• When searching for a gift for a 1-year-old, consider buying toys that suit the child's development. According to the Mayo Clinic's website, children between the ages of 10 and 12 months gain speed in their motor skills, hand-eye coordination and understanding. Appropriate gifts for 1-year-olds will be more mature than the baby toys they most likely have outgrown, such as rattles and teething rings. You can choose from a wide variety of gifts for an emerging toddler.
  
  

Big Soft Blocks

• Pulling up, standing, moving along furniture and taking steps are a few of the motor skills at this age, according to the Mayo Clinic website. An excellent gift for a 1-year-old might be a set of oversized blocks--soft blocks that are large enough for the child to pull up on and walk around. Shop baby toy stores for fabric or vinyl oversized blocks.
  
  

Toys with Buttons

• At age 1, babies see you pushing buttons on telephones, remote controls and computer keyboards and want to do it, too. For 10- to 12-month olds, imitation "reigns supreme," the Mayo Clinic website says. Give a toy with plenty of buttons to push. Hint: Spur the baby's interest by playing with the button toy yourself.
  
  

Stacking Toys

• As a 1-year-old's hand-eye coordination improves, she may enjoy stacking items. Give a gift she will play with often: stacking toys. Choose from stackable blocks, puzzles, doughnut shapes and sortable stacking toys.
  
  

Nesting Toys

• The designer of the first Russian nesting dolls--created in 1890, according to the Russian Crafts company--must have known a thing or two about children's desires to nestle toys together. You can find baby-friendly plastic nesting toys in a variety of shapes, styles and sizes suitable for 1-year-olds. Give a set of nesting toys to keep him busy, hold his attention and promote hand-eye coordination.
  
  

Picture Books

• Two motor skills for 1-year-olds listed on the Mayo Clinic website are the ability to find hidden objects and point out items correctly. An appropriate gift could be a picture book filled with large drawings of objects to point out. Look for picture books with illustrations of faces, rooms in a house, items in a toy box and so on.