A baby’s first birthday is a magical milestone that parents, relatives, and friends love to be a part of. It’s more than just a birthday, it’s truly your personal community coming together to celebrate. It can also be challenging to find the best gift for a first birthday. We are parents and expert gifters at Figgy, so we put together the ultimate first birthday gift guide to take the guesswork out of gifting!
Best First Birthday Gift Ideas for 1-Year-Olds (What Do They Actually Like?)
This is the big question! What will the baby actually like? Well, it’s a perfect opportunity to explore what’s happening at this age developmentally. At age one, babies are developing gross motor skills, their brains are rapidly developing, and they are starting to move. You’ll notice that they are engaging with their environment and starting to explore more.
Age-appropriate toys for 1-year-olds help them engage in sensory play, encourage them to refine their motor skills, help support physical development, and foster imagination and independence.
Another important consideration is the parent's feelings about the toys their baby interacts with. Some parents prefer no gifts, screen-free gifts, educational toys, keepsakes, or battery-free toys. It’s always good to check in with the parents to ensure your gift is appropriate for their household. Ask the parents if they have any restrictions around what gifts come into their house or if you have something specific in mind, you can let them know you were considering purchasing “x,” would that be ok? If they say no to an item, don’t take it personally. There are lots of parenting styles out there, and no one right way.
Personalized 1st Birthday Gifts That Make a Special Keepsake
A personalized first birthday gift can be something really special. It’s a great way to make a gift feel unique and readily available on a number of items.
We love the “I See Me” books by Personal Creations. It’s a fun way to incorporate your favorite 1-year-old into a story they will enjoy for years to come. Reading to babies is great for bonding, and learning language.
I See Me Books starting at $29.99
Another great gift for your toddler is a personalized name puzzle. It’s great for encouraging fine motor skills, learning letter recognition, and for cognitive development.
Fat Brain Toys, Personalized Puzzle starting at $26.95
Luxury First Birthday Gifts: High-Quality & Long-Lasting Splurge Presents
If you have the budget and want luxury for a first birthday gift, get a Figgy play couch. It’s a sustainable, open-ended toy that will grow with your baby for years and years. You might even find yourself shipping it off to college with them. We love that Figgy is screen-free, non-toxic, and designed to fit in with the modern home (goodbye primary colored toys of the past!)
The Figgy Play Couch is a top-rated OT/PT play tool and the best Montessori first birthday gift for toddlers. Toddlers will love playing in Figgy forts, learning to crawl or walk over obstacle courses, or climbing through a Figgy tunnel. Parents will love that it’s machine washable/dryable, waterproof, and Greenguard Gold, Oeko-Tex, and CertiPUR-US certified.
Figgy Kid’s Sofa starts at $269.
Another great splurge gift for toddlers is a subscription to Lovevery. Lovevery boxes are curated specifically to meet your child’s needs. Each box comes with age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate toys that are crafted from high-quality materials.
The Babbler play kit box offers new challenges in balance, object permanence, and spatial awareness, as well as an early introduction to physics. The play kits all include instructions for how parents can use the toys to interact with their baby. You have the option of adding on a book to your purchase as well!
We like that you can buy a single box or a subscription, depending on your budget.
Lovevery boxes start around $120 a month.
Birthday Gifts for 1-Year-Olds That Won’t Break the Bank (Under $25)
There are so many fun and wonderful first birthday gifts that fit into any budget. Some of the most wallet-friendly ones are the best ones. You can gift these alone or bundle them together - no matter what, we think they will be a hit.
Indestructible Books are a personal favorite. They are fun, kid-friendly books that…you guessed it… can’t be destroyed by little hands or mouths! These books for toddlers even make that perfect crinkle sound that babies love.
Research shows that textures and sounds are great for your baby’s sensory development; every time they put the book in their mouth or try to crumple up the pages, they explore their environment and learn about their senses.
Indestructibles Books cost $5.99.
Boon water pipes literally make bathtime splash time…and what 1 year old doesn’t love a bath? These plastic tubs stick to the sides of your tub or glass shower door and are designed for kids to dump and splash water with. The water pipes are great for little minds learning about cause and effect.
They come in fun, kid friendly colors and are made from BPA-free plastic. We love that they cost under $25 and are a great toddler gift to grow with your kids or be used by siblings.
Boon Water Pipes start at $14.99
Handmade 1st Birthday Gifts that parents and babies both love!
Perhaps you want to give a handmade gift to the birthday child, if so there are lots of ways to get creative no matter what skills you have. We have a couple of options ranging from the more advanced DIY to handmade gifts you can customize and purchase.
Build a DIY Busy Board for Toddlers
If you are a skilled DIY’er try your hand at a baby busy board. Busy boards are so fun and a great way to work on fine motor skills and problem solving. Toddlers love the realistic pieces on the busy boards and all the activities they can choose from. If you aren’t familiar with a busy board, they are typically a wooden base with various latches, buttons, and levers that babies can open/close, unlock and push.
They can be as complex and finished as you like. Just make sure that you are using baby-safe paints and products to coat and seal your project.
We love this tutorial that shows you all the steps for making a full-size busy board and also a travel busy board. It’s a fun way to customize a special gift for your favorite 1 year old.
Handmade Play Silk for Babies
If you are short on time or crafting skills, don’t fret! There are lots of handmade gifts that are really meaningful and aren’t very difficult, like DIY play silks. Play silks are the perfect Montessori first birthday gift. Kids love to feel the softness of the silk which is part of their sensory exploration; hide under them and build object permanence skills; and use them in supporting roles for imaginative play.
Making them is pretty easy. You can start by buying blank play silks (typically 30”x30”) and then dying them with your favorite natural dyes. The active time of this DIY is short and the results are impressive. We suggest following this tutorial and then finding a beautiful box or basket to gift them in. This is a great plastic-free, battery-free toy that kid’s love!
Finally, you have some awesome options on Etsy if you are looking to purchase a handmade gift. Handmade name sweaters for baby are trending right now and Etsy is a great place to customize one. These sweaters are gender neutral and come in many different colors and have lots of design options. You can even pick the color of yarn you want the name sewn with. It’s a loving, thoughtful and practical baby gift. Our favorite one can be purchased here.
Unique 1st Birthday Gifts for Baby’s First Birthday
For some of us, the perfect baby gift is something super unique so we’ve curated some nontraditional options that are sure to please.
Invest for baby’s first birthday (they will thank you when they have money later!)
Give the gift that keeps on giving through compound interest! Contributing to a college fund is a great tradition to start for a baby’s birthday. The amounts don’t need to be big to get started, either. Talk to the parents to see if they have a 529 account or any other investment accounts open for their child. Anyone can gift to a 529 which makes it easy! It can feel good knowing that you are helping save for a child’s education.
Experience is the best teacher (and gift!)
Another unique gift for toddlers is an experience. It’s usually fun for the whole family and you can choose to be a part of it, too. Here’s were you really get to be creative with the gift. You could gift the family a year membership to the zoo, or a special outing with you and the child. For some families this allows them to do more than things together than they normally would.
The zoo is a great opportunity to get families outside and babies love all the sights and sounds. It’s fun because it’s something that can be used for an entire year, too. Aside from seeing animals, many zoos have unique kid-friendly activities and changing exhibits. Your zoo membership may also offer reciprocity, giving the pass holder free or discounted admission to other zoos and aquariums across the country.
If you want to plan for a fun one-on-one experience, put together a plan for an outing and let the parents take you up on it! Depending on your relationship, this could be as simple as a friend’s trip to the children’s museum where you cover the planning and the cost; or a trip with grandma to the park and some respite for the parents.
The Best First Birthday Gifts For Girls
There is nothing better than gifting a baby girl some precious jewelery. If you are looking for something timeless for a baby girl a bracelet or necklace they can treasure is a great gift.
Depending on your preference and price point, you can buy or customize a wide range of baby jewlery; including bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. There are adorable options to personalize with names or birthstones.
Check out In Season Jewelry for toddlers to see all the different options.
We are smitten with patchwork jean jackets for toddler girls, too. These adorable jackets definitely give off the best Taylor Swift vibes and can be designed for mommy/daughter matching. The jackets at Little Chicken can be customized with rhinestones, girly patches, and can be personalized to include your favorite toddler’s name.
Little Chicken Patchwork Jean Jackets start at $65.
The Best First Birthday Presents for Boys
The Ookie skateboard for toddlers is the perfect gift for that rad baby boy! It’s a skateboard designed to be pulled by mom and dad. The wide deck and handles for small hands, make it ideal for smaller kids who are still learning how to balance. The parent assist mode is designed for kids 12-36 months. As baby boy grows, you can remove the pull handle and it turns into a regular skateboard. The skateboard helps young kids develop balance, coordination and confidence. It’s a great activity that involves mom and dad, too!
Ookie Skateboard for toddlers costs $139.99
Green Toys make awesome trucks for kids that are safe and durable. The double-decker car carrier is sure to be a big hit with it’s working ramps and three mini cars that can go along for the ride. Parents will love that their are no small parts and that it can be used outdoors or indoors. It’s a great gift that encourages motor skill development and imaginative play. Bonus it is made in the USA and completely from recycled materials.
Green Toys Double-Decker Car Carrier costs $30.99
First Birthday Gifts for Mom and Dad
For some of us, we enjoy celebrating mom and dad on a baby’s first birthday. Afterall, it’s been a big year! When you know that baby might be getting all the love, it can be fun to gift something to the mom and dad who have put in all the work. If this is your jam, a great way to show Mom and Dad that you love them is to gift them something that gives them some time back. A list of our favorites includes gift certificates for dinner, a house cleaning, or coffee (because we know they are exhausted!). If you don’t want to purchase something, you could offer to drop off a few meals so they can focus on family time. No matter what, your gift will be appreciated and unexpected.
Frequently Asked Questions About First Birthday Gifts
What does no gifts mean on a birthday invitation?
You may see birthday invitations that list “no gifts” and it can be confusing! You want to respect the parents wishes, but you also may want to give something as a token of your love and appreciation. Finally, nobody wants to be the only one who doesn’t show up with a gift. Depending on the host, it can be a hard no gifts rule or more of a “you don’t need to bring a gift if you don’t want, too.”. You have a couple of options: 1. It says no gifts and you shouldn’t feel obligated to bring one. It’s perfectly fine to forgo a gift when the invitation states this. 2. If you prefer to bring a gift, reach out to the host and let them know you’d like to give something. Ask them if it would be ok and if they have any suggestions. They may ask for a book, a donation in the recipients name, or tell you bringing a present of you choosing is fine.
What makes a good first birthday gift?
A good first birthday gift is something age appropriate for a smaller child. It can be a physical toy or an experience. It’s a gift that is thoughtful and selected for a childs first birthday. Age appropriate gifts are ones that meet child safety standards and encourage sensory exploration, imaginative play, and building motor skills.
How do I find age appropriate gifts?
You can find age appropriate gifts by reading blogs, searching for toys for that specific age range, and reading toy descriptions to make sure they were designed for the recipients age.
What is a unique birthday gift?
A unique birthday gift varies a lot by the receiver and is a gift that they might not typically be gifted. It might be a physical gift or an experience or something non-traditional.
What is the best birthday gift for a baby boy?
The best gift for a baby boy is something to match his interests. If he is into cars, dinosaurs, or likes to wear cool hats those would be the best gifts. Baby boys love to explore, climb, and play. You can always find an adorable baby boy outfit, too.
What are the best budget-friendly first birthday gifts?
The best budget-friendly first birthday gifts are books, small toys, and other gifts that cost under $25. There are lots of options like Indestructable books or Boon water pipes for bathtime play.
What is a sentimental 1st birthday gift for girls?
A sentimental gift is a gift from your heart that evokes an emotion or feeling. A sentimental gift could also be a keepsake that the birthday girl treasures for years to come - such as a piece of jewelry, a special plaque, or ornament.
What is the best luxury gift for a 1st Birthday?
The best gift is a Figgy Play Couch. It is made in the USA from luxurious fabrics that are beautiful and durable. It’s perfect for allowing toddlers to explore, climb, and play. It looks beautiful in a nursery or playroom.