Whether you have a 1-year-old at home or have been invited to a birthday party, or have to buy a Christmas toy for a toddler – this list will help you choose a magnificent gift.
Finding the right gift for a 1-year-old can be tough since this age is between the infant stage and is just growing into becoming children who are well-stimulated.
Baby toys that do not really do much other than make some noise, or can be used for teething are no longer fit for a 1-year-old and will not hold their attention for very long.
To hold their attention, the toy must be a little more stimulating.
However, you must also keep in mind that since they are very young – biting or rough handling of the toys is common.
So ensuring that the material is non-toxic and that the toy doesn’t have any small parts that may pose choking hazards is important.
The perfect gift for children in this age group should provide an enriching experience, while also being stimulating and entertaining.
As they grow and learn about their surroundings, toddlers start to learn and play alone – using their creativity.
So the right gifts for them will reflect this learning curve and encourage them to keep occupied over a period of time.
Buyer’s Guide for choosing the appropriate toys for 1-year-old babies:
While looking for toys for toddlers who are just moving around and understanding the world around them, there are a few factors you must always take into consideration. These include:
Safety
Warning labels often specified on the toy provide relevant information regarding the hazards, if any, and which ages the toy is safe for.
Other than this label, you can also determine from a quick examination if the toy is safe for your toddler to use.
One such thing to look out for is the size of the parts, which must be over the child’s mouth to prevent choking. Another feature that requires caution is toys that include objects shooting out of them.
These may cause injuries to the child or break something around the house.
Removable parts
Only buy toys that are thoroughly built and secured.
Make sure all the parts are fixed and, in stuffed toys, check if the seams and edges are firm.
If there are any strings, ribbons or wires – take them off before handing the toy to a toddler.
Toys made from low-quality plastic may crack easily, so avoid those.
Material
Since toddlers tend to place things, especially their toys in their mouth, make sure to avoid toys with toxic materials that could cause poisoning.
The label has to specify “nontoxic.” In the case of electric-powered toys, the label should read as “UL Approved.”
Age-appropriate
Toddlers at around 1 year of age play around other children and require stimulating toys.
Some great options are walking toys that children can push around.
Developing understanding and motor skills are very important at this stage, so even paper and colours are great choices.
Children at this age tend to imitate the adults around them and like toys that are mimics of the objects that they use every day.
Size of the toy
Depending on the space available for the child to play, as well as the amount of storage space for his/her toys, you want to pick something that fits in well.
Often when getting toys, especially stuffed animals like a teddy bear – they can be too large and may interest the child initially. But large gifts will not be the easiest to play with and will take up too much space.
Below is a list of the best toys for toddlers that you can easily pick from, or use as inspiration to start your search. These products range across stuffed animals, puzzles, and interactive games, among other options.
Also read: How do I Choose Toys for Kids? – Toy Buying Guide for Parents
Best toys for 1-year-olds baby in India
TIB Elephant Shape Soft Plush Cushion for Kids
Designed to seat toddlers between the age of 0 to 4 years, this is a soft cushion that makes a magnificent gift for a 1-year-old!
The upright seating that it supports will help stabilize your infant’s position by holding their back and legs in place as they gradually learn to sit on their own.
The soft material keeps them comfortable from all sides, all while allowing them to see around them without feeling trapped.
The designs are available in different colours and animals including – elephant, panda, cat, duck and bunny. These cater to the child’s needs and stimulation.
The plush cushion is also versatile and easy to move around in the house. Whether you want to use it in the playroom, or to seat your child on the grass while on a picnic, this will come in handy.
There are no sharp edges and can be used for a long time with minimum damage to its durability.
Benefits:
- Fabric is soft and of good quality
- Very supportive and safe for young toddlers
- Long-lasting material and lightweight build
- Not at all expensive
- Can be used for several years
Cons:
- Some of the seams come off after prolonged usage
- Gets dirty easily and requires washing
Fisher-Price Original Baby’s First Blocks, to sort, stack and drop
These Fisher-Price blocks are made for toddlers to sort, stack and drop the colourful blocks for simultaneous fun and learning.
These blocks are made in various colours and shapes and even come in packed in a vibrant bucket to capture and hold the attention of the kids and aid them to grow and develop their visual and motor skills.
The baby blocks assist the child’s hand-eye coordination as they pick up the blocks to stack and drop into similar shapes on the top of the box.
They also allow for the child to touch and feel the shapes and improve their mental cognition and gripping the blocks furthers their dexterity.
Another important factor is the problem-solving and critical thinking skills it exercises as the child matches the blocks to the appropriate shapes
The toy is designed to keep kids occupied for extended periods of time and is a safe option for kids that are just developing their skills.
Benefits:
- Made from durable and safe plastic material
- A sturdy product that is not damaged easily
- Captures the attention of children
- Improves their motor and thinking abilities
- Not an expensive investment
Cons:
- The top of the box is slightly loose and easy to remove
- The shapes have edges that may hurt the child if they bite into it
Funskool Digger the Dog
While owning a real pet can be fun and rewarding for your kids to enjoy and play with, this Funskool Digger the dog toy can be a perfect alternative.
With no repercussion, this companion is great for your toddlers as they start to walk and understand responsibility and independence.
This cute toy dog has large floppy ears, droopy eyes and bright colours that attract the kid’s attention and keep them occupied for long.
As toddlers around the age of 1 are just starting to play on their own before playing with other kids, playing with the toy dog can be a great starting point and be a lot of fun and excitement.
In addition to these great experiences having this toy will give your child, it even wears a fun red hat, and has various funny walking actions.
It also wags its tail each time it is pulled along. The operation of this toy requires no battery, which is a great thing to look out for in toddler toys.
Just pulling the toy around as the child takes his/ her first steps will produce a bunch of fun actions for the little one.
Benefits:
- Aides in the development of social skills at an early age
- No battery required for operation
- Displays entertaining walking actions
- Sturdy and durable make
- Good size for kids to play with
Cons:
- It would be a better option for toddlers if it made some noise or lights
- The length of the rope is a bit too short
Kiddale Baby Toys- Fluttering Musical Bee Toy
Equipped with engaging lights and sounds, this toy is perfectly sized for toddlers and their little hands.
The bee has beautiful and well-decorated wings that can move around with flashing colourful light effects to keep the child entertained.
Its compact size allows it to be carried around easily and makes for a great travel-friendly gift. Besides stimulating and keeping the child interested, it is a great night-time toy as well.
It produces a soft lullaby with the press of a button that will allow your toddler to wind down and go to sleep. It also helps develop the child’s fine motor skills by catering to their sense of touch and feel.
The sound that it produces is clear and comes with adjustable volume control that lets you choose the level which is comfortable for you and your child.
The material is high-quality plastic, certified as shatterproof, BPA-Free, and non-Toxic, and only has soft edges to prevent any cuts, scratches or injuries from holding or biting on sharp edges.
Benefits:
- Sound and light features that capture toddler’s attention for long periods
- Safe to use and sturdy material that withstands drops or bumps
- Guarantee of no rough or sharp edges
- Vibrant colours that stimulated visual perception in young children
- Has volume control option
Cons:
- Battery-operated toy (needs 3 AA batteries to function)
Must read: Top 11 Best Toy Brands in India
Monkey ball drop toy for babies and toddlers
This play set intended for toddlers is an easy-to-assemble five-tier colourful ball drop that can be taken apart as easily as putting it back together.
This makes it easy to play with as well as store in a compact space.
After assembling, the balls are placed on top of the tower and they swivel down to the last level and keep your child entertained and curious.
The toy set comes with 3 heavy-duty acrylic balls that have beads inside of them that rattle when they move down the ramp.
As the child continues to play with this, they will be able to take apart the ramp, reassemble it and play with the balls again.
This activity helps improve the hand-eye coordination ability of the child and will keep them busy. The product is made from safe and top-quality materials, and the plastic is certified as BPA-free and lead-free.
As for other safety concerns, especially with the balls, they have been designed with a diameter of 1.5 inches, in order to avoid any swallowing.
Someone can also use individually the balls as rattle toys for smaller children. They designed the various colours and shapes to capture the attention of toddlers and improve their sense of recognition.
Benefits:
- Unique design that keeps kids busy and entertained
- Balls can be repurposed as rattles
- Sturdy ABS plastic
- Can be used to learn colours and numbers
- Improves hand-eye coordination for toddlers
Cons:
- Size could be larger
Funskool Activity Ball
Made from high quality and durable plastic material, this fun activity ball serves the purpose of both fun and educational.
It is a colourful sphere that can be very easily taken apart and reattached to play with.
Made of 12 detachable segments, they can be used to create individual shapes and structures to keep your kids engaged.
This is also a helpful aid in teaching kids about shape identification.
The various colours are also a great way to begin colour recognition as well as counting using the various pieces.
It is also travel and storage friendly and is a very lightweight toy, suitable even for young kids to play with by themselves without hurting or breaking anything.
The individual parts are safe and durable, and have no dangerous edges to worry about.
Recommended for kids aged 12 to 3 years, playing with this toy will help to enhance their hand and eye coordination, observation abilities as well as motor skills.
Another advantage of this toy is how much fun it can be without the aid of any battery-operated mechanism.
This makes it an overall great gift for any toddler that is just starting to play on their own.
As they grow older, they will also be able to use this as a ball to play with other children.
Benefits:
- Vibrant design that improves observation skills
- Taking apart and putting it together improves their hand-eye coordination
- A useful aid to teach toddlers colours and counting
- Safe for toddlers and only has blunt edges
- Extremely durable material
Cons:
- It may be a little too large to hold in small hands
- Taking apart requires more effort than some toddlers can exert
Conclusion
All the above options make for great gifts or purchases for a one-year-old toddler. Going through the list will give you a basic idea of what kind of toys to look out for.
These options are subject to change depending on the availability and new products in the market, but the list of features is the same throughout.
Make sure to keep in mind the guidelines before choosing a toy, especially for a toddler. At this age kids are most fragile but also need stimulating features to help them develop their overall skills – both motor and intellectual.
But most of all, remember to have fun while picking out a toy and keep in mind that the toddler will have just as much fun too!
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