As the proud parent of a one year old, we seriously consider the types of toys we want our daughter to play with. Personally, I want the toys we invest in to have longevity as well as entertainment and imaginative value. I confess that I am particularly fond of Fisher Price and the toys discussed here are primarily from them.

Our daughter has had an Fisher Price Amazing Animals Train since about 6 months. She loves this toy. Not only does it promote imaginitive play and learning, it is also fun! Of course, it was a no brainer to expand her collection for her first birthday. As we have entertained the children of friends and family over the last few months, these are a repeated favorite among boys and girls as old as 6! I am confident that these toys will be well loved and used for a long time. It is fun to watch our daughter's ability to manipulate and enjoy them change as she grows.

Another favorite was a gift from Grandma, also by Fisher Price. The Megablock. If you are not familiar with the smaller Peek-A-Blocks, they are small clear blocks with fun surprises inside. Often the blocks come in themed packages (alphabet, animals, food, etc.). Our daughter has nearly fifty of the little things, so I was thrilled to have another way for her to play with them, as well as store them. The megablock plays music and encourages all kinds of motor and cognitive skills. This is a toy that gets played with every day and is worth the money. For smaller options, I highly recommend the Peek-a-blocks themselves. The alphabet set is a great one to start with.

Another great toy our daughter loves is her activity table. Now, we purchased the Fisher Price version (of course - believe me we don't own stock in or work for Fisher Price). My sister has another version by Baby Einstein, which is also really nice. Her 4 year old still plays with this toy. The concept is both entertaining and versatile.

Of course, apart from toys with a little longevity and photographic quality, your one year old isn't likely to remember what they received for their first birthday. Here are some ideas that might make an impact a little further down the road...

• Open or put money in your child's savings account.
• Buy a new digital camera or camcorder to capture their milestones.
• Finish the '1 year' scrapbook!
• Write your child a letter and put it aside for their 18th or 21st birthday.
• Put money aside for an outdoor play-set. Before their 2nd birthday, they'll be ready for it. Approximately 18 months for most children.

Here is another idea we did. Join Upromise.com. This website is a free and easy way to have companies set aside a portion of your everyday retail and online purchases in a college savings account for your child. They also make it easy to ask friends and family to participate. What better time than a first birthday to ask them to take the time to sign up?

Hopefully these ideas will inspire you on how to select some great toys for your child's first birthday!