Between one and two, a toddler’s favorite “toy” is often your keys, a pot lid or an empty box. So you really don’t need much at this age. Follow whatever your child is into right now: blocks for the one who loves pulling things apart, a push toy for the one who’s always on the move, and after the second birthday, a puzzle and a shape sorter for fitting things in.
Before you buy, take one look at the age on the box. Plenty of familiar toddler toys are labeled 2+ or 3+, and sitting right next to your child doesn’t make an exception.
By age
12 to 23 months: For pulling apart and putting together, the MEGA BLOKS First Builders bag (DCH62) is labeled 1+. If they like pushing things around the room, look at the VTech walker with its activity panel or the Hape Block & Roll cart. The two Melissa & Doug puzzles wait until at least 24 months.
24 to 35 months: Keep the blocks if they still come out every day. For something new, the Safari puzzle is about matching and the Shape Sorting Cube is about fitting shapes. For drawing on paper, Honeysticks Originals work if your child can press firmly. Pick the one your child keeps coming back to; turning two doesn’t mean buying all three. While your child is still chewing toys, leave the wooden pieces and the crayons for later.
What Is Your Child Into Right Now?
- Putting things in, taking them out, and doing it again
- Stacking blocks or pulling them apart, with help when they ask
- Copying what you do, like stirring a pot or feeding a doll
- Pointing at pictures, or listening while you name things
- Making marks with a drawing tool labeled for their age
This isn’t a schedule. If your child isn’t into one of these yet, skip it for now.
Push Toys and Carts, for a Child on the Move
A push toy suits a toddler who likes moving things across the room. Neither of these is meant to hold a child up while they learn to walk.
The picks
- VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker (80-077001, orange): A walker with an activity panel on the front, for the child who likes pushing things around. VTech labels it 9 to 36 months, and the manual for this walker family has the panel attached and locked for pushing from 12 months. You’ll lock the legs, handle and panel in place yourself, and the battery cover (2 AA batteries) is held by a screw you open with a coin or a screwdriver. Some owners mention fiddly leg assembly and sounds that stopped working. If what you need is something your child can lean their whole weight on, this isn’t it.
- Hape Block & Roll Cart (E0371B): A wooden cart that carries its own blocks, so it gets loaded, pushed and built with. The Amazon listing gives 12 months and up. You’ll need to assemble it, and until it’s together, keep the loose parts and the packaging away from the baby.
Building Blocks, for Pulling Apart and Putting Together
Interlocking blocks snap together and pull apart, while wooden blocks are about balance, and their age labels differ too, so not every toddler block set starts at the first birthday.
The pick
- MEGA Bloks First Builders (80-piece bag, DCH62): Eighty plastic blocks in a pink bag that holds them all when you’re done. MEGA labels it 1+, and at this age pulling two blocks apart is the whole game. Check that the bag you get says DCH62.
Pretend Kitchen Play, for a Child Who Copies You
If your child has started copying your stirring or feeding, join in with things that are right for their age. Some play-food and toy-cookware sets are labeled 3+, so check the box before you buy, and you don’t need a kitchen set to start. If you already use a learning tower or high chair, follow that product’s instructions; neither is needed for this kind of play.
Chunky Puzzles and Sorters, for Fitting Things In
Go by the age on the puzzle, not the number of pieces; the piece count doesn’t tell you whether your child is ready. Both picks here are labeled 2+.
The picks
- Melissa & Doug Safari Chunky Puzzle (8-piece, item 3722): Eight chunky wooden safari animals to fit back into their spots and name together. Melissa & Doug labels it 2+. If your child still chews wooden pieces, wait on this one.
- Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube (item 575): A wooden cube with 12 shapes to post through the holes, labeled 2+ by Melissa & Doug. Owners mention a lid that slides off, sets that arrived with shapes missing, and paint coming off when pieces were mouthed. So count the 12 shapes when it arrives, hand over a few at a time, and put it away if your child is still chewing wooden toys or any paint or wood starts to come off.
Crayons, for Making Marks
Pick a drawing tool labeled for your child’s age and stay nearby. There’s no grip to teach and no picture to expect, but your child does need to be able to make a mark without a struggle.
The pick
- Honeysticks Originals (12-pack, model 101): Short, thick beeswax crayons, about 55 mm long and 20 mm across, that Honeysticks positions for ages 1 to 3. Some reviews mention faint marks unless you press firmly, which is why I put them in the 24-to-35-month group. They smell of honey, but food-grade pigments don’t make a crayon food, so keep them for paper and put them away if they end up in the mouth. Protect clothes and the table rather than counting on the marks washing out.
Play Tips for 1-2 Year Olds
- Let interest set the length. Offer a short turn and stop when your child moves on. There’s no number of minutes to hit.
- Leave room to try. Help when they ask, and step in whenever play stops being safe.
- Talk about the play. Name an object or an action, then pause for your child’s reply. Not every move has to be a lesson.
- Stop before it becomes a struggle. Offer help or an easier turn; your child can be done without finishing.
- Tidy together. Ask your child to put one or two toys away while you handle the rest.
Try a carrying game. If your child enjoys it, ask them to move one toy that’s right for their age to its basket. Don’t load a walker with cargo or weights unless its instructions allow it.
How Many Toys Does a 1-2 Year Old Need?
Keep the ones your child keeps going back to. Before buying something new, check whether a toy you already have does the same job. If it does, skip it; if it doesn’t, compare age labels first. None of these need to be bought as a set.
Safety at 1-2 Years
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to anchor dressers and bookshelves and secure TVs.
- Keep loose small parts, magnets and button batteries out of reach. Stop using a toy if a part or battery cover comes loose or gets damaged. Check wooden pieces for chips, cracks or peeling before play, and set damaged pieces aside.
- Art supplies should match the age on the label. Non-toxic and washable don’t mean edible or free of choking risk; put the activity away if your child is chewing the tool.
- Keep push toys away from stairs, slopes and other drop-offs. Follow the exact model’s assembly, surface and supervision instructions.
For more on toddler care, see AAP toddler resources. For development, see CDC milestones at 18 months.
How I Chose
I’m a mother of three. The ages, contents and safety notes above come from the makers’ pages, manuals and listings for the exact items linked; I also checked CPSC recall notices for each brand and model and read the low-star reviews I could find.
Coming from the baby stage? See our Best Toys for 9-12 Month Babies.
Ready for the next leap? Check out Best Toys for 2-3 Year Olds.
This article is for informational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for personalized medical advice from your pediatrician.
Browse Best Toys by Age