Best Gifts for 1-Year-Olds

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When you live in the city – aka without any designated play room other than a corner (ok, most) of the living room – having a Christmas baby requires some carefully curated list making. Lucky for me, coming up with gifts for 1-year-olds was a relatively easy task thanks to several friends and my sister-in-law with kids a year or less older than my daughter. Now that I’ve added a second child to the mix, we’ve reused so many of the gifts on this list and have solidified our list of favorites.

So whether you’re buying for your own little one or someone else, here is my list of gifts for 1-year-olds – organized by price bucket, which include my kids’ favorites and ideas they’ll use within the 12-24 month range.

Also check out my Best Gifts for 2-Year-Olds guide!

Here’s what makes this a list of the best gifts for 1-year-olds:

• Kids this age tend to get into pretend play – and most of these toys get used for years to come. Play kitchens, foods, ice cream stations, and practically any set from Melissa and Doug are great.
• You cannot go wrong with anything from the Green Toys or Fisher-Price Little People lines. The Green Toys dump truck and Fisher-Price Little People farm and dollhouse sets are classics.
• The child can walk – or will be able to soon – so you probably need some new outdoor toys! Little Tikes has so many to choose from like the Cozy Coupe car, golf or t-ball sets, or slides. My kids love this toddler bike.
• A simple doll or set of stacking cups or instruments will be a win as well.

Over $100 Gifts for 1-Year-Olds

Pottery Barn Anywhere Chairs – Kids love these chairs. We got the “Regular Anywhere” size which she figured out how to climb into and has room to grow into. There are so many different sizes, colors and ways to monogram. And I love that you can just buy covers if they get worn or you want to size up for one kid and pass down to another.

Tender Leaf Toys Kitchen Set – I spent far too long researching kitchen sets to fit a specific space in our living room. I love this wooden set with fun yet pretty neutral colors. And then we got the farmer’s market below to go alone with it. Note: Took a few of the tiny pieces and set aside for when Sofia is older. Also, this kitchen set goes in and out of stock all the time, so just keep checking back. My backup option, which is also $100 cheaper, was this one.

Doona Liki Trike – This grow-with-you trike is lots of fun. It has 4 modes – parent, push, tricycle and bike – and can be used from 10 months to 3 years. It’s a big win for us because it has a super compact fold so we can store it in our city condo.

Foldable Pikler Triangle and Ramp – There are several brands that make these wooden play gyms. We got this one in particular because it folds. You can read about the philosophy behind pikler triangles here. If you don’t have space, we also considered this simple wooden balance board.

Lovevery Kits – The Babbler (ages 13-15 months) – Lovevery allows you to tailor your gifts based on the child’s age. The 1-year-old gift comes with toys like a wooden coin bank set, puzzles, a ball run and more. We don’t have this but wish we did!

Foam Shapes for Climbing – If we had a finished basement or dedicated playroom, these have great reviews!

Manhattan Toy Tree Activity Center – We got the activity cube in the next section, but I’m a big fan of this brand so I’m sure these are good options too. Also like this under the sea themed one.

$50-$100 Gifts

Farmer’s Market Stand – The farmer’s market we have is no longer available, but there are several options that look even better now (another here). It’s a cute way to store all of the toy fruits and vegetables in a stand that kids can actually use for pretend play.

Fat Brain Toys Scoop ‘n Scoot Ice Cream Walker – Another gift from my sister-in-law that gets lots of use. I loved seeing Sofia go from having no clue what to do with it to putting together ice cream cones and pretending to eat them within a couple of days. She’s starting to show interest in pushing it, so I’m sure once she starts walking she’ll love it even more. Similar wooden ice cream shop toys without walkers are here and here. Note: This is for ages 3+, so you’ll want to put away the smaller pieces for younger kids.

PB Kids Pink Glitter Doll Pram – My daughter loves this doll stroller. When she first got it, she wasn’t quite sturdy enough to walk around with it, but it has been used for several years after age 1, so it will grow with your child. If you prefer something that’s more compact and folds, we also have one like this.

EverEarth Activity Cube – Most activity cubes have four sides, but this one is a hexagon that offers more activities to choose from. A good toy to have around because it requires zero cleanup. 

The Block Set by Lovevery – The Lovevery Play Mat was one of our top baby products and they now have so many different sets that make great gifts.

Little Tikes Cozy Coupe – A classic gift that you can’t go wrong with. They come in so many colors now – classic red and yellow, pinks and more.

Step2 Water Table – This is a great water table that has gotten lots of use at both our house and grandparent houses. Little Tikes also makes a good smaller version here.

$25-$50 Gifts

Fisher-Price Little People Farm – This farm came highly recommended from a friend and my daughter immediately loved putting the cowboy down the chute which makes noises (that aren’t annoying like other toys). It folds up for space saving. This is another simple farm set that our kids played with at grandparents’ houses.

Fisher-Price Little People Dollhouse – I searched everywhere trying to find age-appropriate dollhouse people and furniture that could go inside a pretty dollhouse that could grow with her, but finally came to the conclusion that didn’t exist. This is a great option for age 1 for similar reasons as the farm above.

Toddler Bikes – My daughter had the Retrospec Cricket Balance Bike and my son has the B. Toys wooden toddler bike, the latter of which can be used by a child up to 90 pounds, so both kids use it. Both are great options and got lots of use!

Little Tikes Slide – This may take up some room, but if you have the space for it either indoors or outdoors, it’s a good gift. I also like that this one folds up. A friend also got us the Little Tikes basketball hoop, which is fun but probably better for a 2 year old.

Under $25 Gifts

Fisher-Price Little People Big ABC Animal Train – This was probably my son’s favorite toy at age 1. His favorite thing was to play with Little People, and this train has a lot of places to put them, while also playing songs and making sounds.

Baby Dolls – My daughter’s first dolls were the Melissa & Doug Jenna doll and the Manhattan Toy Wee Baby Stella. The second was called Baby LaLa in our house and she was well loved (and came everywhere around 18 months+ for a while). She’s plush and nice to snuggle at night. My son got the Wee Baby Fella (the boy version)

B. toys Drum and Instrument Set – This was my go-to 1-year-old gift for a while. It’s a drum filled with instruments that you can nicely put away all together. Big win for small spaces and we know many families who also love it!

Board Books & Sets – My kids have loved board books from age 1 to now 5. Here are some of our favorite sets: The Little Blue Box of Bright and Early Board Books by Dr. Seuss and The Big Box of Bright and Early Books All About Me (Dr. Seuss books about noses, eyes and ears). Other books we love: Pout Pout Fish, Little Blue Truck, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

VTech Brilliant Baby Laptop – Our friends recommended this because it was entertaining yet compact enough to travel with. Both of my kids loved to open and close it as it plays songs, animal noises, etc.

Green Toys Cupcake and Tea Party Sets – This brand makes simple, high quality toys and I’ve bought quite a bit from them over the years for my kids and as gifts. The cupcake set is an all-time favorite – used for years by both kids. The tea party set is a staple in our play kitchen. 

Green Toys Dump Truck – Another friend recommendation, both for at home and the beach. We have the pink and purple version but it also comes in orange and yellow. This is another good set with three different trucks.

Mega Bloks – We have a set of 80, but at this age you can start with a smaller amount until they learn to stack on their own. They are easier for little hands to use than Duplos.

Lamaze My First Fish Bowl – My kids loved putting the fish in this soft tank, taking them out and doing it all over again.

Learning Resources Peek-a-Boo Farm – A fun little farm set where your little one can match the animals with colors.

Stacking Rainbow – A fun way to get creative with wooden blocks shaped like semi-circles. They stack together to become a rainbow and lots of other configurations. It also looks cute as decor.

Melissa & Doug Pull-Back Vehicles – Lots of brands make these. These are ideal for younger kids because the wheels are more durable for when they inevitably put them in their mouths. At age 1, my kids were just figuring out how to make them go on their own. You can also pull the fabric off the cars to wash them if you need to.

Stuffed Animals – We were gifted several from Jellycat stuffies from birth on with both kids – they are good quality. Around this age, my daughter slept with a Jellycat bunny and this dog.

Under $10 Gifts

Fisher-Price Maracas – These are actually for babies ages 3 months + but both Sofia and her older cousin still love them.

The First Years Stacking Cups – A very affordable and surprisingly entertaining toy that’s a favorite in our house. Kids this age start to be able to stack them on their own.