Great Gift Ideas for One-Year-Old-Boys ~ 2015

At a year old, little boys are a bundle of energy, still figuring out their strength and building upon new skills every day. When my twin boys were one-year-old, I had a 'runner' and a 'creeper.'

At one, nearly all boys are at least standing while holding on, scaling furniture and can pull themselves up and get into a sitting position on their own.

Every child is different in applying new skills with varying degrees of prowess: some boys will let go sooner than others with stunts that frighten us adults.

Providing age-appropriate, safe toys are one way to encourage healthy development they can learn by gradually. Here's a look at a few top-rated toys that are great for both creepers and walkers. They'll last a good while, too, as non-walkers can play at the toys' lower levels and later enjoy the upper half as though it were a new toy.

At one-year-old your little learner begins to use items like cups and combs 'properly.' They know there's a drink in the cup and the comb goes to the hair. Learning by imitation is an important part of early learning.

I often brought my boys into the kitchen when they were less than a year old, where I would host my own 'cooking show' of sorts (of course, I was the star). I would demonstrate my skills at stirring the pot while cooking dinner and tell them about everything as I put it in the pot. They loved it. What a special time, that was.

I give this sweet, Little Tikes Discover Sounds Kitchen two thumbs up. It has the necessary parts to engage your one-year-old boy's imagination while teaching simple kitchen concepts.

Bon appetit!

I've referred to our little one-year-olds as "Mr. Busy;" I couldn't resist. What better moniker suits the wiles of an into-everything little guy?

As I mentioned above, 1-year-old boys love to copy what you're doing but their little fingers might need some fine tuning--i.e. fine motor skills--where pushing a button, putting pennies in the slot and turning knobs fall into play. It's a good idea to let your Mr. Busy push, turn, deposit or pull whatever needs doing while you're out in the real world (as long as it's safe, of course), as doing so strengthens their fingers and helps with learning cause and effect (I mention this concept below).

Here's a few of the best-rated toys to help develop those fine motor skills that are so necessary come school age and writing. One-year-old boys will love having fun and ~ like me ~ I'm sure you'll appreciate knowing they're learning, too.

Mr. Busy loves to push buttons, that much we know but at about one-year-old, they're realizing that something special happens when pushing buttons; this activity is formally known as cause-and-effect.

At one-year-old it's a good time to remind your little one which buttons and switches are off limits. You're smart to have child-proofed your home by now.

Keeping Mr. Busy Fingers entertained with safe, age-appropriate toys is an ideal way to get a few tasks done while your toddler is close by.

These fun toys are best at reinforcing their newfound skills at those more finite activities while teaching 'reading' and simple 'math.' At a year old, boys aren't really absorbing those skills but they do, indeed become familiar with tiny bits of each, which can't hurt.

Where to start with the value music on even the wee one-year-old. Music helps children learn to identify patterns and has been documented as helping with cognitive function: the earlier children are exposed, the better. Music also helps with social interaction and kids learn to identify music with movement.

As a mom, I'm a big fan of music in children's lives and today's toys are much improved over the banal plinking of yesterday's music boxes.

Here's a few of the best in musical toys at both ends of the spectrum: electronic and classic. The 5-piece Band in a Box will empower your one-year-old as all little ones can shake an object; he'll feel part of the group (or should I say, "band").

With today's musical toys you have the option to go all out ~ like this electronic drum set. I can feel the excitement already. Can you?

Toys with many features that educate as well as stimulate are the best investments, particularly if they've numbers, letters and sound. While we can't expect a lot in the way of learning the alphabet or counting to twenty just yet, it's good idea to help our one-year-old Mr. Busys become familiar with these early concepts a wee bit at a time.

Every interaction with these educational toys builds upon what's been gleaned from the last play date. I've always been keen to count and recite the alphabet song even if I was the only one in full song mode with two toddlers looking quizzically at my lips moving. Aaaah those early memories; I must've looked ridiculous.

The things we moms and dads do for our children.

Here's an amazing cube by VTech with all sorts of fun things to do and learn. I like its compact construct, colorful look and all the learning power that's possible for a one-year-old to get familiar with. Getting started with early learning is never too early.

One-year-olds can never have too many books. Reading to children helps mold healthy imaginations where they'll easily relate storylines and learn about sequential events ~ all important skills they'll need in school.

Right now, reading should be a fun, bonding time between parent and child with the formalities coming later but it can't hurt to familiarize your one-year-old boy with the mechanics of a good story, lively characters and a visit to lands, people and animals far away.

Reading to your little one can help develop verbal skills and hone all that chatter into coherent statements you both can appreciate (enter whining visual, here).

Kidding aside, communicating with your little man is a lot less stressful when you both know what each other is saying. Reading proves valuable in so many areas of life and these fun books with sound are truly interactive as your one-year-old follows along.