Pressies for 1 year olds

[verona]

I need to buy some b/day presents and am looking for inspiration.
There for 2 one year olds, one's a girl & the other's a boy and I want to spend no more than a fiver on each.
I've got a few ideas for the little boy but have know idea what to get for the little girl.
TIA

My favourite for that age is a wooden box-thing with four pencil shaped pieces with faces on that pop up and out when you push them. This is not very helpful as I have no idea what its called but maybe someone else knows?I think it was £4.99 from somewhere like Tridias. But that was a few years ago. I usually buy The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Each Peach Pear Plum if they are the first children in a family: all time faves!

Books would be my choice too - we like 'Dinosaur Roar' or 'If you see a mouse' or 'iny CHick' or ;Incy Spider' - all under £5 and great reads!

Things to play with in the bath always went down well with my dds at this age.

Definitely books. Sounds ungrateful but I hate lots of toys cluttering up my house which ds hardly ever plays with anyway. At one they don't understand the concept of presents anyway. Picture books with animals are popular with my ds, and I love any Ahlberg books & here's another vote for the board book version of The Hungry Caterpillar. Great holes to stick little fingers through.

yes soyabean!.. the four pencil men that spring up and down are ace! i think they are made by galt and i bought it from toys r us!... very funny and all my adult frineds think they're really funny! plus great for hand eye co-ordination of course!!!

I'd buy clothes instead of toys - more useful for the parents and the kids will be just as happy playing with them

Books-wise, dd (now 16 months) particularly likes Where the Wild Things Are (she enjoys showing me her terrible claws...), the Mr Bear board books by Debbie Gliori and little ones she can read in the car on her own. The Works does a usually pretty good selection of childrens books for just a couple of quid.

Toys-wise, her favourite toys are my handbag and a bowl with 20 plastic shower curtain rings in.

What about garden toys (assuming they have a garden) - this summer will be their first year of being able to enjoy the garden - you can get a nice mini football goal and ball for about £5 in Woolworths balls are good for boys and girls JJB Sports do some lovely bright really bouncy balls which my kids have always loved. Something like a wheelbarrow, watering can and mini garden tools would be good for either a girl or a boy too. You can get paddling pools for about £5 too.

Outdoor toys are a good idea, parents may not already have bought those. How about stacking cups (you can get some with small holes punched through for use with sand and water). Also simple wooden jigsaws and books with pop up or moveable parts (we have a series of Book People ones "Hide and Seek", "Runaway Egg",and "I Hear" and "I See" which dd likes to read/destroy!) are always popular.

hth

LizS

I'd agree with the books. Ds is now 13 months and loves books, especially the touchy - feely ones - the 'thats not my...' series are good, and he has a great one about the farm. And they don't take up much space!

My ds also loves the pop-up galt toy - but it is about £9-£10 so a bit pricey. I think the Tomy eggs are closer to £5 and he loves them too.
Personally I'd rather have toys than clothes - I've had a lot that have been the wrong size.

Another alternative which is half fun and half practical would be some fun sunglasses and a sun hat in the latest 'in' colour (whatever that is this year!!) - always find you can never have enough of these. You can usually get some nice bits in clear back packs from places such as Mothercare or Woolies.

Message withdrawn

Thanks for the ideas. Today I bought 'Fluffy Little Ducklings' book for the girl and am giving the boy a jigsaw- free with something I bought my ds in elc. Does that make me cheap?!