. Now they parents might not like it as much, but it’s not as bad as when they learn to play recorder later on in school.

 

[scrapquitler]

I have 3 grandbabies that are turning 1 in a few months. Grandson will be one in Nov and twin granddaughters will be one in Oct. (then there's Christmas). Let's just say it's been a while since I've bought toys. I don't want to go overboard with their birthdays or Christmas especially since they're so close together.

I've already told my boys that probably for both their birthdays and Christmas I'll get each baby a case of diapers and a case of wipes (can never have extras of those). But I'd also like to get them each a toy or two.

Any suggestions or must haves for that age? Thanks!

Find something like a membership to a local children's museum, zoo or music/gym/swim/dance classes. Those kind of things will bring far more joy to both the parents and the child than a toyl

 

[tcufrog]

Since babies get so many toys at their 1st birthday party, I usually get them toys suitable for 18 months. Some other things that have been popular are these board books:

I also like to get them at IKEA an intro art set consisting of a paper roll holder, extra rolls, washable finger paint (not at IKEA), an art smock and some disposable tablecloths from the Dollar Store to protect the table.

 

[jo-jo]

Give the empty box the diapers came in. Best toy ever.


This is cute and has a zillion ratings.

https://www.amazon.com/VTech-Pull-a...r+toys+for+one+year+old&qid=1660859853&sr=8-5

 

[sksjasams]

My grandson loved this toy:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/VTech-Dr...er-Toy-Construction-Toy/45079137?athbdg=L1600

Books and Melissa & Doug puzzles are also great

 

[sksjasams]

Also, that is a great age to start with Little People
https://www.target.com/p/fisher-price-little-people-caring-for-animals-farm/-/A-52131740#lnk=sametab

https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price...8&sprefix=Little+peopl+school+,aps,144&sr=8-2

 

[AppleDumpling]

A ride-on/ push toy for new walkers. We had this one.



Or a plush rocking horse (or other animal).

I also agree with pp, that age-appropriate books are always great gifts for children. I believe in reading to them early and often, and encouraging their own reading as they grow older.

 

[RF536]

Another vote for a membership to a zoo or children's museum. My folks would do this each year when our boys were little. Those memberships got more use than any toy.

 

[fhtpdw20]

Did you know they make Highlights magazines (as seen in Dr/Dentist office) for babies? My go to brands for DGS are Fat Brain (mozart cube for music), Fisher Price, Doug and Melissa, and Lakeshore Learning. Board books are big on my list too so Christian Book and Barnes and Noble have contributed to library too. I look for educational/fine motor skills toys.

 

[PollyannaMom]

My go-tos for first birthdays are board books or early Duplo (toddler Lego) sets. (Those will have age recommendations on the box - usually in the corner, and come for 1+, 18 mos., etc.)

 

[sailorstitch]

It's been about a decade since I've had a friend or family member with a kid that age. But I always liked buying the Disney themed Fisher Price Little People.

 

[karen4546]

I think that travel sensory toys are great.

 

[RUDisney]

My favorite thing to buy for a first birthday is a big belly bank. They may not be able to play with it now, but it's something that they will have for years to come. Plus, each one is personalized. The original one is the dinosaur, shown below, but they also come in flowers, giraffes, baseball bats, unicorns, fish with coral... plenty of designs. They are also on Amazon and Etsy.

https://www.bigbellybanks.net/

 

[tcufrog]

Did you know they make Highlights magazines (as seen in Dr/Dentist office) for babies? My go to brands for DGS are Fat Brain (mozart cube for music), Fisher Price, Doug and Melissa, and Lakeshore Learning. Board books are big on my list too so Christian Book and Barnes and Noble have contributed to library too. I look for educational/fine motor skills toys.

My kids loved the magazine Babybug when they were 1. I was also a big fan of Melissa and Doug and Lakeshore Learning. I didn't like toys that made sounds when you pushed them or hit a button because the noises got on my nerves after awhile.

 

[mjkacmom]

I saved my kids’ wooden blocks, I think they were the most played with toy.

 

[Marionnette]

Our granddaughter is 14 months old. She mostly plays with my plastic ware and a cigar box of wooden dominoes even though we have a number of toddler toys for her.

But of the toys she likes there's a pound the ball toy with a mallet and ramps for the ball to roll down, a Little People garage with 2 cars, and a VTech Latches and Doors Busy Board.

We also bought a Step 2 Rainforest water play table which she loves but may not be a good idea for Fall/Winter.

 

[DodgerGirl]

If your looking for a good toy idea for your one year old you might want to look into buying some Playskool Busy Beads. I used to play with Playskool Busy Beads a lot and they really can help a one year old with hand cordination and it's good exercise for their hands too. Another thing a one year old can enjoy is stuffed animals and Walmart will sometimes have sales on stuffed teddy bears during Black Friday and they are really cute and big enough for a child to hug and cuddle. And another toy idea you might check out are stuffed animals made by Aurora "this company is not named after Sleeping Beauty" but makes wonderful stuffed animals your grandbabies will love from jungle animals to sea animals and even dinosaurs and dragons as well and are made very good and a similar company is Wild Republic which makes great stuffed animals and are great for children to hug because they are soft and easy for a child to sleep with. Book gift sets with a stuffed animal are great to buy for your grandbabies and you can find them for real cheap at Walmart and have books like Owl Babies Guess How Much I Love You and a whole lot of other book gift sets are sold so you can buy each grandchild a different gift set. And if your grandchildren like fun stuff get them a coloring book and Crayola crayons and Crayola actually has a travel set called Crayola Color Wonder that is so easy to take in the car that will keep your grandchildren entertained on long trips and simple puzzles are great too
Hope I helped you a lot Maslex,
Dodger

 

[Frozen Canuck]

Blocks (though my kids didn't use theirs much at all...every kid is different)
Interactive cloth books (ex: Fish Soft Cloth Book) or board books (especially ones with textures, like those in the "That's not my..." series from Usborne)
Nesting cups or toys (like the Batat stacking cups...my kids had so much fun with these!)
Pound-a-Ball toys (this was also a big hit with my kids)
Shape sorters (Fisher Price Baby's First Blocks)
Bath toys (Green Toys has a super cute Disney Baby Exclusive Mickey Mouse Seaplane)
Play silk (These have so many uses, from playing peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek with an object underneath, to later being used as a doll blanket or dress up.)
A special stuffed animal, perhaps something from JellyCat

If you want to purchase something slightly ahead, so they will have toys to grow into, the Melissa and Doug cutting food was awesome (wooden food items held together with velcro so you can slice them in half with a wooden knife, but need to match them up again).

 

[lovesmurfs]

My mom would always get the kids something small and then put a deposit in a savings account for them (she started with savings bonds, but moved over to the savings account). By the time each graduated, they had a little account to buy dorm stuff, etc. Wasn't much, but it did add up.