Before you choose

The year between a first birthday and a second is full of firsts: first steps, first words, first towers knocked down on purpose. A good toy at this age is simple to start, sturdy enough to be dropped and mouthed, and happy to be used for the same game fifty times in a row. This guide covers what tends to work through the second year, and ten toys whose age marking we checked with each maker.

What one-year-olds enjoy

Most play in this year is repetition with a purpose. Putting a block in a box and tipping it out again, pressing a button for the same song, rolling a ball and waiting for it to come back: each round shows a small child what happens next, and the repeat is the fun.

Walking changes everything. Once a child is on the move, toys that roll, push or ride along come into their own, and so does anything light enough to carry from room to room. Expect a great deal of fetching and delivering.

  • Stacking, nesting and knocking down
  • Posting shapes and finding them again
  • Pressing buttons for a sound or a light
  • Pushing, pulling and carrying
  • Pouring and splashing at bath time

From 12 to 18 months, then on to two

Makers often split this year in two. VTech recommends its First Steps Baby Walker from 6 months, and six of the other toys below are marked from 12 months or one year, so they suit a child who has only just turned one. The Rainbow Stacking Tower, the LEGO DUPLO My First Colourful Creative Box and the Toomies Bluey bath pourers are marked from 18 months, which makes them a better fit for the second half of the year.

If an older brother or sister shares the room, look at what else ends up on the floor. Small pieces from a bigger child's sets matter more at this age than anything in a toy made for one-year-olds.

Toys for 1-year-olds by kind of play

For building, the Le Toy Van Natural Wood Building Blocks give sixty smooth blocks to stack and topple, and the Balancing Ark sets five pairs of wooden animals rocking on a boat, and the Mega Bloks Alphabet Train puts blocks on wheels, so a tower can go for a ride. The DUPLO box is the step after that, with bricks that click together and stay together.

For first steps, VTech's First Steps Baby Walker gives a new walker something steady to push, and its activity panel lifts off for sit-down play, with shape sorters, gears, light-up buttons and a phone. For balancing, the Rainbow Stacking Tower sits on a wobbly base that makes balance part of the game.

For sound and stories, the VTech Baby Sing Along Microphone plays animal sounds and songs, and the VTech Bluey Road Trip playset talks back when Bluey's car rolls over its SmartPoint spots. The Mega Bloks John Deere Lil Tractor and the Toomies pourers cover the tractor spotter and the bath-time splasher.

Choosing well for a one-year-old

Look for toys that work without anyone reading instructions. If the first thing a child tries does something satisfying, the toy will be played with. Wood, chunky plastic and fabric all survive being thrown, which will happen.

Battery toys are fine in moderation. Two of the ten here use AAA batteries, the walker takes 2 AA, and the rest need none, which keeps the noise in a small home manageable. Keep spare batteries well out of reach, and check that compartments stay closed.

  • The maker's age marking on the exact product, not a similar one
  • Whether it can be wiped clean or washed
  • Where it will live: a low basket or shelf a toddler can reach
  • Whether it still works once one piece goes missing

Looking ahead to two

Many of these toys carry on into the next year: the blocks, the train and the DUPLO bricks all find new uses as building gets more deliberate. When you need the next step, our guide to toys for 2-year-olds picks up where this one ends, and the toddler guide covers both years together.

Manufacturer-checked facts

Product details

Ten toys for the year between one and two, sorted from the youngest age marking: a baby walker, blocks, a balancing ark, a stacking tower, a push-along train, a tractor, music, a talking playset and bath toys. They come from five makers and are not ranked against one another.

Image supplied by Hamleys through the Awin product feed.

Baby / push-along walker

Vtech First Steps Baby Walker

In the box: A push-along walker with textured wheels and an easy-grip handle, and a removable activity panel with 5 light-up buttons, shape sorters, gears, animal buttons and a role-play phone; takes 2 AA batteries

VTech product number 80-505603 (barcode 3417765056031). VTech recommends it for 6 to 30 months and lists 2 AA batteries.

Age guidance
6 months+
Brand
Hamleys
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Le Toy Van through the Awin product feed.

Stacking / balancing

Wooden Balancing Ark Animal Stacker

In the box: Rocking wooden boat and 10 hand-painted animals in 5 pairs; about 21 x 4 x 12 cm

The manufacturer notes that only the animal figures are included, not a Noah figure.

Age guidance
12 months+
Brand
Le Toy Van
Model / item
TV214C
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Le Toy Van through the Awin product feed.

Construction / wooden blocks

Natural Wood Building Blocks

In the box: 60 natural wooden building blocks with smooth edges

Age guidance
12 months+
Brand
Le Toy Van
Model / item
PL5000
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Music / electronic

VTech Baby Sing Along Microphone

In the box: A sing-along microphone with a turning ring that introduces animals, their sounds and sing-along songs, a style button for classical, jazzy or rock 'n' roll music, and a motion sensor that plays effects when shaken; VTech says best for ages 12 to 36 months; 3 AAA batteries

Age guidance
12 months+
Brand
VTech
Model / item
78763
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Vehicles / electronic play set

VTech Road Trip Toot-Toot Drivers Playset Bluey

In the box: A Toot-Toot Drivers road trip play set from the Heeler house to the beach and school, with Bluey's family car with light-up headlights, a talking Bluey button, 4 SmartPoint locations, a chimney launcher and a track switch; VTech says best for ages 1 to 5; 2 AAA batteries (included for demonstration); adult assembly required

Age guidance
1+
Brand
Bluey
Model / item
584503
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / first blocks

Mega Bloks John Deere Lil Tractor Building Set

In the box: 6 pieces: a John Deere tractor to build on with big blocks and a Block Buddies driver

Age guidance
1+
Brand
Mega Bloks
Model / item
CND89
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / first blocks

Mega Bloks 60 Pieces First Builders Alphabet Train Set

In the box: 3 rolling wheelbases that join into a train, with building blocks printed with the letters A to Z and special shapes for building a station; Mattel says no batteries are required and puts it at ages 1 to 5

Age guidance
1+
Brand
Mega Bloks
Model / item
DXH35
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Le Toy Van through the Awin product feed.

Stacking / rainbow tower

Rainbow Stacking Tower

In the box: Wooden rainbow rings that stack on a wobbly base; about 11.5 x 11.5 x 18 cm

Age guidance
18 months+
Brand
Le Toy Van
Model / item
PL011
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO DUPLO

LEGO Duplo My First Colourful Creative Box Construction Set 10479

In the box: 80 LEGO DUPLO bricks and pieces, with building ideas including flowers, a whale, a duck, a plane and a rocket

LEGO marks it 1½+.

Age guidance
18 months+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
10479
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Bath toys

Tomy Toomies Bluey Family Bath Pourers 4 Pack

In the box: 4 stacking, nesting pouring jugs shaped like Bluey, Bingo, Chilli and Bandit, each with different pouring holes; no batteries

Age guidance
18 months+
Brand
TOMY
Model / item
E73622
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist

Questions

Common questions

What is a good first-birthday present?
Something simple that does one thing well. A set of wooden blocks, a balancing game or a push-along toy tends to be played with for months. In this guide that means the Le Toy Van blocks or Balancing Ark, or the Mega Bloks Alphabet Train, all marked from 12 months or one year. For a child about to walk, VTech's First Steps Baby Walker is the push-along to choose.
What do 1-year-olds like to play with?
Things they can put in, take out, push, bang and carry. Many one-year-olds also love anything that makes a noise when pressed, and anything to do with water.
Can a 1-year-old play with LEGO DUPLO?
LEGO marks the DUPLO My First Colourful Creative Box 1½+, so it suits the second half of the year. Before that, the bigger Mega Bloks pieces are easier for small hands to grip and join.
Are the toys in this guide ranked?
No. The order follows each maker's age marking, youngest first, so the list is quick to scan. It is not a score.

Research

Sources checked

We use official safety guidance and manufacturer sources for specific product claims. Retailer popularity can inform discovery but does not replace these checks.

Each pick's identity, age marking and contents were checked on its maker's own page: