Books and more for one-year-olds
Our complete list of top picks for one-year-olds
Books, music and games for young toddlers. Stories with catchy, rhythmic refrains will capture your toddler's attention even if the whole story isn't fully understood.
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Browse the catalogue for books with more games for toddlers
View or print the words and directions for games to play with one-year-olds [PDF]
Our complete list of top picks for one-year-olds
12 to 15 Months
Books all about me
Toddlers enjoy very simple stories about themselves and the world around them.
List of titles
Books with silly words
Stories with silly or made-up words appeal to your toddler's developing sense of humour. These stories also help sharpen your toddler's listening skills. Learning to hear the difference between sounds is an important first step in getting ready to read!
List of titles
Games
Print or view the words and directions to these games for one-year-olds [PDF]
- Singing songs such as Head and Shoulders and Where Are the Baby Mice helps toddlers build coordination and learn more about themselves.
- From Wibbleton to Wobbleton and other rhymes with silly words are great fun to share. They will help your toddler begin to hear the different sounds in words, an important skill for learning to read.
15 to 18 Months
Books about animals
Your toddler is starting to recognize and enjoy learning about a wide variety of animals.
List of titles
Books to encourage imitating sounds
Stories that encourage making all kinds of different sounds will meet with an enthusiastic response.
List of titles
Books to encourage movement
Now that your child is more active, stories that encourage moving and shaking will channel some of that energy!
List of titles
Books with hidden objects
Your toddler is learning to understand simple instructions and remember where objects belong. This is a good time to introduce books that invite your child to look for a hidden object on each page or guess what is happening.
List of titles
Games
Print or view the words and directions to these games for one-year-olds [PDF]
- Old MacDonald and other songs and rhymes full of animal sounds will delight your toddler. Have fun making up silly animal names and noises as well as real ones!
- Ring-a-Round-a-Rosie and other simple circle games are fun to play with toddlers once they are steady on their feet. You can play circle games with just two people, or include a favourite doll or stuffed animal in the fun.
- As your child grows more confident in the water, bath time becomes a favourite play time. Poke some holes in the bottom of a plastic container and make it rain while your toddler does the splashing. Chanting Rain is Falling Down and similar rhymes will add to the fun.
- There Was a Little Turtle is one of many finger games that act out a simple story with the hands. Your toddler will giggle with delight and eventually begin to imitate your hand motions.
18 to 24 Months
Books about words and concepts
After 18 months, your toddler's language will seem to almost explode. Encourage your toddler to learn new words by introducing new concepts and building on what your toddler says. For example, if your toddler says "ball", you can say, "yes, the ball is big and round."
List of titles
Toilet teaching books and DVDs
Close to age two, your toddler may become interested in using the potty. Though most toddlers are not developmentally ready to be toilet trained at this age, it can be a good time to start casually teaching your child about the potty, toilet and body functions.
List of titles
Games
Print or view the words and directions to these games to play with one-year-olds [PDF]
- Adapting the lyrics of This is the Way We Wash Our Hands adds fun to your daily routines.