How to Pick the Best Brain Development Toys for 1-Year-Olds

Let’s look at different aspects of children’s development and what are some things a 1-year-old should be able to do at that stage of cognitive development. However, if your little one is not there yet, there is nothing to worry about. Every child has their own pace when it comes to development, and your kid will reach these milestones sooner rather than later.

• Makes a few steps on their own without holding your hand (in a few months, they’ll be walking by themselves)
• Sits up on their own
• Moves around your home while holding onto furniture
• Squats and stands up
• Climbs stairs on all fours
• Throws a ball
• Makes some cute dance moves

• Starts to eat using their fingers 
• Starts to hold a spoon
• Drinks from a cup

• Puts objects in containers and takes them out

• Bangs objects to create “music”
• Plays with simple puzzles and stacking toys

• Looks for stuff (toys) you hide
• Waves “bye-bye” to you
• Points to things you name, such as body parts or characters in their favorite book
• Recognizes themselves in mirrors

• Copies other people’s movements and gestures
• Builds stuff using building blocks
• Understands object permanence
• Explores drawers and shelves

• Understands gestures such as waving
• Says “mama” and “dada”
• Responds to what you say
• Tries to repeat words they hear
• Stops when you say “no”

• Cries when you leave
• Isn’t really fond of strangers
• Helps a little when getting dressed
• Hands you a book when they want you to read them a story

• Understands that saying the same thing over again will get your attention
• Plays pat-a-cake or similar games with you
• Can engage in parallel play at around 18 months.

Now that we know what to expect from our 1-year-old children, we can narrow our search down to toys they’ll find engaging and challenging but not too difficult or frustrating. The best examples of such toys are Montessori toys for 1 year olds. They are designed to help children’s growth, learn practical life skills and boost their independence.

You will also need to be certain that the toys your child plays with are safe, so you should always choose non-toxic baby toys.

Knowing all this, let’s dive into how these toys can help different aspects of your child’s cognitive and physical play and brain development:

This first set of toys is designed to get those thinking juices flowing. These toys will set up a challenge, and your 1-year-old will try to solve it. These are self-correcting developmental toys, meaning your child won’t need adult help while playing with them. They’ll know immediately if they’ve done the task correctly or not.

This toy consists of 12 toy eggs that can be split in half. Your child must try to match each half with a corresponding one. It will teach your kid shapes, colors, and how different pieces fit with each other. Additionally, they will work on their fine motor skills. Finally, all the eggs have to be put in their carton. The more your child plays with it, the more proficient they’ll become at matching them.

This stacking/sorting toy encourages fine motor skills and invites your child to place each shaped piece onto a fitting column. They’ll learn about squares, triangles, and other geometric shapes while also learning different colors. Each shape fits only into one position, and the goal is to pile them all. This is one of the Montessori staples, and it’s been around for ages.

Now we get into puzzling. This puzzle is one of the best educational toys designed to introduce your child to this fun and beneficial pastime. Each puzzle consists of only a few shapes, so it’s easy for your 1-year-old to solve them. The pieces are big enough for their little clumsy hands to hold onto them. There are six different puzzles inside the packaging, providing a fun time for weeks or even months to come. 

Some people think puzzles make the best toys to promote both motor skills and critical thinking while also encouraging sensory play. This one is a bit more complex than the last one as it has more pieces, and they are shaped like sticks. Not only that, but each puzzle stick has two sides making it even harder to solve. However, there’s no need to worry if it’s too hard. Give your child some time with it, and you’ll see them solving these puzzles with ease.