Ah, look how sweet the almost 1-year-old boy is sleeping. Doesn’t he look just adorable? So cute, so soft, so sweet. And indeed, he is (most of the time). But now that you’re looking at the boy, you realize his birthday is coming up soon. What do you give to someone who will probably have no active memory of their birthday? What is a fun gift and what is ‘junk’ that you’ll see in the trash after a week? In this blog, we show you the best gifts for a 1-year-old boy.
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Developmental Stage of a 1-Year-Old Boy
Adorable or not, a 1-year-old boy goes through an enormous development. You can almost say that he learns something new every day. See it as a journey full of milestones and growth moments.
One of those growth moments is that the boy probably starts walking independently. He will find this incredibly fun, with all its falls and rises (both literally and figuratively). You look away for a moment, and he is ‘suddenly’ gone. This probably won’t last long because the boy is still very much attached to his parents. He realizes that ‘mama’ is his mother and ‘papa’ is his father, instead of just saying the words. The concept that there are more moms and dads is still beyond his comprehension.
You can understand that the cognitive development of a 1-year-old boy is very interesting. The world around him becomes more comprehensible and is ready to be explored. To keep stimulating his language skills, you want to talk to him a lot. Preferably in an adult tone; using diminutives is absolutely unnecessary. This way, he learns what our language means and how it works. And while you’re at it, combine it with something like building a block tower. It is crucial that he gradually gains better control over his fine motor skills. At the same time, this means he can pick up smaller objects himself, so you need to be alert for choking hazards. The ‘put everything in your mouth’ phase is not over yet.
We understand that the development of a young child is very complex. So much happens in the early years of a person’s life that it’s almost impossible to keep up. What we described above is just a fraction of what actually happens.
Dont’s (Types of Gifts Not to Buy for a 1-Year-Old Boy)
Based on the development, we can describe a few gifts that you would rather not buy for a 1-year-old boy. Think, for example, of very small objects that pose a choking hazard. Furthermore, you don’t want to buy gifts that are very gender-specific. The boy might have a very nurturing nature that won’t be satisfied with lots of toy cars compared to a doll. So, don’t be too selective in buying such presents. Instead, buy something the boy can enjoy for a longer period; something he can really get into.
What Is a Suitable Budget for This Age?
A 1-year-old child has a) no concept of what a birthday is and b) no concept of money. How much money you spend on a birthday gift is therefore not very relevant. Parents/caregivers will probably give a somewhat ‘bigger’ gift because it is their own child. Furthermore, the prices of gifts will vary greatly. Remember: a £10.00 book is just as valuable as a £40.00 ride-on toy. So, consider the following budgets:
- Parents/Caregivers: £30.00 to …
- Close family members (uncle & aunt, grandparents): £10.00 to £50.00
- Neighbors/Acquaintances: £5.00 – £20.00
Further Tips
Before you can check out our best gifts for a 1-year-old boy, we want to give you a few final tips. Choose a gift that he can grow into. Perhaps the game is still a bit too difficult now, but after a month of trying and practicing, he might suddenly be good at it. This way, you give playtime for the future, rather than something he will be bored with next week. Furthermore, we recommend giving a gift that stimulates the child’s development. Something ‘just for fun’ may be well-received, but don’t you want to see your boy growing all the time?
1. Stuffed Animals
A stuffed animal is always a good idea! Choose one with interesting textures and a cuddly appearance, so he’ll love to grab and explore it. Soft stuffed animals like a bear, a monkey, or a bunny are often favorites among young children. Make sure the stuffed animal does not have small, loose parts (like in a pouch) that could be a choking hazard for a boy of that age. But a stuffed animal provides comfort, is a great playmate (who doesn’t talk back and is wonderful to play with), and a friend to cuddle during the day. This way, mom and dad can have a break.
2. Storybooks
Reading aloud promotes language skills, increases vocabulary, stimulates imagination, creates emotional bonding, and develops a love for reading. It enhances cognitive development, social skills, and often positively influences the parent-child bond. Do we need to give more reasons why reading aloud is crucial? No? Okay! Seriously though, reading aloud is incredibly important for a child’s development. You can also use it to better explain things to a child. What does it mean when mom has a baby in her belly? And how is it to lose someone? Storybooks are the perfect tool to at least try to teach your child something.
3. Bath Toys
The frequent bath routine must happen anyway. How fun is it for your 1-year-old to have some entertainment during it? Because yes, soap is fun, but a small boat that floats is even more fun. Make sure it does not contain small parts to avoid accidental swallowing. Other examples besides that boat are a rubber duck, water wheels, and bath books. Toys that pour or squirt water provide interactive fun. It contributes to the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while being part of an activity he had to do anyway. A definite win-win situation in that respect.
4. Activity Cubes
You buy an activity cube for growth. At least, most are suitable from about 18 months. Since everything on and around such a cube is usually attached, that’s not the problem. The problem, however, is that he might not find it interesting long enough or get bored with it quickly. But if you already know from all the other guests at the birthday party that they are giving stuffed animals or crinkle books, you can be a bit more original with this. Moreover, he can’t play with everything at once, and six months in a child’s life goes by quickly, if you know what we mean. So, feel free to take a look at the activity cubes and choose one that you think will attract the 1-year-old boy.
5. Crinkle Books
Crinkle books are specifically designed to stimulate the senses of young children, like this 1-year-old boy. They are equipped with bright colors and fun images. When you touch them, they make a sound by crinkling. Toddlers love to discover and explore, and crinkle books do just that for them. Besides sensory skills, it will also help develop curiosity. The advantage of crinkle books is that they are small and not a big deal if they get dirty. At least, a book like this can withstand more than a regular paper book. Washing them, however, is not recommended.
6. Stacking Cups
Do you remember building towers for hours as a child, only to knock them down again? Exactly, we did too. The handy thing about stacking cups is that they can’t break anything when they fall over. Besides the motor skills, it’s also good for the child’s cognitive development. You can teach concepts like ‘small’ and ‘big’ and point out colors with these cups. Ask the boy, for example, to put the green cup on the red one (or vice versa). It probably won’t work at first, but you can’t start too early with this kind of thing.
7. Rattles
You might eventually get tired of the sound of rattles, but a 1-year-old boy will never get enough of them. Choose one with a large handle, so he can hold it well. A few colors and moving parts attached, and you’re ready to give the 1-year-old the gift of his life. The auditory and motor stimulation is great, so dads and moms will be happy too. Maybe you find a rattle with his favorite TV character on it, like Bumba or a Teletubby. Then his day (and the day after, and the day after) can’t go wrong.
8. Activity Mat
An activity mat offers a range of possibilities for the development of a 1-year-old boy. The mat can be used for playing, crawling, sitting, and exploring. With colorful images, textures, and sounds, it stimulates the senses and promotes motor skills and cognitive development. The boy can grab, feel, and explore objects while lying or sitting on the mat. Since the mat is often soft, or at least softer than the floor, performing play activities is much more comfortable. In our opinion, it’s a must to have at home, even if it’s just to protect the real floor from scratches and such. Well, take a look yourself, and you can probably decide if it suits the household in question or not.
9. Push and Pull Toys
Most children can walk with support between 8 and 15 months. Since mom’s hand is sometimes busy with groceries or something else, push and pull toys are a perfect solution. Think of a cart he can walk behind, but also something like a small ride-on toy or similar. It will give parents a lot more work in terms of keeping an eye on where the child disappears, but it will also give them some free hands. Well, everything has its pros and cons, so at some point, you have to find a middle ground.
10. Toy Cars
Wooden or plastic cars with large wheels are ideal. They are easy to grasp, easy to push forward, and, not to forget, do not constantly tip over. The toy will increase imagination. You will see that the car will have the most amazing adventures and travel all over the world. Because yes, that is characteristic of young children like this. They engage in something you can classify as ‘animism’. Animism means that a child believes that an animal or object can experience the same feelings and thoughts as themselves. You know by now that a plastic car can’t think, but through this 1-year-old boy, you’ll almost start to believe the opposite. Just wait and see!
