1st birthday gift ideas

[Luckyelephant1]

My little girl is turning 1 soon and I'm looking for ideas for a meaningful gift from myself and DH.

We won't get toys for her as she'll get loads from friends and family. I'm after ideas for a keepsakey thoughtful type thing- the type that I can keep safe and imagine that when she's 16 or so she'll really cherish and appreciate it.

I know jewellery could fit the bill but I'm looking for some other more creative ideas. When I look online all I really seem to get is ads for personalised tat.

Would love to hear what people bought their kids for a 1st birthday present?

Just to add I'm already making her a photo memory book thing of her first year so no photo-related ideas please 🙂

Memory box of all her first things? First bib, clothes, hat, baby scan, dummy, etc, a build a bear with both your voices in? x

In all honesty I wouldn't bother with a "meaningful" gift. We have a box full of useless tat "meaningful" christening gifts in the loft that we would love to recycle but feel that we can't - bracelets and necklaces that are too small and ornaments that are just dust gatherers.

You could get a toy or book that she could grow into and some clothes.

You could do one of those quilts that’s made of pieces of all her special outfits from the first year. I’ve been meaning to do one for DD but not quite ready for them to be cut up yet!

My dd just turned one last month. She loves books so we got her a big book of classic stories and wrote a message in the cover. Figured we can read the stories to her over the years and it’ll be a keepsake too :)

@MummaLeonax love this idea but I already have an ongoing memory box so it's not really a birthday gift in my head!

@RampantIvy haha I do know what you mean, that's why I've asked family not to get any jewellery or similar for her. The thing is I'm always buying her clothes, toys and books (often toy bundles from fb marketplace etc) so it wouldn't feel special doing the same for her birthday.

@AliasGrape ah wow not heard of this but that's an idea. I also don't know if I want her outfits cut up yet.

@SJ179 we already did this for her Christmas gift as dd also loves books! I guess I could get another more classic book as the one we got her was a Christmas themed one.

How about a music box toy?

Orange Tree Toys Paddington Bear London Music Box, https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07SNCXLN9/ref=cmswwrcppapiii_R0D5ZRB99W3DEXRZ6ZN1

Orange tree are lovely and there are lots of different versions

We got DD a nice personalised height chart and have marked on her height at each of her birthdays. She’s 12 now and we still do it.

Maybe plan a family photo shoot or a photo shoot just for her?
She could wear custom
princess dresses or oter creative outfits, there are photo studios that provide outfit renting service. Then you can make a photo book or a birthday slideshow or a collage with these photos. Either way, they'll stay forever and she'll love looking through them when she's older.

*other

Honestly, “meaningful” gifts that get put away until she’s older and then she looks at them actually have very little “meaning” - the things that mean more are the things that she’s loved/listened to/read/played with, or things that you have made her - so maybe if you have a beautiful notebook and write her a letter/journal entry a few times a year that she can read back when she’s older, or if you make her something yourself that she can actually use, then that might work?
for her birthday, maybe a personalised toy box? Musical instruments? Something for her room?