Birthdays are a special time for a little one, celebrating milestones while surrounded by family and friends. Those first birthdays are the most precious, and one of the key parts of a child’s birthday party is gift-giving, with plenty of gifts to choose from.
While children may not remember their first birthdays, many gifts will be kept – or immortalized in photos, to be looked at later. Gift shopping for a youngster can be fun, but knowing which gift is best can be challenging.
You should consider their interests, abilities, and safety; small or moving parts can present a hazard. Early learning toys are crucial to development and offer a chance to enhance a child’s logic and problem-solving skills, all while having fun! This gift guide will help you choose the best gift for the young one in your life.
V-Tech Drop & Go Dump Truck
This is the perfect playmate for your little contractor; kids will learn colors, numbers, and motor skills with this fun dump truck.
In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, it’s a great learning tool as the truck includes three buttons that play melodies and phrases to teach colors and tools.l Ideal for ages 6+ months.
V-Tech Sit-to-Stand Walker
Is your little one starting to take their first steps? Balance development is crucial, making this an ideal toy; it’s engaging and interactive, with great benefits for motor development and auditory training.
While it should be used with supervision in case of a slip or fall, it’s sturdy enough to hold toddlers up without any issue. It’s safe for use on carpet and bare floors, and the volume won’t disturb sensitive ears. Intended for use from 9 months onwards.
Playskool Busy Poppin’ Pals
This is a great toy set to encourage your child’s exploration and love for animals while keeping them entertained. This hands-on toy introduces colors, shapes, new sounds, and exciting new jungle animals. It’s easy to use and will help children build motor skills while having fun. It’s easy to store and portable, suitable for playdates and on-the-go fun.
Munchkin The Baby Toon Silicon Spoon
Teething and weaning can feel like a battleground; this two-in-one baby spoon/teether set is a practical, fun tool that smooths the process.
It’s gentle on gums, easy to grip, and safe to use as it’s made of 100% food-grade silicone. It’s also designed with patented gagging-prevention technology. It’s dishwasher safe and suitable for teething babies and toddlers, 4+ months.
Hudson Baby Fleece Booties
Even little ones could do with a cozy pair of slippers – these Hudson fleece boots are comfy for babies and toddlers (and challenging to remove for the escape artists among us). They velcro close and are easy to keep on, with a non-slip sole to prevent your little one from falling. Available in most baby and toddler sizes.
Alasou Suction Cup Spinner
You can take these adorable spinners anywhere for your child’s entertainment, and they can suction to several surfaces and help little ones learn hand-eye coordination and motor skills. They are bright, colorful, and fun, making an ideal small gift.
Bannor Toys’ Shape Sorter
This classic baltic birch wood sorter is eye-catching, unique, and intriguing. It’s an ideal educational toy. Bannor created this traditional wood + silicone shape sorter to be eye-catching and fascinating for your little one to play with. Includes eight food-grade silicone shapes and can be customized for a $7 fee.
Hear Bear Roar Sound book
Imagination is an often-overlooked area of child development, and the gift of reading is beautiful. Hear Bear Roar is a fantastic first book to promote fun reading. There are 30 sound buttons and fascinating characters to get to know. Little animal lovers will adore this interactive adventure.
Sassy Stacks of Circles Stacking Rings
This is a great 9-piece set of colorful sensory stacking rings. The center of each circle is the same, so they can be stacked in any order, used to build a tower, etc. They make excellent teething toys for little ones and help improve motor skills and reasoning.
TOY Life Wooden Animal Puzzles
This well-made wooden puzzle is a fun new learning experience, including eight brightly colored shapes. The high-quality wood is rounded, with no sharp edges, and finished with colorful paints. This set is aesthetically pleasing and safe for little ones.
Little Tikes Go and Grow Lil’ Rollin’ Giraffe
This is a perfect, versatile bike for toddlers, and the three-wheel design allows children to grow crucial balancing skills while staying safe. The seat is adjustable, and the bike is suited for indoor and outdoor use. It’s easy to assemble and is the ideal first ride-on toy.
VTech Wiggle and Crawl Ball
This is an ideal first toy; the ball wiggles and wobbles, encouraging little ones to chase after it. It doubles as an educational toy, promoting motor skills and learning about animals, numbers, and colors through over 45 songs, sounds, and phrases. Five flashing lights attract your baby’s attention while spinning, twisting and sliding animals encourage interaction. Ideal from 6 months.
VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube
This is a must-have for little ones, with multiple functions to introduce babies to animal sounds, names, and shapes. This toy promotes motor skill development and enhances knowledge of colors, shapes, and more. There are five sides to play and explore to keep curious minds active.
Fisher Price Food Truck
Encourage your little guy’s entrepreneurial spirit by getting him his very own food truck – including an interactive food preparation area with a sink, service bell & light-up grill. Not only will you encourage creativity, but play-cooking can help with hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. This toy is intended for 18+ months.
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Crawl Around Car
This cool car will help your toddler develop endless imaginary stories and fun – it doubles as an educational toy with 75+ sounds, phrases, and songs. You can use this toy to introduce the baby to numbers, colors, greetings, and letters. It has many lights and sounds to fascinate babies and is cute and engaging for hours of fun.
Step2 Tropical Rainforest Water Table
For hours of outdoor fun, you can turn your backyard into a tropical paradise thanks to the Tropical Rainforest Water Table. It’s excellent value and quick to assemble; the set includes a water table, rainforest canopy tray, and a 13-piece accessory set including tropical fish and frog toys. Water play allows children to explore another sensation and work on their hand/eye coordination.
SplashEZ Sprinkler Pool
The SplashEZ Sprinkler pool is a reusable, safe kids’ pool that makes a welcome reprieve from the summer heat. Suitable for use from 12 months and older, a variety of ages can enjoy this paddling pool, but the learning mat will be best suited to young ones unfamiliar with animals and the alphabet.
Crayola Washable Fingerpaints
These non-toxic, safe paints are a great way to foster a little one’s creativity. They clean up quickly and are vibrant and fun in bottles that are easy to squeeze and use. Children can enjoy a safe foray into the world of art with these vibrant paints. Since they are non-toxic and washable, they’re perfect for kids aged 12+ months.
LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book
The Leapfrog Learning Friends Monkey, Turtle, and Tiger are exciting new friends here to introduce a new vocabulary to children. You can explore new words, fun facts, sounds, and music by touching the pictures and words. Uniquely, this is a bilingual book; by flipping a switch, you can hear the words in Spanish, making this a great way to introduce a new language.
Non-Slip Cotton Crew Socks by SkiBeaut
Socks are an underrated gift, and anti-slip socks are a practical gift, as they keep little ones safe as they run around. The cotton material is comfortable, hypoallergenic, soft, breathable, and forgiving through growth spurts. They’re a fun, affordable gift with different styles and animal patterns.
Fat Brain Toys Activity Tree
This wooden tree activity center is packed full of exciting features! It is sure to keep your little explorer busy for hours. There are colorful and vibrant spinning gears, an owl in the birdhouse, spiraling wires full of colorful beads, and artistically decorated open/shut doors, all illustrated with fun critters and little homes. Though there are small moving parts, they are well-attached and don’t represent a choking hazard.
Baby Gund My First Sports Bag Playset
A keen interest in sports is an excellent thing to foster in a young boy, and any child will love this adorable playset of delightful plush sporting balls. This five-piece playset includes a bright and colorful bag complete with touch and close fasteners for secure storage. It’s never too early to start developing your knuckleball or working on your jump shot, and this sports bag playset for babies will get them started right.
JandEKids Personalized Wooden Name Puzzle
Customized gifts are a wonderful way of taking your gift-giving to the next level. This Montessori-inspired puzzle brings a beautiful element of nursery decor, writing your child’s name in a unique and fun way. It’s a gorgeous bespoke gift and will help children gain motor skills and color/shape recognition while representing a high-quality and personal gift.
Munchkin DuckDunk Bath Toy
Bath toys are a great sensory activity, representing fun and safe ways to improve bathtime. The Duck Dunk bath toy is easy to assemble and will make bath time a magical experience with a circle hoop that forms a net and colorful bath balls that squirt water when squeezed; there are endless possibilities to stay engaged and have fun in the tub. – your child won’t want to bathe without it.
Chalk City Sidewalk Chalk
Creativity is one of the best qualities to foster in young minds – this 20-piece jumbo chalk set is a perfect gift, as non-toxic sidewalk chalks are a great way to explore art. They are safe and washable, designed to minimize chalk dust. They can also be used for many purposes, as people of all ages can enjoy playing tic-tac-toe, hopscotch, and other games; they’re easy to use and will keep little ones busy for hours.
VTech KidiBeats Drum Set
Who wouldn’t be excited to play a set of drums? Toddlers will enjoy playing along and learning melodies in several styles; Your child can drum freestyle or play along to nine pre-set songs in various musical styles. They can also freestyle and experiment with their own sensory development. Each drum features unique lights designed to fascinate little ones.
Bablocvid Magnetic Drawing Board
Fostering creativity is all well and good, but most parents know the pain of scrubbing drawings and crayon marks off of walls. A great compromise is a multifunctional magnetic drawing board – you can wipe out the doodles, and it’s ready to use again. It’s fun, engaging, and easy to use while inspiring your little one to get creative.
Ancaixin Baby Balance Bike
This balance bike is perfect for an adventure! It’s a cute, fun addition to your child’s toy collection; it’ll help your little one develop those all-important balance skills while building confidence, as the 135-degree safe limit avoids the risk of side falling.
It’s easily assembled in three easy steps, and it has a sturdy steel frame with a supportive seat and enclosed, wide wheels to keep your baby’s feet safe from being run over.
RenFox Musical Mats
A piano play mat is a fantastic start if you’re hoping to increase your child’s interest in music. It’s made of soft non-woven fabric, safe, environmentally protected and, non-toxic, easy to clean. It has 25 music sounds, including eight instrument sounds, eight melodies, and nine music keys. It will help keep them entertained! It’s also an excellent option for promoting hand and eye coordination in a fun way for your little one.
Lambs & Ivy Baby Dino Plush Dinosaur
Every child needs a plush toy – or three. The Lambs & Ivy Baby Dinosaur is perfect for a soft, comforting friend. He’s an ideal partner in crime for any tot – the stuffed dino is exceptionally soft, machine washable (and dryable), and has soft eyes – making him safe to give to a baby or small child.
Wrapping Up
A child’s first birthday is a special time – though they won’t necessarily remember it, it’s an important milestone. You’ll want to pick a great gift – luckily, this guide contains an excellent combination of outdoorsy, educational, and safe gifts for the little one in your life. You can choose something educational, practical, or fun and vibrant, ensuring your gift are well received, appropriate, and valuable.
