First Christmas help.

[OnNaturesCourse]

It will be our DS first Christmas this year and we are at a total loss as to what to buy him - he has a lot of "big stuff" like a vtech train and car which are ready to be handed down from his big sister but aside from that we have nothing for him.

He will be 10 months at Christmas.. Which I find is a in between age in terms of toys and abilities.

Our daughter had her first Christmas when she was weeks old and got nothing but practical things like clothes.

DS was 11 months at his first Christmas and got a wooden activity cube, whizz world cars (popular), a playmobil set, duplo/megabloks (less popular but didn’t take too much longer to get into it), a large pirate ship bath toy, couple of other bath toys like buckets with holes/scoops/etc, lots of books, clothes, and two-piece jigsaws / wooden shape jigsaws.

Don’t go overboard, especially if friends and family might buy a lot.

Don't go mad is my first advise!
Get him toys he's grow into if you feel he has a lot right now along with some bits he likes atm.

Oh, I don't plan on going overboard at all but I do have DD who at 3 is a BIG santa fan - and I don't want her raising questions to why her brother isnt getting as much as her if that makes sense.

I thought of wooden trains but we have tonnes in the attic, alongside vtech toot toots, lego, playmobil, walker, push car etc. We pretty much kept everything from DD.

I guess DS will be getting these loved toys all boxed up and wrapped lol.

Following as my son will be 8 months old so also a bit of an in between age. He is our first born so starting from scratch and totally clueless!

Can you save boxes from other parcels and wrap up some of the things from the attic?

I will box and wrap some of it, but my DD knows what is up there plus most of it will be for his birthday as he'll be a bit bigger.

It was my DD's first Christmas last year and she was 10 months. Got her the V Tech activity table as her big main present but guess you may already have something like that. Some "That's Not My" books, a My First Christmas Usborne book with noisy buttons to press, The Snowman/The Snowman and Snowdog on DVD and stacking rings. Then in her stocking she got a doidy cup and Ella's kitchen melty sticks and melty hoops. Could you get him things he needs? Maybe a new coverall bib like a Bibado (they often do special offers like buy one get one half price of BOGOF), new bowls and cutlery, new sippy cup, his favourite baby/toddler snacks. Does he have outdoor toys? Or something like a softplay or ball pit?

My son was 7 months on his first Christmas last year. We spent less than £20 on his presents but the grandparents went a bit crazy. They don't need a lot at this age.

My DC was 10m old for their first Christmas and their main present was a ride on toy that they were a bit too small for but grew into. Other than that we just bought them lots of useful bits.....sippy cup, bamboo plate and bowl with their favourite animal on it, fun bubble bath, clothes, rucksack for nursery as they were just starting, wrapped up some baby biscuits and other snacks. Extended family went mad on presents so they got plenty.

For DS' first Christmas we wrapped stuff as a sort of Christmas starter pack- stuff we'd buy anyway and reuse every year: plate for santa with his name on, bauble with his handprint on, the snowman board book, and a few other bits. He had a main present from santa which was the vetch table as well (much loved I have to say), and wrapped some clothes and books.

How about some things for both of them? By spring he'll be on his feet so something for the garden they can both play with would be good - maybe a mud kitchen or a little play house or swing set? I know it seems grown up but it's definitely nice to have something to grow with them.
Otherwise have a look at some sensory or musical toys that are different to the usual v-tech & fisher price.

Get something which looks big but is actually quite cheap and/or can be folded down.

These colour in play houses from hobbycraft are a tenner. They have a train one, a tee pee, I think there's a rocket. He won't be able to do much colouring I guess but that doesn't really matter, everyone knows babies love to play with boxes and it looks (to a 3 year old) like a big present.

www.hobbycraft.co.uk/kids/kids-playhouses

Or something like a pop up tent or tunnel, an inflatable bouncer for the garden - both my daughters (4 and 1) LOVE these.

www.happyhopperz.co.uk/

We got my daughter a tuff tray for her first Christmas at age 9 months, and then family members bought her things to go on it like coloured rice, sensory toys, plastic animals, crinkly paper... loads of ideas online

Enormous cardboard box full of balloons and pens to draw on the box.

That's the problem with 2nd or 3rd children, you already have the toys! I'd suggest something big and just for them, maybe something they can grow into. A rocking horse, ride on, trike, ball pit or activity table are some suggestions

Buy something that he needs, for my first sons first Christmas he got the next size up car seat. Or buy something ing that will grow with him like a sand and water table or those red and yellow little tikes cars?

My dd was only a few weeks old and I’m expecting around the same time again. We did a couple of little rattles/teethers and also a limited edition book to put away for the future. We’re doing the same this time too 😊

Mini snack hamper- melty crisps, choc buttons, fruit, etc.

A book series collection to enjoy as they grow up? Each year I'm going to get my daughter a book series I loved growing up, so likely to be read in future but I thought it would nice. I'm starting off with the brambly hedge collection. (My sons 1st was the busy town books by Simon scarry).

Something personalised - it could be a book, decoration, clothing item, backpack, whatever you like.

Happy town/ tots town/ little people figure sets are good to play with and add to as they grow up.

If they seem drawn to certain characters from cbeebies or whatever, a nice wooden toy or soft toy to do with that theme would be nice.

I think its fine to get toys that are slightly older than the kids age, so 12m+ is good. My daughter is 1 in September so I'm focusing on 18m+ toys for Xmas so I'm not panicking come easter time and whatnot.

My now 10yo got a nativity set her first Christmas. A chunky, colourful wooden one. Its come out every year and they still like assembling it. It was sturdy enough to be a toy when they were little, but nice enough to be decorative now they are older.