Baby Clothing

50 Best Gifts and Toys for 1-Year-Olds 2024

50 Best Gifts and Toys for 1-Year-Olds 2024

Spark Their Imagination

Melissa & Doug Wooden Surprise Gift Box

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Melissa & Doug Wooden Surprise Gift Box

Spark Their Imagination

Melissa & Doug Wooden Surprise Gift Box

Now 54% Off

Credit: Melissa & Doug

This set comes with five pieces: a wooden box to open and close, plush crinkle paper to “wrap” and “unwrap,” a ball with a chime in side, a bear and cloth book. They’ll love exploring the different textures and sensations while pretending to choose, wrap and give presents. There’s even a mirror at the bottom of the box for an added surprise! Ages 6 months+

Best Overall Toy for 1-Year-Olds

Playskool Chase ‘n Go Ball Popper

Best Seller

Playskool Chase 'n Go Ball Popper

Best Overall Toy for 1-Year-Olds

Playskool Chase ‘n Go Ball Popper

Credit: Playskool

Just press the button and colorful balls begin to pop out from the elephant’s trunk, leaving your toddler free to run, chase the balls, and put them back in again. It includes four easy-grasp balls and also plays six fun songs. Ages 9 months+

Many Ways to Play

Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Grocery Cart

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Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Grocery Cart

Many Ways to Play

Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Grocery Cart

Now 29% Off

Credit: Melissa & Doug

This is a push toy, a walker, a role-playing item and a shape-sorter all in one! Early walkers love pushing around the grocery cart, just like their parents do. (It even comes with a little coffee cup to make it more realistic!) Then, food pieces on geometric shapes fit through the holes in tie sides of the cart, acting as a shape-sorter. The same pieces also fit into puzzles that store in the cart. And, after “checkout,” they can play with the pretend food just like in a kitchen set. Ages 1+

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Best Sports Toy for 1-Year-Olds

VTech Smart Shots Sports Center

VTech Smart Shots Sports Center

Best Sports Toy for 1-Year-Olds

VTech Smart Shots Sports Center

Credit: VTech

Start your sporty toddler off with soccer and basketball with one toy. The set lights up and makes sounds while also keeping track of the baskets and goal on a light-up scoreboard. Ages 1+

Open-Ended Toy

Farm Animals Sorting and Stacking Toy

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Farm Animals Sorting and Stacking Toy

Open-Ended Toy

Farm Animals Sorting and Stacking Toy

Now 11% Off

Credit: ShyLizard

Six boxes of different sizes, six animal friends, yet so many ways to play. Kids can stack the different sized boxes vertically and match each animal to its preferred house. Or they can arrange them horizontally to make a village for imaginary play. When that’s done, they can use the animals as finger puppets, practice counting the boxes and animals, use the boxes to make other structures — and knock them down again. Ages 1+

Perennial Favorite

Radio Flyer Busy Buggy

Radio Flyer Busy Buggy

Perennial Favorite

Radio Flyer Busy Buggy

Credit: Radio Flyer

Beep, beep! While your little one is working on their leg muscle strength, you can still push them around on this previous Toy Award Winner. Then, as they become a more confident walker, they can propel themselves. There are also lots of little features that spin, click and otherwise make noise to keep them interested. Ages 1+

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Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Book Award Winner

‘Bee’ Board Book

'Bee' Board Book

Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Book Award Winner

‘Bee’ Board Book

Credit: Doubleday Books for Young Readers

Hexagonal, honeycomb-inspired die cuts mesmerized toddlers who tested this book for the Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Book Awards. The story follows a bee from flower to flower and back to a hive — a delight! Ages 0 – 3

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Book Awards

Great Grandparent Gift

Little Partners Learn ‘N Climb Triangle Combo

Little Partners Learn 'N Climb Triangle Combo

Great Grandparent Gift

Little Partners Learn ‘N Climb Triangle Combo

Credit: Little Partners

Creative Toy for 1-Year-Olds

Crayola My First Palm Grip Crayons

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Crayola My First Palm Grip Crayons

Creative Toy for 1-Year-Olds

Crayola My First Palm Grip Crayons

Now 23% Off

Credit: Crayola

They’ll be making their own mini masterpieces in no time with these egg-shaped crayons, which are easier for small hands to grasp. They’ll get six colors in the pack, which will get them scribbling, coloring and working on their pre-writing skills. Ages 1+

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Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award Winner

Mega Bloks Musical Farm Band

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Mega Bloks Musical Farm Band

Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award Winner

Mega Bloks Musical Farm Band

Now 33% Off

Credit: Mega Bloks

This toy earned a Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award because the set offers so much: large pieces to build with, musical explorations and even sensory textures. Kids can snap together the pieces to build animal-shaped musical instruments, including a horse xylophone, a cow drum, a sheep guiro, a pig cymbal and more. Some of the pieces have textured ears, or pieces that click and clack, for more sensory explorations. There’s even color-coded “sheet music” that kids can use to play nursery rhymes on the xylophone. Ages 1+

Best Sensory Plush for Toddlers

GUND Jumbo Tinkle Crinkle Caterpillar Plush

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GUND Jumbo Tinkle Crinkle Caterpillar Plush

Best Sensory Plush for Toddlers

GUND Jumbo Tinkle Crinkle Caterpillar Plush

Credit: GUND

This giant, 40-inch caterpillar not only looks cute, it offers tons of sensory experiences. Each segment is made from a different fabric with different textures, and when kids touch it, it’ll make different noises like rattles, crinkles and squeaks. There’s also a smaller, four-inch version for less than $20. Ages 0+

Sensory Toy

Fisher-Price Flap & Wobble Penguin

Fisher-Price Flap & Wobble Penguin

Sensory Toy

Fisher-Price Flap & Wobble Penguin

Parent testers reported that their kids couldn’t get enough of this toy, and loved turning it on themselves. When they did, they were rewarded with flapping wings and up to 10 minutes of music. And though we tested this with toddlers, babies can also use it as a tummy-time toy, since it’s suitable to use from birth. Ages 0+

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Active Toy for 1-Year-Olds

Hape Scoot Around Wood Bike

Hape Scoot Around Wood Bike

Active Toy for 1-Year-Olds

Hape Scoot Around Wood Bike

They’ll work on balance and coordination when they push themselves along on this wooden ride-on toy. The wheels are rubberized, so they can use it indoors without damaging floors. Ages 1+

RELATED: The Best Ride-On Toys

Unique Stacking Toy

Tobbles Neo

Tobbles Neo

Unique Stacking Toy

Tobbles Neo

Credit: Fat Brain Toys

The innovative shape of these toys means they can do more than just stack into a straight tower. Rounded and uniquely weighted, these toys can also stack, spin, balance, wobble, tilt and roll, and kids can work on their motor skills by nesting them in different ways. Ages 6 months+

Best Building Toy for 1-Year Olds

Mega Bloks

Best Seller

Mega Bloks

Best Building Toy for 1-Year Olds

Mega Bloks

Now 36% Off

Credit: Mega Brands

Because of their bright colors and easy-to-hold shapes, these classic large blocks are especially perfect for kids just past their first birthday. You can even get them to help clean up by making a game of putting the 80 blocks back into the zip-up storage bag. Ages 1+

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Lasts for Years

Skip Hop Explore & More 4-in-1 Activity Walker

Skip Hop Explore & More 4-in-1 Activity Walker

Lasts for Years

Skip Hop Explore & More 4-in-1 Activity Walker

Credit: Skip Hop

This toy is intended to grow with a child: It starts off as a lay-flat item to use during tummy time, turns into a walker for kids taking their first steps and then converts to either a grocery cart or stroller for older kids getting into pretend play. All in all, there are more than 40 play features, including buttons, spinners, lights and songs. Good Housekeeping Institute parent testers liked how siblings could interact with the toy in different ways. Ages 6 months+

Best Educational Bath Toy

Boon PIPES Bath Toy

Boon PIPES Bath Toy

Best Educational Bath Toy

Boon PIPES Bath Toy

Credit: Boon

Kids can experiment with cause-and-effect with these pipes, which suction cup to the side of the tub. Pour water in the top, and amazing things happen: wheels spin, the water changes direction or the stream gets divided into littler streams. Ages 1+

Classic Favorite

Playskool Busy Poppin’ Pals Pop-up Activity Toy

Playskool Busy Poppin’ Pals Pop-up Activity Toy

Classic Favorite

Playskool Busy Poppin’ Pals Pop-up Activity Toy

Credit: Playskool

This is a classic cause-and-effect toy, and kids will love discovering the surprises within. They’ll work on their fine motor skills as they spin a dial, press a button, flip a switch and slide a toggle to get the monkey, panda, fox and giraffe to pop up. Ages 9 months+

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Best For Nurturing and Coordination

Basket of Babies

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Basket of Babies

Best For Nurturing and Coordination

Basket of Babies

Now 33% Off

Credit: Creative Minds

Toddlers love taking after their parents and taking care of their own babies. With this set of six dolls, there’s a lot here to love! Each snuggly soft babe comes with a removable outfit, so your toddlers can mix and match while practicing their fine motor skills when dressing and undressing their dolls. Ages 1+

Interactive Track

VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Spinning Spiral Tower Play Set

VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Spinning Spiral Tower Play Set

Interactive Track

VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Spinning Spiral Tower Play Set

Credit: VTech

Car kids will thrill to seeing this play set’s van drive through the different levels and courses in this car track. There are also places for them to flex their imaginative muscles, like a gas station and car wash, and certain points along the course trigger sounds and other fun phrases. Ages 1+

Headshot of Marisa LaScala

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

Headshot of Rachel Rothman

Rachel Rothman was the chief technologist and executive technical director of the Good Housekeeping Institute for over 15 years, overseeing testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also managed GH’s research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. 

 

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