If your child recently turned one, you’ll have a wealth of toy options available to you. However, which of these toys actually encourage your toddler’s language and dexterity development? From interactive books to basic musical instruments, we place a special focus on educating your child through play. Each of the following options are age-appropriate educational toys for 1 year olds.
1. Toys That Are Also Books
Board books are always a good choice for one year olds, as they help teach essential literacy and motor skills, among others. At the same time, stuffed animals provide vital social, emotional, and cognitive skills. Combining these things together provides the best of both worlds!
Fortunately, we have an entire line 9” Story Pals waiting to be played with and read. For instance, our Let's Imagine a Unicorn Book offers six crinkle pages, plus a hook and leap so you can attach it to their crib. Is your toddler more interested in dinosaurs? Let’s Pretend to be Dinosaurs features a friendly-looking triceratops.
2. Stuffed Animals Build Imagination
Speaking of stuffed animals, we also offer many varieties that are perfect for your one-year-old! These toys are fantastic for helping build imagination. Furthermore, they offer emotional comfort, language development, motor skill stimulation, and social growth. So, if your child keeps reaching for a stuffed animal, be glad they’ve found something to give them a sense of security.
Which stuffed animals work as educational toys for 1 year olds? First up is our Afrique Giraffe Soft Toy. This 12-inch toy comes with a neutral grey patterned coat, embroidered eyes, and premium super soft fabric. Alternatively, our Afrique Elephant Plush Toy will start your toddler’s musical education on the right foot by playing ‘Minuet No. 1’ by Bach.
3. Age-Appropriate Musical Instruments
When you think of a musical instrument, you’re likely to envision something much too large and complex for your one-year-old. But learning to shake and rattle maracas or banging on a small, toddler-friendly drum offers an abundance of benefits. For example, they’ll teach cause-and-effect, develop motor skills, and strengthen their hand-eye coordination. They’ll also foster creativity.
Our Afrique Rattle Assortment - Set offers toys to squeeze and rattle. It might not sound like contemporary music, but it’s an important first step in their musical education. You can also opt for the Leika Little Owl Rattle. Plus, don’t forget to keep your eyes on our Piano Notes Wood Sound Puzzle. They might not be quite ready for it yet, but by the time they reach the age of three, they’ll absolutely love it!
4. Books Galore!
Do you prefer to give your toddler lots of books that aren’t also toys? Sensory board books will keep their hands engaged. Other things that toddlers with books can enjoy include exploration, interaction, and much-needed repetition. Although reading the same book over and over again may not be fun for you, it helps your child learn to anticipate storylines, build vocabulary, and develop their language skills.
We have a large selection of books available for kids of every age. A good example is Princess Magic Bath Book. Not only is this book waterproof, but images will also appear once it’s placed underwater. Of course, you’ll need books that don’t have special underwater features too, like Oliver the Octopus Board Book. Moreover, our We Say Good Night Book is ideal if you’re determined to raise a multilingual child!
5. Blocks and Other Stacking Items
Your toddler will gain several benefits from playing with blocks. Remember not to overwhelm them with blocks that are too small for their age, though. Using these toys builds pattern recognition, confidence, and learning mastery. Even by simply putting them together to knock them down, your child will learn about cause-and-effect.
We offer Little Moppet Stacking Shape Sorter to give little hands a way to stack various shapes together. It comes with 29 wooden blocks and dowels, and it is best suited toward those at the later stage of age one. If your child has just turned one, though, our Magical Pyramids Arranging Game encourages creative construction and imaginative play.
Even putting a simple puzzle together such as our Puzzle Wood Love in the Wild (Mudpuppy) will teach them where to put the eight different pieces. Essentially, when they’re a one-year-old, the big pieces can be put together in the puzzle, or they can be stacked on top of each other. Either way, your child’s educational development will benefit.
6. Soft Balls for Indoor/Outdoor Play
When you teach your toddler to play with large, soft balls, you’re also helping them develop their motor skills. Whether they roll them, throw them, or chase them, they’ll develop hand-eye coordination, grasping skills, and visual tracking. Be aware that it’s completely normal for children below the age of three to have difficulty catching a ball.
You can teach your child about the ocean, along with myths, by providing the Mermaid Baby Ball 4.5” toy. This brightly colored ball is the perfect size for toddlers and will improve their grasping skills. Another option, Animal Friends 4 ½” Soft Baby Ball, allows you to point out animals such as a frog and a rabbit. They’ll also have the fun of trying to kick or throw the ball.
7. Push-and-Pull Toys
Finally, toddlers learn a lot from engaging with push-and-pull toys. They’re known to help boost independence and confidence, along with fine motor skills and spatial awareness. Once your child is able to remain steady on their feet, introduce pull toys to give them added coordination.
Our Goki Toys Push-Along Animals Turtle & Sheep is ideal for one year olds! Your child can happily learn to push the turtle and sheep forward, and they’re bright and colorful, too. We also have Goki Toys Pull-Along Animals - Dragon Saro, which will have your toddler pairing their steps with a bright, happy-looking dragon.
Select Their Perfect Toy Today
Ultimately, any of the toys listed above are great for your toddler’s language and dexterity skills, plus a whole lot more. Therefore, if you’ve been searching for educational toys for a 1 year old, we can help! By giving educational toys to toddlers, you can help ensure they’ll have a proper headstart for the rest of their lives.
Explore our Babies and Toddlers Collection for more inspiration!