Baby’s tastes are eclectic, but their favorite things might not actually give you a lot of insight into what exactly to get them for their first birthday. If you’re stumped, or just interested in a few other ideas, there are certain things that have a good history as crowd-pleasers, as long as the crowd is a group of one-year-olds.
- Your favorite things
It’s pretty clear by now that Baby’s favorite thing to play with is whatever you’re playing with – often your phone or your computer. While you’re probably not in the mood to wrap up your iPhone for Baby’s birthday (and it wouldn’t be the best idea even if you wanted to), their first birthday party is a great time to present them with their own wooden or plastic versions of the objects that they try to take from you the most often. - Dinnertime accessories
Now that Baby is getting old enough to be eating more and more solid food, it’s a perfect time to introduce some fun dishware to keep mealtime interesting – well, more interesting than mealtime with a toddler always is. Plates, bowls and silverware with Baby’s favorite characters are always a good bet. - Push and pull
Because Baby is starting, or will soon be starting to walk, toys that encourage movement and will help them develop their muscles and coordination will not only be productive, but will be a big hit with them, too. When they are just starting to walk, wheeled toys they can hold on to or lean on and push will be great, and if they are a little bit further along with walking, toys they can pull along behind them, that maybe make noise or light up, might be a good bet. - Pile a mile high
Now that Baby’s coordination is better than it ever has been before, they are ready to start the serious business that is building towers out of blocks and then crashing into them, sending them smashing to the floor. Blocks are great for helping build their coordination even further, and the unstructuredness of playing with blocks encourages imagination. The only thing to be careful of is that the set is age-appropriate in terms of choking hazards. - Splish splash
Baby is definitely old enough to have some fun in the bath these days, and the more fun bathtime is, the better a chance there is that they will stay in the tub until they are squeaky clean. A lot of successful bath toys are the ones that look a lot like the toys Baby likes outside the bathtub, just waterproof. However, things that float or squirt jets of water can also be crowd pleasers. Bath paints or crayons are not just a fun bath version of favorites from dry land, but also a rare chance to draw on the walls without upsetting anyone. - Proto-literacy
Baby is at pretty much the perfect age for brightly colored board books, and their birthday is the perfect time to expand their library. - Whistle a happy tune
Baby’s adventures in cause and effect make toys that make music especially appealing to them right now. Things like baby-friendly drums and xylophones get them familiar with playing around with tones and rhythms from an early age. - Keepsakes
Baby might not get any immediate enjoyment out of a silver spoon with the date engraved on it, or a cross-stitch tapestry with their name to commemorate the occasion, but no matter what their presents end up being, you know they're going to be more interested in playing with the crinkly wrapping paper, anyway. Keepsakes like this will help you remember this special day, and will be in Baby’s life long after they can’t remember today.
