First birthday presents

[Hobby2014]

What did you buy your children for their first birthdays? DS is 1 in August.

We live up 3 flights of stairs so something like a trike isn't practical as can't get it up and down by myself (unless it comes apart easy and I can leave dismantled in the car? That's where the pram is kept for the same reason) and have no garden so things like sandpit / water table / swing etc I can't get.

He has an activity table / ride on toy / push along toy already.

Im getting a blanket and bear made from all his newborn baby grows. And going to order him a 'lost my name' book. He also really likes the 'that's not my' books so will get him a few of those.

I was also going to buy a quilt and pillow for him as he'll be 12 months but now it's getting nearer to his birthday I don't want to as he moves around so much in his cot, so I think I'll wait.

He's crawling and cruising but not standing independently or walking yet but will at some point so am happy to buy something he can grow into, iykwim.

Any ideas? What do your 1-2 year olds love? What are their favourite things to play with? Please don't say things for garden !

Thanks very much!

We are getting DS2 a kitchen for his first birthday.

DS1 got a lovely memory box from his gran, wooden with a little lock and his name and DOB on, obviously its more of a present for when he is older but it wasn't like he knew it was his birthday! We still put things in it - concert programmes etc - and he is now 7.

Other things he got (some for Xmas as his birthday is quite close to then) were MegaBlox bricks, a Happyland fire engine, Happyland school bus and a box of musical instruments (shakers, bells etc).

Happyland toys are really good.

Sit on rocker - little tykes plastic horse type one

Push along walker?

Id hold off on the play kitchen til 2+

DS was 1 just after Christmas so we didn't go too mad!

He got:

A jug and some foam letters for the bath (most succesful, and cheapest, present!)
Some Toot Toot drivers
A dressing gown
A helium balloon
Wooden inset puzzles

Most friends / family bought him small gifts and then gave us vouchers for his swimming lessons.

Thanks everyone.
I feel like we've messed up because we've bought him things as and when he needed something different for his development.
He has a push along walker, he has a ride on rocking toy thing, he has wooden puzzles, we're currently emailing a company about swimming lessons, he's got lots of bath toys - loves the bath - got musical instruments - tambourine, drum, xylophone etc. we've just bought things as we feel he needed something else to aid his development. I couldn't wait til his birthday as he's changing so much all the time that id feel like I wasn't encouraging his development if that makes sense? But I feel like I've spoilt him a bit.
He's got a memory box already too.
So I'll have a look at happyland toys, mega blox and toot toot drivers. Interested to hear other opinions on the kitchen for his age? Maybe Christmas when he's a bit older?

Happyland
Happy Hopperz

We recently bought a very small kitchen (Le Toy Van Honeybake and I think Viga make one too) for a friend's daughter's first birthday, for her to grow into. On her birthday she loved banging the pans on the kitchen, she's 19 months now and enjoys playing with it. It's very short though, ideal for age 1-2 but you'd need a bigger one as they got taller.

Depending on your space inside, as you don't have outside space what about a TuffSpot for messy/sensory play opportunities? The Adventures of Adam blog has featured them recently, they can be used in so many ways. I think they're great!

You haven't messed up - it would be daft to deny him development opportunities just because it's not his birthday!

Honestly, at this age it's more for you than anybody else, he won't remember it. Just get a few bits and bobs and maybe spend the money on some lovely daytrips - zoos, aquariums etc. He'll probably appreciate that more.

We are taking a long view of the kitchen it's something he can play with, pulling up and banging and munching fake fruit just now and he will get more out of it as he grows. He loves his friends ikea kitchen, he spent about an hour opening and closing the door the other day. For DS1 we got him a lot of toot toot drivers things and smaller toys for his first birthday.

Plastic tea set

We bought my DS an ikea play kitchen for his 1st birthday. He loves it! Mostly for opening and closing cupboards, pushing buttons and getting the play pots and pan and utensils in and out and banging them. Obviously he is too young for imaginative play but it keeps him occupied for hours!

I agree with cupcakes: he won't understand the concept of a birthday yet. He'll probably enjoy the fuss if you have family to visit, but may well get bored of opening their presents before you finish!

He will enjoy unwrapping one or two things, so get him something small unless you know he'll get too many things anyway from family. Then just decide how you'll answer the inevitable question about what you got him: you could just nominate something you got recently, and say you got that for his birthday.

Fwiw, I think it definitely makes sense at this age just to get them things when you think they need them. Birthdays and Xmas are much too far apart to wait at this age, and you definitely can't spoil them since it will be a long time before they even really understand possessions, let alone the concept of waiting months for something!

But do make a cake. He'll like that

I'd say wait until 2 for a toy kitchen too, but teapot and cups is good at 1. Nice for very early role play, and social play. The Fisher price laugh and learn one is good

If you do want a bigger toy, this little tykes activity garden is fantastic. A really good toy to get them moving around in different ways. Our DD played with it every day for more than a year, and whenever children came to play they always loved it.

DD2 was 1 last August, fisher price little people were very popular. The pirate ship in particular. We already had a little tikes activity garden, it's fab and is still played in most days.
She was also given a ballapalooza which she loves but it's beyond irritating so for your own sanity I won't recommend getting one!

Here are some ideas: -

My Birthday Book : A Keepsake Journal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - It's on Amazon. It is an American book, so does have a few Americanisms, bur it's basically a record book of all their birthdays up until age 18, with bits to fill in as they grow and little interview pages to complete with them.

Door Plaque - From Jojo Maman Bebe. Personalised with own name.

A really nice moneybox.

A teddy bear from Hamleys.

A photo book for the first year of their life.

A height chart

Toy wise, stuff my little boy loves: - Melissa and Doug Safari Shape Sorter
Weebles (You can buy these, cheaply, from Home Bargains and The Entertainer)
BeeSmart Wooden Aeroplane Shape Sorter with Xylophone.
Toy phones (Fisher Price Chatterbox phone in particular)
Musical instruments
Fisher Price Pop n Push Elephant
Fisher Price Bath Buckets
Jack in a Box
Noisy Books that have buttons that make sounds - particularly Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Teddy Bear Books.

On Ebay, at the moment, someone is selling the Tolo Teatime Shape Sorter for £7.99 plus it is on a 3 for the price of 2 offer with loads of other toys. It is a shape sorter but doubles up as a teaset.
My ds LOVES shape sorters!

We got DS a mini trampoline with a handle to use indoors, like this one:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Folding-Junior-Valley-Trampoline-With-Handle-Jumpers-Bouncers-Toddlers-Nice-/171407935548

At first he enjoyed just climbing on/off/under it, or sitting on it while I bounced him. It wasn't till he was about 20 months old that his legs were strong enough to bounce both feet off the mat. So it is definitely a present to grow into. Now he is nearly 3 and loves bouncing as high as he can!

a scuttlebug ride on - they fold down so u can put under the buggy to take out with u (parks etc)

a little garage - elc do a nice one

a personalised wooden toy box - ikea do a nice one for £15ish which u could stick wooden letters on and paint.

small table and chairs

aquadraw

My just turned 1 year old loves

• her wooden click clack track
• books
• balls
• spinning top

I'm going to buy an aqua doodle soon they look good. We have a toy kitchen and she mostly plays with the doors and empties it. My older daughter when she turned 2 played with the kitchen more than my 1 year old does now. Hope that helps.
:)

We bought DD a rocking horse from Mamas and Papas. She was a bit too small for it at first, but after a few months she started showing interest and now (22 months) she loves it. I think it's a classic and something I don't mind having around the house, unlike most of the hideous bits of musical plastic you could buy.