The 20 Best Toys for One Year Old Baby Girls

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If you’re searching for the best toys for one-year old baby girls, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve scoured the web and put together a list of my favorite toys for 1-year-old girls. 

As a mom of four, I know that there is never a one-size fits all for young children, no matter the age. All my kids seemed to have different interests from a young age, and I have worked hard to gather a variety of toys that come from different categories such as books, musical toys, sports-related toys, plush toys, educational toys, and more. 

How do I choose a perfect toy for one year olds?

Of course, there’s no guarantee any of these toys will be the perfect gift for a little girl. I mean, there’s also no guarantee that your child (or whomever you’re gifting this to) will continue to like it tomorrow after liking it today (am I right?).

But, your best bet is to look for a fun gift related to something that they like to do.

Does your little one like music? Try to find something that makes fun sounds/music.

Is your little one constantly on the go? Try to find something she can move with, like a bicycle or learning walker. 

What makes a good toy for your little explorer?

Everywhere you look, you’ll probably find a different list of do’s and don’ts, or things to look for and things to avoid when looking for the right toys for young toddlers. I don’t want to overwhelm you with an extensive list, but rather some recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

• Look for toys that will support interactive play with you, another child, or another adult (whoever is going to be playing with the child this toy is for) – this is one of the most important purposes of play! 
• Look for toys that are developmentally appropriate, but that also promote learning of new skills and growth in different areas of development, such as cognitive development, language development, and/or physical development.
• Try to find toys that are not overstimulating – we want the child to engage their senses and interest to use their imagination and problem-solve, rather than having the toy do all the work for them. This will help the child build their social-emotional and cognitive skills.
• Try to avoid toys that the child may choke on if they put it in their mouth (avoid small parts, loose strings/ropes/ribbons/etc.), that have sharp edges, and that make loud or shrill noises. 
• Try to look for toys that are made of non-toxic paint, or other materials, and, if they have batteries, that the batteries are not easily accessible.

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Our Top Picks: Toys for 1 Year Old Baby Girls

Many of these items are available with Amazon Prime’s fast free shipping (often arriving in just one or two days!). If you’re not already a Prime member, you can get a 30-day FREE trial of Amazon Prime here!

1. The First Years Stack Up Cups 

These colorful nesting cups are a classic toy that support hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness while your little one stacks them, fits them together, or hides objects under each cup.

While these stacking cups may seem simple, they’re perfect for imaginative play – use these as cups in a tea party, a bathtub for her little animals, or a tower keeping her princess safe!

This particular set has numbers on the bottom, so your little one can practice counting and number recognition, and holes in the bottom of each cup making this a great toy for bath time. 

2. Ancaixin Baby Balance Bike 

As you know, when your kiddos are no longer infants, your child is also no longer stationary. So it’s best that you invest in something that will keep them busy while on the move!

This baby balance bike is perfect for little kids who are always on the move. It can help your little one learn to walk or develop their balance. The bike is made of a carbon steel frame, making it extra sturdy, has a soft seat, and 135 degree steering to prevent side-falling.

It comes in many different colors so this balance bike can be a great gift for both little guys and girls no matter what their favorite color is.

3. VTech Drop & Go Dump Truck 

We LOVE VTech toys, and you’ll see quite a few of them on this list. This push and pull dump truck is perfect for little hands. It develops various motor skills with the three “boulders” (balls) that can be dropped into the top of the dump truck and the lever that lifts the hinged bucket to dump out the boulders.

The truck will count the boulders as they are dropped into the hole and the three colorful buttons play melodies, phrases, and teaches about tools and colors. Also, it’s a great toy that functions as a tool to reinforce cause-effect relationships.

If your child is like mine and tires of the actual purpose of a toy, you can also work on other language concepts such as up, down, throw, catch, my turn and your turn!

4. VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker 

At least 3 of my little ones have enjoyed this toy as a toddler! The VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker has lots of different features to keep a little one busy.

The front panel has five piano keys that play music, two spinning rollers, three shape sorters, and three light-up buttons. This push walker has over 70 fun songs, various sound effects, and fun phrases pre-programmed or your little one can engage in pretend play with the telephone handset.

The wheels work on both carpeted and hard floors and is a great way for a little one to start walking more. I can tell you first hand it’s not too rough on your hardwoods, either! Another thing I love is the volume control (sometimes the toy noise can be a bit *much* you know?).

5. LeapFrog Shapes & Sharing Picnic Basket 

I love this shape sorter with its unique picnic basket shape. I actually gifted it to my cousin’s baby girl earlier this year, and kinda wanted to play with it myself!

It includes plates, forks, cups, food, and a tablecloth to support pretend play at home and each food item fits into the shape sorter, which will name the food, shape, and color. There are three modes for different interactive activities: music, shapes and colors, and picnic time.

Depending on the mode you’re in, if you press the butterfly button, the picnic basket will politely request a specific snack item (and respond appropriately!) or play music – making this a great toy for independent play while also working on following directions!

Mom bonus: all the items fit inside the picnic basket for easy storage. This will be one of the best gifts you’ll find if you’re searching for something interactive, and that supports fine motor skills by working those small muscles of the hand needed to correctly match up each shape to the sorter!

6. Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze 

This high quality bead maze has 18 wooden beads and 3 plastic rings that spin and slide while still being light and compact so it’s easy to take with you on the go. The suction cups on the base will ensure the bead maze stays anchored in place.

This toy supports sensory skills, color recognition, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. This is also a great toy for public spots if you’re on the go and need to bring along some entertainment!

7. Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack 

This toy is a classic! I remember my younger siblings playing with this toy so many years ago, and each of my children have enjoyed it as well.

The Brilliant Basics Rock-a-Stack has five colorful rings perfect for little hands to grasp and stack. The base rocks and the top ring has rattling beads for extra engagement.

Stacking the rings supports understanding the concept of relative size. While you can also work on colors, it’s crazy the amount of imaginative play you can incorporate into working wit the stacking rings as well.

My daughter always loved to play peek-a-boo and enjoyed walking around the house pretending each ring was a telescope. What an imagination! The possibilities are endless. 

8. Gund PAW Patrol: The Movie Plushies 

I don’t know about you, but all my kids LOVE Paw Patrol. I never hear the end of it. If your little princess loves plush toys, this might be the perfect holiday or birthday gift.

Each plush dog is made to be soft and cuddly, but easily washable. Make sure you choose which dog you’re looking for as each plush toy is sold separately. 

9. Little Tikes Gas ‘n Go Mower 

Another great option for your little mover and shaker! This push or pull mower will promote gross motor skills through walking and pulling the cord to hear engine sounds. As your little one walks, the colorful center beads will pop.

There’s also a removable gas can and gas cap making this a fun toy perfect for dramatic play. 

10. Wooden Activity Cube 

Now, this set makes my previous special educator heart soar when I think about all of the educational components the creators have incorporated!

This activity cube will keep your little lady busy for a long time with all its different activities – a bead maze, shape sorter with wooden blocks, clock, spinning gears, abacus, stacking cups and an educational board book to help teach your little one their first words. This activity cube is well-priced too, which is another good reason to take a closer look at this toy. 

This activity cube from B. Toys is another great option at Target.

11. Pound A Ball 

This toy is so much fun! For a kid too (haha). Playkidz Pound A Ball’s bright colors and colorful balls are a great way to keep your little one’s attention while they work on understanding cause-and-effect and their gross motor skills.

The hammer and balls are shaped perfectly for tiny hands to easily grip them while they play. You (and your little one) will enjoy hammering the balls and watching the balls slide down the track.

I may or may not have personal experience with my daughter trying to utilize the hammer on some construction around the house as well, and even perhaps the dog, so just a heads up there! She is small, but mighty! Can ya relate?

12. Melissa and Doug Farm Animals Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle 

My kids love Melissa and Doug puzzles, and this one is perfect for a 1-year-old’s first puzzle!

Work on identifying and naming common farm animals with this 8-piece puzzle. The puzzle pieces are made from extra-thick wood and have jumbo knobs for easy grasping. This puzzle will help support hand-eye coordination and visual perception through matching the pictures and shapes, perfect for a first birthday present.

We loved working on animal sounds and singing old MacDonald with this puzzle set, too!

13. Mega Bloks Big Building Bag 

I mean, come on. The list wouldn’t be complete without Mega Bloks! This bag of 80 building blocks can be used in a variety of ways – building towers, roads, cars, planes, and more. The blocks are larger than your regular Legos, making them a good size for little fingers to build without frustration and comes in a reusable bag for easy storage.

Mega Bloks sells many compatible block sets in case you want to expand your collection in the future.

14. VTech Turn and Learn Driver 

Teach your little one how to drive (just pretend, of course!) with this fun Turn and Learn Driver. Push and pull toys support understanding of cause-and-effect and problem solving as they figure out how to get each component to work and the colorful buttons and levers on this driver are the perfect size for small hands.

The Turn and Learn Driver is a great educational toy that teaches different animals and vehicles programmed into the buttons and encourages imaginative play through the signal level, gear shifter, and traffic light, all of which play fun sounds. 

We got this for my son around 6 months, and he played with it for at least a year (if not more). Of course, he had to fight his older sister for it because she loved playing with it too!

15. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn 3-in-1 On-the-Go Camper 

Use this toy with your little one to relive some of your favorite activities – camping and making s’mores! The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn On-the-Go Camper is a push along walker that has over 100 songs, sounds, and phrases about colors, numbers, shapes, and letters.

It comes with 15 pieces so you can make a s’more or other food over the pretend campfire, fish for 4 different fish shapes using the included fishing pole, make a pot of coffee, and more.

16. Manhattan Toy Wee Baby Stella Peach 

Meet your baby’s new best friend! These soft dolls are 12” with embroidered facial features, a removable dress, fleece hair, and come with a pink pacifier that attaches magnetically.

Baby dolls are a great way for young kids to develop their language, social-emotional skills and empathy through open-ended play. Also, they can practice some self-help skills with their baby doll before transferring that knowledge to themselves – like grooming and hygiene.

This also provides the perfect opportunity to work on identifying and labeling body parts. 

17. VTech Smart Shots Sports Center 

GOOALLL!! Let your little one build their gross motor skills by shooting some hoops or scoring goals into the soccer net with this 2-in-1 basketball hoop sports center. The sports center counts baskets up to 10, introduces shapes, numbers, and sounds, plus plays over 50 songs, sounds and phrases.

This VTech Sports Center is the right size for toddlers between 1-3 years old. (But my kids played with this until almost 5 years old, so it’s good for a lot of play time!)

18. LeapFrog Rainbow Tea Set

You’re guaranteed a good time with this 10-piece Rainbow Tea Set. Your little one can host many tea parties for you and their stuffed animals. When you tip the teapot, it lights up and plays various sounds and the “tea” will look like it’s pouring.

The tea set will introduce your child to colors, counting, and matching. 

19. 7 in 1 Activity Table Set 

Full disclosure – your one year old baby girl might have to grow into some of the many activities offered with this 7 in 1 activity table set, but this has been one of the most valuable and versatile finds, and best investments!

First, the Lego top is removable so that you can take advantage of the recessed table for waterplay, experimentation with different textures, and more! This is one of the best activity tables out there because not only did my now 5 year old love it when she was 1, but she still one of her favorite things to play with!

Another one of the best things about this set is that it’s functional – You can apply the flat table for meal times for when your little one is ready to practice eating with more independence. 

20. Books

You can never go wrong with a book. Even though we’re often looking for baby toys that might keep our kids’ attention, books will help build your little one’s cognitive and language activities. Books will give them ideas for how they can engage with their toys while they play, leading to better and more meaningful play as they grow and develop.

Here are a few ideas of books for your little girl. My favorites are the touch and feel ones to get more sensory input, ones that incorporate music, and who am I kidding – I love ALL the books!

Starting your child with narratives at a young age will also help with sustained attention, future narrative language skills, and vocabulary, too. 

• Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
• The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin
• Touch and Feel: Farm
• Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

See all of our books for 1 year olds here!

Now, the only thing you need to do from here is narrow down what to purchase next for your princess since there are so many good choices that she will inevitably love! Enjoy this time and get down and play with your little one.