How do babies benefit from playing with their parents or caregivers?

One of the best ways for little ones to learn is by observing parents and caregivers. Babies are like little sponges, soaking in everything they see. When you play with your baby, they learn how to interact and behave by watching and mimicking your actions.

How many toys should a 1-year-old have?

When it comes to toys, the number doesn't matter as long as they help your 1-year-old explore and learn. You do not need too many toys, as long as they engage your baby's interests and allow them to work on building new skills, especially cognitive, physical, and verbal skills.

When should I buy toys for my baby?

You can buy toys for your baby at any time, although newborns benefit mainly from watching parents and caregivers. Once they reach 2 to 4 months old, they benefit from toys during tummy time. From there, they gradually become more interested in playing and engaging with toys.

The 11 Best Baby Toys for 1-Year-Olds in 2022

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At around one year of age, kids start leaving the baby stage and entering the toddler stage. As they develop physically, emotionally, and developmentally, a whole new world of age-appropriate toys opens for them as well. The best toys for one-year-olds provide sensory enrichment, help develop motor skills, and encourage language learning.

Reviewed & Approved

Our top pick, the Battat Wooden Activity Cube, is a brightly-colored toy with a wide variety of activities to keep little hands busy and engaged. Fisher-Price Baby's First Blocks and Rock-a-Stack Gift Set includes two classic sorting and stacking toys that help babies learn to identify colors and shapes.

You'll want to make sure that the toys you choose are fun and developmentally appropriate. Children this age are intrigued by colors, sounds, and textures. But they also like to put things in their mouths, so choose toys that are safe and easy to keep clean. Make sure to look for toys that are challenging—but not too advanced—by following the age recommendations on the toys you choose. To find the best toys for one-year-olds, we researched products that are safe, durable, easy to use, educational, and age-appropriate.

Based on our reviews, these are the best toys for one-year-olds on the market today.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Battat Wooden Activity Cube at Amazon

Best Puzzle:

Melissa & Doug Safari Jumbo Knob Puzzle at Amazon

Best Sorting Toy:

Fisher-Price Baby's First Blocks and Rock-a-Stack at Amazon

Best for Sensory Development:

Edushape Fun Z Balls at Amazon

Best for Standing:

Fisher-Price Learning Table at Walmart

Best for Stacking:

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups at Amazon

Best for Fine Motor Skills:

TOMY Toomies Hide & Squeak Eggs at Amazon

Best for Language Development:

Learning Friends 100 Words Book at Amazon

Best for Imaginative Play:

B. Toys Squeeze Baby Blocks at Amazon

Best for Music:

Baby Einstein Magic Touch Piano at Amazon

In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look For
Why Trust Verywell Family

Walmart

With five different play surfaces and a variety of activities, the Battat Wooden Activity Cube is our top pick to keep one-year-olds occupied and engaged. The solid cube features a wire bead maze, spinning blocks, sliding knobs, little doors to open and shut, and rolling wood blocks with cheerful farm animals. The cube is also mindfully designed with curved corners to help prevent bumps and bruises.

The activities on the solid wood cube offer learning opportunities for matching, cause and effect, and hand-eye coordination. Vibrant colors, adorable pictures of animals, and the variety of activities will keep toddlers entertained for quite some time.

Courtesy of Amazon

Tots 1 year old and up can practice problem-solving and hand-eye coordination with one of these adorable wooden puzzles. Each piece is cut from a thick piece of wood and has a large knob on top that’s just the right size for little hands to grasp to help them guide the piece into its place. There are a variety of theme options, too, like farm animals, colorful shapes, and fish.

Fisher-Price Baby's First Blocks and Rock-a-Stack Gift Set

Walmart

With this set, you get two classic and beloved toys that let kids sort, stack, and work on identifying colors and shapes. Both toys are made for children 6 months old and up and are made with plant-based materials that are easy to wipe down for cleaning. The Rack-a-Stack comes with five colorful rings in varying sizes and Baby’s First Blocks come with 10 colorful shapes and a carrying case with cutouts on top.

Amazon

These balls are safe for babies 9 months old and up and are fantastic for sensory play. The set comes with three balls, all of which are different colors, made from soft plastic, and designed with various textures. They’re great for bouncing, tossing, and rolling, and are easy for little hands to grasp.

Courtesy of Walmart

Little ones get to stand up while they play with this table that is broken into four play zones including a zoo, puppy house, market, and farm. Each section has different activities that let kids push buttons, flip switches, spin toys, and more. The table has lights and sounds, includes a toy phone for interactive play, and has three stages to meet your child’s developmental needs. Kids between 6 months and 3 years old are the perfect age to enjoy this table.

Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups

Kohl's

Children between 6 months and 4 years old can play with this toy that can be stacked, nested, or turned into a ball. It has 10 colorful pieces of varying sizes, plus a little yellow ball, that all work together to create fun towers and other configurations. In addition to all the fun, this toy will also help kids work on color identification, counting, spatial awareness, problem-solving, and strengthening fine motor skills.

Courtesy of Amazon

Unlike a typical carton of eggs, children 18 months old and up are encouraged to crack all of the eggs inside. Each egg has a removable top with a colorful face that matches the chick on the inside. When your kiddo presses down on the chick, it squeaks, which helps develop sensory and fine motor skills.

Courtesy of Amazon

This book is full of little activities to strengthen fine motor skills, sound bites that teach science, letters, and numbers. All of the sound features can be played in either English or Spanish mode to further develop language skills. While younger kids may want to touch all the buttons and watch the lights, this toy is best for kids between 18 months and 3 years old.

Courtesy of Amazon

Tots between 6 months and 3 years old can stack, sort, squeeze, toss, and even chew these blocks, which are made from a soft molding foam. The set comes with 10 blocks in various colors that each have different images on all six sides including numbers, animals, and shapes. When they’re not being played with, the blocks stack nicely into a little plastic carrying case for storing.

Baby Einstein Magic Touch Piano Wooden Musical Toy

Courtesy of Amazon

Little Mozarts in the making will have a ton of fun with this piano that has color-coded keys and three sheets of music that will guide them in playing melodies. The coolest part? The piano keys are all laid across a flat piece of wood, so they’re “magic.” This toy is best for budding musicians between 6 months and 3 years old.

Little Tikes

For 1-year-olds with a little (or a lot) of extra energy, this rocking horse is a great way for them to get some of it out. It’s designed for kids between 1 and 3 years old and under 50 pounds. Its tallest point stands just over 17 inches from the ground, it’s made from strong and durable plastic, and can be played with indoors or outside.

Final Verdict

For kids who have turned 1, toys should be fun and developmentally appropriate. Any of these toys fit the bill, but you’re sure to hit a home run with the Battat Wooden Activity Cube or the Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups.

What to Look for in Baby Toys for 1-Year-Olds

Ease of Use

Make sure your baby toy is easy to use for both you and your child. You want to make sure the toy is lightweight enough for your baby to carry and lift it while also having easy-to-use features. It's also important that it can be easily wiped clean and stored away when your child isn't playing with it.

Safety

Babies love to grab, chew and throw things, so choose toys that are made up of safe, non-toxic materials, have soft edges, and don't have any small pieces they could come loose and become a choking hazard.

Educational Value

Toys can help fine-tune your child's motor skills, sensory development, and problem-solving skills. The best baby toys will introduce them to colors, numbers, textures, sounds, and much more.

Age-Appropriateness

Always check the age range of the toys you plan to buy. While you may be excited to teach your little one new things, you want to find a toy that they will be able to understand, enjoy, and fully engage with.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do babies benefit from playing with their parents or caregivers?

One of the best ways for little ones to learn is by observing parents and caregivers. Babies are like little sponges, soaking in everything they see. When you play with your baby, they learn how to interact and behave by watching and mimicking your actions.
How many toys should a 1-year-old have?

When it comes to toys, the number doesn't matter as long as they help your 1-year-old explore and learn. You do not need too many toys, as long as they engage your baby's interests and allow them to work on building new skills, especially cognitive, physical, and verbal skills.
When should I buy toys for my baby?

You can buy toys for your baby at any time, although newborns benefit mainly from watching parents and caregivers. Once they reach 2 to 4 months old, they benefit from toys during tummy time. From there, they gradually become more interested in playing and engaging with toys.

Why Trust Verywell Family?

Ashley Ziegler is a staff and freelance writer who covers lifestyle, home, parenting, and commerce for a variety of platforms. She’s a mom to 1-year-old and 3-year-old daughters and an aunt to 3 nieces and 2 nephews ranging from 5 to 10 years old. In addition to regularly scouring the internet to find the best things for herself, Ashley spends multiple hours a week researching, comparing, and writing about products specifically for kids and families.

Best Overall: Battat Wooden Activity Cube

Best Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Safari Jumbo Knob Puzzle

Best Sorting Toy: Fisher-Price Baby's First Blocks and Rock-a-Stack Gift Set

Best for Sensory Development: Edushape Fun Z Balls

Best for Standing: Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Around the Town Learning Table

Best for Stacking: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups

Best for Fine Motor Skills: TOMY Toomies Hide & Squeak Eggs

Best for Language Development: Learning Friends 100 Words Book

Best for Imaginative Play: B. Toys One Two Squeeze Baby Blocks

Best for Music: Baby Einstein Magic Touch Piano Wooden Musical Toy

Best for Active Play: Little Tikes Rocking Horse

The 11 Best Baby Toys for 1-Year-Olds in 2022

Keep your little one entertained with stack toys, puzzles, play tables, and more

Reviewed & Approved

Best Overall: Battat Wooden Activity Cube

Best Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Safari Jumbo Knob Puzzle

Best Sorting Toy: Fisher-Price Baby's First Blocks and Rock-a-Stack Gift Set

Best for Sensory Development: Edushape Fun Z Balls

Best for Standing: Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Around the Town Learning Table

Best for Stacking: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Stack & Roll Cups

Best for Fine Motor Skills: TOMY Toomies Hide & Squeak Eggs

Best for Language Development: Learning Friends 100 Words Book

Best for Imaginative Play: B. Toys One Two Squeeze Baby Blocks

Best for Music: Baby Einstein Magic Touch Piano Wooden Musical Toy

Best for Active Play: Little Tikes Rocking Horse

Final Verdict

What to Look for in Baby Toys for 1-Year-Olds

Ease of Use

Safety

Educational Value

Age-Appropriateness

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Trust Verywell Family?