At one, a baby girl is on the move. Most 1-year-olds are pulling up, cruising or taking first steps, babbling, pointing and choosing favorites. The best toys for a 1 year old baby girl meet her right there: a soft friend to hug and carry, rattles to shake and toss, a lovey to hold close, and board books to read together again and again.
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Every gift in this guide is from Estella, a family-owned New York brand making baby gifts since 2003. Our toys are hand-knit one at a time by artisans in Peru with a soft organic cotton exterior, and our clothing is organic cotton. We’ve earned 1,800+ five-star reviews from 55,000+ families, been featured in Vogue, and you’ll never find us on Amazon.
Shop the full first birthday gifts collection, or start with our favorite toys for her below.
In this guide:
- Our quick picks
- Why the right toy matters
- How toys help her grow
- What kind of toys 1-year-old girls love
- The best toys for 1-year-old baby girls
- Her developmental stage at one
- Frequently asked questions
Our Quick Picks
- Best overall: Charlotte the Pig ($58), a huggable friend with a bright pink snout.
- Best under $30: the NYC ABCs Baby Board Book ($14), a witty alphabet tour of New York.
- Best for snuggling: the Octopus Lovey ($62), in turquoise or pink.
- Best set of toys: the Safari Baby Rattle Set ($100), four hand-knit animal friends.
Why It’s Important to Choose the Right Toys for Your Baby Girl
At one, play is how she explores, practices new skills and connects with the people who love her. The right toy fits her hands and her stage: soft enough to hug, simple enough to grab and carry, and special enough to become a favorite she keeps for years.
How Can Toys Help in Your Little One’s Development?
Moving. Toys to grab, shake, toss and carry give new walkers a reason to reach, stand and go.
Thinking. Shaking a rattle, lining up animals and turning board book pages all help her learn cause and effect.
Feeling. A soft friend to hug gives comfort and an early way to practice caring, feeding and sharing.
What Kind of Toys Would 1-Year-Old Little Girls Appreciate?
A friend to carry. Many babies this age choose one soft friend to bring everywhere, by an arm, a leg or an ear.
Toys to shake and toss. Soft hand-knit rattles are easy to hold and fun to throw and chase.
Something to hold close. A lovey with a friendly face is easy to grab and lovely to squeeze.
Books to point at. Board books with bold pictures are perfect for pointing, naming and first words.
The Best Toys for 1-Year-Old Baby Girls
Start with a soft friend. These hand-knit companions are the ones gift-givers choose most.
Charlotte the Pig
All charm, with a bright pink snout and a playful spirit, in a huggable size for little arms.
Perfect lovey for baby: I got this for my baby (six months) and he loves it. It’s the perfect size for him to hug and play with.
Pierre the Paris Dog
A chic French pup with a red beret and a “Je T’aime” sweater, sent with love from Paris to her new best friend.
Organic knit doll, Pierre Dog: My 16mth old grandson LOVES Pierre! The toy is very well made, beautiful colors and great size.
Bruno the Donkey
A sweet hand-knit donkey, soft, friendly and ready for every adventure.
Donkey Stuffed Animal: So cute and soft! My 6 month old daughter loves it!
Frank the Dog
Our most iconic piece: a 12-inch hand-knit dog with floppy ears and a little taxi on his chest, easy to grab and carry everywhere.
Great dog! I love this dog. I have bought it for other people's children, and it's always their favorite.
Pedro the Pigeon
New York’s most famous bird, made huggable. A little bit cheeky, completely lovable, and always good for a laugh.
Large NYC Taxi Plush
A big, squeezable yellow cab: something to hug, push across the floor and lean on for story time.
Organic Stuffed Taxi Cab Pillow: We received our soft Taxi Cab Pillow from Estella - and it is everything we wanted in this item - soft, cute and cuddly.
Rattles to Shake and Toss
Safari Baby Rattle Set
A hand-knit lion, elephant, giraffe and monkey: four friends to shake, hold and line up.
Baby Shower MVP Gift Right Here: Everyone wanted the link.
NYC Baby Rattle Gift Set
A hand-knit taxi, hot dog, pretzel and Big Apple, a little taste of New York with no sizes to guess.
The best! This rattle set is my favorite baby gift to give all of my friends who once lived in NYC. I highly recommend to everyone!
Giraffe Baby Rattle
A long-necked hand-knit giraffe that’s easy for little hands to hold.
Adorable: Great! Perfectly made and cute as can be ❤️
Toni the Elephant Rattle
A gentle hand-knit elephant with a little heart embroidered on one leg.
Charming Baby Toy! The toy is beautifully made and has a little heart embroidered on one leg.
Hot Sauce & Avocado Rattle Set
A hand-knit hot sauce bottle and avocado for the baby of a family that loves good food.
Loveys to Hold Close
Octopus Lovey Security Blanket
A friendly octopus face on a 14-inch square of organic cotton, in turquoise or pink.
Adorable: The Octopus lovey is going to be hard to give up to my new grandson! It’s wonderfully soft & well made.
Whale Lovey Security Blanket
Cozy stripes, a playful whale and a padded tail, in organic cotton and easy to take along.
Excellent: Beautiful, well-made little blanket for my grandson. Absolutely love it!!
NYC Taxi Lovey Security Blanket
A soft little taxi lovey for the baby girl with a New York heart.
Great gift for a friend who loves NYC: Beautifully made! Made a great gift for a friend whose favorite city is NYC.
Board Books to Read Together
NYC ABCs Baby Board Book
A witty board book alphabet of iconic New York landmarks and culture, from A to Z.
Hello, World: New York Board Book
A vibrant graphic board book that introduces baby to the colors of New York.
Adorable: My granddaughter loved it and so did we.
Two Dogs on a Trike Baby Book
A zany counting adventure with playful pups on every kind of wheels, perfect for pointing and counting together.
What Developmental Stage Is My 1-Year-Old Baby Girl Experiencing?
Physical. Many 1-year-olds are pulling up, cruising and starting to walk, and their hands are getting better at grabbing, letting go and passing things back and forth.
Cognitive. She’s learning that her actions make things happen, finding hidden toys and pointing at pictures she knows.
Social and emotional. She may wave, clap, copy what you do and reach for a favorite friend when she wants comfort. Every baby grows at her own pace.
What Size to Give
Plush toys, loveys, rattles and books need no size at all. Adding an outfit? Most 1-year-olds wear 12–18 months; size up to 18–24 months for a longer fit.
Ready to Give
Add a free gift message in your cart, and every order includes a gift receipt with no prices. Gift boxing is $8, complimentary on orders over $175. Orders ship within 1–2 business days, with free shipping on U.S. orders over $75.
Frequently Asked Questions
What toys are best for a 1-year-old girl?
A soft friend to hug and carry, rattles to shake and toss, a lovey to hold close and board books to read together.
What are your knit toys made of?
Our knit toys have an organic cotton exterior, hand-knit by artisans in Peru, with a soft polyester fill. Each product page lists its materials. As with any toy, supervise playtime.
Can I send a gift directly to the family?
Yes. Ship to any U.S. address and add a free gift message; the gift receipt never shows prices.
Can I buy Estella on Amazon?
No. Estella is sold only at estella-nyc.com and at select museum and boutique partners.
Shop the Best Toys for Your One-Year-Old at Estella
Every toy is made with love. See all of our first birthday gifts, our stuffed animals and our hand-knit baby rattles.
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