Birthday Presents For 1 Year Olds

[WalkingOnMarshmallow]

Any suggestions welcome for all the up and coming birthday parties we will be going to this/next year. Ideally don't want to spend more than a fiver, is that reasonable? What does everyone else spend on random birthdays you get invited to? And what to buy??

Sticker books . Cheap and toddlers love them . Books in general . Cheap & educational

Book
bath toy, rubber ducks or stacking boats
chunky crayons and pad or colouring book

Ooh good suggestions and sticker books is something I hadn't thought of 🙏 More ideas most welcome!

Julia Donaldson books
Stacking cups were the thing that got played with most at that age.

I don’t really get invited to many random first birthdays, they’re all close friends or families children, so I’d spend like £15-20 probably. The mass of parties thankfully didn’t start until school nursery for us so 4 and up!

I really wouldn’t get stickers for a 12MO though, if they could even get them off the paper, they’d just eat them ha! But big crayons with a colouring book, bath toys, stacking cups, the really small duplo sets (they might be more like £8 inches though), board books with lift the flaps, a vtech toot toot vehicle were all huge hits with mine at that age.

Bath crayons
Baby cutlery and a plate/ bowl
Board book
Bath book
Musical instrument (animal themed tambourine)
Toy with lights or sounds

I usually just go for sturdy books - board or cloth with flaps that won't RIP the first time they're grabbed at.

*rip not RIP - good lord.

What about clothes?

@WalkingOnMarshmallow

My kids are nearly 4 and nearly 7 and I try to keep a stash of birthday cards so I get 10 for £1 in the card factory and have a roll of boys wrap (£1) and a roll of girls wrap (£1) in or sometimes card factory have unisex just happy birthday paper in which is even better as if I have to nip out for one card and a sheet of wrap it costs more than £3 that keeps me going for ages - that's always a good start!!! I never waste money on gift bags either.

In terms of presents, the entertainer have great sales, I search by lowest to highest they often have 50-70% off and they have tabs in age ranges.

Also at Christmas, boots have gifts on 3-4-2 and Sainsbury's usually have a 50% toy sale around October half term and then I think tesco have a toy sale too.

The works are great for reading books, sticker books and puzzles etc and sometimes I get younger children nice socks with animals on the toes, joules do them (always good in half price sale) and then Asda and primark have them too.

I aim for between £5-10 each for birthday presents the kids have so many parties it would get too expensive otherwise.

I also sometimes do a fun t-shirt the next sale is always good for those.

Just turned one seems a bit young for sticker books. More 18 month plus.

When we did the round of 1st birthday parties those little library set of books were very popular. They do lots of different characters (Bluey, Gruffalo, Peppa, Winnie the Pooh etc)

Clothes are a tough one… some people can be quite particular about them, others they would be totally wasted on, some kids aren’t in the ‘correct’ size for their age and you can’t easily just guess. It’s also not a present for baby since they’d happily go naked if it was warm enough! Also what would you get for a budget of £5, a t-shirt from H&M? Personally I’d avoid.

Bath toys ?
Clothes is tricky. You might know that a child likes Peppa Pig but the parents might not want Peppa Pig clothing for their kids.

Lots of great ideas, thanks!! 🙏

The Works do 10 for £10 on their children's books, maybe get those then you can split them between the birthdays you're invited to? Then just get a gift bag and a small teddy or bath toy to go with?

I like that Galt wooden pop up toy or the squeaky eggs for 1yr old gifts.