Are you looking for the best gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys? If you are a practical shopper and would like to give a present that is useful and can last a long time. You are not alone.
Babies and toddlers are showered with toys and things they can play with, especially if they are the first child in the family. When it comes to special occasions, they receive so many toy gifts that they don’t even care to open the boxes.
Some parents ask us to write a guide on useful gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys. We think this is a great idea. Non-toy gifts are generally appreciated by parents, especially if it is some essential items that they will need to buy for their babies and toddlers anyway.
We cherry-picked the best gifts for one-year-old boys that are practical, useful, and a must-have for families with little kids.
More Toy Ideas:
Best Gifts for One-Year-Old Boys that Are Not Toys
Best Climbing Blocks Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
What Makes It Special?
- Its height is adjustable to accommodate a child’s growth
- The board can rotate 360 degrees
- The board can be detached for taking along
There are lots of cool features we love about the Mojitodon Rotatable Easel. So if you are looking for the best gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys but are every bit entertaining, look no further.
For less than 50 dollars, this all-in-one art easel set comes with a height-adjustable board, magnets, pens and erasers, and foam letters. Your one-year-old son will be thrilled to have so many gifts all at once.
The board is double-sided and can be rotated 360 degrees, perfect to share with siblings and friends. Once done, it can be disassembled for your little one to carry along. It is a versatile gift to help one-year-olds learn and practice creativity.
Best Table and Chair Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
Costzon 3-in-1 Table and Chair Set
What Makes It Special?
- It designed for babies and toddlers
- It is sturdy, safe, and easy to maintain
- It features lots of storage areas
If you are looking for gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys and stay useful for many years to come, one of the best choices is the Costzon 3-in-1 Table and Chair Set. It’s a gift that opens lots of possibilities for interactive play.
What’s brilliant about this table and chair set is that it features many hidden storage areas for toys, books, and stationeries. The tabletop is removable and reveals a toy compartment, and there are two additional bins under each chair.
This table and chair set is designed with wide bases so that they don’t fall down easily, even for most fierce climbers. The premium wooden material doesn’t emit unpleasant smells or toxic chemicals. It is a perfect gift for your one-year-old boy to use for drawing, reading, playing puzzles, and a lot more.
Best Baby Sofa Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
What Makes It Special?
- It features an adorable design like an artwork
- It features smooth armrests for young kids
- It uses a padded backrest and high-density sponge
Besides shopping for gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys, how about getting one that is also decorative to his room? You will immediately fall in love with the Costzon Rocking Sofa.
This modern-looking rocking chair doesn’t only look high-end, it is made with high-density sponges to add extra coziness, and with soft teddy fleece fabric that is gentle on one-year-old boys’ delicate skin. The base boasts an anti-collision design that protects both your baby boy and the floor.
This gift allows your one-year-old to take a rest, read books, and watch TV in the most comfortable position. It is one of the most-used gifts for babies and toddlers.
Best Bookset Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
My First Library Board Book Set
What Makes It Special?
- It features hard pages that are tear-free and drool-free
- It covers a wide range of subjects for one-year-old-boys
- It encourages learning time with parents
One-year-old boys are more curious than ever – they want to learn everything in this world. One of the best gifts for them is My First Library Board Book Set. It covers ten different subjects that are interesting to babies.
Besides their attractive design and vibrant colors for books, these books feature durable hard pages that will maintain their shape and color for almost forever. The contents of each book are designed for small children and are inviting.
Whether you are shopping for gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys for their birthday or Christmas, your little man will love this book set and gain lots of knowledge from it.
Best Wagon Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
What Makes It Special?
- It can be converted into a bench
- It can hold two children
- It has all the necessary features but is half the price of other wagons
Experienced parents will tell you how much they are looking forward to bringing their little man outside once they become more mobile. What I found super useful and necessary is the child wagon. And our best recommendation is the Radio Flyer Stroll ‘N Wagon.
You will find lots of expensive wagons on the internet and they do basically the same thing. This wagon can be used in three ways for almost all occasions. It is lightweight, easy to fold and carry, and is a fraction of the price of other pretentious-looking wagons.
Experienced parents will also tell you that no matter how long they delay it, they end up buying a kids’ wagon anyway. That’s why a good-quality kids’ wagon is among the perfect gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys, and their parents.
Best Toddler Bed Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
What Makes It Special?
- It is a useful gift that can be used for years
- It features an exciting design for little boys
- It features a special vintage style
Boys love cars! This includes baby boys, toddler boys, young kids, and even adults. The Step2 Roadster Twin Bed will bring much excitement to the entire family.
Beds are a common gift for one-year-old boys that are not toys. If you are buying a present for a special occasion to thrill the little one, the bed better comes with some attractive and interesting features. The Step2 Roadster has just that. It’s vintage, stylish, baby-friendly, and practical.
The twin-size bed is perfect for kids’ rooms and can last at least 10 years for most kids. What we also love about this particular bed is that it’s easy to assemble and store away. It’s also a good-quality product that won’t chip, fade, or crack.
Best Playpen Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
Indoor & Outdoor Activity Center
What Makes It Special?
- It is portable, easy to assemble, and lightweight
- It features a door to let babies crawl in
- Its size is perfect to fit in the living room or nursery
Once a one-year-old figures out how to crawl and walk, they will never stop moving! Many parents start buying baby gates or stand-alone playpens when their sons turn one year old. Our favorite gift recommendation is the Indoor & Outdoor Activity Center.
This fabric playpen doesn’t require any screwdrivers or power tools to assemble. The construction is stable and strong. We bought one for our son and it has made our life much easier. He happily stays in the playpen while we cook dinner or work from home.
The breathable mesh is see-through but is super durable. There is a cute little door that closes with a zipper. The height of this playpen is perfect for older siblings or parents to climb in and out easily (no adults will want to crawl through the tiny door).
Best Playground Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
What Makes It Special?
- It can be used indoors and outdoors
- It is suitable for babies, toddlers, and kids
- It can be shared by many kids
Another amazing idea for gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys is a playground. What’s even better is a dual-use indoor and outdoor playground. Simplay3 Year-Round Playset is hands-down our top recommendation.
We bought this playset for our daughter on her first birthday. Now that she is a big girl and our son just turned one, they both love playing with this playground. This playset can be used inside the house as well as in the backyard. You can fill it with water to add more weight to it, but without water is perfectly fine.
Parents who like to shop for non-toy gifts will not be disappointed with this excellent choice! It encourages one-year-old boys to crawl, slide, climb, and spend more time with their siblings doing physical activities.
Best Toy Organizer Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
Costzon 2-in-1 Storage Shelves
What Makes It Special?
- It helps keep the nursery clean and neat
- It is safe and accessible for one-year-olds
- It teaches kids to be organized and clean after themselves
The reason that many people look for gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys is that babies simply have way too many toys! Why not consider getting an organizer that helps sort and store toys for them? Costzon 2-in-1 Storage Organizer is a great gift idea.
We love this particular organizer because it’s stylish, child-friendly, and easy to put together. Since it comes with a bookshelf and racks for toy bins, it’s truly a multi-purpose tool to keep things organized. We found out that with toy bins, children are more likely to reach for toys and play with them. They get overwhelmed if everything is just a hot mess on the floor.
What will impress you about this storage set is that it can be configured in different ways. So depending on the type of things you want to store, and the space and design of your house, it can be set up differently.
Best Inexpensive Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
What Makes It Special?
- It can be operated by babies by tapping
- It boasts 16 lighting effects
- It costs less than 20 dollars
Are you looking for a gift for one-year-old boys that are not toys but will not cost you a bank? You will fall in love with this adorable Dinosaur Night Light. It is a utility tool, a decoration, and a child’s companion.
Depending on who you are giving the present to, it’s not always justified to give something that’s luxurious or costly. This Dinosaur Night Light is less than $20 but is very bit of useful and lovely. My one-year-old son knows how to use it without anyone teaching him. Tap, tap, tap! He just figured it out on his own and he finds that quite entertaining.
This particular child night light features 16 color effects. Some children find that this gift makes them feel secure and comfortable at night, especially if they sleep alone in their own room. It is a great budget gift option for one-year-old boys for any occasion.
Best Subscription Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
National Geographic Kids Subscription
What Makes It Special?
- It has both kindle and the printed version
- It teaches real-life subjects
- It is suitable for one-year-olds
Another wonderful option for inexpensive gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys is book subscriptions. National Geographic Kids is one of the best choices in the market today.
If you’ve done your research online, you probably didn’t find many book subscription services that are suitable for one-year-old boys. When we first tried it for our son, we were skeptical. But then we quickly fell in love with it.
These small books are filled with interesting and useful real-life knowledge that is intriguing for small kids. Unlike picture books, the images are realistic and relatable for young children. This subscription service is a gift of knowledge and curiosity that can benefit a one-year-old boy for his entire life.
Best Art Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
What Makes It Special?
- It uses water pens and is mess free
- It doesn’t use toxic paint
- It is easy to store away
If your little boy loves to draw or paint but you are in no mood to deal with the mess it creates, then we recommend the Mess Free Drawing Mat as a great non-toy present on his one-year birthday.
This magical drawing mat uses water pens that are natural and will never stain your furniture. It is also big enough for multiple children to play together, yet fold small enough to store in a toy drawer.
Rather than letting your little one play with toys, this gift encourages him to express himself via art. Its colorful design also invites your young man to learn things like letters, numbers, and shapes. It’s another educational gift that doesn’t cause any additional work for parents.
Best Art Easel Gift for One-Year-Old Boys
What Makes It Special?
- Its height is adjustable to accommodate a child’s growth
- The board can rotate 360 degrees
- The board can be detached for taking along
There are lots of cool features we love about the Mojitodon Rotatable Easel. So if you are looking for the best gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys but are every bit entertaining, look no further.
For less than 50 dollars, this all-in-one art easel set comes with a height-adjustable board, magnets, pens and erasers, and foam letters. Your one-year-old son will be thrilled to have so many gifts all at once.
The board is double-sided and can be rotated 360 degrees, perfect to share with siblings and friends. Once done, it can be disassembled for your little one to carry along. It is a versatile gift to help one-year-olds learn and practice creativity.
Guidance on Shopping for the Best Gifts for One-Year-Old Boys that Are Not Toys
When it comes to a special occasion such as birthdays, Christmas, or the first time meeting up with a one-year-old boy, the first thing that comes to many people’s minds is a toy. That’s why parents are normally overwhelmed by the number of toys their little one has. I am definitely one of them.
Non-toy gifts for one-year-old boys are normally what experience parents go for. They are thought for, practical, usable, and help save money in the future. The only challenge many people face is how to make a non-toy relevant and interesting to a little baby, who seems to care about nothing but playing with toys.
There are actually many exceptional options for gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys at all. They are generally appreciated by parents and prove to be entertaining to little babies and toddlers.
Here are some guidelines when you look for the perfect non-toy present for one-year-old boys.
- Select a gift that provides utility for baby and toddler-related activities. For example, kids’ wagons, foldable lightweight strollers, and gym sets are great options. They are not toys but are must-haves for family outdoor activities. They make parents’ lives much easier when they are out and about with their one-year-olds. These items generally last many years.
- Look for gifts that match up with one-year-old boys’ developmental milestones. At one year, most boys are able to crawl, or maybe cruise or walk. The added mobility also means a higher chance of accidents. Boys at this age bump into walls and sharp furniture all the time. Gifts that help child-proof the house are super needed! That’s why we recommend baby gates, playpens, or child-proofing tools.
- Consider art projects or equipment for one-year-old boys. Learning and practicing art is a great activity for any one-year-old boy. It’s educational, off-screen, and quiet (thank goodness). What’s even better is that kids at this age still need parents’ guidance on using art products – and this creates a wonderful opportunity for one-year-old boys to interact with old siblings or parents. And these gifts are generally less expensive.
Summary
As you can see from our shopping guide, there are plenty of excellent choices when it comes to gifts for one-year-old boys that are not toys. I won’t underestimate how difficult it may seem for first-time parents to find such gifts. That’s why we gathered this list from parents who have raised many kids and know exactly what their one-year-old boys used to love and need.
Cecilia Yeung is a successful entrepreneur and product researcher. She has a background in psychology and children’s education. As a working mother of two, she loves to write about children’s education and development.
