What to get best friends baby 1st birthday gift?

[andpeggy1]

Hi all posted in here for traffic and also didn't know of a better place?

Anyways it's my best friends daughters 1st birthday in August and I really want to get her a really lovely gift. I've been devastated that I've missed slot of time with her 1:1 physically cause of then shielding, so I feel like I don't know her all that that well to be really sure of what she would like as a gift. She's the only girl baby in my life and I look on her as my sort of niece.

Happy to spend up to £100. But want to get her something she can use and enjoy now rather than a keepsake gift ( they always seem to just sit away in a wardrobe never to see the light of day again)

I've never had to buy a 1st birthday gift before so like what do you get?

Honestly, I'd speak to your best friend. You will get loads of ideas on here, but who's to say she doesn't already have it or someone else hasn't already bought it? You could explain really well that you would like a few different ideas of anything that she would love and you'll pick from them. Failing that, my best friend loved what I got her 2 year old. There's book subscriptions for children online so she gets a different set of books, with matching teddies for the stories delivered every month, and they're such beautiful teddies, she loves it. Sorry if this hasn't been much help, just chiming in!

Get a big Grimm rainbow

A nice wooden walker? My son was given one with wooden blocks in it, and wooden cogs etc on the side he loves it. We got him a rocking dinosaur from JoJo with his name on the wooden rocker, he'll be two soon and still loves it. He also got a beautiful wooden ark with animals from my parents they bought it from our local so and I know it was quite expensive but beautifully made and is very resilient and he loves that. Hape do some really nice musical toys he has a small 'piano' and their tap and pound xylophone both are still firm favourites. Please don't think it's about girls/boys a one year old is a one year old. We also got him a Wheely bug for Christmas just after his first birthday, he was walking fairly early though so was scooting around on it straight away.

*local zoo

I'd ask your friend but if she says "surprise me!" the 1st birthday gift DS1 enjoyed the most was an indoor pop up tent and tunnel and ball pit balls. The tunnel broke eventually but he still loves playing in the tent age 4 and we still have the ball pit balls for his little brother.

If she's got wood/laminate floors I'd be a but wary of a wooden walker. We got rid of ours after DS1 kept whacking himself or our ankles with it. Its probably much safer on carpet though...can't go as fast!

I second the Grimm rainbow - a big one. So versatile and offers increased play value as the child grows.

A tuff tray and stand is also brilliant for sensory play and small world play that will appeal to her for the next few years.

A selection of really good books - Julia Donaldson is brillliant so I’d be tempted to get 10 of her best ones.

Rocking horse www.littlebirdtoldme.co.uk/shop/rocking-horses

Rocking horse or similar is a nice idea. My daughter still likes to play with hers and shes 3.5, plus if you get a nice one it is a keepsake as well as a toy.

I never understood the appeal of a Grimms rainbow but they are very pretty.

Pop up tunnel was one of our best toys at that age. If you want something all wooden and beautiful then look at Myriad toys. Super expensive, I’ve never been able to afford them but the look nice.

I would have agreed about the grimes rainbow up to recently. Then I started watching videos on them to see what the fuss was about and I realized how many ways they can be played with. I was surprised and now they’ve moved from a maybe to a must have for equipment for my play therapy practice.

The other suggestions are lovely too and once you start googling those ideas other fab toys are bound to pop up!

Book of fairy tale bedtime stories, beautifully illustrated.

Annual pass to local attraction?

Premium bonds. Something to help her in future, which she will appreciate in years to cone.

Thats not my book range. You can buy so many and my little girl absolutely adored the couple she got for her 1st birthday and we have ended up adding to her collection. Depending on space and what they already have we also have a rocker unicorn that turns into a ride on really easily. Or a smart trike. They're amazing and go adapt into their first tricycle.

This gorgeous Wishbone toy was the most popular thing with my kids. Made ethically and absolutely brilliant for 1 -3 year olds
uk.wishbonedesign.com/products/wishbone-mini-flip-racer

I've bought 3 Grimm rainbows for different babies over the past few years, each time it was what the parents suggested so it must be a winner!

The biggest bit for our sons recent 1st birthday was soft play blocks. I figured if I can’t take him to softplay because of Covid, softplay will have to come to him. It’s been amazing to see how his strength and balance have developed already!
I got our combination from Amazon. It cost the same as the actual suppliers but was delivered faster. You can get individual bricks or buy different size combinations. Easy enough to stack them to store out of the way.
Definitely one to check with your friend as it is a bit bulkier. I’m hoping ours will be in use for a good few years though so worth the house room!

*hit

Ask the parents!!

They are the best people to know what would something really nice that baby would enjoy. That's better than trying to be a mind-reader.

Thanks for the help all. Those Grimm blocks are really good and her and her mum will definitely appreciate. They very much are more than what meets the eye!

@AlwaysCheddar

Premium bonds. Something to help her in future, which she will appreciate in years to cone.

This is what we are doing for a friend's baby. It is like the 'Pandora gift' for babies. (meaning I can add to it each year without much thought but will be hugely appreciated 🤣)

We love our Grimm’s rainbows, but I would also suggest a Wobbel board. It’s used extensively by my one year old and four year old twins.

Not £100 but I got my bf dd a hungry caterpillar personalised booked which was all boxed up beautifully. My friend still raves about how thoughtful it was. Then you could buy something like a toy to use now on top? 😊

Not £100 but I still have the beautiful cutlery that I had as a child and my own DC have used it too. It means a lot to me.

A mini trampoline, something like this was the present my dd1 enjoyed most of all her first birthday toys. It lasted for years and the younger DC's also loved it. Those Grimm bricks look marvelous, but at 12 months old, I suspect they are a present the adult will enjoy more than the child.