Toddler on a familiar walk looking for something simple like a dog or a bus

From Ember

Best toys for a 1 year old: a short UK shortlist

Last checked: 13 August 2026

All guides/Best toys for a 1 year old: a short UK shortlist

Around one, a short open-ended set goes further than a long shop list: cups to nest and tip, something to post into, and a familiar walk with something to look for. Twelve months and one year are the same stretch for most parents. Buy only if you can name the gap in what you already own.

If you’re new here: Ember is a UK parenting app for babies and toddlers. We write guides like this so you get a clear answer and can get on with your day. When you want practical ideas matched to your child’s age, the free Ember catalogue is there to browse. This page is just about a short toys shortlist around one.

What actually helps around one?

Toys that let them make something happen themselves: nest, tip, post, hide, find, carry. According to NHS play guidance, everyday objects and simple games do most of the learning work. A flashing toy that plays the game for them holds interest for fewer minutes.

Fourteen months looks much the same from the sofa. Use this as a feel, not a test. Ember keeps catalogue ideas for this stretch around 13 to 15 months. If you want the play ideas rather than the buy list, read activities for a 12 month old next.

Ember’s short shortlist

Three ideas cover most days. Name the gap before you buy. Kitchen cups and a cardboard box already help.

  • Stacking or nesting cups: build two, knock, hide a spoon, pour in the bath.
  • A posting box or a sturdy tub with a hole: chunky safe objects in and out.
  • A walk with a job: dogs, buses, three leaves. That is play, even with no new toy.
  • One simple push-along or bag they can fill and empty, if you want something to carry between rooms.
  • Board books that wait: you pause; they point or sound.

Worth bringing out vs wait

Long lists mix useful open-ended pieces with noise. Use this cut.

Usually worth bringing outUsually can wait
Cups, a posting tub, a simple ballA 20-piece “1 year old” gift set with one of everything
Toys they tip, stack and restartBusy boards with dozens of buttons that do the trick for them
Something safe to carry from room to roomBaby walkers (NHS: avoid; they raise accident risk)
Books with clear pictures and room to pauseScreen “activity” apps sold as the main play

How does this differ from toys for 12 months?

It barely does. “1 year old” and “12 month old” are the same stretch with different search words. Ember’s toys for a 12 month old page and this one share the same shortlist logic. Pick one, then stop scrolling.

If family want a gift idea, “a decent set of stacking cups” or “a simple posting toy” is clearer than forwarding a 40-item roundup. Skip anything that needs batteries just to make a noise, unless the compartment screws shut properly.

Stacking cups used for nesting, hiding and tipping, not only building a tower
Stacking cups used for nesting, hiding and tipping, not only building a tower

What about safety while they experiment?

Stay in the room. This is the age of mouthing, climbing the first step, and finding the thing you thought was out of reach.

  • Keep button batteries, fridge magnets and coin-cell gadgets off the floor and out of bags.
  • If a toy breaks into small pieces, it is done.
  • Watch cords, tablecloths and anything they can pull down as they cruise.
  • Floor play beats sofas and beds once they are pulling to stand.

A short list you can screenshot

Enough to answer “what should we get?” without another tab.

  • Cups for nest, hide, tip
  • Something to post into
  • One familiar walk with a clear looking job
  • One book where you wait before turning
  • No walker; no battery toy with a loose back
  • Buy only if you can name the gap

A few quick answers

What are the best toys for a 1 year old?

A short open-ended set: nesting cups, a posting box or tub, and play that includes a walk with a job. Everyday kitchen objects often help just as much. You do not need a long shop list.

What about best toys for a 12 month old?

Same stretch as one year. Use this page. If you want play ideas rather than objects, use Ember’s activities for a 12 month old guide instead of buying another box.

Are expensive toys better at this age?

Not usually. NHS play advice points to everyday play and simple games. Price does not fix a toy that does the experiment for them.

Should I buy a baby walker?

No. NHS advice is to avoid baby walkers. They do not help walking and they raise the chance of accidents.

What if we already have cups and a box?

You may not need more toys. Switch to the activities for a 12 month old page and give familiar things a clearer job: post, stack, tip, hide, find.

That is the one-year toys shortlist. When you want more practical ideas for toddlers around this age, browse the free Ember catalogue.

Browse the free catalogue · ideas for toddlers around 13 to 15 months →

Sources

Ember paraphrases and attributes official guidance. We don’t copy source pages wholesale. Check the live pages for updates.

Best toys for a 1 year old UK | Ember