How the heck do you have a 1 year old?! This is the question that plagues parents who suddenly, or at least that’s how it feels, no longer have a fragile, sleepy newborn, but a full-blown toddler who wants to spend all of their time playing (if you’re lucky with toys).
To keep your TV remote and cell phone safe, we’ve compiled a list of the best toys for 1 year olds below. For babies making that transition into toddlerhood, it’s important to encourage their newly found skills, which include walking, motor function, creativity, and so much more. The toys below help them accomplish new tasks in a variety of different ways — and have fun!
CELESTIAL STAR EXPLORER
This space-themed activity center features four quadrants of multilevel play. Includes eight wire bead runs, 11 gliders, a springy crescent moon and rover solar panel, two wood clacking doors, five spinners, and a sliding transparent door.
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FARM ANIMAL SHAPE-SORTER PULL TOY
This 9-piece interactive pull toy comes with one bus and eight blocks to help kids learn about shapes and enhance their problem-solving skills. By fitting the animals into the spaces and pulling the toy with the rope, kids can have fun while improving their fine motor skills, among other benefits.
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LITTLE TIKES COZY TRAIN SCOOT
Kids can use this train set indoors or outdoors, and with or without the train track! Pushing the train along with their feet, kids can use this toy to improve fine motor skills.
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B. TOYS WOODEN ACTIVITY WALKER
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HAPE COUNTRY CRITTERS WOODEN ACTIVITY PLAY CUBE
Little ones can keep their hands busy with a beaded adventure land, a shape sorter, a stand in a queue, a turnplate, and a tap to the bottom activity. This cube can be used to help develop motor skills, logic skills, and perseverance with ten pieces including wooden balls, shapes, a wooden pounder, and more.
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CREATURES FULL OF FEELINGS BUNDLE
Kids can bundle the Creatures Full of Feelings board book with their favorite animal to learn emotion recognition through verbal and non-verbal cues. Animal options include an alpaca, hammerhead shark, Bigfoot, honey bear, unicorn, narwhal, slumber sloth, and a sprite.
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DIMPL SPLASH
This set of three bathtime toys includes a scoop-and-pour wrapped around a green Dimpl bubble, a doughnut that pours water like rain or a stream, and a starfish covered in poppable Dimpls.
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WOODEN SHAPE SORTING GROCERY CART PUSH TOY AND PUZZLES (16 PIECES)
This grocery cart's interactive features include a roller-drum with food images, puzzle boards, shape-sorting holes, and chunky food pieces. Kids can push the cart and store the pieces inside for easy cleanup.
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LIGHT-UP SNAIL BALL POPPER ESCAR-GLOOOOOW
Babies and toddlers can push down on the orange button and watch as the balls pop and move around in the snail's shell! The Snail Ball Popper can be used to teach fine motor skills and cause and effect, but also is a fun light-up toy!
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PEPPA’S HOUSE BATH PLAYSET
Kids can use real water to help Peppa Pig take a bath! This playset encourages interactive role play, improves motor skills, and helps kids gain water confidence.
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LEVEL UP GAMING CHAIR
Preschoolers can enjoy their very own gaming station with this kid-friendly swivel chair, attached joystick, and pretend headphones. The included interactive tablet teaches letters, numbers, and animals, and features gaming sound effects.
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MEGA BLOKS BUILD ‘N TUMBLE TABLE BUILDING SET
Little builders can get creative as they practice their standing skills while building on the table. Then, they can knock their creations over and start again! The set includes a table with two tumble features, 23 building blocks, and a Block Buddies figure.
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BALU SQUARED BALL PIT
These innovative Balu Organics Ball Pits are comfortable and fun for kids to play in. The ball pits come in four materials — Original, Premium, and Ultimate Organic, and four colors — Black, White, Pink, and Grey Velvet. Balls are not included, and it is recommended to buy 4-6 sets of balls to add to…
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CURIOCITY
This seven-sided, wooden activity center is full of vibrant, educational activities that help improve fine motor skills. Toddlers can engage with wooden vehicles and figures, a bead maze, number panels, a colorful clock, connected gears, and more.
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STYLE YOUR OWN WEE BABY STELLA
Make baby's first doll a cute one! Parents and toddlers can choose a fabric doll, hairstyle, and a playset to go with it. Dolls feature a fabric loop for an interchangeable hairstyle, a removable outfit, and a magnetic pacifier.
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MY FIRST MUSICAL WALKER?
Toddlers can make music as they walk around the house with and play the attached musical instruments. This walker has adjustable speed settings for kids walking at different stages.
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POPPY THE COUNT & STACK FLOWER POT
This friendly-faced flower pot features six two-piece flowers that kids can assemble and rearrange. Each of the flowers is a different color and they are printed with the numbers 1-5, with a bumblebee on the sixth. Kids can store the pieces inside the flowerpot, which has a handle for on-the-go play.
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HOT WHEELS RACING LOOPS TOWER TRACK PLAYSET BY LITTLE PEOPLE
The classic fun of Hot Wheels becomes toddler-sized with this playset. It features more than 50 sounds and tunes, 360-degree loop tracks, and Wheelies cars.
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WHISPER RIDE CRUISER
They grow up so fast … but they're not ready to drive on their own just yet! Toddlers can pretend to drive this realistic ride while parents push them along. It's available in blue or pink.
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LAMAZE SQUEEZE BEATS FIRST DRUM SET
Babies can pat lightly on the squishy drums, feel the cymbals bounce, and create their very own music. The set features sound effects and animal sounds for extra sensory play.
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WOODEN ALPHAPUP
As toddlers push or pull the AlphaPup by its string, it will wobble, light up, and play phrases and music, including “The Alphabet Song.” Kids can press the alphabet buttons to hear letter sounds, songs, and phrases.
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LITTLE TIKES LEARN & PLAY LOOK & LEARN WINDOW
This interactive play window features two sides — day and night — and teaches kids about climate and weather, colors, shapes, manners, and more through more than 100 phrases, sounds, and activities. It also converts into an activity table.
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STICK-O BABY SHARK FRIENDS SET
Stick-O Baby Shark Friends is a bumper 30-piece set which creates the main shark characters, plus ‘Goldie' the fish, ‘Vola' the octopus, a reel-in magnetic fishing rod, and a host of other sea-themed animals, plants, and models. Stick-O features magnets safely sealed inside— with Magformers rotating magnets, pieces always connect.
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GO TOTS BARNYARD TUMBLE
This GO Tots set features four double-sided wooden GO Tots friends kids can roll, stack, and tumble in the wooden double-sided barn with built-in carrying handle. The five-piece set includes six animal characters and two farmers, a colorful wooden barn with silo, haystack, and sliding doors. Compatible with other GO Tots play sets.
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LEARN TO DRESS KOALA
This plush koala has an outfit with buttons, snaps, zippers, and buckles to help kids learn how to dress themselves. The koala also has shoes with a hook, a loop strap, and laces to tie.
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MERRIAM WEBSTER 150 FIRST WORDS
From the word experts at Merriam-Webster, this board book introduces 150 single words and short phrases to help get babies talking. It features multiple everyday activities with familiar words, as well as images to go with each word.
