Present ideas for DS's first birthday

[sunnyfields25]

Hi there

Does anyone have any present suggestions for a little boy whose current favourite toy is a wooden spoon? I know it's not worth spending loads of money at this age, I'd just like to get him a little something that he'll enjoy playing with. He likes bashing things, if that helps

Tried looking online but I soon get sucked into the world of children's toys and before I know it my head is spinning and I'm being convinced I should spend a fortune!

Thanks very much!

I got DS1 a big blow up beach ball for his first birthday, it didn't cost much much he loved rolling it around and bashing it along in the garden.

There’s a musical/light up drum in Sainsbury’s that has been a well used toy in our household! Big present wise we got a little tykes first slide and again, it’s a big hit although it took a couple of months for my child to get the confidence to use it without help!

Do you have extended family who are going to spoil him? if so, for both of ours we bought 'heirloom'/long lasting type presents for their first birthday - so for example our ds got a really good quality wooden sledge. Obviously, he didn't appreciate or enjoy it at the time, but it comes out every time there is snow, and is much admired by his mates as 'the real thing' and faster than lot of the cheap plastic ones (he's 14 now!)

A smart trike? So worth the money and lovely for the summer months instead of pushing a big bulky pushchair around. Lasts a good few years too.

My mum always says the best present my brother was given for his first birthday was a metal waste paper bin filled with tissue paper. He played with it all day! And the bin is still in use!

Stacking cups (especially the ones with holes in the bottom). Great for bath and beach.

You can always invest in something for when he's older too, such as books.

Thank everyone, there are some great ideas there. I love the smartrikes and the idea of a family heirloom pressie.

It's a good point about the extended family spoiling him. I'm thinking we'll go down the beachball/stacking cups etc route for now, but then once we've seen what other people have got him we might get an extra something. Or might just wait until Christmas!

We gave our daughter a large version of a marble run that had really big plastic balls. I think it was called a Rollipop? And an argos catalogue because she loved pulling the pages out of magazines! Kept her entertained for a while. A trike or a slide for the garden is a good idea.

I gave DD a garden. Her own section of our flower bed to grow plants, strawberries etc and dig. She loves it.

Her favourite physical present was a bubble machine.

I also always give DD a copy of a special book each year. 1st birthday was The Secret Garden.

Wow the Rollipop looks great, I think DS would love that! And I can't believe I didn't think of a bubble machine! Hmm this is getting difficult again...

We got the Disney planes ride on (with spinning light-up propeller) and it's still in use 3 years later although he's a bit big for it now. It depends if you've already got a good ride on though.

You can get personalised wooden spoons on not on the high street and eBay! That would be a cute little keepsake and reminder of DC fave toy as they turn 1.

We're getting DD a slide for the garden.

John Lewis do (or did, last year) a great ball run (like a ball run) for £15 or so. We also had a ball drop, similar to a Rollipop, which was a favourite for months.

We got our lb a mega blocks table for his 1st bday. He loved it and still plays with it a year later.

I HATE smart trikes. Nice theory, terrible in practise. The steering on them is awful. Anyone know a brand which doesn’t leave you ramming your baby into walls/roads?!