What are some good, constructive toys for a one year old?

[poppyseed]

DD turns one in two months, and some family members are asking for a few toy recs.  I'd like her to have something constructive, something that will stimulate her and keep her busy, lol.  What are some good toys you have/had for your one year olds?  She has a lot of toys now, but they are mostly stuffed animals and teether-type toys.  After her birthday, we'll be getting rid of a lot of them.

[MWOS]

a cardboard box

[cleo29]

Duplos are great. Soft building blocks, if you don't want to buy the wood ones. Those are big with my girls. C, who is older, likes tinker toys too.

[circa1978]

Do you have a corn popper? Henry got one sometime around that age. He is almost 2.5 and still thinks it is a riot. He also really started loving puzzles around 1.5 - we have a ton from Melissa & Doug. He also really liked the Infantino color and texture matching cards.

[Deleted]

MegaBlocks (they picked up on these quicker than I thought -- they aren't 100% at putting them together but they can do it and like building)

Crayons and coloring books (they'll scribble but sometimes the boys want to color on pictures instead of on blank paper)

Wooden block puzzles (she'll probably be intrigued but the boys have recently been able to actually do them)

Musical instruments, always

Dress up stuff (we leave old hats, scarves, etc., lying around for them to use)

Balls

Bigger trucks to push around

Anything that stacks/nests (blocks, cups, whatever)

They do NOT really touch their activity cube, I'm going to have to put it away for a little bit. That was a bigger hit 9-11 months.

[Deleted]

a walker/push toy.

at a year they really start digging board books, too. especially ones with textures and stuff in them.

for L's first birthday, we got her one of those busy cube things. which she LOVED. it was pricey, so perhaps suggest it as a joint gift from several family members? (bonus: fewer toys cluttering up your house. if i had my way NO ONE WOULD EVER BUY MY KID TOYS EVER AGAIN EVER. omigah.).

[cookie510]

Big fans of this

www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Classic-Farmer-Says-See/dp/B001D0C70C/ref=sr_1_29?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1373481076&sr=1-29

and a toy phone that lights up and sings/talks - not a cell phone, but it looks like an old school phone.

And I always say books.

[Deleted]

YES books of any kind.

Actually these are basically destroyed because the boys will carry them around:





And "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" is the book of the century right now. I read it 5 times yesterday. It stayed in the playroom and I'd get it shoved in my face with an "iiiissshhhh!!!!!"

[lilybug]

Shape sorters are a big hit here. And pretend food with velcro that you "slice" apart although mine just yanks it apart, lol. Another fave is the leapfrog puppy that sings songs with his name in them. Oh, and the leapfrog music table.

More ideas:

Megablocks / duplos whatever they're called, giant legos
See n say
Bead maze
Super simple puzzles (we have this)

[Booze Raccoon]

A music table
stacking blocks
a toy laptop
alphabet magnets

pretty much anything with lights and sounds

[Deleted]

^ The boys will carry and shake those eggs around like cavemen.

[Deleted]

Booby, we're getting the boys a kitchen for Christmas. I didn't know Ikea made one, thank you!! I like the KidKraft ones but they are kind of pricey.

[Deleted]

Anything to push, pull or ride on. A walker that converts to a ride on is a great gift. A shopping cart, a baby doll stroller, lawn mower. What about a water or sand table?

[Deleted]

LOL!!! I know, I don't know WTF we're going to put it.

Probably in the corner we currently have their basketball hoop in.

[poppyseed]

Great, thanks!

She already has a push toy we recently got out and she likes it.

I do want to get her a lot of books.

She loves anything musical, so tamb, I think I'll get her that Munchkin toy.

I'm writing all of these down. Lol, thanks!

[Deleted]

OH, and for people who feel compelled to spend more money than the cost of some board books (or those chunky wooden puzzles. L was nuts for them.), suggest a contribution to her 529. this is how i curb my parents' and in laws' desire to buy ALL THE THINGS (i'm not a total grinch. i know how delightful it is to see a child respond to a present, but, let's get real, my kid's current favorite toy is made out of two toilet paper rolls). not to mention, more useful to my kid than yet another small piece of plastic designed to pierce the soles of my bare feet.

[sara76]

This is awesome. Entertaining and good for fine motor skills.
www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000A88KOA/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

[poppyseed]

Jul 10, 2013 13:49:25 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Jul 10, 2013 13:47:00 GMT -5 cville said:

OH, and for people who feel compelled to spend more money than the cost of some board books (or those chunky wooden puzzles. L was nuts for them.), suggest a contribution to her 529. this is how i curb my parents' and in laws' desire to buy ALL THE THINGS (i'm not a total grinch. i know how delightful it is to see a child respond to a present, but, let's get real, my kid's current favorite toy is made out of two toilet paper rolls). not to mention, more useful to my kid than yet another small piece of plastic designed to pierce the soles of my bare feet.

buzzkill

Lol!

My cousin is doing this for her.

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2013 13:49:25 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

Jul 10, 2013 13:47:00 GMT -5 cville said:

OH, and for people who feel compelled to spend more money than the cost of some board books (or those chunky wooden puzzles. L was nuts for them.), suggest a contribution to her 529. this is how i curb my parents' and in laws' desire to buy ALL THE THINGS (i'm not a total grinch. i know how delightful it is to see a child respond to a present, but, let's get real, my kid's current favorite toy is made out of two toilet paper rolls). not to mention, more useful to my kid than yet another small piece of plastic designed to pierce the soles of my bare feet.

buzzkill

i know.  i suck.

I JUST HATE CLUTTER.  and small stuff.  why is it all so small?  i spend more time on my hands and knees in one day looking for lego spiderman than, well, then i ever spent on my hands and knees in college.

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2013 13:43:02 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

I sort of feel like Joanna is "slow" after reading Ninja's post. lol

eta: I'm kidding, so don't feel bad. But I'm like ooo lights! sounds! buttons!! and you are all "yeah, they like drawing, dressing up, playing music.."

It's mostly b/c I personally HATE anything loud/electronic, other than music-specific things (like a drum they have that's electronic).

We legit don't replace batteries in toys that are electronic, or we limit their exposure to them.

The good thing is that when we do pull out toys we limit (like their laptops) we get a good 20-30 minutes of quiet play out of them (well quiet other than the DO LEE TEE LA LA music bullshit from the laptops) b/c they're still relatively new.

[Deleted]

Plan Toys Walk n' Roll

www.amazon.com/PlanToys-Plan-Preschool-Walk-Roll/dp/B000RMPQKU

[angelaa73]

Infantino colors and textures puzzle. GREAT GIFT

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2013 13:51:29 GMT -5 ninjabridemom said:

Jul 10, 2013 13:43:02 GMT -5 @tambcat said:

I sort of feel like Joanna is "slow" after reading Ninja's post. lol

eta: I'm kidding, so don't feel bad. But I'm like ooo lights! sounds! buttons!! and you are all "yeah, they like drawing, dressing up, playing music.."

It's mostly b/c I personally HATE anything loud/electronic, other than music-specific things (like a drum they have that's electronic).

We legit don't replace batteries in toys that are electronic, or we limit their exposure to them.

The good thing is that when we do pull out toys we limit (like their laptops) we get a good 20-30 minutes of quiet play out of them (well quiet other than the DO LEE TEE LA LA music bullshit from the laptops) b/c they're still relatively new.

you "don't replace" batteries?  amateur.  i actively remove them.

i'm such an asshole.  my kid has one toy with batteries in it right now (the fisher price picnic, and she LOVES it.  she got it when she was 2), and she forgets that it can turn on.  she's also used to non-battery toys since they don't have them at daycare, probably due to cost concerns. 

she's managed to become obsessed with youtube and movies (esp. the incredibles, right now), so she's not amish or anything.  yet.

i figure i'll spend enough time in the teen years shouting "turn THAT GODAWFUL MUSIC DOWN!", so i'll get my comeuppance.

[Deleted]

Ugh cville it's b/c whoever gives them the gift will give it WITH batteries, and then they're all excited about it. So I feel bad.

But their reaction probably wouldn't be much different from their reaction when it eventually dies lol.

And yes, I totally agree about both the YouTube thing (I couldn't read Bear Hunt one more time so we YouTubed videos of it) and the teenage years, lol.

[Deleted]

Also: Skip Hop Dunks Stacking Bath Toy
www.amazon.com/Skip-Hop-Dunks-Stacking-Yellow/dp/B0041RRX6M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1373483689&sr=8-2&keywords=skip+hop+bath

Skip Hop Moby & Friends Bath Squirters
www.amazon.com/Skip-Hop-Moby-Friends-Squirters/dp/B006YBA2K2/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1373483719&sr=8-13&keywords=skip+hop+bath

[sonrisa]

cville and I share a child. Luckily all relatives know my feelings about battery toys so she only gets them as hand-me-downs.

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2013 14:20:39 GMT -5 sonrisa said:

cville and I share a child. Luckily all relatives know my feelings about battery toys so she only gets them as hand-me-downs.

My family thinks we're nuts!!!

[sonrisa]

My kid got this at one and still loves it. In fact, she had a bad dream last night and woke up crying because she didn't know where her balls and hammer were.

www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Pound-Tower/dp/B000VO3GME/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1373484564&sr=1-1&keywords=wooden+hammer+balls

Wooden train sets (ikea) and duplo are also a hit but I don't think she was playing with them until at least 18 or 24 months.