Toys for 1 Year Olds

Toys chosen for the year when a baby becomes a toddler: soft play sets with built-in ball pits, foam shape sets for climbing and building, round ball pits, wooden stackers and pull-along toys for early walkers.

19 products

About our toys for one year olds

Somewhere between the first birthday and the second, the living room floor turns into a climbing frame. Sofas get scaled, cushions get stacked and anything with wheels gets pulled along behind.

The toys here are chosen for that stage. MeowBaby's soft play sets and foam shape sets are recommended from age one, the round ball pits give a defined space to climb in and out of, and the wooden stackers, activity cubes and pull-along toys suit smaller hands and first steps.
19 products
White boucle round ball pit filled with white balls, studio view MeowBaby
Child playing inside white boucle ball pit filled with white balls, lifestyle view MeowBaby
MeowBaby White Boucle Round Ball Pit MeowBaby from £10499
Pull Along Wooden Toy Turtle Rotating Shell Baby Activity Toys Ethiqana
Pull Along Wooden Toy Turtle Rotating Shell Baby Activity Toys Ethiqana Brown
Pull Along Wooden Toy Turtle Rotating Shell Ethiqana £999
Cotton and Company Soft Activity Cube - Tropical Lion Baby Activity Toys Cotton and Company
Cotton and Company Soft Activity Cube - Tropical Lion Baby Activity Toys Cotton and Company
Cotton and Company Soft Activity Cube - Tropical Lion Cotton and Company £1499
Cotton and Company Soft Activity Cube - Giraffe Baby Activity Toys Cotton and Company
Cotton and Company Soft Activity Cube - Giraffe resting in a woven seagrass basket with a folded cream muslin
Cotton and Company Soft Activity Cube - Giraffe Cotton and Company £999
Pull Along Wooden Toy Paddling Duckling Baby Activity Toys Ethiqana
Ethiqana Pull Along Wooden Toy Paddling Duckling on a light wooden floor in a calm playroom
Pull Along Wooden Toy Paddling Duckling Ethiqana £999
Sale
Little Dutch Flower Power Wooden Ring Stacker Baby Activity Toys Little Dutch
Little Dutch Flower Power Wooden Ring Stacker Baby Activity Toys Little Dutch
Little Dutch Flower Power Wooden Ring Stacker Little Dutch Sale price £1999 Regular price £3499 Save 43%
MeowBaby Oat Biscuit Beige boucle turtle ball pit, front view of the shell and flippers
MeowBaby Oat Biscuit Beige boucle turtle ball pit in a warm sunlit living room corner
MeowBaby Oat Biscuit Beige Boucle Turtle Ball Pit MeowBaby £9999
MeowBaby Cheesecake Cream Beige boucle turtle ball pit, front view of the shell and flippers
MeowBaby Cheesecake Cream Beige boucle turtle ball pit in a bright Scandi nursery corner
MeowBaby Cheesecake Cream Beige Boucle Turtle Ball Pit MeowBaby £9999
MeowBaby Playground 5 Elements
MeowBaby Playground 5 Elements
+2
MeowBaby Playground - 5 Elements MeowBaby £17399
MeowBaby Playground 4 Elements
MeowBaby Playground 4 Elements
+11
MeowBaby Playground - 4 Elements MeowBaby from £11799
MeowBaby Playground 3 Elements soft play foam set in White Boucle fabric, alternate angle
MeowBaby Playground 3 Elements
+11
MeowBaby Playground - 3 Elements MeowBaby from £9899
MeowBaby Shape Set 5 Elements in Khaki corduroy, foam shapes for toddler building play
MeowBaby Shape Set 5 Elements in Brown corduroy, foam shapes for toddler building play
+3
MeowBaby Shape Set - 5 Elements MeowBaby from £14599
MeowBaby Shape Set 4 Elements in Khaki corduroy, foam shapes for toddler building play
MeowBaby Shape Set 4 Elements in Brown corduroy, foam shapes for toddler building play
+3
MeowBaby Shape Set - 4 Elements MeowBaby from £12099
MeowBaby Shape Set 3 Elements in Khaki corduroy, foam shapes for toddler building play
MeowBaby Shape Set 3 Elements in Brown corduroy, foam shapes for toddler building play
+3
MeowBaby Shape Set - 3 Elements MeowBaby from £10199
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit Mini - Boucle, White foam playset with built-in ball pit
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit Mini - Boucle lifestyle: playroom setup
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit Mini - Boucle MeowBaby £15399
MeowBaby Playground with Ball Pit - Boucle, White
Toddler playing on the MeowBaby Playground with Ball Pit - Boucle in a home playroom
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Boucle MeowBaby £15499
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Bearly, Cream
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Bearly, Dark Brown
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Bearly MeowBaby £18599
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Aesthetic, Brown
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Aesthetic, Ecru
+1
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Aesthetic MeowBaby £19499
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Velvet, Light Gray
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Velvet, Beige
+5
MeowBaby Soft Play Ball Pit - Velvet MeowBaby £14499
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Choosing a toy for a one year old

Climbing and moving

A one year old learns most through their whole body. The MeowBaby soft play ball pits combine three or four foam modules with a built-in ball pit and are recommended for ages 1 to 3, always with an adult nearby. The foam shape sets are recommended for ages 1 to 4 and the playground sets for ages 1 to 6, with their best years between 1 and 3.

Ball pits

The round and turtle ball pits have a 30cm height option, low enough for a baby to pull up against and for a toddler to climb in and out of, and the white boucle round ball pit also comes in a 40cm height for older children. As one customer wrote of the white boucle ball pit, 'Oh my little grandson just loved his ball pit.' (customer review).

Smaller toys

Not every good present has to take up floor space. The Little Dutch flower ring stacker suits children who are starting to stack and sort, the Ethiqana pull-along turtle and duckling are for children who are walking confidently, and the Cotton and Company soft activity cubes give the youngest something to hold, turn and shake.

Questions about toys for one year olds

What toys are good for a 1 year old?

Toys that match what a one year old is learning to do are usually the most played with: climbing, pulling up, walking, stacking and putting things in and taking them out. Soft play shapes and low ball pits support climbing, pull-along toys suit early walkers, and stackers and activity cubes keep small hands busy. Each product page gives its own age guidance, so you can check the fit before you buy.
Is a soft play set suitable for a 1 year old?

Yes. The MeowBaby soft play ball pits are recommended for ages 1 to 3 and the foam shape sets for ages 1 to 4, always used with an adult nearby. The foam is hypoallergenic and the covers are removable, so the set can be cleaned as it gets used. The playground sets are recommended for ages 1 to 6, so they keep their place as a child grows.
How many balls does a ball pit for a 1 year old need?

It depends on the ball pit, and each product page gives the size and how many balls are recommended. The soft play mini ball pit, for example, takes up to 100 balls, chosen separately at checkout. A well-filled ball pit is more fun to sit in, so it is worth choosing the recommended number rather than the minimum.
What is a good first birthday or Christmas present that will last?

A present that grows with the child tends to last longest. The playground sets are recommended up to age 6, the foam shape sets up to age 4, and a ball pit can become a reading corner or a soft seat once the climbing stage passes. Smaller wooden toys such as the ring stacker and pull-along toys are also kept and handed down long after they are outgrown.
Do these toys need adult supervision?

Soft play sets, shape sets and ball pits are recommended for use with an adult nearby, as stated on each product page, and that is good practice with any toy for a one year old. Check the age guidance on each product page and on the packaging, and keep small accessories and packaging away from young children once the present is unwrapped.