All first birthday parties are different, but all birthday parties have one thing in common: gifts! You want first birthday gift ideas so that baby’s first birthday gift from you is memorable, unique and useful.
What is an appropriate first birthday gift? Babies happily play with toilet paper rolls, pots, and empty water bottles. But the year between one and two is filled with incredible learning and growth. So we’ve rounded up a list of first birthday gift ideas that the now one-year-old can use all year.
So bookmark this list, send it to friends and family, or even attach it to your baby’s 1st birthday e-vite.
Baby’s First Birthday Gift
What do you get a kid turning 1? From well-known toy companies like Melissa & Doug to new brands Lovevery and Doona, read on for the best gifts for 1-year-olds.
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Personalized First Birthday Gift Ideas
A personalized gift for baby’s first birthday will be sentimental and memorable.
PERSONALIZED NAME PUZZLE
A crowd favorite, this personalized puzzle will get “oohs and ahhs” at the party and will help little ones learn their name. It does double duty as a photo prop or nursery decor.
Light up the nursery with this lovely personalized night light showcasing a name or special phrase.
Make the special 1-year-old in your life the star of their own storybook. I See Me offers plenty of story options, like this one focused on positive traits and the alphabet.
More personalized first birthday gift ideas:
First Birthday Gift Ideas Under $25
Parents and babies love wooden learning toys. This one is adorable: it has colorful numbers and shapes, so sorting and counting will be a breeze when your baby enters preschool.
As baby sorts and matches, they’ll develop their shape, color, and number recognition skills while improving their hand-eye coordination.
MELISSA & DOUG POKE-A-DOT BOARD BOOKS
Babies are super-tactile at twelve months old, so these interactive books are perfect for their first birthday. Read the fun rhymes as you poke the dots, count, and sing together!
You can’t go wrong with a classic push toy at this age. As toddlers push this around, they’ll hear fun popping sounds while they work on their balance and coordination.
And when it’s time to put it away, the handle folds to minimize storage space.
HONEYSTICKS ORIGINAL BEESWAX CRAYONS
These chubby little nontoxic crayons are safe if babies are still mouthing objects. They’re made of 100% pure New Zealand beeswax and food-grade coloring ingredients. Pro tip? Bundle this gift with a jumbo coloring book.
First Birthday Gift Ideas Under $40
Colorful, fun, and easy to store: three things we love in a toddler toy! Encourage muscle development as they crawl through this tunnel that features interior padding around a hardened spring steel wire structure for safety and playtime comfort.
Baby dolls make great birthday gifts for boys and girls! Gently hug this lavender-scented Sleepy Times Wee Baby Stella to release its soothing scent.
This playset includes a pacifier and bottle that attach magnetically, a bedtime book, and a plush teddy bear. Wee Baby Stella can be cuddled, snuggled, and held tightly, making her a perfect first baby doll.
This is a great little baby doll for boys too:
A pull toy like this one is another classic first birthday gift. Your little one and this puppy pal can learn to walk together. Not only can they walk the dog, but they can also teach it to do tricks like sitting, standing, and rolling! Available in red and blue.
First Birthday Gifts to Develop Fine Motor Skills
There are so many beautiful toys that develop fine motor skills in young children.
MELISSA & DOUG 60-PIECE STANDARD UNIT BLOCKS
Playing with building blocks builds fine motor skills, an understanding of spatial relationships, and creativity, among other skills. With this 60-piece set of large wooden blocks from Melissa & Doug, kids can spend hours building towers, towns, and other structures.
Tobbles Neo by Fat Brain Toys
This great stacking toy for babies, but its fun shape will also appeal to toddlers and preschoolers. Colorful and appealing to hold, it can be stacked with the pieces right side up or upside down, with each side providing a different level of challenge. This toy is also the winner of several awards for its excellent design.
This was always a favorite of my babies. And, now that I think about it, they still play with these as big kids!
Big First Birthday Gift Ideas
From a ride-on toy to a wagon to a climber – these birthday gifts will make an impact.
We love a grow-with-baby toy, and this ride-on from Skip Hop is just that! It starts as a push wagon for early walkers, then converts to a ride-on toy, and finally, a scooter. This is a birthday gift idea made to last.
Choose between a unicorn (pictured), fox, or dog.
LITTLE PEOPLE FRIENDS TOGETHER PLAY HOUSE
Kids LOVE Little People houses. And they last! This is a toy that my 7 and 5 years olds still aren’t ready to get rid of. This interactive playset is loaded with engaging play! Kids move the three best friend figures through the rooms of the home and on the outdoor patio, swimming pool, and tree swing.
As kiddos play, the Smart Stages learning content teaches the alphabet, counting, opposites, and more while encouraging them to play out their own imaginative stories.
RADIO FLYER CLASSIC WALKER WAGON
Classic, safe and versatile, this award-winning push wagon is a favorite for children and parents alike.
Even baby toy minimalists will love this wagon! The “resist pushing” feature allows beginner walkers to build confidence and balance safely. Removable wooden stake sides add to the fun, and the furniture-friendly bumper protects your home as your little one learns to walk.
You’ll have a hard time deciding which rocker to get from Labebe, but we can assure you that no choice will be wrong! Choose from a sweet pink deer, a spotted giraffe, a festive llama, and many others. These rockers are sturdy, soft, and easy to assemble and clean. Rockers can help kiddos improve their mobility and inspire independent and group play.
Plus, they look adorable in any room.
We looked high and low for a beautiful, affordable wooden climber, and this is it! This foldable Little Climber is a home playground made in the USA that will enhance your children’s motor skill development, balance control, creativity, and much more!
It will grow with your little one for up to 4+ years. An excellent option for babies with older siblings to play together!
Step2 Whisper Ride II Push Car
You can go with the classic Little Tikes Cozy Coupe or check out this upgraded version that is MUCH easier (and quieter) to push around the neighborhood.
Whether you give a first birthday gift that inspires imaginative play or one that will hone fine motor skills, your gift won’t go unnoticed. You’ve researched to find the best first birthday gifts – and it will show.
Still need more first birthday gift ideas? Here’s a quick list:
- Wooden push toy
- Anything by Fat Brain Toys
- Cuddly toy
- Bath toys
- Board books
- Shape sorting toys
- Ball pit
Are you planning a first birthday party? Check out our first birthday party planning tips and helpful guide to choosing a first birthday theme.
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