1st birthday presents????

[uhoh2016]

Looking for inspiration for my ds 1st birthday in a couple of weeks?
He's got toys unopened from xmas still, so far I've got him a chicco activity walker and that's it. I suppose this is the reality of having a baby near to xmas.
Has anyone got any ideas? Maybe something an 18m would love that I can put away til he's ready for it?

DS1 got a Little Tikes fold up slide for 18m+ which was great as it could be used indoors while he was getting the hang of it and then in the garden through the summer.

I haven't got the space for anything like that unfortunately

We bought dd a play tunnel and balls for her first birthday. She also got a trunki, a rocking horse and some v tech toot toot toys. The slide is a really good suggestion. Something for the garden was my dh's idea and that was all that fit the budget at the time otherwise we would have got a slide too.

At 16 months the rocking horse still hasn't been touched.

Some books and clothes? We also bought DS a football, a push along car and some hide & squeak eggs. He loves all of them!

Honestly Id save your money for later in the year, they change so much between 1 and 2.

I don't think I got DS anything for his birthday (he had a christening/birthday party so got tons of stuff). But he fell in love with play kitchens at about 18m so we got him a nice ikea one then.

Makes more sense to me to spread out the gifts at this age - they don't know who bought them what or when.

If you really want to get something, how about a slide/seesaw/outdoor activity table you can keep in the garden for summer?

Liking the idea of the tunnel he'd love that. He got some Toot toot toys at Xmas still unopened unfortunately we don't have a garden so outside toys are a no no

I agree last I don't know why I'm torturing myself with it I feel like I have to buy presents. Grandparents and other family are getting him clothes/vouchers for a summer wardrobe

How about some nice bright wooden building blocks or a pile of board books to destroy? Or a farmyard? Or a mini activity table if you have a corner?

ELC have some good versions of stuff like that.

I felt a bit guilty too but there's no reason to feel that way. You've got him a walker, hes got toys to unwrap from christmas and it will be great fun for both of you when you can indulge him later in the year.

Or you could have a family day out if you want to mark the day without buying 'stuff' - zoo/aquarium/donkey sactuary?!

Bounce and spin zebra, 17 months here and still jumps on it every morning! She got it for her first birthday

One of DD's best first birthday presents was a little table and chairs from Ikea. She was a smidgeon too young for them at 1 but soon started using them and they've been used daily ever since (she's getting on for 4 now) for drawing/painting/playdoh/eating etc. We like to go down the practical route with presents, particularly when they're so young!

For my Daughters 1st I got her a play tent with balls and a tunnel, a mini hetty Hoover, a trike (best thing ever btw highly recommend!!) and a load of books and small toys. As his birthday is near xmas and he will have to wait pretty much a whole year, just get him stuff that he can use up to the age of two. Even if he doesn't use it straight away you can pull it out in a few months time.

that's plenty.
I agree that it's better to save some money, perhaps to refresh some toys in 4-6months as they develop so fast at this age.

dd1 got a wooden Noah's Ark, dd2 got a monstrous plastic Little Tikes rocking horse that she loved. But on the day, bot of them were far more interested in cake and balloons than anything we or other relatives gave them.

Seriously he will get loads and if you dont have the space.

I bought DD a lovely hard back copy of the secret garden for her 1st birthday. And a packet of seeds and kiddy trowel. And we gave her a 'bit of earth' in the garden so she can grow things this year.

Didnt buy her anything for Christmas either, we gave her a corner of the living room for her toys and play table - poor mite

When dc3 was 1 I really didn't want any more toys or clothes, so I asked everyone to find 2 scraps of fabric. They could buy or cut up an outgrown piece of clothing.
One piece was for a square and the other was to cut out an M (my dcs initial)

Also got them to sign their name.
Then I cut out the Ms and sewed them onto the squares, put the signature of the person on the square, and sewed the whole thing together and made her a quilt. It was amazing.
Some people who were into sewing made beautiful squares with little pictures of things beginning with m. Others sent me just fabric and I did it.

My 18 month old loves toy cars, garage for them to slide down ramp, flap books, duplo and toy dolls pushchair incase that helps !

Definitely garden toys and IKEA kitchen. Both big hits with my 1yo. He was a summer baby so garden toys made sense but he still plays with them in the winter, just wrapped up a bit.

My dd is one next week so have ordered a lost my name book and a beautiful edition of guess how much I love you.they are more keepsakes as she had loads since Christmas will buy a slide later on in year.have also made a my first year photo book just waiting for the birthday cake pic to finish it.If you want something noisy the bright starts ball monkey was a Christmas present from her uncle and is a massive hit..
Love the quilt idea not a seamstress however !

It was a good idea keeping things back from Xmas. I still have stuff in boxes too. I also agree with a few bits at other times during the year too. Ds is due in a few weeks and I'll be getting dd an ikea kitchen then.
She had her first public tantrum when I had to pull her away from one when we were out and about!

I had already made her a teddy bear from her old sleepsuits but it was rubbish and a bit of a faff so I'm not sure I'd do that again. Books are a lovely idea.

Also we went away for the weekend. I was going to do a party and I'm glad we didn't in the end. Mil did tea and cake on our way home.

A trike. We've used it lots and it'll last ages as well.