Kaitlyn and Ava’s favorite toy: empty boxes
Two little girls are bumping on the floor.
Both are quick and like to explore.
Who will be one as swift as a fox?
Who will be the first to climb in the box?
Two baby girls are bumping, pushing, and striving to be the one who scrambles into the empty diaper box first. Baby A is able to maneuver her leg in first. Baby B turns around, positions her bottom, and begins to drop. Ah! In slides Baby B; she triumphs this time. Baby A begins to fuss. Time to intervene.
“Here Baby, here’s a box for you.” Mommy-ref comes to the rescue with a second box for the the excluded one.
Now two little girls are sitting in two boxes.
Both are content and ready to smile.
Both will be good and sit for awhile.
The best things in life are free. Christmas is approaching, and our twins have December birthdays. Double the shopping. I’ve been on the hunt for the best-teaching-not-going-to-bore-you-annoy-you-or-break-you toys. I’ve logged in hours reading Amazon reviews and researching the top toys for one year olds. Turns out, the girls favorite toys are the free ones.
Top 5 Free Toys for One Year Olds
- Empty boxes. Find a big box. Tape the long sides down. Cut a whole in the bottom center, lay it on it’s side. Now you have a fort.
- Pots and lids. Fun to bang. Warning, it’s loud. Go ahead and throw in a wooden spoon to serve as a drumstick.
- A whisk. They love it. Don’t know why.
- An empty water bottle with something in it to rattle.
- A plastic bowl or container. Find one that will fit on your baby’s head like a hat.
However, for you grandparents, aunts, and uncles out there, you’re still on the prowl for a gift to fit under the tree. I’m no child expert, but here are my favorite toys. I’ve got 2 opposite gals. One’s a loner-adventurer and one would rather snuggle on your lap with a doll in her hand. One loves music, the other is smart as a fox. Here’s what these two girls like in no particular order:
Top 5 Toys to Buy for One Year Olds
1. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Fun with Friends Musical Table. My girls have spent hours playing with this table. The short height is perfect for little legs to gain strength while standing. Love the different modes of Spanish and music. My babies love to dance to the tunes. It has a removable phone that becomes a great chew toy.
2. Fisher-Price Click & Learn Remote. Keep little hands off the real remote by giving them their own. Since it’s so small, I can take it with us on trips. Changes channels. Counts numbers. Great chew toy to use as a distraction while changing baby’s diaper.
3. Fisher-Price Peek-a-Blocks: Shape Sorter. Any classic shape sorter will do, but this fun one plays music every time your baby touches it. Handle allows little hands to easily tote it around. Shapes are small enough to be used as a chew toy.
4. Fisher-Price Little People Lil’ Movers School Bus. If your little one loves anything with wheels, this is the gift for him. The Little People are the perfect size baby’s mouth to chew. Be prepared for vroom-vrooms over the whole house.
5. The First Years Stack N Count Cups. Great teaching toy for baby to learn how to stack. Over the next few months, they’ll learn how to stack and arrange by proper size. The smaller ones make a great chew toys.
Honorable Mention: Melissa & Doug Deluxe 50-piece Wooden ABC/123 Blocks Set. Okay, so the recommended age is for a 2 year old. But, I don’t mind them chewing the blocks for now. Makes a great noise maker tossed in one of your free toys like an empty mayonnaise jar. Later, when they are older they’ll learn to use ’em the way you did as a kid.
No, I don’t receive kickbacks from Fisher-Price. They just make good toys, well, at least the toys my children like. Good luck on your search. Just ask yourself, will it make my baby move, and can he chew on it?
Babies come in all shapes and personalities. Add yours favs to the list. What toys did your one year old love?
Married With Twins 
Oh man, my son loves stacking/nesting cups! Also, wooden blocks. 🙂 Your girls look precious in those boxes!!
I love giving nesting cups as birthday gifts. Thanks so much for the compliment. Tonight as we were going to bed, they were fighting yet again over the same box. 🙂
I love how you have free gifts and gifts to buy. All of your free toys have certainly done their duty in my house. 🙂
Thanks! The girls love kitchen gadgets.
Hey, Maya and Chris…..the photo of the twins in the boxes are really good. They appear to be riding down the road in their separate little convertibles. The girls just get more beautiful and precious each day. I cannot remember my kids favorite toys, but they loved boxes as I did as a child….so much you can do with them; the bigger the better !
Thanks Tim! Yes, you are right. The bigger the better. I remember when my parents bought a new fridge. My brother and I had so much fun with that box!
Naww. Your daughters are adorable!
We also have the remote and I loathe the “everyone loves it when baby is in control” song, as well as the volume control button that they can turn up. Ha ha. That’s probably why my two love it!
I agree! I hate that song too. I don’t ever want my baby to be in control. We do love this one, we take it with us on car rides. I’ve become numb to the music. ha!