First birthday present ideas?

[Dumpling89]

Not sure if I'm overthinking this but what on earth do you buy a baby for their first birthday 😂?! Christmas and her birthday are around the same time and I'm trying to think of ideas now to spread the cost out as it's a bit of a double whammy with the celebrations.

We're starting to buy her clothes and small toys but fancied also getting her a 'centre piece' present that is particularly special. Hard because she's obviously so small and doesn't have 'interests'. Any ideas welcomed please!

Annual pass to a local attraction? We got dd a wooden ball run from lidl last year which she loves. Also try to think a year ahead and gets toys for a nearly 2 year old - simple jigsaws, shape sorter etc

I went with garden toys for my slightly older DC who was one this year, but that's probably not appropriate for an autumn birthday, although you could get some for next year - play house, slide, swing etc.

Mega blocks, a trike, a ride on, little tikes car, activity table, water table, pikler triangle, soft play blocks for climbing, a busy board.

However, if yours is anything like mine, pots, jars, saucepans, remotes, toothbrushes and random bottles may entertain her for longer than any of the above 😂

We did a trip to a soft play centre, little table set, clothes that would have been needed anyway, a new plate and cutlery set with name engraved, musical instrument kind of toys, fridge letter magnets to keep little one busy while I'm making dinner! Musical play mat, books and bath crayons

Oh, I also had a blanket made out of DC's tiny baby clothes which is a lovely keepsake and brings back memories.

We went for a good ballpool.

We bought a woolly mammoth mini rocking horse. She still loves it now at 3.

DC2 just turned one. We have a lot of toys already (kept after DC1 outgrew them). But for her first birthday I bought a Pikler triangle (Sawdust & Rainbows, but there are others). It's lovely and I'm hoping she'll get use out of it for years to come. Expensive though!

Other suggestions:

Vtech baby walker, a walker is pretty much essential for the phase when they're learning to walk but need help... we were given one of the old school wooden walkers, but I think the plastic Vtech ones are a bit better as they're lighter and easy for baby to manoeuvre.

Musical books and toys... I don't know about your DC but my two both loved/love all things musical, DC2 really loves musical books and toy instruments, especially a drum and xylophone.

And if you don't have them yet - stacking cups for general play, and pouring cups for the bath. These have been used daily by DC1 since he was a baby and now DC2 is enjoying them too.

Other things... Scramblebug or Toddlebike/Lena bike, these are likely to be used a bit later on (~18 months plus). I would also suggest a sand and water table but not for Christmas or a winter birthday Best in spring and summer!

Little tikes Cozy coupe DS loved it.

@bloodywhitecat

We went for a good ballpool.

YY to ballpool. Although the bastard balls go everywhere and you spend your life tidying them up, the littles do love them.

@pinkcattydude

Little tikes Cozy coupe DS loved it.

YY to this, they're a bit big but if you have space to store it in a garage/shed, definitely worth it!

Buy something for later? My daughter got a wooden dolls house with her name on and DS had a wooden pirate ship. They both played with them lots age 2 and up.

My daughter's birthday is a week before Christmas so we tried to get gifts that she'd grow into, since there's a whole year between gifts (rather than summer babies who have around 6 months between)

She got:
A scuttle bug - she liked it but only wanted to use it outside so was weather dependant
A trike that converts into a balance bike - she loves it, uses it as a trike still (coming up to 2) and uses it in the hall way and outside
A beanbag armchair - she loves having her own little seat and footrest to have her bedtime milk in
Books - always a great gift, especially lift the flap & that's not my... books
A rag doll - she's played with this in different ways, from just cuddling it, to sitting it on her chair to recently "reading" her books to the doll

Things that she got since then that she loves:
Megabloks folding table &megabloks - she spends ages building towers and joining them up
IKEA play kitchen - we started with the IKEA soft play food and she now has a collection of lovely wooden play food too. She loves to "cook" and have us "eat" what she makes
Wooden tea set - as above with the kitchen
Magnetic drawing board - all the fun of drawing without the graffiti'd walls or furniture!
Sandpit & water tray - hours of messy fun in the garden!

My son is getting a toy kitchen from one set of GPs, a rocking horse from the other set, and a pikler triangle from us.

I bought my DD a locket necklace to put away for when she was older and I bought my DS a silver money box from the jewellers. I wanted them to have something significant to keep. I also bought them a nice outfit and did cake smash pictures. And then they had a couple of toys for them to open and play with.

Another vote here for Little Tikes Cozy Coupe. Really suitable for a one year old and will provide endless joy. Also baby walkers either traditional with blocks, or V tech style, there are loads out there. We bought one that converted from a walker to a ride on which was brilliant. Prams or pushchairs with rag dolls or baby dolls also go down well.

We bought ours a slide and swing. Both fold up for storage and we can use them inside in bad weather. I also did a balloon arch which was the most played sift present actually!

We got DS a pikler triangle and slide, still used daily and he’s just turned 3.

DD's birthday is fairly close to Christmas and the bigger gifts she got at that time were:

-Pikler triangle
-Beautiful wicker dolls pram and dolly
-Wooden play kitchen

The triangle she will occasionally climb on but it was nowhere near as popular as I'd hoped. The dolls pram she loved but now prefers her cheap plastic dolls pushchair. The kitchen however is used every single day and was a great purchase.

Also it's not a toy but a fantastic investment- a learning tower. We got a tukataka tower which is basically an enclosed set of steps so they can stand up safely at a higher level. Ours lives in the kitchen and gets used multiple times a day and absolutely saves my back. Means DD can stand up at the kitchen counter with me to watch and help me cook or she will just stand and have a snack or play/draw whilst I get on. It was expensive but the steps have 3 levels so it should last for years.

I believe that toys are traditional for such events, but it is more interesting to give something creative and the certificate for visiting of some interesting place