Suitable from 12 Months Old

Toys suitable from 12 months

Happy first birthday. At twelve months most babies are pulling up, cruising the furniture and possibly walking — and they've just worked out that objects can be put inside other objects, a discovery they intend to explore thoroughly using your kitchen bin.

This collection covers that exact stage: push-alongs for new walkers, posting and filling toys, first stackers, busy boards and simple musical instruments.

What suits a one year old

  • Things to fill and tip out. Buckets, containers, anything with an opening. The dominant obsession of this age.
  • Push-along toys. Useful the moment walking starts. Pull-alongs come slightly later, once they're steady enough to look over a shoulder.
  • Busy boards. Latches, zips and switches, in one place they're allowed to attack.
  • Simple stackers. Two rings on a post is a real achievement at twelve months — towers come later.
  • Musical toys. Hit thing, get noise. Immediate and entirely within their control.

What's still too early

Jigsaw puzzles, proper shape sorters where each shape has its own hole, and anything graded 3+. Those are 18-month-and-beyond skills, and buying them now means they sit unused. See toys suitable from 18 months for what comes next.

Everything here is safety tested and age-appropriate, made from FSC-certified wood or food-grade silicone.

Buying a first birthday present?

This is our most popular gift collection. The safest bets are things a toddler can operate without adult help — a busy board, a pounding toy, a stacker. Avoid very large items if you're buying for someone else's home; first birthdays generate a lot of gifts and floor space runs out.

Read best toys for a 1 year old for the full guide, or browse our wooden toys, busy boards and gift range.