Best Gifts for One Year Olds: Educational Gift Guide

Looking for the best gifts for one year olds? Something they will actually use, learn from, and grow with? One that won’t get returned, collect dust, or take up useless space?

This one year old gift guide has 18 ideas for educational gifts one year olds will love! These are perfect first birthday gifts or Christmas gifts and holiday gift if you want to get your little one learning and growing.

Everything on this list checks the boxes I look for in toys for my child:

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From first bikes to non-toy gift ideas, check out 18 of the best gifts for one year olds!

So easy its like learning to ride a bike! Why not start early with a push trike that can convert into a regular tricycle, balance bike, and regular pedal bike all in one?!

Push tricycles are a great way to get toddlers into bikes from an early age and practice critical motor skills like balance and gripping a handle. They’re also just plain fun!

If you’re looking for the perfect convertible push trike for the one-year old in your life, try the Newyoo 5-in-1 Tricycle. It has all the things to grow with the child so it’s the one and only ultimate tricycle and bicycle they’ll need for the first few years. This was one of my daughter’s favorite first birthday presents and I bet the toddler in your life will love it, too!

Shape sorting toys are a great way to learn colors, identify shapes, and practice fine motors skills. Not to mention, kids just love them!

This Montessori-inspired HELLOWOOD Wooden Sorter Cube is so cute and has so many ways you can play with it! It has three difficulty levels with one-string, two-string, and shape-specific sides. The blocks all have flat sides so they can be used for building towers. They even have a rattle inside!

Not only is this toy super fun and versatile, it promotes great fine motor skills from holding, grasping while pulling, shaking, and stacking. Its the perfect, compact, all-in-one toy that grows with the child and will keep them endlessly entertained!

People may think giving a book is boring, but I can tell you books are my child’s favorite thing to get as a present (and mine, too)! The first few years are critical for language development and books are one of the best ways to help little kids learn new words.

One year olds are developing better hand-eye coordination and learning to understand cause and effect, which makes books that have different textures, buttons to press, and lift the flap pages the best books for this age.

Some of my little one’s favorites are Noisy Farm (sounds and textures), Baby Einstein’s Animal Adventures (sounds), and the Poke-a-Dot First Words, Colors, and Shapes series (textures and buttons to press).

The possibilities with puzzles are endless! The come in so many varieties and teach so many awesome skills like hand-eye coordination, grasping, spatial awareness, vocabulary, critical thinking, and even frustration tolerance and perseverance when things get challenging!

Single-piece wooden shape puzzles, like this personalized name puzzle, work like shape sorting toys where each piece has its own spot. This is a great option to introduce puzzles.

If it’s an older one year old, you can take it up a notch with a shape puzzle that has a couple pieces to complete the shape. This adorable four-pack wooden animal puzzle is a wonderful option! It has the picture on the board to help little ones learn where the pieces go and has the animal’s name on each board.

Play kitchens are a classic toy and great for gifting to a one year old! My daughter was given one for her first birthday and it is still one of her favorites.

Children can learn practical life skills like cooking and washing hands plus motor skills like opening and closing cabinets without smacking themselves in the face (true story for my little one unfortunately). It’s also a great way to learn everyday vocabulary associated with cooking and eating.

I, like many, am a big fan of the Ikea Duktig Toy Kitchen because of its simple wooden design and features. And it was super easy to assemble, too! I also love that there a so many different ways to customize it for your child like painting, switching out the hardware, and even adding a functional sink!

I have given and received a slide for a one-year-olds birthday and it is always a hit!

This is a great way to teach gross motor skills like climbing, balance, and pushing off. Plus, they’re just plain fun!

This Little Tikes Hide and Seek Climber has been a fan favorite in my circle. It has a small climbing wall for steps, sides at the top to prevent tumbles, and a gentle slope for a softer landing. Its the perfect first slide option!

If you’re looking for an awesome non-toy and non-material gift, buying a membership to a local attraction is a perfect option! Some of our favorite gifts have been memberships to our local aquarium, zoo, and children’s museum. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

Another great membership option is a subscription membership to a book club or activity box. My favorite book club subscription is Bookroo because they have lots of gifting options and have a great selection of books.

Another great book-related option is Highlights Magazine (yes, it’s still around!), which offers an awesome monthly rip-proof booklet for ages 0-2. It has been an absolute hit with my daughter.

For learning toy boxes, the Lovevery Play Kits are the clear winner. Their toys are beautifully designed to target a child’s learning and development needs by age.

Budding toddlers are busy, so why not keep them occupied and learning with a busy board! These come in all different shapes, sizes, and activities, but the main idea is that it’s a board full of gadgets and gizmos to play with and explore.

Busy boards are great for developing fine motor skills and practice life skills because they usually feature functional things like buckles, zippers, and push buttons. Its a great way to play with things they would naturally want to explore (like latches) in a safer way.

The NILUTO Montessori Busy Board is a great option because its loaded with things to play with like a wheel, block robot, shoe lace, zipper, buckle, bell, lights, latches, and even an old landline phone (guaranteed favorite!). It can be laid flat on the floor or propped up on a little kickstand.

Remember how exciting it was to go to an indoor playground that had a ball pit?! Well now you can create that fun at home!

Ball pits aren’t just wildly fun – they help develop motor skills, too. Kids learn balance, throwing, and grasping. A ball pit with multiple colored balls is a great way to teach colors, too!

The UTEX 3 in 1 Play Tent, Tunnel, and Ball Pit is a fantastic and affordable gift for a one year old! It’s easy to set up and folds up into its own carry bag, making it a great option for grandma and grandpa’s house since its so easy to clean up and store. It doesn’t include balls, so make sure you add a set of plastic balls to your cart!

This is one of the most used things in our playroom! Foam climbing blocks area a great way to develop gross motor skills like climbing, balancing, sliding, rocking, going through tunnels, pushing, and even flipping objects (because apparently my daughter thinks she’s the hulk).

We love the Factory Direct Partners Soft Scape Tunnel Climber set because it’s perfectly sized for a baby and toddler, has different climbing surfaces, and can be separated and stuck back together with the velcro flaps. This helped my daughter learn to crawl, climb, walk, and slide down a slide!

One years old is a great time to introduce coloring and writing utensils. Starting with a chunky crayon set is a great way to develop those necessary motor skills and boosts creativity and language development.

The egg-shaped Crayola My First Palm Grasp Crayons are the perfect way to introduce art and coloring. They’re easy to hold for awkward baby hands and won’t break off easily to be a choking hazard. Do make sure you watch how small they get over time as they’re used and worn down, though!

Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Markers and Coloring Books are kids (and parents) favorite for first coloring books! The markers only work on the special coloring book paper, so they won’t make a mess even if your one year old tries to color on the wall. They’re a great way to teach the magic of coloring, develop motor skills, and learn colors.

Another fantastic option if you don’t want to go the marker route are the reusable water-based coloring books. All you do is fill the little “paintbrush” with water, let them color on the books pages, and see the pictures come to life! These are awesome for on-the-go because it’s only two things to bring along and the coloring book pages reset to white once they’ve dried!

Peg board puzzles are a fun way to learn and develop motor skills! They come in a variety of shapes and colors, but the main idea is that there is a wooden shape with a hole in the middle that must be placed on a wooden peg.

My daughter would play with this wooden peg board stacker from PEBIRA endlessly. I love that it teachers her colors, numbers, shapes, and so many fine motor skills. It’s a great learning toy that will grow with the child.

A tent is the perfect holiday or birthday gift for a one year old to give them a space all their own. It’s also a great way to teach opposites like “inside” versus “outside” and “open” versus “closed.”

My daughter loves keeping all of her stuffed animals in there and peeking out through her little window at me. It’s beyond adorable!

I happen to be partial to the teepee style tents and love this adorable teepee from Tiny Land. It has a tie back opening and comes with little string lights, a cardboard campfire for pretend play, and a carrying bag. It’s a great gift option that they will use for years to come!

Help baby on their way to become the next Beethoven with some musical instruments! Music is a great way to boost a child’s brain development and learning to play an instrument is even better.

The wonderful thing is just about any musical instrument is great for a one year old to start playing with. You can get a little piano, xylophone, maracas or shaker, tambourine, triangle, or drums!

Or, if you want to get them all, try this great musical instrument set that has 13 different instruments (27 pieces total) and even comes with a convenient little storage bag! It’s a great set for toddlers of all ages so it can be used for many years or with older siblings!

What kid doesn’t love having their own club house?!

Play houses are a great option because they can be used indoors or outdoors depending on what has the best space. They’re great for practical life skills, imaginative play, and language development.

This adorable cottage-style play house is a fan favorite! It has everything to make your little one feel like a real home with a swinging half door, windows with opening shutters, a mail slot, flag holder and a back door with a little table screaming to be used for a lemonade stand. It’s another great gift that will get endless use for years to come.

Building blocks are fun, but have you tried magnetic building blocks?

These are a great way to spark creativity, building abilities, fine motor skills, and language for shapes and colors. Not to mention, kids absolutely love them!

My daughter fell in love with the vibrant magnetic PicassoTiles at our local library and it is always a battle to leave them behind. They stick together well and the building possibilities are endless! They’re the perfect gift to introduce your one year old to building and creativity.

Play is the best way little ones learn so why not give them an extra boost with educational toys! They’ll have a blast while learning language and developing critical skills.

Whether you were looking for a non-toy gift idea or for a fun but educational toy, I hope you found the best gift for a one year old on this list!

If you’re interested in more gift ideas or activities for one year olds, be sure to check out my post on Montessori Toys & Activities for One Year Olds.