First birthday present ideas (critique my list / give me ideas!)

[FightMilkTM]

Hello MN collective,
I’m looking for ideas for first birthday presents for my baby please
Birthday in August, so coming up on 11 months now and very nearly walking.
There are lots of things I want to get at some point but I think she’s a little young now, however as she’ll only be 1 and won’t really know it’s her birthday, I don’t mind getting something that she might ‘grow into’.

Things I’d like to get at some point:

Ikea kitchen - think she’d enjoy opening and closing the doors and emptying the cupboards which would be fun for her as we don’t really have an ‘appropriate’ cupboard that she can empty in the actual kitchen but in general she is too young to use it properly.

Trike - I prefer the more traditional style of trike and would like to get her a balance bike at some point but you can get the trikes that have different stages so I could get one of those. BUT I’ve seen a trike that can be converted into a balance bike and I’m not sure if I should hold off and get that.

Mud kitchen - similar to ikea kitchen but too young I think.

Wooden kitchen helper stand thing - too young.

Indoor ‘sensory’ table - table with sunken trays in the top (see them a lot on insta and Pinterest but they seem quite good as an indoor alternative to a mud kitchen / water table). Maybe a bit young but I could give her age appropriate activities I suppose. She is very confident with standing and cruising.

Garden trampoline - too young and garden needs ‘sorted’ before I do a trampoline as I would prefer a sunken one.

She already had a sandpit as they were on offer in Lidl

Basically, I think she’s too young to properly enjoy anything on the list but equally I don’t want to have to buy everything on the above list for her second or third birthday! (Or whenever is age appropriate - I have no idea )

Help please!

A lot of things on your list are more suitable for a 2 year old IMO. Both of mine enjoyed the trike form 1.
Do you have a ride on toy like a scuttlebug?
Shape shorter?
Activity table or sensory board?
My youngest enjoys his brothers easel.
2 piece jigsaws
Ball pool?
They don’t need much at that age though

Yeah I think she’s too young for it all but I think I’m just trying to work out how best to spread the big ticket items so as to Spread the cost / give her a chance to enjoy things / not overwhelm with loads of new stuff.
I think lockdown is just giving me too much time to think!

Just looked at scuttlebugs. They look good but a similar function to a trike? I’m a bit tight with the toys so I’d rather get her one or the other .

She has most of the other stuff on your list in some form (or pretty close to) and I’ll definitely get her a couple of things she’ll properly enjoy on the day.

They really don't need much at that age (learnt that the hard way). For DS2 turning 1 in September we are going to buy him a ball pool and an activity table.

I'm half tempted to buy him a small soft play set given that it might be a long time before they reopen.

Push and pull toys are always fun for them, particularly if they're walking like the fisher price telephone. If you'd prefer wooden toys, Goki do some really lovely pull along animals.

Kitchens etc are great but probably for 2 or 3 year olds. DS1 is 4.5 and we got him a kitchen for his second birthday, he barely touched it and now I'm a bit sick of looking at it but saving it for DS2 now.

My little girl got a kitchen for her first birthday. I did think she might be too young but it has been her favourite thing. She loves it. I got her a wee baby stella dolly and that is still very well played with 2 years on.

We bought this "balance bike" which isn't a true balance bike BUT my little one (now 18months) loves it and has been able to ride it indoors and out for the last few months on his own and for the £35ish price I think it was a bargain.

Our DD is one in August also so following with interest!

To be honest I am struggling with ideas too, it feels like you should go all out but realistically I know she doesn’t need a lot and would be happy with the wrapping paper at this point.

We’ve got an activity table, telephone toys(she loves phones!) and some clothes so far. I know the family will buy loads too so I think I’ll just get a couple books as she’s starting to show more interest in them.

For my dds first birthday we got her a slide that folds so it can be easily stored. At first she needed help using it but she's now 20 months and has been confident using it alone since February.

She loved her ball pool - I bought a three ring paddling pool and balls - it works better than the pop up ball pools that have little poles that go through the material - she quickly worked out how to get them out.

She loved a pop up tent at Christmas and still does.

We got her a trike that has a handle and you gradually move from one with a harness and big back through different stages until it's a wee trike she can pedal herself. She also loves her cosy coupe

I was advised to buy/ask for things that she could grow into as well as things she could use then. It's worked well for us - I recently brought a wee kitchen, stickle bricks and the scoop and learn ice cream cart out the loft which she is loving.

Nice personalised height chart

A keepsake money box/pig

Balloons/bubbles/day at the park feeding ducks

1 is a meh birthday in my opinion. Everyone goes wild because it's a first birthday but the dc is none the wiser. If you're thinking of spreading the cost of toys for the future, maybe open a separate bank account and pay some in each month

At a couple of months over one my DD started reallly liking the happyland figures and houses. We got one of the 4 in 1 trikes which within a couple of months she could manage well.

I would go for a slide, that was one of the things we bought at 1 which is still going strong at 2.5

DS has not long turned 1.

Things that were a hit with him have been a swing, a slide, a mini water table (so the right height for him) and also Duplo - he can't build with it yet but can build a tower with you and can take it apart, we were suprised as we thought it would be for when he was older!

Anything anyone say was a waste of money or wouldn’t recommend?

Bubble machine!

A lot of the toys you describe my DD didn't really show a great deal of interest in until she was 2. Even stacking cups and rings and things rarely got played with.

But she loved bubbles at that age, crawling to pop them, and so she loved the bubble machine.

Happyland is a good shout. Mine also got her first doll at one which she really liked. Something fun like a ball popper? I got all of her stuff second hand before anyone shouts at me for proliferating plastic!

The trike will basically be a pushchair until your baby is 2-2.5, although that was our big present at 1 I think.

There's no point in buying things now to 'grow into' because when your dc reaches the age when they are playing with them, you will be stuck for present ideas all over again, and have to do the same thing.

Just buy things she can play with now. And don't spend a lot, there really is no need. Save the money, and keep it for when she is old enough for those things on your list.

I would get something like a bubble machine.

Do you have any aquariums near you? That would make a nice trip?

If you're short on money save it for Xmas when there's lots more that she'd enjoy.

We got a trike for 1st birthday and ikea kitchen for 2nd, but I think DC2 was probably playing (opening and closing cupboards rather than actual role play) with the kitchen before she turned 2. Don't forget that you have Christmas (assuming you celebrate Christmas) to buy for too. We didn't get much for first birthdays because they didn't need much. Mine couldn't walk at all on their first birthdays.
We got something a bit like this www.elc.co.uk/wooden-toys/Early-Learning-Centre-Giant-Wooden-Activity-Cube---Blue/p/540381 and some books and, foolishly, some musical toys

We got dd a swing for her first bday and she loves it.

Dc 4 turned 1 in April and uses a trike ( with the push along handle) most days on our walks. It was his siblings though. He received a scuttle bug, which is loved. His other presents were rewrapped stuff from his siblings, wooden Ikea cars & a push along fire engine. We also wrapped a big box filled with balloons. Garden picnic at home, best 1st birthday of all the kids. He doesn’t play with much, save your cash for all the birthdays to come.

Tuff tray/mixing tray. Very versatile.
Trampoline with a handle. Big trampoline more appropriate at 3/4. Alternatively a little bouncy castle.
Books- especially with big flaps or different textures.
Ride on toy or bouncy animal
Shopping trolley, pull along cart, wheelbarrow, pram- something she can fill with toys and push/pull around
Small world toy or Duplo.

I agree that most of the toys would be better in a year's time.

A ride on is a good first birthday present - we had a wheelybug but there are loads to choose from.

It sounds like she has a lot already. If you're worried about funding big ticket items over the next year then perhaps you could put the money aside and get her things as they become appropriate.

She won't know or remember her birthday, presents or lack thereof.

Both mine had a ride on toy for first birthday which had years of play.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
I think the fact that I’ve been trying to write this on a phone and with said babe clambering all over me has meant that I haven’t made myself very clear.

I don’t feel at all under pressure to make a big deal of her birthday or buy her loads of stuff.
It’s more the opposite, I’m thinking that as she won’t remember her birthday I’m going to buy something that will come in useful over the next 6 months to a year. She’ll be happy enough trying to sneak cake into the dog on her actual birthday.
I also want to get all the things on the list at some point but I’m not buying her a trike AND a kitchen AND a mud kitchen AND a kitchen helper AND an indoor sensory table for her 2nd birthday.
I’m basically being stingy and trying to eek the good presents out over a longer period of time.
I’ll probably get either the kitchen or a trike and get the other at christmas.