Best Push Toys for a 1-Year Old 2022
Push toys are designed to help one-year-olds develop coordination and strength as they learn to walk. These toys typically have a handle or bar that can be pushed or pulled, and a base with wheels that allow the toy to move forward.
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Why are push toys important?
Push toys are important because they help develop the coordination and strength needed for walking. One-year-olds who use push toys can practice their gross motor skills by pushing and pulling the toy, and also improve their balance and coordination as they walk behind it.
Push toys are also a great way for 1-year-olds to explore their surroundings. As they push the toy around, they can discover new things and learn about cause and effect. They also work on their self-confidence and improve their social-emotional skills as they begin to interact with the world around them in a way they never had before.
How can I Choose the Best Push Toy for my 1-year-old?
When choosing a push toy for your one-year-old, it is important to consider the following factors:
The size of the toy: Make sure the toy is the right size for your one-year-old. It should be tall enough for them to reach the handle or bar, but not so tall that it is difficult to control.
The weight of the toy: The toy should be lightweight so that your one-year-old can easily push or pull it.
The features of the toy: Look for a toy that offers features that will help with your one-year-old's learning and development. Music, lights, or sound effects can engage the senses and give toddlers a chance to play with cause and effect. On the other hand, if you'd like a quieter toy, options like a toy stroller or cart have lasting value. They can carry all sorts of toys and toddlers love imitating grown-ups by pushing these.
Best Push Toys for a 1-Year Old
Vtech is known for its incredible learning toys for toddlers, and the sit-to-stand learning walker is one of the best toys they offer. The interactive walker has a removable play panel with piano keys, knobs to twist and turn, spinning rollers, shape sorters, and light-up buttons that help your toddler develop their motor skills. The wheels work great over carpet, and the walker plays more than 70 songs, music, and sound effects so that your one-year-old will be entertained wherever they are.
Pros:
- Designed for babies nine months to three years old
- Lots of interactive pieces on the play panel
- Removable play panel
- Rolls easily over carpet
- Durable plastic
- Pretend telephone
- More than 70 songs and sounds
- 2 AA batteries are included
Cons
- Requires batteries
- Phone is not attached, can be lost
- Sounds and music can all go off at once if your one-year old hits multiple buttons one after the other
Bubble Lawn Mower
Every toddler wants to mow the grass like mom and dad and Bubble Lawn Mower is the best way to engage your child in outdoors chores that are safe and fun. The bubble mower encourages role-playing, imagination, and creativity while delighting your toddler through cause and effect play. The bubbles are produced by keeping the mower in motion and blowing thousands of bubbles in just minutes. This push toy for one-year-olds is also designed especially for tiny hands with a grip on the handle they can hold onto with both hands while pushing and staying upright.
Pros:
- Produces thousands of bubbles in minutes
- Designed for child's hands
- Wide handle grip for two hands
- Comes with three bubble refills
- Plays music in motion
- Encourages imaginative play
Cons:
- Requires 3 AAA batteries that are not included
- Lightweight could tip over with your toddler if they trip and fall
Bubble mowers are a fun outdoor toy that helps with imagination, gross motor skills, and balance. Every one-year-old loves bubbles and wants to be outside, playing, and mimicking mom and dad. We recommend the bubble mower for every home with a toddler.
Bright Starts Giggling Gourmet Shop n Cook Walker
Toddlers love to roleplay and push toy grocery carts are a great way to engage their imagination and creativity. The Bright Starts Giggling Gourmet Shop n Cook Walker offers four different play modes that grow with your one-year-old. They can sit and play with the removable cooktop, stand and play with the cart as an activity table, push and walk behind the entire walker; or they remove the top and fill up the cart with groceries. The popcorn on the cooktop really pops when your toddler pushes the cart or presses the buttons and shape sorter adds even more fun.
Pros:
- Four different modes of play
- Perfect for ages six months to 3 years
- Several interactive pieces on the cooktop activity table
- Encourages role play and imagination
- Includes shapes for a shape sorter
Cons
- Cannot be immersed in water
We love everything about the Bright Starts Giggling Gourmet Shop n Cook Walker that grows with baby. The only negative to this push toy for a one-year-old is that if it gets too wet the paint and stickers can peel off. The cart is super easy to clean with baby wipes or mild soap and a damp cloth.
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Learn with Puppy Walker
Fisher-Price is a well-loved toy brand that makes trusted products for toddlers. The Puppy walker is a great push toy that grows with your baby through multiple stages. Your one-year-old can sit & play, or stand & walk, using the Fisher-Price push toy. There are seven hands-on activities and more than 75 sounds, sounds, and phrases that the Puppy Walker plays including the ABC’s, shapes, colors, and counting.
Pros:
- Two modes of play to grow with your one-year-old
- Fun music and encouraging phrases to build confidence
- Adorable puppy design
- Wide handle that your toddler can hold with two hands
- Perfect for toddlers six months to three years old
Cons:
- Requires 2 AA batteries (not included)
This Fisher-Price push toy for one-year old’s is a great tool for learning how to walk and balance while also learning numbers, colors, shapes, and songs. The activity board is very interactive and encourages imaginative play so that your toddler can be entertained for a good chunk of time.
LeapFrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart
The Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart by LeapFrog is just about the most adorable push toy for a one-year-old that we have ever played with! Toddlers love ice cream, play kitchens, and role-playing and this push toy combines all of those things! Your one-year-old’s imagination and creativity will be engaged through this delightful ice cream cart that also counts to 10 and comes with play toppings and ice cream.
Pros:
- Helps build memory and sequencing skills
- Accessories for ice cream and toppings included
- Playful phrases that introduce colors, flavors, and numbers
- Activity cards that help parents and toddlers interact while playing
- Pushcart will play songs and music in motion
- Wide handle that allows for a comfortable double grip
- Helps with balance and gross motor skills
Cons
- Requires 3 AAA batteries (not included)
The LeapFrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart is a super cute push toy for toddlers who love to play pretend and role play. This push toy makes an excellent addition for any play kitchen for toddlers or other indoor or outdoor learning toys.
- Durable
- Helps a toddler prepare to become an older sibling
- Folds for easy storage
Cons:
- Handles are a bit taller than other toys
- Can be trickier to push up to standing with two handles rather than one.
Hape Block and Roll Cart Wooden Toddler Push and Pull Toy
Last but not least, a great eco-friendly option is this Hape Block and Roll cart.
Pros:
- Brightly colored
- Made with natural eco-friendly materials
- Doubles as block storage and building surface.
Cons:
- Heavier materials
- Does not fold easily for storage
Need more ideas? Check out our favorite indoor energy burning toy ideas!
Leave a comment with your kiddo's favorite push toy!
Alissa Zorn is an author, and founder of the website Overthought This. She's a coach and cartoonist passionate about helping people overcome perfectionism and shame to build authentic, joyful lives. Alissa is certified through the International Coach Federation and got her Trauma-Informed Coaching certification from Moving the Human Spirit. She wrote Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection, Not Perfection, and is always following curiosity to find her next creative endeavor.