A baby’s first birthday is a big deal! They’re at such a fun age where they’re just starting to figure things out and interact with toys…which is what makes finding first birthday gift ideas so hard! These are some tried and true first birthday gifts for the baby who already has everything.
Ride On Toys for 1 Year Old
Ride on toys are sure to be a hit with any little one and will be remembered as one of the “big” gifts.
You know that toy that you always remembered that aunt so and so bought your kid? That’s the beauty of buying a ride on toy that will get the birthday boy or girl so excited on their big day and for months to come.
The best part? At this age, you get to be the cool guest at the party to the parents without having to spend a ton of money!
If you’re shopping for a little girl, this Push Around Buggy is the perfect gift.
They get to steer and interact with the little honking horn while you push them effortlessly from behind.
We have one just like this and it makes walks a breeze – a huge deal since our daughter wanted NOTHING to do with walks before we picked one of these up for her.
Shopping for a little boy’s first birthday? Here is the best push buggy for the little boy in your life!
This one has an awesome sun shade attached. Perfect for afternoon walks!
We have two of these V-Tech Alphabet trains in our house and our 3 toddlers fight over them.
It’s probably time to get a 3rd.
It comes with 13 double-sided alphabet blocks that you put into the top of the train and watch it shoot out into the little area under the seat.
Our 14 month old daughter loves hers and our 3 and 4 year old sons still ride them around the house from time to time.
I can’t say enough good things about this toy. It’s one of those ones that I actually feel like I got my money’s worth and then some!
Educational Toys for 1 Year Old
Since we plan to homeschool all of our kids (on a tight budget), every toy from the very beginning had to have some sort of educational value or I wouldn’t buy it.
All of their flashy toys were gifts from friends.
These are the educational toys that kept our kids entertained and stimulated from about 12 months.
I have yet to meet a single Melissa and Doug toy I didn’t love.
This Wooden Rocking Farm Animal Pull Train makes an awesome gift for any one year old’s birthday.
It comes with 3 animal pieces and 3 linking train cars. They can pull it around or practice taking the animals in and out of the train cars.
It’s great for fine and gross motor skills.
This Jungle Themed Activity Table is another huge favorite on my list of gifts for 1 year olds.
I love that it’s so sturdy and will last and last. Plus, there are lots of activities – 8 total – that will keep one or more kids entertained for way longer than most other toys at this price point.
When I went looking for the best price on this, I was shocked that it’s under $40 now. I swear we paid way more for ours.
Our oldest son discovered one of these at the library when he was about 15 months old.
It kept him so focused, I couldn’t believe it. He wanted to figure out how all of the locks and snaps worked and would – not – give – up until he got it.
I managed to find one at a thrift store, so ours is insanely beat up but STILL gets a ton of use – even from that same son who is now 4 years old.
I can’t recommend this Wooden Latches Board highly enough.
Outdoor Toys for 1 Year Old
There is no where more exciting for a 1 year old than the outdoors.
Our kids love everything about being outside and getting messy from the time they can crawl.
These outdoor toys have been popular in our house – I hope your 1 year old loves them too!
This cute Sports Themed playset would be great indoors or outdoors.
If you’re shopping for a summer birthday or for someone in a warmer climate, a water table is an absolute must!
We tried a combined sand and water table and it ended in disaster – and mess.
This water table has worked out SO much better. Our 3 kids play with it for hours on end. It’s another one of those toys that was worth it’s weight in gold.
This little Gas N Go Mower is perfect for early walkers.
It has a removable gas an so they can practice fueling up and makes little popping noises as they push it.
Climbing Toys for 1 Year Old
Climbing toys are an absolute necessity for kids in my opinion.
Why?
Because when the weather does’t cooperate and my kids are bouncing off the walls, I can hangout with them in their playroom and watch them climb for well over an hour without getting bored.
We’re about to downsize to a house half the size of our current one, and our climber toy is coming with us even if it has to go in the middle of our new living room!
These are some of the BEST tried and true climbing toys for 1 year olds:
These foam climbing pads are great for this age group.
They’re a little pricey, but for 1 year olds, this is the perfect climbing option that lots of parents swear by.
I hesitate to even include this here because it isn’t ideal for 1 year olds – but this is the exact one we have and use every day in our house.
For the price, I just couldn’t justify buying something I knew our kids would outgrow so quickly.
We purchased this when our oldest was 2 and our youngest son was 1.
We didn’t add that top square part until our oldest was closer to 3.
When I tell you we use this thing every day, I mean it. Even our 1 year old daughter hangs from the lower rungs.
If you’re looking for something more age appropriate to give as a gift (I don’t blame you!) this climber from Little Tikes is perfect.
Our friends have it in their playroom and our kids love using it when we visit!
Best Gifts for 1 Year Olds
Even though we haven’t tried all of the items on this upcoming list, I searched for the best toys with tons of reviews and 4.5 or 5 starts on Amazon.
I feel like that’s a pretty safe bet that the 1 year old in your life will love these!
We actually own this VTech Smart Shots Sports Center and have since our oldest was 17 months old.
All of our kids have absolutely loved it and still play with it together.
This hedgehog toy is great for fine motor skill development and at under $15, you can’t beat it.
It has 4.5 stars on Amazon and TONS of awesome reviews.
This bath toy is perfect for the 1 year old who has everything AND it has FIVE STARS on Amazon.
That’s unheard of. Right now, it’s under $10 and is available for 2 day Free shipping with Amazon Prime.
What do you look for when shopping for 1 year olds? What is the one must-have toy you think every 1 year old should own? Hop over to Instagram to start the conversation!
