Need toy ideas for 1 year old baby girl

[RoughCollie]

My niece will be a year old in 6 weeks.  She weighs 12 lbs and is 24" long right now.  She is small for her age because she has a type of dwarfism.  She was born 2 mos. premature, so on her birthday she will be developmentally about 10 mos. old.

 

I figure that toys for a typical one year old would be good.  From what I recall about toys for infants, they are pretty boring (to me, not necessarily to them).

 

If you have ideas that are more recent than 2 decades old, please advise me.

 

Do babies play with toys that don't light up and make sounds, and that they like?  I don't want to be old-fashioned, but at the same time, all this light & sound & computer chip type action for little kids makes me cringe.

 

But I am willing to be modern, since my sister is modern.  She is only 30 years old, and I am old enough to be her mother.  We have the same father, different mothers, and are products of different marriages.

 

I plan to spend $100 on her, and it can be for more than one toy.  I am extremely pro-toy, the more the merrier, but they have to have a lot of play value and be of good quality.

 

I'm going to send my sister a picture of the baby and remind her that she is an aunt too.  Knowing my sister (my whole sister, not half), she will take care of the health and safety side of things.  This leaves me free to be my frivolous self.  Plus, my sister with the baby is not exactly chopped liver -- she is a good mom, well-educated, and financially stable.  

 

So I don't have to be terribly mature about this, just Modern.  And aunt-like.  I've given this baby gifts twice already, but it didn't dawn on me that she is actually my niece (instead of my half-sister's baby) until a few weeks ago.  So now I'm on a mission to be a good aunt.

 

IIRC, my kids didn't like Playmobil for little kids, or wooden toys, so I'm leery of toys in those categories.

 

Also, if any bath toys are particularly appropriate, let me know.  I don't want to buy $100 worth of them, but they need to have play value to an infant, not just be attractive to adults. 

 

Thanks,

RC

[NicAnn]

Let's see, when my daughter was just over 1 she liked: Melissa and Doug felt fruit, Waldorf doll, melisa and Doug jumping pull along frog.

 

I know you said no wooden, but that's all we've ever bought so I can't think of anything else. :)

Have fun!

[Sparkle]

I recently purchased a couple of these dolls for two relatives who both had babies turning a year old, and they both told me that their girls love them.

 

Also, the Fisher Price Little People were always a hit with my kids. Some of the old-style FP toys, like the Chatter Phone and the Xylophone are fun.

 

Something like the Playskool Busy Poppin' Pals is usually popular.

 

 

[blondeviolin]

Playskool's Busy Ball Popper is always a hit at that age!

[busymama7]

I think the ball popper is the best toy ever invented. I do wish there was a way to turn off the sound. I am anti light up and sounds toys for the most part but this one is so much fun!

[Um_2_4]

Girly mega blocks ...my 3yo still play with them.

Shoot my 7yo still plays with them LOL!

[CupOCoffee]

I like the tried and true older toys actually: that pole with the different sized round rings that you stack on; the ball shaped thing that you put different shapes into (shape sorter?); big chunky blocks; those big plastic "beads" that you hook together; touch and feel books; maybe a dolly...

 

yeah, I'm boring and old fashioned -- but I agree with you about all the whiz bang, light-up, noise making toys.

 

~coffee~

[MrsBasil]

The Busy Ball Popper has been a huge hit with my kids.  Not the elephant or dino one though!  The actual ball popper. 

 

  I'm your sister's age and I'm not anti light and sound toys, but they do wear on me.  That said, there's this crawl through farm thing I've had since my son was 1 and it has gotten a ton of use for crawling through, pushing buttons, walking around...

 

Here it is.  http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Laugh-Learn-Learning-Farm/dp/B001W0B7N6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383290771&sr=8-1&keywords=crawl+through+farm   I didn't pay anywhere near that for it though!

 

Also a tunnel and tent with ball pit balls(if they have space) has been a continual hit here.  The tunnel is the best part, huge hit with my kids and toddlers/preschoolers who visit.  

 

A Cozy Coupe is nice or one of those push trikes with a seat belt.

 

[MrsBasil]

You didn't ask for books, but both my kids like(ed) touch n feel books(like Pat the Bunny or the Usborne That's Not My...series" and there's a book called Peek A Who by Nina Laden that my kids just adore.   My son loved to have it read to him for years and now my daughter is into it and has been for a year. 

[Eagle]

My ds is 10 months old. His favourite toys are blocks, nesting cups, a ride-on little car, balls, and books. He also likes putting things in and out of buckets. He will be getting a shape sorter for his birthday along with some bath toys, a puppet, and a pull-toy.

[Zuzu822]

I will have a ten month old this Christmas, and between that and his birthday in February, he's getting a ride-on car, a Bla Bla knitted cat, a Community Playthings truck (wood, but those are amazing, and even someone who isn't into natural toys would love it!), FAO Schwarz dinosaurs and a ball track (again, I'm doing wood, but there are plastic options). 

 

We bought our oldest a piano for his first birthday, everyone has adored it: http://www.amazon.com/Schoenhut-25-Key-First-Piano-Red/dp/B000IGEEC6/ref=zg_bs_tab_pd_mg_3

 

Fisher Price has reissued some of their vintage toys like the pull-along xylophone and telephone, milk truck, record player, etc. I bet those would be a hit!

 

Have fun!

 

ETA: My parents gave my oldest a latch board (ours was a little different, but same idea) when he turned one, and all my boys have loved it! http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Latches-Board/dp/B000NVBE1A