Growing up, all the best things were made of wood-- our favorite play spots were tree houses, our favorite story Pinocchio was about a boy made of wood, and even some of our toys were made of wood. With its presence so abundant in our formative years, it is no wonder we want to give our kids beautiful toys made of wood too!

Since we grew up with the best, of course we want the best for our kids too! So, what are the best toys for one year olds? In a world where options seem endless, this question can be tricky to navigate. Luckily, you have come to the right place to find out!

Wood or Plastic?

Your search for the perfect wooden toy starts with the age old question-- are wooden toys really better than plastic? We find ourselves asking this question time and time again, but no matter how many times we research it, the answer never changes! There is no arguing that wooden toys are better than plastic!

We are passionate about the benefits of our wooden toys, but to sum it up quickly, wooden toys are preferred to plastic toys for a few reasons:

• Plastic toys often have toxic qualities and easily break into smaller pieces (resulting in choking hazards)
• Wooden toys are more durable and have a long life expectancy
• Wooden toys are better for the environment
• Because wooden toys tend to be less stimulating, they promote deeper learning and higher quality play time

Are Wood Toys Safe for Babies?

After hearing that plastic toys have toxic qualities, you’re probably wondering to yourself, are wooden toys safe for babies? Thankfully, wooden toys in general are very safe for babies! Their natural properties (when paired with safe paint) are perfectly safe to be slobbered on, thrown, or even bitten! Unlike plastic, they are more durable and will not break into smaller fragments that could be choked on.

However, just like with every other toy, use your discretion as a parent on which types of toys you are purchasing for your baby. At the age of one, you will want to avoid toys with too many pieces, especially when they are small ones!

To be the safest, you will want to respect the company’s safety and age regulations on the box. To come up with those regulations, they undergo testing for dangers like breakage and choking, and have also researched who their toys are best for developmentally. The ratings are typically on the outside, bottom corners of the packaging and signify which ages it is recommended for. If it does not include one of these markings, be careful! They may not have done a safety test!

Best Wooden Toys

So, you have decided that you want to get wood toys, but which are best for your one year old? Here are some of our favorites!

Wooden Activity Cube

The Wooden Activity Cube is our all-time favorite and will always hold a special place in our hearts! This activity cube is not just a one-trick pony-- with a different activity on each side, the play possibilities are endless! The different activities are perfect for developing your one year old’s curiosity as well as their coordination. It is the perfect combination of physical and mental exercise.

One thing to note about these, however, is that they typically include other materials in addition to their wood box. These materials may include small amounts of plastic or metal for the different features on them. Don’t worry though! The majority of their composition is wood and is sure to last just as long as any other wooden toys.

Wooden Puzzles

Wooden puzzles are perfect for one year olds! Not only do they help develop their problem solving skills, but they also begin to teach them to piece images together to create one complete picture. As far as development goes, this is the best wooden learning toy for one year olds.

If you’re struggling to come up with play ideas for wooden puzzles, try some simple activities like sorting colors, creating patterns, or just free play with the pieces! In fact, when your child is only one, free play might be the most appealing to them until they become more familiar with the pieces! What is important when playing with puzzles is that you let them lead the activities and you are simply there to guide or encourage ideas.

Wood Blocks

Wood blocks are everything you could ever want! With a toy so simple, the possibilities are quite grand! It depends what type of blocks you get, but just a standard set of wooden blocks allows for children to build, create, and let their imagination run wild.

Wood blocks are one of those toys that you never grow out of either; as your child matures, the way that they play with them becomes more complex. Even into adulthood you still enjoy playing with wooden blocks! Think about it, when was the last time you and your pals played Jenga? Is that not just an adult game of wooden blocks? They truly are timeless.

Where Can You Buy Wooden Toys?

Now that we have established that wood toys are an awesome choice for your kiddos and which ones you should get, where can you purchase them? The great thing about wooden toys is that they are available pretty much everywhere! To give you some ideas…

Can you find it online? ALWAYS! When searching for some online, we recommend purchasing them directly from the brand’s website to avoid knock-offs. This option is great because you can research the toys, select them, and purchase them all from the comfort of your house while your kiddo is napping!

What about in store? You betcha! Toy aisles and stores tend to have a lot of distracting, flashy plastic toys around too, so stay focused! Remember, natural wood toys are better for your kiddos even if that one with 10 buttons and different sounds is catching your eye!

Rummage sales? Check mate! This is another great place to score some wood toys. Because wooden toys are so durable, odds are that your neighbor has some fantastic options from when their kids were little, or even from when they were kids themselves! Even better yet, you will probably get the best deals here, so search close to home first!

How much do they cost?

Because wooden toys are available in so many places, their prices can fluctuate quite a bit. As mentioned before, if you buy it second-hand it will be significantly cheaper-- in past experiences, about $10 or less was typical at rummage sales.

However, if you’re looking for brand new wooden toys in a store or online, the cost of quality wooden toys can range between $25 on the low end all the way up to $80 or more. Of course, the price also reflects how large of a toy you are buying and what brand it is. (Pro tip- if you want to save some money, buy from small toy vendors like ToyVentive!)

Although the price of these toys may seem steep initially, when you consider the quality and durability of wooden toys, the price is well worth it!

Conclusion

What can we say-- wooden toys are the best for your one year olds! There are hundreds of wooden toys out there, but we hope we were able to give you the clarity or inspiration you needed for choosing a toy for your little one. Whether it be something as small as wooden blocks or as big as a tree house, we hope quality wooden toys become just as much a part of your little one’s life as it has ours!