Best toys for 1-year-olds

• Age range: 12 months – 4 years
• Great for: hand-eye coordination, logical thinking, colour recognition and shape recognition.

Activity cubes are brilliant for keeping your toddler entertained because when they get bored of one side, they can move onto the next. This one has a shape sorter, spinning gears, sliding insects and a teaching clock. Fun and educational!

One BabyCentre parent said:"I've just got an activity cube. My little boy loves it as he's into fiddly things so he's more than happy. "

• Age range: 12 months – 6 years
• Great for: sensory play and developing fine motor skills.

Possibly the coolest sandbox ever! In a bright green colour that kids will love, this Little Tikes sandbox has two seats moulded into the frame to give children somewhere to sit while they play and a turtle shell lid to protect the sand from the elements. If you wanted to, you could fill it with balls instead of sand and use it for indoor play.

One BabyCentre parent said: "I have a Little Tikes Turtle sandpit – there’s plenty of room for both my kids to play. We had 3 bags of 25kgs of sand (plus a little else we had floating around) and it is more than full enough"

• Age range: 3 months – 2 years
• Great for: developing early language skills and reading concepts.

An interactive musical rhymes book that teaches instrument names, sounds and colours. Inside you’ll find six pages of bright and colourful nursery rhymes including Hey Diddle Diddle, Humpty Dumpty, Hickory Dickory Dock, Little Miss Muffet, The Mulberry Bush and Old MacDonald. It’s easy to wipe clean and non-rip which means it’s a musical toy that will stand the test of time.

See this mum's honest review of the Vtech Baby Musical Rhymes Book.

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• Age range: From 1 year
• Great for: hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

80 classic-coloured, easy-to-grip and easy-to-stack building blocks in a handy zip-up storage bag. Your child can build masterpiece after masterpiece and send them crashing down whenever they like, what’s not to love about that? Limitless fun!

One BabyCentre parent said: "My little boy loves his mega bloks". Another added: "The mega bloks are a hit!"

• Age range: 1-3 years
• Great for: boosting fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

This fantastic Yookidoo water lab attaches to the tub and generates a double chain reaction of water effects for a bathtime full of fun. It includes a test tube container with volume marks and a detachable funnel for filling, pouring and playing.

One BabyCentre parent said: "I can't rate this enough. My son got it for his first birthday. Still going strong almost two years later"

• Age range: From 12 months
• Great for: pretend play, imagination.

All aboard! This double decker bus is a great toy for encouraging imaginative play, and your toddler will love whizzing it around the house.

• Age range: From 1 year
• Great for: encouraging imagination and developing fine motor skills.

A lovely first doll and very cute addition to your toddler’s toy collection. She has a soft body, which means she’s the perfect cuddle-companion, and her outfit is easy to remove which is great if you want to teach your toddler how to dress their doll, and in turn, dress themselves.

One BabyCentre parent said: "My daughter is 21 months and has a baby Annabell, she loves it. She has hours of fun putting it in and out the buggy."

• Age range: From 10 months
• Great for: fine motor skills.

The animals came in two by two, hurrah, hurrah! This wooden Noah’s Ark is the perfect stimulus for story time. It features two storeys and a folding bridge, and includes two of each animal to align with the traditional tale of Noah’s Ark.

One BabyCentre parent said: "Eva loves putting the animals in and on the ark, she also likes it when I line them all up and sing the animals came in two by two"

How many toys should a 1 year old have?

It’s totally up to you. 1 year olds don’t need loads of expensive toys – most toddlers will have plenty of fun playing games with you using whatever you have around the house! But a few well-chosen toys can be great for your baby’s development, so just do what feels right to you.

Is it normal for 1 year old to throw toys?

Unfortunately, yes! Your baby is still exploring the world and learning about cause and effect; they may be curious about what happens when they throw a toy, and might even find your reaction hilarious! This is why it’s important to choose well-designed and robust toys for your little one.

How should I clean my baby’s toys?

First, check the manufacturer instructions or website. Some toys can go in the dishwasher, or be cleaned with soapy water. If this isn’t suitable, antibacterial wipes are a great way to keep your baby’s toys clean and sanitised. Soft toys should say on the label if they can be machine-washed; otherwise, they can usually be hand-washed with a gentle detergent.