15 Great Educational Toys for 1-Year-Olds

As it turns out, you’re never too young to start studying. Designed with simple, vibrant illustrations, the 26 flashcards will help your child bridge connections between words, letters, and objects. Thanks to the reclosable ring, you can take them off for a more hands-on experience or keep them on for easy organization and storage. (You can also hook the ring onto a bag or belt loop so the flashcards don’t get lost!)

Inspire a love for music early with this play piano, which includes six classic melodies you can listen to, the scores to match, and color-coded keys that let you follow along. The built-in handle and automatic shut-off feature make this toy all the more functional, while the “meow mode” simply adds to the fun. They won’t even know they’re helping their fine motor skills or auditory development!

More than just a light-up cube, each side of this toy teaches your child something new: letters, numbers, colors, music, animal sounds, and instruments. With every button pressed, they'll enjoy the instant gratification of hearing different sounds, and before long they’ll have them memorized.

Similar to stacking rings, this toy uses geometric discs, a screw-like rod, and a double-sided base to teach fine motor skills and cause and effect. The BPA-free plastic discs have a velvety texture, with two colors on each one. When stacked in size order, they create a rainbow gradient, which also helps kids learn how to sort by color and size.

Engaging, colorful, and fun, this book has electronic features that make it stand out. The 12 word categories range from mealtime to opposites to animals, with one page dedicated to each. When you touch the individual words, you can either hear them, sound effects, or fun facts, depending on which play mode you select. You can also pick between English and Spanish.

At first glance, this looks like a carton of plastic eggs for a play kitchen, and while they can certainly be used for one, that’s not actually their purpose. Designed for color/shape identification, fine motor skills, and counting, each of the 12 eggs is complete with a color and an embossed shape in the middle. All your child has to do is take the eggs apart and match the halves back together.

This toy is so good for fine motor skills, they included “fine motor” in the name. Putting each of the 12 “quills” into the hedgehog’s back also helps teach counting, color recognition, and sorting. Bonus: When you’re done, you can just lift the back up and store the quills inside.

Has learning cause and effect ever been so colorful — or noisy? There are a few ways to play with this toy: hammering balls through the corresponding holes, doing the same thing but with the xylophone underneath in order to make random music, or using the xylophone separately. Made from rounded-edge wood and water-based paint, you don’t need to worry about any potential injuries or toxin exposure.

Chances are you’ve been in a smart home before, but never like this. More than just a plastic structure, this playhouse is complete with three learning levels, 200+ songs, four language options, functioning buttons and lights, and so much more. In addition to all of the educational benefits, your 1-year-old won’t be able to get enough of the imaginative play opportunities.

This isn’t like a regular puzzle — it’s a sensory puzzle. Beneath each animal is an associated texture designed to create a tactile experience. The holes in the pieces offer kids a sneak peek that make them want to pick them up, encouraging dexterity skills. One of the unexpected benefits of purchasing this specific puzzle? For every (highly renewable!) rubber tree used to make Tender Leaf Toys products, another is planted.

Cylinders and play people and threadable blocks, oh my! This 70-piece set, made from FSC-certified, sustainably harvested wood and water-based finishes, comes with everything your child could want for hours of open-ended play. Need some inspiration? Take a look at the included activity guide, which provides over 20 game ideas based on your child’s development level. From learning physics and problem-solving to math and spatial awareness, there are benefits for all ages.

When playtime’s over, don’t throw the set into some random basket — pack up the pieces in their wooden box or cotton storage bag. If you notice some are missing during cleanup, it’s no big deal. You can always purchase replacement parts through Lovevery’s customer service team as a part of their Lifetime Lost Parts Promise.

This set includes 80 blocks that come in 10 shapes and nine colors, so 1-year-olds get to become engineers and create anything they can imagine. No help is required, as they’re big enough for little hands to click together (working their fine motor skills, of course). This set is compatible with others by Mega Bloks, so your child can mix and match.

Six sides, eight activities, one toy! From the spinning gears to the abacus to the learning clock, your 1-year-old will be busy for hours learning math, colors, pattern recognition, and more. It's made from natural rubber wood and water-based paint (with rounded edges, to boot), so you don’t have to worry about toxic materials or dangerous features. One especially clever part of this activity cube is the top bead maze, which you can detach to play with on its own or flip it over so the toy is more compact.

A classic with countless benefits, sorting boxes help children with fine motor skills, problem-solving, and shape and color recognition, among many other things. This one is made from 100% BPA-, PVC-, and Phthalate-free plastic, and comes with 12 shapes in muted hues. Parents will love how aesthetically appealing it is — and that the shapes can be stored in the box so they don’t get lost.

Stacking cups are a staple for 1-year-olds, and this set is a cut above the rest. The seven cups don’t just stack and nest — they also strain bath water and link together. In the top cup, a spinner acts as the final delightful detail. Not only will your kids use these cups for years (making cost per use pennies at most), but they’ll also learn hand-eye coordination and cause and effect.