Aug 14, 20205 min read

10 Gift Ideas for a 1 Year-Old

Hello and welcome back to the blog or welcome if you are new! If you aren't new or perhaps you follow my Instagram, you'll probably know that I have a nearly 13 month-old little boy. His birthday was at the end of July and he got some awesome gifts from various family members and friends.

Almost everyone asked me what to get AJ for his birthday and my response was always like "Um, I don't really know. He likes ducks? And things that light up? And the dog's toys?" It was honestly so hard to come up with ideas for gifts that I thought he would like. But, now that we have gotten these gifts and seen what he enjoys, I'd like to share with you some of the gifts AJ received that he absolutely loves and plays with pretty much every single day. Just for a bit of variety, I'm including some smaller (less expensive) gifts and some bigger ticket gifts. That way if you are a parent looking for a gift idea for your own little one or if you are a friend or grandparent or aunt or uncle looking for a gift idea for someone else's child, you'll have plenty of options to help you find something that will be sure to be lots of fun for the birthday babe! I'm also including a "What Baby likes" and a "What Mom likes" section about each product so you can see if these may line up with what you or your little one enjoys. And to make it even easier, if you want to check anything out, just click the picture and it will take you straight to the product on Amazon or click the link at the bottom of each products' description.🥰

1. VTech Sit-To-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train

What Baby likes:

- He can push it (the engine and car come apart so he can push them individually or together)

- Blocks can put in the hole on the top of the engine and slide into the train car

- All the buttons that light up

- The songs

- The book on the side of the train

- Spinny toys on the engine What Mom likes:

- The blocks are double-sided and have letters and corresponding pictures on them

- The blocks fit into a little reader on the side of the engine that tells your child the letter they put in along with the word that's on the block (i.e., "A! A is for A A A Airplane")

- It asks questions like "Can you put the Egg into the train" so the child can find the Egg block and put it into the reader

- Supports learning of letters, sounds, numbers, time, weather, and motor skills

- Has a learning mode and a music mode

- AJ has a train-themed room so I liked that it went with that 😂

2. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Kitchen

What Baby likes:

- On & off sounds for light switch and faucet

- Songs

- Spinning clock

- Items that come with the fridge (spoon, pot, carrots, jar, milk carton)

What Mom likes:

- Different play modes (play mode, song mode, learning Spanish, learning English)

- Carrots, jar, and milk carton are used in shape sorting spot of the fridge

- Items are the perfect size for little hands

3. Radio Flyer 3-In-1 EZ Folding, Outdoor Collapsible Wagon for Kids & Cargo

What Baby likes:

- Tons of space to get comfortable and bring lots of toys on walks

- He's able to sit up and look at everything around him

What Mom likes:

- Seats and seatbelts on each end

- Canopy to protect kids from the sun

- Cup holders on one end and a nice size pocket on the other

- Side opens up to make a bench

- Easy and fast to store and put away

- Easy and fast to put together

- Lightweight and easy to pull

- Canopy comes off and is easy to put on and take off (as well as to store)

- Can be used for more than just pulling kids on walks (i.e., a bench to have snacks at the park, a little almost tent for the beach, use to carry different cargo for various outings)

4. Little Tikes Tool Bench

This next product, I actually don't have a direct link for because this tool bench is literally at least 20 years old. My grandmother got it from someone in our hometown who had kept it in storage for many years. I searched Amazon for one similar and didn't find one but I will be linking another tool bench that looks really cool!

What Baby likes:

- Easy to stand at

- All the tools (hammer, wrench, pliers, rulers)

- Buttons and knobs for the radio (shows the age of this toy!)

What Mom likes:

- Encourages real-life play

- Keeps AJ entertained forever

- Promotes motor skills

- Functional pieces (nails you can hammer into the woodworking section, as well as screws and bolts)

*Note: AJ is still a little small for this but it doesn't stop him from playing with it

5. CUTE STONE Color Changing Kitchen Sink Toys, Children Heat Sensitive Electric Dishwasher Playing Toy with Running Water, Automatic Water Cycle System

What Baby likes:

- Splashing in the water

- Filling up the cups with water

- Trying to turn the water on and off

What Mom likes: - Encourages real-life play

- Fun way to play with water with minimal mess

- Utensils are easy to hold

*NOTE: the fork and spoon are pretty small, for now, I have taken those out of our sink until he is bigger.

6. Mega Bloks Building Basics Shape Sorting Wagon Building Set

What Baby likes:

- Wagon is so easy to push around

- Blocks are easy to hold (and chew on)

- Super fun to dump all the blocks out

What Mom likes:

- Shape sorter aspect

- Comes with lots of blocks

- Block base on the handle as a foundation for building

7. iPlay, iLearn Baby Stacking, Nesting and Sorting Cups, Counting Toys, Indoor, Outdoor, Bath, Beach

What Baby likes:

- Knocking over the tower

- Putting things inside the castle bucket

- Sliding cups around

What Mom likes:

- So many activities in one place (stacking cups, nesting cups, shape sorter)

- Easy and convenient storage

- Makes a HUGE tower that is attention-grabbing

8. Learning Resources Spike The Fine Motor Hedgehog, Sensory, Fine Motor Toy

What Baby likes:

- Taking the spikes out

- Trying to put the spikes back in

- Trying to chew on the spikes

What Mom likes:

- Fine motor practice

- Promotes counting and learning colors

*Note: this toy is 18 months and up so make sure you are sitting with your little one while they are playing with this. The spikes are a good size but still could be a choking risk. My son loves to put things in his mouth so I sit with him and just ensure he hands them to me once he has taken them out of the hedgehog (this also helps with learning to follow directions)

9. VTech Drop and Go Dump Truck