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Getting Active!
Best Toys for Children 1 to 2 Years
By iParenting Staff
One-year-olds are ready to roll! They've pretty much mastered the rattles and are now ready to move on to toys they can manipulate, take apart and get involved in.
Which Toys Are Best?
According to Claire Green, educator and author, "active doing" toys are the best for children 1 to 2 years old. Green says some of the best choices are toys they can fill up and dump out of containers, balls, ride-ons (test to make sure they won't fall over), push toys and, after they have mastered walking, pull toys. One- and 2-year-olds are at a wonderful age where everything is new to them. And motor development is at an all-time high. Green says they are beginning to master body control (walking, climbing) and language and enjoy observing and imitating adults. So get down on the floor with your child and have some fun! Grab a big plastic dump truck – or just a big plastic container – and show your child how to fill it up with colorful balls, cars or other safe objects, and then dump them out again!
The Question of Stuffed Animals
Many parents are hesitant to give their little ones stuffed animals because of germ and choking issues. "Kids have to be exposed to a certain number of germs or they'll never develop immunity," Green says. "You can buy stuffed animals with smooth coverings that don't 'shed,' and eyes stitched rather than sewn." But, according to Green, you shouldn't give your 1- to 2-year-old stuffed animals that have no relevance to the child's life, such as a dinosaur, octopus or dragon. "Stick with dogs, cats and, OK, teddy bears because they are so ubiquitous." Social Play
Don't be alarmed if your 1- to 2-year-old doesn't enjoy playing with other kids. "Developmentally, 2-year-olds simply aren't ready to play with other children, although they'll play near each other with similar toys, but hardly interacting," Green says. "Group play doesn't start until maybe 3, and then the trick is to give kids toys they can't play with alone, for example, large cardboard blocks too big for one child alone to handle." 
