One of the Best Gifts for 1-Year-Olds Is This $10 Learning Smoothie (2024)

No two 1-year-olds are exactly alike, but if there's one thing that unites them all, it's this: Toddlers love to play! But what they want to play with and what's safe for them to play with are not always the same thing. While the old baby toys might be too simple for them now, they're not yet ready to play with all the best toys for kids since those can have choking and pinching hazards, or are too difficult to use.

But that doesn't mean it's hard to find great toddler toys. In fact, it's the opposite: Whether you're looking for a birthday present, holiday gift or just a little something, gifts for kids this age are really fun to shop for, thanks to toddlers' growing skill sets. "One-year-olds are at a period in their development when they are becoming increasingly powerful and competent — evidenced by the fact that they are starting to walk and talk," says Rebecca Parlakian, M.A., E.D., a parenting expert from Zero to Three, an organization that focuses on kid development during the early years. "They are also really interested in big questions like, 'How does this work?' 'What does it do?' And, 'What happens if I do this?'”

What do 1-year-olds like to play with?

There are plenty of toys and gifts to buy 1-year-olds that meet them right where they are developmentally. "These include simple items, like a ball to kick and chase, as well as things like push toys or toys that can be pulled on a string while walking," Parlakian says. "Toys can also pose fun challenges for 1-year-olds to figure out — think about a stacking ring, nesting cups, shape-sorters, a busy-box or simple wooden knob puzzles. And it’s never too early for set of cube blocks, plus a basket or bucket to drop them in and dump them out of. And toys that make noise — like a xylophone, drum, or toy piano — are also a hit at this age.

Still, with toys for kids this age, safety is still a top concern. The Good Housekeeping Institute tests toys year-round to make sure they're safe and will withstand the love of a 1-year-old toddler. Then, the best toys are shipped off to actual 1-year-olds and put to the real test. When all was said and done, these emerged as the best toys and gifts for 1-year-olds in 2024, which include current and former Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners.

Our Top Picks for Best Gifts and Toys for 1-Year-Olds

• Bee Board Book, $10 on amazon.com
• Mega Bloks Musical Farm Band, $24 on amazon.com
• Playskool Chase 'n Go Ball Popper, $43 on amazon.com
• VTech Smart Shots Sports Center, $40 on amazon.com
• Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorting Grocery Cart, $53 on amazon.com

No matter which you choose, the toddler in your life is a very lucky kid!

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+

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+