Gift Guide for a 1-Year-Old | Califf Life Creations

I’ll admit, this is less of a gift guide and more of a “what I got my son” list. These are all gifts that I either got or want for my 1-year-old. I’m a big fan of educational gifts, with an emphasize on open-ended play. Electronic toys are not big in my house as the noise (if I’m being honest) drives me crazy, but I don’t completely exclude them either.

With that being said, I do like the toys to be interactive and often end up with ones that my son can grow into so the age ratings are sometimes a little high. I’m really excited about what we got him this year and hope that the rest of this list will be gifted by others (or at a later date).

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Play Cash Register

There is something that all kids love about playing with a cash register. I remember playing with this one as a kid and I think it is so cool that the retro version has been brought back. It teaches beginning concepts of money as well as cause and effect and colors.

Dimple Toy

This dimple toy from Fat Brain Toys is so simple but absolutely brilliant. It has bright colors to capture attention and sensory exploration. This is another toy that also helps kids explore cause and effect as well as using fine motor skills which makes it perfect for a developing 1-year-old.

Wooden Rainbow

These are such gorgeous toys that are great for open-ended play. Stack them any way you can imagine, build a tunnel, make a house, whatever you can imagine. That is what makes this wooden rainbow so wonderful.

Little People toys for a 1-year-old

I love these little playsets. They are perfect for kids that are just starting to learn about their imagination. Toy Story is a huge hit in my house so I got my son this adorable little R.V. playset and some additional figures from Toy Story 4.

Pull Along Toys for a 1-year-old

A 1-year-old like mine is just learning to walk. Pull-along toys are a great way for them to develop this skill while playing with a fun toy. I went off our Toy Story theme and found this awesome Slinky pull-along toy for my son.

Chatter Phone

This is another toy that I loved as a kid. It was so much fun to pretend to be on the phone when my mom was actually on the phone. A Chatter Phone makes the perfect gift for a 1-year-old for this exact purpose!

Doodle Mat

Mess-free is like music to a mom’s ears! This large doodle mat allows kids to color, paint, and be creative without any of the mess since all you need is water. It is also big enough that multiple kids can play at the same time.

Green Toys

This is a brand that I love and you can actually feel good about since the toys are all made from recycled milk jugs! For my 1-year-old this year, we got the submarine and the car carrier but there are so many great products by this brand that you really can’t go wrong.

Sesame Street Toys

My first born got a Tickle Me Elmo one year and my 1-year-old plays with it all the time. Instead of getting him his own, I found this fun Cookie Monster toy that you can feed cookies! He is going to love it.

Little Tykes Play Lab

I love the idea of a little play science lab for my boys to play and experiment with. This one from Little Tykes is perfect and will get a lot of use. It has 20 hands on STEM experiments to do for lots of learning and exploring. My 1-year-old will have to grow into it, but I know that he will absolutely love it and I will have so much fun with him.