Can you believe that you almost have a one year old? Having a hard time deciding on a birthday present for baby’s first birthday? We can help. Check out our list of top baby gift ideas for a newly-turning one year old. A first birthday is truly something special to celebrate. Your little one is officially leaving babyhood behind and entering the exciting world of discovery called toddlerhood. This milestone birthday will be one to remember, and these first birthday gift ideas, including baby toys, experience gifts, and more, will help to make the most of this precious time. More: The Top Birthday Gifts for Young Kids Here are 25 first birthday gifts in celebration of the number of months making up your baby’s first year. We hope this list will help you choose the best first birthday gift for your growing little one!
Our Top Picks:
What to Look for in First Birthday Gifts
If it’s a toy, is it engaging and age-appropriate? If it’s a toy, does it match with the child’s unique interests? If it’s something else, how does it bring value to the child’s life?
How We Chose Our Favorites
Browse the full list of the top 25 best birthday gifts for inspiration:
Savings Account Contribution
A Long Term Gift This is a year of both food and play exploration. Felt food sets offer a fun way for your little one to explore playing with food with soft toys that are safe for throwing and snuggling. These sets come in adorable combinations like veggie pizzas, sushi combos, sandwich making sets, and baskets of fruit. Toddlers love to pretend to be mommy and daddy, and a play kitchen gives them the space and tools to do just that. They will love cooking and preparing meals in the adorable way that only toddlers can pull off, and this is a playroom essential that will provide your one year old with entertainment for years. The sounds of a little one playing can be music to your ears. Gift your new toddler with a set of musical instruments to develop her love for music. Making up their own songs and beats can keep toddlers happy and busy in an exciting way, and they will love having you as a captive audience. Your little one will begin exploring her place in the world by trying on the identities of the people and characters she sees around her. A set of costume pieces will help her learn to express herself and to have fun making her own choices about who she is. Whether it is parts of a police officer, doctor, or Disney character’s outfit, she will love dressing up and playing new roles. Your birthday child will love celebrating this special new age with a first birthday shirt that she can wear all year long. It also makes for cute pictures, and a fun benchmark to see how she grows and changes in the shirt throughout the year. Your little one’s year will be filled with exploring mobility at all different levels, and a first pair of shoes will get lots of mileage. The joy of watching your toddler play with movement is so special, and new shoes to accompany these memorable times will go a long way. Begin a yearly tradition of presenting your birthday child with a keepsake figurine that celebrates her age. This will be the start of a beautiful collection, and your little one will look forward to seeing the new addition each year. If you purchase the entire collection now, you will never have to worry about finding these collectibles as the years go on. If your baby grabs the broom every time you turn your back, get him his own! This is one of the most popular toddler toys out there. This toy is a great intro to music and piano, and we love how it is not an electronic toy. One year olds become fascinated with buttons, zippers, buckles, and snaps. This toy keeps them engaged while helping them learn important skills and developing fine motor skills. We can’t say it enough times–one year olds want to do whatever the adults around them do. If your child keeps reaching for your brush and hair dryer, this is the gift for them! Knobbed puzzles are best for young toddlers, and we love that this one keeps it simple and teaches basic skills. This pull toy is a favorite among newly-walking toddlers. It can be used as a push toy or a pull toy, and it includes a shape sorter for extra fun and fine motor skills. After learning to walk, toddlers can’t get enough of climbing up and sliding down. Some little ones are fascinated with the vacuum and will try to push it any chance they get. This is the perfect gift to pull out at their first birthday party! This is perfect for the truck-loving one year old and it comes with a shape sorter for extra fun and to help work on fine motor skills. This adorable barn has latches to work on fine motor skills. Kids this age will begin to play with blocks and stack them. This alphabet set is cute and works on early letter recognition. What could be more fun than finger paints? Plus, these ones are washable and nontoxic so you can rest your mind at ease. Not only are these maracas tons of fun, they are also painted beautifully. One year olds will love shaking them to the beat! Who says workbenches are for adults? This kid-friendly version fascinates little toddlers and provides hours of fun. It’s hard to imagine college, world travel, or a first car when you are facing your baby’s very first birthday, but beginning to invest in a savings account for your child is a worthy birthday tradition. Though she won’t understand the value of this gift for years to come, she will certainly be grateful when the time comes to start using her savings.
Mommy and Me Classes
Bonding Time With Mom A first birthday brings along more laughter, babble, and interaction with your baby. A wonderful way to make the most of this special time is with mommy and me classes. Whether it’s a music, swimming, or play focused class, you will love seeing your little one grow in a new environment and amongst other children her age.
Children’s Museum Membership
Best Experiential Gift A membership to your local children’s museum will provide you and your birthday child with a place to make so many memories together. Indoor space to play and learn will give you both the chance to see shows, play in an educational way, and interact with other parents and children in a fun way. As the months go on, you’ll be amazed at how much more your little one can do during your museum visits.
Subscription Book Service
Best Book Gift It’s never too early to fall in love with reading, and receiving a monthly shipment of age appropriate board books will help your little one start this new journey. Each month, you will receive new books for your child to play with and for you to begin bedtime routines of reading nightly stories together. The more books you have around, the more your birthday child will start to explore the world of reading.
