These are the Best Gifts for a 1 Year Old Child
Do you know a child that’s celebrating their first birthday soon? If so, chances are you want to make sure you get them a great gift that they can enjoy over and over. Children are just starting to be able to move themselves and crawl around exploring their world at this age, making it an exciting time. It’s also a time when their brains and motor skills are developing rapidly. Children who are 1 year old are starting to use their memory and recognition skills, as well as starting to develop language abilities. This is a very thrilling time for parents as well, as many “firsts” occur during this special time. But where do you start if you have no idea what the best gifts are for a 1 year old?
There are lots of ways you can send a thoughtful gift to a child turning one, including some options for the parents to enjoy too! In our list of gift ideas we’re covering:
Things to consider when you’re searching for a gift for a 1 year old
The best gifts for a 1 year old to pick up right now
Something additional for the parents to enjoy
How to find the perfect gifts for a 1 year old
Consider keeping these tips in mind when you’re searching for a gift for a 1 year old child
Keep a few things in mind before you start shopping for a one year old, and remember if you ever get stuck, just reach out to the parents for a few ideas! Image courtesy of Start Strong Early Learning Center.
Searching for the right gift for a 1 year old is doable, and we can help you make it as stress-free as possible when you keep a few things in mind. Remember, simple toys and games for these children are usually better, as they tend to be very engaging and interesting to their growing and developing bodies and brains.
Sensory toys are a good start. As we mentioned, children at one year old are quickly developing the skills they’ll use in everyday life. Sensory toys include different types of balls, rings, or other large shapes that can easily be grasped by small hands. Children like to move and construct shapes with these toys, and often they’ll have interesting textures like holes or spikes.
Soft stuffed animals are always welcomed by children at this age, and bonus points if it includes interactive features!
Open ended toys are always popular. Blocks and other building shapes are a great way to encourage stacking, building, and hand eye coordination. Other open ended toys include shape sorters and pretend play items, like shopping carts, vacuum cleaners, and phones. These all give children the opportunity to engage in pretend play as well as pique their curiosity about new shapes and toys.
Consider development toys. Gifts like books (especially if they’re interactive!) and toys like trucks and cars are always popular with one year olds. You could even look into getting an all in one activity station that provides a few separate games/toys for the child to explore on their own.
Make sure to consult with the parents if you get stuck! If you don’t know where to start, just ask the parents for a little guidance. They know what their child would like best, and what they have room for in the house. You can ask for a few separate options and then go with the one that you think the child would get the most use out of.
Our top gift ideas for a 1 year old child
These are the best gifts for a 1 year old
Are you ready for the best options for gifts for one year olds that are sure to please? Then consider any of the items on the following list!
1. Sensory board
Give the gift of an interactive board that the child in your life can use daily to learn new skills. Image courtesy of Kindly Toys.
Children who are one year old need lots of outlets for their growing curiosity and developing brain and body. Toys that actively engage them in a variety of tasks are always a great option, which is why this busy board for toddlers is our first pick. Any one year old will find hours of fun moving the shapes around and learning about where to put the shapes on the board. This fun kit comes with everything you need to develop fine motor skills, begin number recognition, improve focus, and get better at hand-eye coordination skills.
The board can be personalized with the child’s name, and there is the choice of three separate colors. Children can start learning the basics and improve their auditory and sensory skills all in one easy to carry busy board.
2. Children’s standing sink
Any 1 year old child would love to have a sink that gives them the chance to learn about the utensils and food, as well as splash water as they do it! Image courtesy of Fresh Frenzy.
Children enjoy engaging in tasks that they see others doing. Having pretend toys like this fully functional sink is a great way to ensure they’re on the right track when it comes to learning to organize, stack, and understand what each of the objects that comes with the sink does. Children can spend hours playing outdoors during the warm weather with the functioning faucet that simply needs the tank to be filled to have water available to wash the dishes. The water pump continues to recycle the water for as long as it’s turned on, giving kids a great time washing the dishes. Each sink set comes with 19 items, including dishes, food, and utensils. You can also use this fun sink indoors in the playroom without the water.
Kids love how there are endless ways to arrange the dishes and utensils, as well as the shapes of food on the plates.
3. Blocks
Building blocks give children the opportunity to practice learning motor skills and hand eye coordination that they’ll need later in life. Image courtesy of Amazon.
Even though they may seem basic, blocks are some of the best gifts for a 1 year old you can give. Blocks allow children to start to learn how to piece shapes together to form a new shape, and there are endless ways the blocks can be arranged. You want to make sure you get large enough blocks so that they’re safe for small children who could be tempted to put small items in their mouth. That’s why we recommend a set of blocks like this, which comes with 24 total pieces of both 8” and 4” colorful blocks. They’ll get to practice their hand eye coordination to stack the blocks into a variety of shapes in all kinds of sizes. Blocks can be stacked alone, or they can use the entire set to create a whole new shape, improving gross motor skills as well. The blocks interlock, so they’re not easily knocked down like other blocks, making them a safe choice for a 1 year old as well.
4. Balance bike
Giving kids their very own bike is a great way to improve their mobility and motor skills. Image courtesy of Babelio Baby.
Another fantastic idea for a gift for a one year old child is a bike that is designed to grow with them as they get more confident as a rider. This balance bike comes with a cushioned seat and wheels that can go inside or outside to provide a safe and smooth ride for the child. A one year old would have a lot of fun learning how to balance and stabilize on this bike, which can help increase their mobility and motor skills. At the lower setting, the bike’s handlebars stand 15.2” from the ground, and the seat is 9.3” away from the floor. As the child grows and becomes more confident moving around, this can be adjusted to include 3.15” more height to the handle bars and an additional 1.37” to the seat.
You can get this bike in three separate colors, as well as have the option to include a variety of safety equipment like helmets and knee and elbow pads.
5. Personalized birthday story book
Keep the memories of their first birthday preserved in the form of a personalized book that includes their name and hometown! Image courtesy of Etsy.
If you want to get an educational gift for a one year old that will also serve as a great remembrance of their birthday for years to come, consider picking up a personalized book celebrating the occasion. With each book, you can choose the color of the child, as well as include their name, their date of birth, their hometown, and a gift message for the last page. The story follows what the family does in preparation for their birthday, and all the fun and presents that come along the way.
You can end the book with a special message to the child and include your name as well. This is a great present that will be kept long after the other gifts from their first birthday, and it can be something they read at each of their subsequent birthdays.
6. Turtle sandbox
The turtle sandbox offers kids the chance to start putting sand into containers and creating their own unique designs. Image courtesy of Little Tikes.
The iconic turtle sandbox has been around for years, and there's a good reason for that. It offers kids the chance to play with sand and make their own creations with their own imagination. The turtle is easy to fill with sand and comes with its own removable lid as well as mold-in seats and spots to put in an umbrella. Include some sand toys like shovels and buckets, and you’re giving the child hours of fun using their hands to create all kinds of designs. This type of play activity helps young children develop and nurture their imagination, and create castles, buildings, and other shapes out of the sand.
7. Baby bear song learner
You can’t go wrong with a teddy bear, and this one offers interactive fun for years to come! Image courtesy of Smart Kids Planet.
Finally, teddy bears and stuffed animals are always great gifts for kids, especially if they’re interactive like this one. The stuffy can be programmed to say the child’s name, and can start them learning colors, numbers, and even words from lullabies. This bear can be paired with a smartphone app to include even more songs and activities perfect for children as they grow. This is the stuffed animal they’re going to want to hold onto for years to come, and it is great to include in their wind down and bedtime routine.
Consider picking up a gift card for the parents!
In addition to getting a great toy for the one year old, consider also including a little something extra for the parents in the form of a gift card! Gift cards are always appreciated, especially by parents of young children. These gifts give them the freedom to choose exactly what they get to spend the funds on, as well as when it’s time to use it. Picking up a gift card from Perfect Gift to a place like Target is sure to bring a smile to the parents’ face. They can choose to use it on picking up some items for their child, or they can use it for weekly grocery shopping. The best part is, they get to decide.
You can even personalize it with a picture to really make the gift a little more special!
Which gifts will you pick up for a 1 year old this year?
You have all kinds of options when it comes to getting gifts for a 1 year old child. This is a very special time in the baby’s life as it’s just starting to be mobile and explore the world around them. Whether you want to get them something that can help them develop skills they’ll need, or you just want to get something cute and cuddly, any of the options on this list are sure to please for their 1st birthday!
