Favorite Gifts for One Year Olds

What are the best gifts for one year olds? One year olds love to move and explore! These gifts will help them

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I love to shop for gifts and find things that will be loved (and used) by my kids again and again. Over the past few years we have streamlined the toys that we have in our house and we've tried to donate many of the items that aren't used. We are now left with several awesome toys that our kids LOVE!

Over the next few weeks as we get ready for the holidays, I'm going to be sharing a few installments of our Toddler Approved Holiday Gift Guide with you. 

Each gift guide will feature beloved items in our home or specific products that we enjoy and wish we had in our home. I'd love you to share your favorites with us too!

Today I am featuring some of our favorite gifts for one year olds!

Buying gifts for one year olds is tricky because they are growing and changing so quickly. I prefer to focus on buying gifts that can be used for awhile instead of specific toys that only get used for a few months. My favorite toys are ones that keep kids active and moving or ones that get kids thinking and imagining.

As you click on the links below you can read more details about each of the products. You can also read my comments next to the links. 

Here are my favorite gifts for one year olds (besides books and clothes... which I could do several more posts about)...

1. Melissa & Doug Large Shapes Jumbo Puzzle

We LOVE Melissa & Doug jumbo puzzles! They are super durable and so adorable too. My one year old loves to grab the knobs and drag the puzzles pieces all over the house.

2. Fisher-Price Stroll Along Walker

We got this walker when my daughter was one and now 2 years later my son takes it everywhere all over our house. If anyone else touches it he starts crying! We also love our Step Start Walk 'n Ride that turns from a push toy into a ride on toy. Both keep my one year old happy and actively moving all around our house.

3. Step2 All Star Sports Climber

This slide has been used for many different things over the past 4+ years (slide painting, water sliding into our baby pool, animal bobsled, slide bowling, etc). It is pretty sturdy (my 5 year old still likes to climb on it) and isn't too steep, so little climbers can climb up it and slide down pretty easily with some adult help. It also can be taken apart for storing or moving. It isn't super simple to put back together, but I can figure it out... so I think most people would have an easier time with it.

4. Corolle Baby Doll

We love this little baby doll. Any baby doll is great for one year olds though! Both little one year old boys and little girls are typically fascinated by babies. My son loved to hold his baby doll and give it kisses and hugs and sometimes chew on it a bit 🙂

5. Little Tikes Bathtub Basketball Hoop

There are lots of great toys for the bathtub. I like this hoop set because it helps kids work on hand-eye coordination and they just think it is silly and fun to put things through the hoop again and again. The balls only last for so long, but our hoop has stayed strong for almost 4 years. The suction works great and we love using this in the bath and shower as kids grow.

6. Melissa & Doug Pull-Back Vehicle Set

We got these vehicles a month or two ago and I love to stick them in my bag and bring them with us all over the place. They are soft and squishy and little ones love to crawl after them when they get rolling!

7. Melissa & Doug Happy Giddy Tunnel

The happy giddy tunnel is a hit with all three kids in our house (ages 5-2-1) but I think it is the most fun for kids who are crawling and moving all over. It is perfect for playing peek a boo and my one year old loves crawling back and forth from one end to the other.

8. Fisher-Price Little People Tractor

You can't go wrong buying anything from the Fisher-Price little people collection. This tractor set is great if you don't feel like investing too much space in your house for little people... yet. My one-year-old likes to push the tractor around and around our playroom and send it flying down out steps. He also liked pushing the button to make it play a little song. I think this little set is a great one to use as you introduce your little one to imaginative play. We love to make the cow say "moo" and the baby likes to make silly stackers with the farmer too.

9. LeapFrog Discovery Ball

Balls are awesome for one year olds. They love to push them around, crawl after them, and even toss them. This discovery ball can stay in its stand and be spun around and around or it can be taken out of the stand and rolled around your house. It plays some little songs too. Once your child is old enough to actually throw a ball hard, it needs to be put away (or else it is easily broken) but in the meantime it is a really fun ball to chase after! A big ball with no bells or whistles is an equally as good present for your favorite one year old!

10. Tikes Mobile

A neighbor gave us this tike and my one year old loves to sit in it and drive the steering wheel while he watches the big kids ride their bikes in our cul-de-sac. Sometimes I get tired of chasing the baby all over and want him to just sit still so I can watch my big kids. This little car keeps him strapped in and happy so that I can have fun with my other kids while I am outside too. It is perfect for quick walks to the park as well.

11. Ball pit

I have a love/hate relationship with the ball pit... mostly because of older siblings. These balls will go everywhere but the sheer joy while kids are playing in the ball pit is totally worth it.

Now it is your turn! What are your favorite gifts for one-year-olds? Do you have favorite toys, books, clothing items? What gifts have gotten the most love at your house when your kids were around one?

These are some of our favorite toys that help foster semi-independent play for toddlers to check out too.