All parents want their children to engage in independent play. Giving a 1 year old boy toys that hold his attention and give him the chance to explore offer plenty of opportunities for learning and encourages him to play independently.
All of the toys and gift ideas we have chosen are premium, high quality and highly rated toys designed to grow with your son providing him with years of fun.
In a Rush? See Our Top 3 Picks Just Below
Top Pick: Hape Baby Walker with Blocks
Runner Up: Balance Bike
2nd Runner Up: Alphabet & Number Blocks
Criteria Used in Evaluating Good Toys for One Year Old Boys
You may be wondering what criteria we used in finding a toy to be “Premium” or “Top Rated”. For boys who are only 1 year of age we base our evaluation and rating on 2 criteria.
Educational Value
The educational and developmental value of the gift.
Entertainment Value
The entertainment value to the child, and also the overall value in the price relative to the toys’ ability to grow with a child.
The Best Gift Ideas & Toys for a 1 Year Old Boys List
1. Vtech Sort & Discover Activity Cube
The Vtech Sort and Discover Activity Cube is a great toy for any young toddler since this cube has a ton of activities that are sure to engage your child’s interest. This activity cube has objects to slide along a path, buttons and keys to push and pound, Objects to spin and turn, 4 different shaped blocks and 2 electronic panels that will introduce colors, numbers and animals to your child.
This toy does require 2AA batteries and will help your child develop their hand/eye coordination, learn about cause and effect and even help them engage in early problems solving skills.
Positives
Numerous activities for children to explore
Sturdy
Negatives
It does make a great deal of noise
2. Musical Dancing Penguin
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This adorable multicolored musical penguin makes a great toy for young children. This penguin moves around as it plays music or tells stories and if he bumps into an object he will change direction and keeps on moving. His mouth, eyes, and wings also move.
This musical penguin takes 3AAA batteries. Children can learn colors and develop both fine motor skills from pushing buttons as well as gross motor skills from crawling or walking around chasing after this penguin.
Positives
Children love to watch the penguin dance
Sturdy
Negatives
You do need to make sure you have extra batteries on hand
3. Hape Block & Baby Walker Cart
The Hape Block and Roll Cart is both a walker and a toy that your young toddler will be able to play with for several years. This little cart comes with blocks that work both as a puzzle and as stacking toys. The puzzle is fitting all of the blocks into the bottom of the cart in a single layer and then the blocks can be removed from the carts and used for building. Both the cart and the blocks can be played with separately. The cart can be pushed or pulled.
This block and roll cart will help your child develop their fine and gross motor skills, sorting skills, and color and shape recognition as well as problem solving skills. The paint used on the cart and the blocks is non-toxic.
Positives
A variety of different ways to play with the cart and blocks
It’s like having 2 toys in one
Negatives
Children may find laying the blocks flat in the bottom of the cart frustrating at first.
4. Baby Balance Bike
It seems like the moment a 1 year old boy begins walking they want a ride on a toy making this baby balance bike the perfect toy for a young toddler. This balance bike is made to look like a Dalmatian with big blue eyes that actually blink, enclosed wheels for more safety, and 135 degree turning.
The child can make the bike go both forward and backward and is great for building leg strength. This baby balance bike will grow with your child lasting them at least a couple of years before they outgrow it.
Positives
– This balance bike is durable
Cute so kids will want to use it
Negatives
Bike tends to tip forward so you need to closely supervise your child when they are riding it.
5. Step 2 Sports-Tastic Activity Center
This Sports Play Center makes a great outdoor activity for young toddler. There is a ladder, an oversized baseball bat with a large baseball on a tether, A basketball and hoop and a molded plastic grid that is designed to be a soccer net. Lots of activities to keep your child entertained.
This outdoor toy will get your child out in the fresh air and help them build hand/eye coordination and gross motor skills.
This toy makes an especially good birthday present if your son has a summer birthday, that way he can get outside and use it right away rather than have to wait out the winter to have some fun.
Positives
Encourages children to climb and explore
Can be used inside or out
Negatives
Slide is really small for many 1 year olds
6. Stacking Blocks
These Alphabet stacking blocks make a great gift for a one year old and will grow with them for the next two or three years as they learn letters, numbers, colors, stacking and building. These blocks also encourage imaginative play as young toddlers will bang these blocks together, put them into things and carry them around, and do many other things with them their imagination dictates.
Positives
Kids enjoy stacking up these blocks and then knocking them down
Made from wood so you know they are durable
Negatives
Paint job on some of the blocks not good
7. 2-in-1 Rocking Horse
This cute little rocking horse easily converts to a horse on wheels as the toddler grows and develops. This horse is soft and huggable with bright blue embroidered eyes and easy grip handles for the child to hang onto. When the child presses on the horses left ear the child hears the “ I’m a little pony song.” when you press the right ear the child hears phrases and sound effects and his mouth moves. The seat on this rocking horse is only about 12.5 inches from the ground (counting the rockers 10 inches with just the wheels.) and can hold children up to forty pounds.
The horse does take 3AAA batteries and will grow with your child while helping them develop their gross motor skills, fine motor skills, balance, and encouraging imagination.
Positives
Easy to change from a rocking horse to one on wheels
Children love the soft coat of the horse
Negatives
Some people have trouble with the sound quality when the horse sings and talks
8. Fun Baby Swing
This 2-in-1 swing is perfect for any young toddler who enjoys playing outside. The safety bar and straps hold the child safely in the seat and the swing will attach to any swing set. As the child grows and no longer needs the T-bar or straps they will store out of the way.
Positives
Swing lasts for years and children can use them until about the age of 4
Holds squirming children securely
Negatives
Actual ropes on the swing are a bit on the short side
9. Busy Ball Popper
This colorful ball popper will keep your toddler amused for long periods of time. Your child drops one of the 5 colorful balls into the tray and pushes down on the funny faced mushroom shaped pump and the balls roll down the ramp all the way to the bottom. When the ball hits the bottom it pops back up to the top.
This toy also plays 8 songs and makes a number of fun sound effects. These toys help children develop their fine motor skills, as well as learn about cause effect. It can also help to improve their gross motor skills as the child crawls or runs after the balls.
Positives
Good on batteries
Keep kids entertained chasing after balls
Negatives
A few users found that their ball popper quit working after a few weeks
10. Cuddly Fox
Stuffed animals are actually important to the development of toddlers. This cute cuddly fox is incredibly soft and has features that look close to real. Stuffed animals help toddlers with self soothing, teach them a bit about nurturing, tends to help them feel more secure in new situations and helps them to develop their imagination.
The great thing about this fox, is that there are no flashing lights, no sound effects, or anything else to interfere with a child’s ability to openly play.
Positives
Fox comes with an adoption certificate
Perfect for child to cuddle with
Negatives
It doesn’t appear that any reviews had anything negative to say about this fox
What Are Good Gifts You Can Get a 1 Year Old Boy Who Has Everything?
While we all like to give young children toys and see their eyes light up there are times when a toddler may have more toys than they can actually play with. If you are in this situation, here are a couple of other premium gifts you can give.
1. Plush Character Chair
This Soft Elephant chair is perfect for a child to sit and look at books, watch television or simply to sit and watch and the world go by. Best of all children feel like they are getting hugged by a friendly fuzzy elephant giving them a feeling of safety.
To a 12 month old, the world and everything in it seems like a huge place. Everyone and everything seems to tower above them so giving them a whimsical chair that is just their size gives them a small place where they feel at one with the world.
Positives
Nice and low to the floor so children can get in and out of it easily
Soft and comfortable
Negatives
You have to push the trunk to the side in order for the child to sit
2. A Cute Outfit
Most parents want to dress up their toddlers for holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter or for their birthday and this adorable suit for young toddlers for any special occasion and will be much appreciated by both moms and dads.
Positives
Made of nice soft material
Hat stays on toddlers head well
Negatives
Hat too small for some baby’s heads
Thoughts To Help You Find the Best Birthday Toys or Christmas Gifts for One Year Old Boys
- When choosing toys for a baby boy of this age consider their development. For example, some one year old boys are walking well while other boys have not yet taken their first step.
- Remember that children of this age are normally only capable of playing independently for approximately 5 to 8 minutes at a time.
- Babies enjoy toys more when left to discover what the toy does on its own rather than having a parent or older sibling show them how to use the toy.
Wrapping Up Our List of Great Gifts Your 1 Year Old Baby Boy Will Love
We hope that this gift guide has helped you find the right premium gift for that one year old toddler boy in your life.
