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My 1-Year-Old’s 5 Favourite Toys (aka: The Things That Buy Me 7 Minutes of Peace) 🧸
- Emily Walker
- Jan 18
- 6 min read
📺 When I Actually Manage to Turn the TV Off…
Let’s be honest — the TV still gets switched on in our house. I’m not pretending it doesn’t. But when I manage to get him away from the screen (or when I’m trying to gently detox us both from relying on it), I reach for my 1-year-old's favourite toys.
They’re the ones that don’t just get tipped out and ignored. The ones that hold his attention long enough for me to drink half a cup of tea while it’s still warm. The ones I’ve leaned on heavily during our little screen-free moments, because independent play doesn’t magically happen — it needs the right setup.
If you’ve ever felt guilty about relying on screens, my TV Detox: When Survival Isn’t Failure post might make you feel a little lighter — a reminder that using TV as a survival tool doesn’t mean you’re failing. ✨ Quick note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. That means if you choose to buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only ever share things we genuinely use and love.
If you’re ready, here are my 1-year-old’s current ride-or-dies — which have stayed favourites for months, and in baby time, that’s basically a decade.
1️⃣ The Wooden Farm Box — A Gift (aka: My Sanity Saver)
Why we love it: sensory play, imaginative play, fine motor skills, nursery rhyme time.
This was a gift, but it came from Amazon. Shocking, I know. Here’s the identical set if you fancy joining the Farm Life Club.
What can I say? He loves it. He loves chewing the pieces, throwing them across the room, organising them just so he can immediately un-organise them again. Luckily, everything is too big to swallow and — despite being aggressively gummed — still looks brand new. Impressive.
The lid is his favourite bit. He pulls it off like he’s rescuing trapped animals — full emergency-farm-evacuation energy. Then he gives them mouth to… well, mouth, until he’s satisfied everyone has survived.
This toy has also become the official prop for our daily performance of Old McDonald. He hands me an animal, I sing, and suddenly we’re a musical theatre duo. It’s wholesome. It’s cute. It’s also the closest thing I’ve had to a hobby in months.
I also enjoy a game called “How fast can I tidy this before he destroys it again?” I savour the two blissful seconds of neatness before he rips the roof off, scatters the vegetables like he’s creating avant-garde art, and we start again.
It also looks adorable on the shelf, and watching him point dramatically at it the next morning — like a tiny farmer demanding his livestock — is my Roman Empire.
Longevity rating: Still going strong after 6+ months of play. He’s 13 months now and obsessed.
2️⃣ The Wooden Coin Box — Also a Gift (aka: Baby’s First Gambling Addiction?)
Why we love it: hand–eye coordination, problem solving, posting obsession satisfaction.
He LOVES this thing for developing his motor skills. In the early days, putting the coins in was like asking him to solve physics — he just hovered while I turned the box for him like his personal assistant. Obviously I clapped like a deranged seal the first time he got one in. Babies love praise, and honestly? Same.
He’s much better at it now, but it doesn’t quite reach the excitement levels of the Farm Box. HOWEVER — the second I start putting coins in, he appears beside me like he teleported. “Oh? Activity? I’m in.”
Another Amazon-originating gift. We love consistency. Here's the identical set.
Longevity rating: Solid. Still played with daily but eclipsed by the farm.
3️⃣ The Play Kitchen — £20 on Facebook Marketplace (Ikea: £85 if you’re feeling fancy)
Why we love it: standing support, role play, open-ended play, cause-and-effect.
We bought this after another mum in my antenatal group got one and her son was obsessed. I loved that it was completely gender-neutral — not because I’m making big political statements, but because if he grows up to make me dinner one day… fabulous.
And honestly? He bloody loves it.
We bought it when he started pulling himself up, and it instantly became his emotional support furniture. Pressing buttons? Yes. Turning knobs? Thrilling. The light-up cooker? Practically spiritual.
He spends ages opening the cupboard and putting things in, then taking them out again.
Bonus: we now use the cupboards as toy storage. Mum hack. You’re welcome.
My favourite part is knowing it will grow with him. We can add accessories as he gets older, and maybe one day he’ll make me a pretend latte while I cling to my real one.
Longevity rating: Will last years. Worth every penny. You can buy one here from Ikea but I'd definitely consider looking second hand.
4️⃣ The Sing-Along Nursery Rhyme Books (aka: The Only Books He’ll Actually Sit For)
Why we love them: language development, music engagement, fine motor skills.
These books are absolute magic for babies who can’t follow a plot but LOVE a good tune. Because they’re nursery rhymes, he stays engaged the whole time. He loves listening, I love singing — it’s the healthiest relationship I currently have.
The sliders are a big hit too. Watching him poke his tiny finger into the slot and slide it back and forth with full concentration is honestly adorable — like he’s operating very important baby machinery. If you want to join the sing-along you can buy one here.
Longevity rating: 10/10. Perfect for 6 months to toddlerhood.
5️⃣ The Box Castle Ball Pit — Handmade (aka: My Accidental Masterpiece)
Why we love it: gross motor play, independence, imaginative play, posting play, sensory fun.
I made this because I had a big cardboard box I was about to throw out — and thank GOD I didn’t, because this thing is basically his personal penthouse suite.
We already had ball pit balls, so in they went. Then I added a “conservatory” by chopping up another box and taping it on, because he loves posting things in and out of holes.
His favourite feature? The door. He loves crawling in and out like a tiny landlord inspecting his estate.
There were some early moments where he got stuck and looked at me like I personally ruined his life, but that passed once he gained better coordination.
All I needed was a Stanley knife (or scissors) and tape. A week later I reinforced it because he kept trying to pull himself up and the whole thing started collapsing like a sad cardboard shed. Once reinforced, it’s been rock solid.
Is it the prettiest thing in my living room? Absolutely not.
Does it bring him so much joy that I no longer care? 100% yes.
Longevity rating: MONTHS of solid daily use and still going.
👀 Honourable Mention: The One I Hate to Admit (aka: The Toy That Haunts My Dreams)
Why we love it (apparently): standing support, button-pressing joy, loud independent play, parental possession.
The source of multiple earworms and countless hours of entertainment for my little angel — the VTech monstrosity that is the First Steps Baby Walker.
My mum bought this (without consent) from Facebook Marketplace for £5, and unfortunately… it has been more than worth it. Yes, it’s a big, ugly plastic beast. Yes, I find myself involuntarily singing its god-forsaken songs while doing the washing up. But the reason I’m doing the washing up at all is because someone is stood there, happily pressing buttons, fully entertained, and not trying to climb me like a human jungle gym.
So while this thing has absolutely rewired my brain and now lives rent-free in my head, it also buys me ten whole minutes of independent play — which in mum maths makes it priceless.
It’s a full love/hate relationship. But honestly? Anything that makes him that happy, and gives me that tiny bit of breathing space, earns its place in this list… even if it does haunt my dreams.
We all have that toy. If you know, you know — and I’d love to know what yours is. However if you still want/need that toy, you can buy one here. Although, you can pick them up for a bargain second hand on Facebook Marketplace.
Longevity rating: Annoyingly excellent. Still going strong.
💛 Final Thoughts (aka: If It Buys You Peace, It’s a Winner)
If you’re looking for toys that actually get used — not just stared at, ignored, or launched at your head — these five have been absolute hits in our house.
From beautiful wooden toys to loud plastic monstrosities that rewire your brain, if it buys you a few minutes of peace, it’s earned its place in the toy rotation.
They’re affordable, baby-proof, brain-developing, and (most importantly) give me those rare, beautiful seven-minute windows where I can drink something hot.
If you want more posts like this, or you want a version for 18 months+, let me know — I’ve got plenty of chaos to share.
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