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Looking for recommendations for educational toys for one year olds? This guide will point you in the right direction
Are you looking for an educational present for your one year old son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandson, or granddaughter?
If so, we have put together a list of interesting and extraordinary educational toys for one year olds in this guide to point you in the right direction.
Let’s dive in:
Educational toys for one year olds that are perfect for his or her developmental needs at this age
These are the toys that we feel are great for the educational and developmental needs of children aged around 1 year.
Compare them and see what makes the most sense for your little one:
Building Blocks
It’s best to get the wooden type that stack.
Here is one that’s safe for kids who like putting everything in their mouth (most one year olds do)- the blocks are not too small so he/she will struggle to get them dangerously far in his/her mouth.
Still on building blocks for the very young, this has 50 blocks in nine different colors and six shapes and is another fabulous choice.
Please hold his or her hand until they figure out how to build on their own.
Rolimate hammering and pounding toy
This has an eight notes xylophone (and emits myriad sweet tones) so it can give your baby a start in playing musical instruments.
What’s more? There is a shape sorter (with different colors) to teach babies to recognize different shapes and colors, patterns and numbers (to stimulate imagination and creativity).
Coloring books (for creative learning and fun)
They may not be big enough to start coloring complicated things so just go for the simplest coloring book.
And we love this toddler coloring book sooo much for learning colors, words, and other general stuff (the pictures – all of them- have words and they’re super easy to color).
Lego duplos
If you’re looking for something that will introduce your kiddo to the world of animals, we recommend Lego duplos.
Everything is adorable, really sturdy, and more importantly, very easy to grip for little hands.
High-quality Stage-Based play gym
How about a stage-based play gym that does more than a playmat?
This is designed by child development specialists and is therefore greatly educational – it’s hands down one of the best toys for advancing the wholesome development of kids through play.
It actually comes with a comprehensive guide (and removable accessories) for age-appropriate activities that your kid should do to promote a range of crucial skills.
Children’s Cloth Books
These usually have simple letters and huge pictures which are easy to learn for young ones.
Here is one that lets your kid get closer to animals and nature while helping them learn a bit of language.
Baby Piano Mat
A baby piano mat will not only teach your kid how to play music at an early age but will also meet your baby’s physical exercise needs as he/she dances to the tunes (it can be more fun when with a sibling or friend).
Another solid alternative for music education is this fantastic light-up steering wheel.
Abacus (with wood beads)
An age-appropriate Abacus like this is excellent for some very basic arithmetic enlightenment, space thinking development, and fruit and color learning.
Freddie the Firefly
There are many Lamaze toys that provide an outstanding learning experience for kids and this Firefly is unique for learning all of the textures.
Busy Basic Skills Learning Board (learn Dressing and Alphabet Cognition)
With this extraordinarily fun learning board, kids learn letters and numbers.
They also learn fasteners and dealing with buckles (fastening and unfastening buckles), how to tie snap, and so on.
LeapFrog LeapStart 2-Book Combo Pack
Kids explore shapes, patterns, and colors in a pre-historic world filled with amazing dinosaur friends (in the shapes and colors book)
Check it out here.
Einstein Box
This is another super educational toy for one year olds who are starting to learn words.
Melissa and Doug assorted toys
The greatest benefit of Melissa & Doug educational toys is that they don’t have any harmful chemicals (and most are super cute).
Here is a list you can consider for a one year old boy or girl from the fabled Melissa and Doug brand:
- Kids’ Pull-Back Vehicle Set -Helps develop multiple skills (including communication skills).
- Jumbo Knob Wooden Fish and Pets Puzzles Set – Awesome for learning basic shapes and colors.
- Hungry Pelican– The cuddly and plush pelican toy is helpful for learning of a lot of things (colors, sounds, shapes, etc.)
- Fish and Count ‘Game’–Your 12 months old will love “going fishing!” with this toy. One of the best toys for learning basic counting too.
- Jungle Activity Table (Wooden) for Toddlers– The activity table is again brilliant for education (kids learn turning, rolling, sliding, flipping, spinning, and more!).
- Kids Musical Farmyard Educational Cube – For learning hearing sounds (Your one year old will be hearing nice animal sounds while 4 lively melodies will play when he/she presses their noses!)
Others
LAMAZE Peek-A-Boo Forest Baby Book Toy– Exceptional for learning language skills.
VTech Chomp and Counting Dino– A popular learning toy dinosaur for kiddos (you can use it to introduce your child to foods and counting).
LeapFrog Spin & Sing Alphabet Zoo– This interactive spinning toy features three learning and play modes (animals, letters A-Z, and music) so it’s a multi-purpose educational toy.
Final words
There are some who argue that “less is more” in regards to play toys and play-spaces.
Others say no electronics, no plastics, no screen time, and a lot more..
However, perhaps the most important question especially when it comes to educational toys for one year olds is: “are they interested?” ….
If they’re and it’s helping their awareness of their universe and building on essential life skills such as fine motor, language, and counting skills (and inspiring their imagination and creativity), then why not?
That is our driving principle and it could help you make the right decision.
A word of caution: Some 1-year-olds cannot play unsupervised so be sure to keep an eye on your kiddo, if necessary.
Good luck to you(and your little one).
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