Favorite Toys for One-Year-Olds

My youngest just turned one last weekend (my mama self is silently crying in a corner), which of course means all sorts of new toys for your quickly developing toddler (TODDLER?! Still crying). If you’re having a hard time figuring out what to get the one-year-olds in your life, here’s a list of my favorite must-have toys.

1. Musical Toy – Musical toys are great for your baby’s developing brain. Music is wonderful to keep your baby’s mind active and promote movement. I especially like the Bright Beats Dance & Move BeatBo that you can get here. 
2. Ball Pit – This is one of Ry’s absolute favorite toys. It’s a small ball pit that she can crawl in and out of. She loves to throw the balls out of the pit or just sit there and flap her arms around. We got the ball pit here and balls here. 
3. Nesting & Puzzle Toys – At this age, toddlers are learning to put things in other things and take them out. Nesting toys and puzzle toys are great for this development. Simple cups or puzzles are both excellent. My favorites are here and here.
4. Bath Toys – One of the craziest things for me was realizing that Ry could not only sit comfortably in her bath but she could even play! Her favorite bathtime toys are the Wind-Up Mermaid, Foam Letters and Numbers, Rubber Ducky, and Little Boat Train.
5. Play Mats, Baby Swing, & Slide – I don’t know about your kiddo, but mine is crazy active. I can turn away for a second and she’s already crawling on top of the TV stand. To encourage her active self, we got her some play mats (the Nugget Comfort is OUR FAVORITE since big kids and adults love it, too), a slide, and a swing.
6. Push or Pull Toys – Another major development for one-year-olds is learning to push and pull things. Little toy cars that fit well in your kiddo’s hands and pull toys work great. Ry’s favorites are the V-Tech Dump Truck and Corn Popper (which I always thought was a toy vacuum; I can dream, right?) as well as the Rattle & Roll Cars.
7. Finger Paints – My little one LOVES finger paints! The easiest and cheapest way is to just make them yourself. Take some yogurt and add vegetable food coloring, then let your sweet kiddo impress you with his or her art skills!