6 Best STEM Toys for 1 Year Old | STEMtastic Baby Gifts

Is your kiddo who has only just begun to toddle about old enough to start with STEM?

You certainly won’t throw a 1,000 pages worth of astrophysics curriculum at them.

But there are age-appropriate ways to that make those baby steps easy and fun.

After all, STEM fields are the fastest-growing fields in the modern world, and children at this age are sponges. Take advantage of this vital time of development by filling your child’s world with these high-quality educational toys.

The best toys are those that are multi-purpose and open-ended. Children should be able to do more than one thing with the toys you get them – stack up cups are a great example. Here are some of the toys we recommend for babies.

Related: Click here to see 5 STEM Toys for Babies for Cognitive Development & Motor Skills

Best STEM Toys for 1 Year Old

The First Years Stack Up Cups

This is what we’re talking about when we say that STEM works in sneaky ways.

After all, this playset consists of a few colorful cups that resemble little flower pots. They even have tiny holes at the bottom.

Doesn’t really scream MATH, but it does begin to teach it!

These nesting cups are incredibly simple but provide unlimited learning opportunities for young children. They can be fit together, stacked on top of each other, or used to hide things. As your child plays, they’ll develop excellent motor skills and problem-solving skills.

Each cup is brightly colored, helping draw your 1-year-old’s attention without noises or bright, flashing lights. Each container has a number on the bottom, making this educational toy a good option for introducing numbers as well. This set of cups also has small holes in the bottom for use in the bathtub or swimming pool.

These engineering toys are entirely open-ended, so they’ll grow with your child. Young children will enjoy placing each block inside the other, while older children will morph the cups into boats and practice counting.

For slightly younger babies, another popular stacking toy is the Fischer-Price Rock-a-Stack.

KIDWILL LAND Wooden Hammering & Pounding Toy

This Wooden Hammering & Pounding Toy by KIDWILL LAND is a multi-purpose learning toy for 1-year-olds, and a current alternative to the now-discontinued Rolimate version. Young children will have hours of fun pounding the colorful pegs with the included wooden hammers.

Kids adore banging, but it’s not the sole purpose of this toy. It also has a built-in musical xylophone, and two mallets are included so your child can play music to their heart’s content.

There’s a number maze puzzle too, which adds an early introduction to numbers. With two hammers and two mallets in the box, siblings, friends or parents can easily join in.

With so many different ways to play, this educational toy can teach your child many skills, including hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and rhythm. This toy is especially suitable for young boys who have already hit their destructive phase.

Wooden Shape Sorter Toy by Cubbie Lee

This classic STEM toy is a must-have for every baby. But how is it better than other shape sorters?

This wooden shape sorter includes twelve wooden shapes. Each shape is carefully crafted out of solid wood, and the edges are worn down so that they are not rough. Each block is painted a bright color, helping keep your child’s attention while also teaching color recognition.

The lid slides off and on. Most one-year-olds should be able to remove and replace the top after being shown how. This wooden shape sorter even comes with a strap for easy transportation.

This educational toy helps children develop many different skills. Children will develop their dexterity and fine motor skills as they try to fit each shape into the right hole. They’ll also build shape recognition and sorting skills.

TOYVENTIVE Wooden Activity Cube

Here’s another, slightly more advanced shape sorter!

This activity cube from TOYVENTIVE (a current alternative to the now-discontinued Top Bright cube) packs five STEM activities for your one-year-old to enjoy: a bead maze, shape sorter, abacus, spinning gears, and a learning clock. These activities help children develop their fine-motor skills and problem-solving skills.

The shape sorter gives children a chance to get familiar with shapes, while the abacus and clock introduce counting and basic numbers. The cube is made from sturdy wood with smooth edges, and it also comes with stacking cups and a first words board book, packed in a gift-ready box.

This toy is topped with a bead maze. It’s removable, so it can be played with separately and then stored inside the cube, which keeps cleanup simple.

Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker

Greatness lies in simplicity, and it’s not just another phrase!

Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker is a classic stacker toy and a current alternative to the now-discontinued Grimm’s Wooden Stacking Tower. On the surface, it’s just 7 brightly colored wooden rings, a red topper piece, and a wooden rod on a rocking base.

But its learning potential is incredible. Kids can stack the rings from biggest to smallest or vice versa, practicing ordering, which is an early mathematical skill.

And when colors come into play, there’s even more to learn: the stacker encourages early shape, color, and size recognition while building fine motor skills.

The pieces are smooth and easy to grasp, and the set is made from durable, child-safe materials. Just note that Melissa & Doug recommends it from 18 months, so it’s a toy your little one can grow into.

Baby University Four-Book Set

We all know the importance of reading to children. Reading allows parents to introduce all sorts of concepts to their children.

Take advantage of this opportunity by choosing a book that introduces your child to STEM concepts, like this Board Book set by Baby University. In this set of books, you’ll get Quantum Physics for Babies, Rocket Science for Babies, General Relativity for Babies, and Newtonian Physics for Babies.

These books explain these complex concepts at a level that tiny children can understand. By introducing your child to these concepts, they’ll be better prepared to tackle them later in life.

The illustrations in this book are gender-neutral, so they make an excellent gift for both boys and girls. If there’s an older sibling around, our #1 tip is to have them read these books to your baby – what a great way to bond and learn together!

What Educational Toy Should I Get for My 1-Year-Old?

A young child can never have too many learning toys.

When it comes to choosing baby toys for your child, selecting a dozen high-quality toys is the way to go. Because babies are changing so quickly at this age, we particularly recommend toys that can grow with your child – like many of the ones suggested in this article.

It would be best if you also choose toys based on your child’s interests. Does your child love to whack things? Give them something appropriate to hit with the Hammering and Pounding toy. Love books? Try the Baby University book set. Keep them stimulated and watch them develop!

Last update on 2026-10-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API