Best Toys and Gifts for 1 Year Old Girls – Buyer’s Guide

Shopping for young children can be exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. Purchasing a well-received present for a 1-year-old girl requires loads of ingenuity; products must be safe, entertaining, and educational too. After meeting these criteria, consumers can search for aesthetically pleasing and amusing products that are desirable to both babies and their parents.

Best Toys and Gifts for 1 Year Old Girls of 2018

To make things easier, we’ve narrowed down our top five favorite toys for 12-month-old girls. Read along to learn more about these products and their appeal to little ones and parents alike. Then, enjoy our detailed buying guide with FAQs.

1. Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Match and Build Soft Blocks Set – Best Block Set for Babies

Melissa and Doug is a reputable Connecticut-based children’s toy company owned by a zany husband and wife couple. Their products are known for their simple, imagination-sparking designs that are revered by both parents and their little ones. These beloved products are often sold in high-end retail shops and trendy chains, such as Whole Foods. Despite their upscale representation, they are, for the most part, reasonably priced. Melissa and Doug’s K’s Kids Match and Build Soft Blocks Set is no exception. The 14 block set features 10 fabric-covered cube blocks and four felt-covered triangle blocks designed with babies and toddlers in mind.

Design and Functionality

The blocks are incredibly soft and lightweight. The cube-shaped blocks are covered in a sleek colorful fabric that is printed with a variety of designs, illustrated images, and bubble text. Many of these images can be used for matching and/or sorting activities that are entertaining for older toddlers. The imagery includes everyday objects, numbers and image represented quantities, animal heads and tails, common shapes, and a playful Ferris wheel illustration. What’s more, one side of each of the cubed blocks features an illustrated flap with a hook and loop closure. Finally, the felt-covered triangular blocks feature solid-colored fabric covers.

Skill Building

They can be used to spark creativity and imaginative play, such as for building towers, buildings, or fashioning distinct shapes. As babies grow, they can also use the blocks to explore basic numbers, colors, and shapes.

Keeping Tidy

Another great perk of Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Match and Build Soft Blocks Set is it comes in a clear plastic bag with a zip-top closure. This subtle feature ensures that the blocks are easy to pick up and keep organized. What’s more, the fabric-covered blocks can be machine washed and dried. For all this, we highly recommend this as a gift for organized caregivers.

2. VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker, Pink – Most Versatile Walker for Baby Girls ages One and Up

VTech’s pink Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker is an interactive learning center that encourages the healthy development of both fine and gross motor skills. The removable activity panel features a wide variety of activities, including a musical piano, several light-up buttons, a set of shape-sorting rollers, interlocking gears, and a play phone. The four-wheeled walker features a suspended handle for supported walking. Together, these activities support gross and fine motor skills, creativity, and role-play.

Adaptable Activities

Thanks to the removable activity panel, this walker is suitable for both floor-bound babies and walking toddlers. As such, the product offers an extensive period of usability. In addition to featuring a wide range of stimulating activities, the walker also boats over 70 sing-along songs, including several musical effects and individual notes. Beyond that, the walker’s pink colorway coordinates well with a feminine nursery or playroom interiors.

Creative Play

Babies just beyond the one-year mark begin to experiment with the beginning stages of creativity and personal expression.

Household Compatibility

VTech’s Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker features adaptive wheels that work well on both carpets and hard flooring. Parents can switch between the locked and free spinning settings to prevent the walker from traveling quickly away from a child. While we cannot promise a fall-free experience, this walker inspires confidence in even the most wobbly-footed babies. Plus, it serves as a solid foundation for children leverage themselves from the sitting to standing position.

3. 3-in-1 Around We Go Activity Center – Versatile Tabletop Activity Center for Babies and Toddlers

Bright Star’s 3-in-1 Around We Go Activity Center is an extremely versatile play table with an optional rotating seat installation. The circular activity center is waist-high for little ones and features 360 degrees of entertainment. The hands-on entertainment center boasts 15 baby-friendly activities, including a five-key musical piano, a light up flipbook, plastic animals, teethers, and shakers. It also features a soft fabric seat that rotates around the table via a pinch-free under-the-table track and wheel.

Adaptable Play

One of the major trappings of baby toys is that little ones grow out of them rapidly. In the case of Bright Star’s 3-in-1 Activity Center, the removable seat ensures that both crawlers and standers can enjoy the tabletop fun. The entertainment center also promotes fine motor skill development as well as creativity. Meanwhile, the walker helps little ones develop lower body strength and encourages healthy exercise and muscle movement.

A Great Value

When we come across reasonably priced walkers for babies, we always look for potential downsides. With that being said, Bright Start’s 3-in-1 Around We Go Activity Center is a well-priced toy with very few flaws. It is made of solid plastic and features the same benefits as a traditional walker, only it stays in one place. Not to mention, it features a wide range of entertaining tabletop activities. It’s only imperfections are that it is somewhat difficult to assemble and rather bulky. However, if you’ve already got a space dedicated to the baby, this 3-in-1 center is a must-have that keeps your baby in your line of sight.

Colorful Fitments

We cannot get over the stimulating color palette that makes up this 3-in-1 stationary walker. It features bright red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and purple plastic parts. There are also whimsical representations of many animals, including an elephant, lion, whale, fish, and penguins. It can be stationed in any room of the house for a mess-free play session.

4. Fisher-Price Learn with Me Zebra Walker – Best Budget Walker for 1-year-old Babies

Fisher-Price is a mainstay in early childhood toys. The Learn with Me Zebra Walker is a solid sit and stand play center geared toward young children. The zebra console, which sits atop four sturdy wheels, features a flip book, musical buttons, animal imagery, spinners, teethers, and other toggles. It also boasts an easy-to-grip notched handle that is designed to encourage confidence in early walkers.

Backed by Research

Fisher-Price products are revered for their excellence in quality and safety. However, they also foster entertainment and play that is backed by early childhood research. The black and white zebra is designed to foster healthy visual recognition, while the playful music encourages sound recognition and listening skills. What’s more, the walker is lightweight and made from washable baby-friendly materials that put parents at ease.

Budget-Friendly

Easy Assembly

One of the main qualms of overly complicated baby walkers is the trying assembly process. Fortunately, the Fisher-Price Zerba Walker comes with everything you need to fully assemble the product. Not to mention, the process only takes a few minutes. You will need a screwdriver and two optional AA batteries to engage the sounds (which we highly recommend).

5. LeapFrog Shapes And Sharing Picnic Basket – Best Pretend Play Toy for 1-year-old Girls

LeapFrog’s Shapes And Sharing Picnic Basket is an interactive pretend play toy geared toward young babies and toddlers. It features a pink and purple motion-activated picnic basket that features fun sounds and playful music. The set also includes six food items, two plates, two forks, two cups, and one blanket. The picnic set fosters age-appropriate manners, shape recognition, and color recognition. Parents can also visit the LeapFrog website for interactive learning ideas and insights.

Budget Benefits

The entire kit retails for just over $15, making it a budget-friendly gift option. The 14-piece kit is baby-safe, yet dynamic enough to entertain toddlers and young children. Unlike play food sets, which are often made of inferior papers and plastics, the LeapFrog picnic kit features heavy washable materials that can withstand the test of time. What’s more, the picnic basket serves as an attractive and space-saving storage option for the additional items. In fact, it is a great tool for teaching organization and cleaning skills.

A Mixed Basket

The toys can be used to sort, match, stack, empty, and fill. They can also be shared amongst friends or siblings, facilitating sharing, caring, empathy, and teamwork. When children are done playing with the picnic set, they can return all items to the basket for a simple, space-saving storage solution.

Best Toys and Gifts for 1 Year Old Girls – Buyer’s Guide

What to Look for When Purchasing a Gift for a 1-year-old Girl

As babies hit the one-year mark, they tend to achieve several important developmental milestones. Toy developers have worked tirelessly to create safe, educational toys that encourage and foster skill-building when it comes to a wide variety of age-appropriate cognitive and motor skills.

For many parents, the transition from floor-based crawling to furniture cruising and full-on walking is something that happens in the blink of an eye. Walkers and waist-high consoles are popular baby toys because they encourage crawling or floor-bound babies to pull themselves into the standing position, stand momentarily without support, or even take a step or two. The addition of sensory-rich activity centers serves as a foundation for honing in on fine motor skills, such as the pincer grasp. Many learning centers also incorporate interactive or skill-centered activities, such as sorting, matching, or moving objects to achieve a goal. Others include music and sound. These features ensure that a toy is usable for a more extended period of time, giving gift givers the most bang for their buck

Children as young as one also enjoy pretend play. Objects that resemble everyday household items encourage cognitive development through healthy imitation. These objects also provide parents with a risk-free option for teaching socially-acceptable behaviors and age-appropriate manners. Furthermore, they serve as referenceable materials for learning words, colors, letters, and much more.

Music and sound effects are also an important component of many baby toys. For one, sounds encourage healthy movement and the development of subsequent motor skills. Children who are exposed to music develop balance and coordination. Music is also a fun and entertaining form of communication that can foster relationship building skills between tots and their caregivers.

What skills should you be looking to foster at this age?

It is important to remember that all children develop at their own pace. While pediatricians and early childhood experts have developed generic guidelines and milestones to serve as a guide for age-appropriate development, these are only rough estimates.

FAQ

What criteria make an object a potential choking hazard?

In the United States, all products containing small marts must be fitted with a warning. The universal tool for measuring parts is 1.25 inches in diameter and 2.225 inches long. Shapes can also be considered a choking hazard because of their shape, brittleness, or texture.

How long will my baby play with a toy?

Parents are often surprised to learn that babies and toddlers can only maintain their focus on a structured activity for 3 to 6 minutes at a time. Don’t let your child’s naturally short attention span mislead you into thinking they are uninterested in a toy. Many children will approach a toy momentarily, explore one of its many features, only to quickly return to the comfort of their caregiver or parent.

What is the difference between developmental age and chronological age?

Toys are often categorized by developmental age. This is determined by the social, physical, and cognitive skill sets required to utilize the product. Meanwhile, a child’s chronological age is determined by the date they were born. While many toys can be used by children of varying ages (developmental and chronological), it helps parents to develop sensible expectations and encourage their children to achieve developmentally appropriate milestones.

Can boys play with these toys too?

Often times toys designed for girls feature pink or purple colorways, but this subtle color difference doesn’t mean they cannot be enjoyed by boys too. Babies of all genders can benefit from toys that foster motor skills and cognitive development. Parents and caregivers of a young child just may appreciate a product that matches the decor of their nursery.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our review of the best toys and gifts for 1-year-old girls. The products we have chosen are designed to entertain little ones while fostering their development. Each product is designed to be used in a multitude of ways, ensuring children find enjoyment as they grow and develop. Now that your well prepared for giving a gift to that special 1-year-old girl in your life, it’s probably time to start brainstorming for the perfect gift for 2-year-olds.