4 Best Educational Toys for 1 Year Olds

From the day that a child is born, he or she is continually learning. They learn through using their senses how to observe and play. Even from early development a child’s mind is expanding just by taking in their environment and surroundings.

Toys such as mobiles, infant play gyms and soothers are an excellent choice for first toys as they are designed to focus on sensory play through sight, sound and touch. As your child develops hand-eye coordination and continue to grow, you can start introducing toys with sounds and flashing lights that encourage more interaction like portable toys to further inspire hearing and visual senses.

Through playing your child develops:

• Gross motor skills that involves actions such as grasping and climbing.
• Fine motor skills which are the handling of small parts and toys.
• Cognitive skills are the recognition of colours and building attention span.
• Social skills are developed by playing with others.
• Imaginative skills are playing pretend games or playing with toys that involves pretend play.

***Disclosure -The links in this post may contain affiliate links and Kaboutjie may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.*** 

What Are Educational Toys?

These are toys that provide a child with opportunities to learn, develop certain skills and teaching your child about specific things while providing fun.

A parent or caregiver has the role of help developing the child with these skills since birth. It is imperative to provide children with age-appropriate toys.

The Benefits of Educational Toys

1. Playing while having fun

Learning is more enjoyable when it done through playing. From discovering their hands, sucking on toys or school-age children playing with a bat and a ball.

2. Sensory development

From bright coloured toys for babies to craft activities for older children, developing of fine motor skills is vital from a young age.

3. Providing life lessons

Valuable life lessons are taught including things such as cause and effect for example playing with blocks – building a tower and then knocking it down.

4. Retaining interest

These toys will have a child play with them repeatedly.

5. Assist with growing IQ

Educational toys can help develop a child’s IQ through motor skills development, coordination, memory retention, numeracy and even literacy.

6. Social and emotional development

Playing with others while learning how to share, taking turns, teamwork, bonding and teamwork a child’s social and emotional skills are developed. Children learn how to become independent and their self-esteem gets a boost.

7. Learning while playing

Educational toys are extremely helpful aids when children learn:

• Playing
• Being active
• Spending time with others
• Exploring and discovering new things
• Using their imaginations
• Being challenged physically and mentally
• Being shown new things

Here is a great post I read explaining How To Inspire Children Through Play With Stem Toys

4 Best Educational Toys for 1 Year Olds

1. Best Learning Mushroom Garden Educational toy for toddlers and kids

• This toy is intended for children from one year and up and is an excellent gift for either boys or girls.
• Early educational toy with colourful light-up mushrooms to encourage the learning of numbers, colours and playing music.
• Encourages memory games – when the colourful mushrooms light up, the patterns get longer as you progress.
• Vital skills are learned including:
  • Colours
  • Music
  • Hand and eye-coordination
  • Creativity and imagination
  • Logical thinking.
  • Motor functions.
  • Problem solving.
  • Memory
  • Dexterity
• This product has won the Family Choice Award 2018, Mom’s Choice Gold metal and Tillywig & Academics Choice Child Award 2017.

2. Best Learning Whack & Learn baby toy

• This light-up and music game toy is suitable for babies 6-36 months.
• An excellent choice for stimulating your toddler’s creativity, learning the alphabet, colours and numbers while having fun and listening to music.
• This fun educational toy is specially designed for help developing fine motor skills, logical skills and communication skills.
• Super easy to use and suitable for both baby girls and boys.
• The toy has a sleep mode to allow your little one to fall asleep to the sound of soothing classical songs.
• The Whack & Learn mole educational toy are parent-approved and will provide your baby with hours of fun.

3. Top Bright Educational Activity Cube for 1-year old

• The Top Bright 5-in-1 activity cube is an excellent choice for developing cognitive capabilities in babies and toddlers which is vital since a young age.
• The cube is designed with safety in mind with smooth edges, premium materials and water-based non-toxic paint.
• Suitable for both 1-year old girls and boys providing 5 activities:
  • Bright colours & gadgets – encourages sensory stimulation and brain development.
  • Bead maze – encourages reaching.
  • Bug sliders – promoting grasping skills.
  • Gears & pointers – encourages logical thinking and guiding the child with developing the concept of time.
  • Wooden shaped blocks – promoting hand-eye coordination.
• Keeping your 1-year old busy with a safe, educational, fun and productive toy.

4. Woby 15-in-1 Musical Activity Cube with lights and sounds

• This 15-in-1 Activity cube is an excellent choice for developing cognitive skills of babies and toddlers, making the learning process easier by letting them try out different activities while improving their mind and coordination skill while playing.
• The best toy to consider for 1-3-year olds.
• The toy includes activities that exercise using their hands and fingers that promotes fine motor skills:
  • Beating the hammer.
  • Flapping the drum.
  • Rotating or pressing the gears.
  • Turning audio console.
• This multifunctional toy helps with:
  • Development of a baby’s language and the proper use of words and phrases.
  • Improving their imitation ability.
  • Learning to use polite language.
  • Enhances hand and eye coordination.

  
  
  Conclusion:

  Research shows that learning through playing is a vital part of any child’s development, therefore it is imperative that your child has enough play time to help release energy and assisting them self-discovery and finding out who they are as a person.

  Educational toys are highly beneficial in teaching children many different life skills such as:

  • • • • Learning cause and effect and problem-solving capabilities.
        • Learning how to play with others, sharing, resolving conflict and how to compromise.
        • Developing their gross and fine motors skills.
        • Allowing their imagination to grow and developing their creativity.
        • Boosting their self-esteem and teaching them how to be independent.