To get a large plastic toy for 1 year old’s birthday?

[TheNanny23]

I’m trying to buy presents for two different babies who are one soon- they are my friend’s children.

I loved the look of a plastic food truck they could play in - my DH said my friends may not want some hulking fluorescent plastic thing cluttering up their house.

However, I’m finding this hard knowing what to buy. Clothes they have loads of, even the little toys I’m not sure if I’m going to be duplicating, was thinking of a walker with blocks but they may have a walker already, money seems a bit cold.

If not the food truck, what can I buy them!?

I usually buy a small backpack as a first birthday present - very useful for nursery, taking spare clothes when potty training etc. JoJo maman Bebe have a lovely one that comes in different prints and there is a Mumsnet discount too.

Try here for ideas:

https://www.babipur.co.uk/toys.html

You could start a collection of wooden animals and add to it each year.

Do not buy something gigantic without checking first!

Why don’t you just buy them a nice book? Nursery rhymes or similar they will always get lots of use well into childhood.

Even if they are slightly young for it, you don’t go wrong with Duplo.

The problem with a lot of toys specific to that age is that they grow out of them pretty quickly.

Definitrly ask first before buying something huge.

My youngest DC got a LeapFrog ice cream trolley for their first birthday and it was a big hit. 100% plastic but it's still going strong and being played with almost daily nearly three years later. Once it's been outgrown I'll pass it on to someone else.

If you'd bought that for DS it would've gone straight to the charity shop. Hape do some lovely wooden musical instrument type toys, DS loved them when he was that age and still does now

DS was also a fan of a wooden ark and safari truck with animals he was given and again still plays with both

DS is 1 soon and that would be no use to us, we have nowhere to put it! We only have space for 1 big-ish toy and he has a ball pit in that space just now. My sister wants to get him a toy so I've suggested a wooden shape sorter that he should get a fair bit of use out of. DH has requested books from his side of the family and my mum has just opened a wee savings account so that she's not spending money on things that won't be used. She's said the money has to be used for his first pair of shoes when he starts walking.

www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/pre-school-and-electronic-learning/wooden-toys-and-puzzles/hape-toys/c/SM0601032802

Books.... they can never have enough books. Well meaning friends and family bought mine huge duplo sets and large toys that we just didn't have room for. Also ended up with several duplicate sit n ride type toys. Ask the parents before buying it.

Lanka kade wooden animals and the hedges and walls are a great toy

I do actually hate it when I get given huge plastic toys. I wouldn’t buy that kind of thing myself and if I’m getting plastic toys try and buy them second hand. I also hate toys that are both massive and ugly.

I have an 18 month old and in the kindest possible way, really wouldn't appreciate it. A friend of ours got our son a huge bright yellow fisher price chair for his birthday and it's just so ugly and takes up space we don't really have so it's been relegated to the shed for when he's outdoors. You have to remember you also might not be the only one buying them a big plastic present. I'd suggest clothes, books or smaller wooden toys that can be tidied away at the end of the day.

Completely agree on books too, they get used every day even if you've been out all day there's time for a bedtime story

You can get personalised books about their names - how about that?

Honestly, I wish everyone would just get vouchers for my toddler at birthday and Christmas so I could choose him something he really needs. Maybe with a Little book too as you really can’t have too many books for children.

My lo loves her set of little books. They have different themes and pictures and words, rather than being story books.

The Lanka kade animals are nice too.

Definitely don't get something big and plastic.

Melissa and Doug toys

Definitely books or Duplo. Do not buy big plastic stuff without asking the parents first!

Ask the parents. Saves a lot of misunderstanding. We bought our goddaughter a largeish outdoor toy for her first birthday... Agreed with her parents. Otherwise it could have easily been a duplicate. Even with books I check to make sure they aren't doubles.

wooden toys are the best. Go to ELC. They hac

The gift I’ve had go down best for a first birthday is the offer of a first pair of proper shoes. Either get a giftcard or go with them to the fitting and pay there.

It’s a nice milestone for a lot of people but they grow out of them pretty quickly so an expensive endeavour for parents.

I do think it’s only appropriate for close friends and family though.

Definitely not.
Your friends will be secretly pissed off with you