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A Paediatric Physio’s Gift Guide For One Year Olds….Pressies For Your Baby That Aren’t Crap.

A Gardini

So you may not have realised Paediatric Physios are essentially play therapists as well. 

I specialise in selecting the perfect toy for every single child I work with to ensure we reach our therapy goals for the day. I can’t just ask a kid to drop and give me 20 or to smash out 10 squats. I’ve got to make them want to do it. I’m an expert at tricking kids into doing things. I play with kids for a living. And toys are the ace up my sleeve. 

So because of this I guess I can kind of call myself a ‘toy expert’ too. Probably my preferred title over Paediatric Neuro-Developmental Physiotherapist really. Definitely far more interesting to my kids. #mymumisatoyprofessional

I was asked by a Mumma recently to give a list of preferred toys for 1 year olds - her baby’s first birthday is coming up and with so many options (and crap) out there it gets pretty overwhelming.

No one wants a house full of useless plastic paraphernalia that gets played with for a week and then goes to live out its days in the dusty pit of despair that is the bottom of the toy box…..or 10 times worse, hangs out in the corner of your lounge room for 3 years cos its so bloody massive and doesn’t fit anywhere else.

And 1000 crappy character figurines just don’t fit in with the #simplelife and #slowliving vibe do they Mumma?

But also. There are a lot of ‘beautiful’ toys out there sold all over Instagram that I would imagine also spend most of their pretty little lives stuck on a shelf too. You’ve got a few of those as well don’t you Mummy? :)

So with Christmas just 50 sleeps away as my God Daughter informed me yesterday (feck)... I thought it was a perfect opportunity to share some of my ‘toy expertise’ with you. No crap here.

Let’s make sure your kids pressies this year will be useful, full of fun, developmentally appropriate, shared between many siblings and friends, and loved for many many years. 

So. What do I look for in a toy?

I really do get so much joy out  of choosing the perfect toys for our kids. They have toooooooo many as most of yours probably do too. But a good ol’ toy rotation is a great fix for that. As is a bi-annual op-shop drop. #ihavenoideawherethatcrappycarismate

Toys with purpose

I’m a big fan of timber toys, but of course we have some plastic fantastic ones too because #legoislife. I have to say though, apart from the random shit we get as gifts sometimes, almost all of the toys in our toy box have a ‘purpose’. They are toys you can really play with. And by play I mean manipulate, work out and get lost in a world of imaginary play with.  As you can imagine, I’m a big fan of the Montessori toys. And beware of the ‘press button’ and noisy ‘educational’ toys like pretend iPads. They don’t really teach kids much other than if-I-press-this-button-a-noise-happens. Toys that make kids think are the ones you want to go for.

Try to Stay Clear of Commercial Trends

Hard sometimes, but I do try and stay clear of those aisles in the toy shops. You know the ones; with all the figurines and the useless and expensive stuff they conjure up out of the current cartoon fad. The reason I don’t like them is they’re often pretty boring to play with and kids tend to get sick of them quickly.  (Other than transformers... I’ve definitely lost that battle. Fraser is obsessed with them and we probably have thousands of them.) But I don’t mind a good Transformer as they spark crazy imaginary play for him and they are great for problem solving and fine motor skills. I have to say though, they definitely don’t make the old Robots in Disguise like they used to. My husband’s Transformers with their metal components are still going strong.... the plastic ones these days just don’t cut it. I am sick to death of re-attaching Optimus’ leg to his body that’s for sure.

Let your child be your guide

Which brings me to my next point. Every child is different (isn’t that my motto?) and you can’t expect a child who is a real ‘mover and shaker’ to settle down into hours of quiet play at a table with sorting and stacking toys. And they may not get all that psyched about the beautiful felt ‘tree’ you bought them from that lovely Instagram store. Likewise, your puzzle genius and Duplo kid may not be interested in the balance bike until next year. There’s no harm in gently encouraging them, but be mindful that getting them something you think they should like, isn’t necessarily what they will get the most joy out of and you may both end up disappointed at present-opening time.

I’ve gone through this myself this year. The physio in me has really wanted to get Fraser a pedal bike for ages. I would’ve loved to get him one for his fourth birthday which was in February. All of his friends are riding them. But he was just not interested. He was really confident on his balance bike and it wasn’t until just recently that he’s actually been ASKING for one (just in time for Christmas….good timing mate). So it’s worth the wait. He’s going to be so psyched at Christmas.

I’m also really passionate about this next point:

Remember you don’t have to spend the earth.

Children grow out of some toys quickly, and in some cases a make-shift job can do just fine.

A prime example of this is the beautiful indoor climbing frames you can buy (I’m thinking in particular of the gorgeous Montessori Pikler Triangles and climbing sets). If money was no object, they’re lovely to practice climbing skills on. But guys. Kids will climb anything. If you’ve been following along on my parenting journey you’ll see that Alfie is testament to that. The vanity unit. The railing which barricades our split level. Onto the dining room table. Makes a slide out of an ironing board...... so yeah, the climbing frames though nice, are not essential. And the best place to practice climbing is actually at a playground or soft play centre. Or up a tree. All free. So don’t feel bad if you can’t afford the $500 Instagram special.

I also 100% believe in the classic $15 plastic push along trike over many of the fancy brands. They’re unbreakable, will go through 4 sets of siblings, and though they are a little bit of a rougher ride compared to the expensive timber brands (suspension’s not great on those bad boys), they will absolutely do the job of getting your tot to learn how to scoot around. And kids take to them like ducks to water. Must be those ugly primary colours again. 

Keep your cool Mumma

Something else I try and remember is not to get too over excited and buy toys that are too advanced, or they’re just not ready for yet. It’s very hard to go into a store (real or virtual) and not buy everything you love the look of, even if you know they’re too young for it yet. Try and keep it age appropriate, otherwise you’ll have run out of options by their third birthday! You’ve got many many many Christmas’ and birthdays to come over the years. Keep it cool, and save up the awesome big kid presents, surprising them year after year with gifts they are actually excited about. *See my note below on babies not giving a toss about presents

So What exactly does a one year old need?

Rather than re-event the wheel - I really like this little summary from kidshealth.org

Hand–eye coordination and manual dexterity continues to improve. With better control over fingers and hands, toddlers can explore toys and surroundings more than before. Choose age-appropriate toys and games that let toddlers gain a sense of mastery before moving on to more challenging tasks.

As an infant, your child "played" with toys by shaking, banging, or throwing them. Your toddler now is aware of the function of objects, so is more likely to stack blocks, listen or talk into a toy phone, or push a toy car. The concept of pretend play also starts. Your little one may pretend to drink from an empty cup, use a banana as a phone, or imagine a block is a car.

Emotions at Play

“Many toddlers are in daycare or parents may introduce play dates now. Toddlers enjoy having other kids around, but don't expect them to "play" cooperatively with each other or to be thrilled about sharing toys. Have plenty of toys for everyone and be prepared to step in when they don't want to share. Older siblings can be role models when it comes to teaching, sharing, and taking turns.”

Remember my favourite ‘toy’ for a little baby is always the classic ‘baby gym’. So if you’ve got a newborn first christmas coming up, see my Instagram post here on why I think they’re so wonderful..... 

But here we go for one year olds. Share away to well meaning Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles and Pals who you know want to shower your little ones with love for their first birthday or for Christmas. Please note I am in no way associated with any of the below companies that I’ve linked websites to. They were just the closest thing I could find to the picture of the toy I had in my head! (Lucky them).

Ugly. But Awesome.

Gross Motor

  • Ride on bike (the classic plastic Kmart/Big W one is actually awesome) 

  • Kinderfeets Tiny-Tot bike- age 1 to 2 yrs or similar (they are adorable and give such a smooth first ride….they do grow out of them quickly though!)

  • Kids Modular/Play Lounge (one of these couches would be my top pick for a 1st Xmas if you have the cash - so great to promote that early experimentation of movement and to assist crawling, pulling to stand etc - not to mention the imaginative play benefits as they get older!)

  • Rocking horse (remember there are pretty horses you are just look at, and ones your kids can actually ride- you need one low to the ground so they can learn to get on and off themselves!)

  • A solid trolley (e.g wooden shopping trolley or wooden doll pram) that can double as a push walker if not yet walking! They will take great pleasure in pushing ANYTHING around in them for years. (Current fad at my house is pushing all 4 Ninja Turtles around)

  • Balls that light up (any balls really but these will keep the attention of a new thrower and kicker)

  • Mini ball pit

  • Pull along toys (this guy has been a favourite for kids young and old in our household for years)

  • Push along stick toys

  • Indoor swing (here’s a beautiful macrame one)

  • Outdoor toddler swing 

  • Tunnels

  • Shape Sorter Collection from Moov Baby

Cause and effect toys

Cause and effect toys are valuable developmental tools because they offer the opportunity for hand eye coordination, simple repetitive actions, play between parent and child, and offer sensory exploration. (www.nationsalautismresources.com)

These toys always work well in physiotherapy sessions and are a lovely way to spark interactions between parent and child. ‘Stop’ ‘Go’ ‘More’ and ‘Finished’ are all beautiful first words (or even signs) you can use with your toddler when playing with cause and effect toys.

The Melissa and Doug Animal Nesting Blocks. Not sponsored. Just good.

Fine Motor

Imaginary and Developmental Play

  • Sand bucket and spade set 

  • Water play table 

  • Watering can 

  • Push down cars

  • Tonka trucks 

  • Bath toys like this one with lots of different components - squirting, colour sorting, the sieve, emotion recognition on the different faces, and the best bit; suctioning!

  • Water/Sand Clam Shell

  • Learning tower These super popular items are great for new little standers to be safe in the kitchen when helping out with the cooking!

Books books books

  • Anything Lift the Flap. (This one is perfect for 1 year olds)

  • Texture books (The Usborne Touchy-Feely books are classics)

  • Press Button / Play-a-sound books (This one is an absolute favourite in our house)

  • Spot Series

  • Dear Zoo

  • Where’s The Green Sheep

  • Simple number/counting books

  • We’re Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

  • There’s a Bear On My Chair by Ross Collins

  • Guess How Much I love You by Sam McBratney

  • The Hungry Caterpillar

  • A Home for Hermit by Robin Davies

  • The Little Lion Who Lost Her Roar (Little Creatures Set)

  • ANY animal books (is there anything cuter than a one year old making animal noises?)

*Just finally, I know the first birthday is a big deal, and it’s nice to give a momentous gift.....but remember, one year olds don’t actually give a toss about presents.

If you’re purely wanting to give your child something that gives them maximum pleasure, in my humble opinion an ‘experience’ is the way to go! A zoo or wild life park pass will get used time and time again and I can guarantee your toddler will get so much more joy out of spending quality time with you, checking out some cool animals, then from any toy they can unwrap. 

If you’d like to get more paediatric physio advice for your babe straight to your inbox, or are interested in my gift guides for 2, 3 and 4 year olds which I’ll be releasing in the coming weeks, then come on over and join the My Strong Little Body Family. Sign up here for my newsletter. .

Love Alana xxx

P.S If you have something in mind for your 1 year old and it’s not on the list above, it doesn’t mean I don’t rate it. I might have just listed it in an older age group. For the next few weeks leading up to Christmas I’ll be giving out my Gift Guide ideas for 2, 3 and 4 year olds as well! Watch this space! xx


Is there anything for one year olds that I have missed? This was just a quick brainstorm for me. I’m sure there’s lots of other beautiful ideas out there. I love new toy ideas, so please drop me a line either here or through Instagram or Facebook and let me know what you think. I’d love to share your thoughts with the rest of my community.

WAIT!! I NEARLY FORGOT!

Need something for Santa to put all those awkwardly shaped gifts into? Personalised Santa Sacks are something you can use year after year and a perfect gift for your little one’s first Christmas. Check out my pal Elise’s store @el_nino_threads for some beautiful eco-friendly 100% cotton sacks that she pours her heart into. I have one for each of the boys and they’re beautiful. You’re Welcome.

P.P.S Whilst we’re chatting gifts…..don’t forget my book for a gift to a new Mumma or Mumma-to-be. Perfect for a baby shower pressie. Kaythanksbye. xxx