Best First Birthday Gifts

Time certainly flies fast, and that also means that the window to buy them a good first birthday gift is shrinking quickly with it!

Not only that, but buying a 1st birthday gift is tricky.

You only have one first birthday, after all, plus, either it’s going to end up being something that they love, or something that they discard the first moment they get it.

Truly, babies are the cruelest of all judges.

Fortunately though, with a wide enough selection of baby gifts at your disposal, you’ll hopefully have a better chance of nailing down a single potential gift.

Which is what we have done in our buyer’s guide!

We’ll also go over some of the key features that you should be looking for in a good kid’s toy. You can’t just get a baby any old toy, after all!

Preview

Here, we will show you some of the best gifts that a one-year-old could want for the first big day of many!

If you’re looking for the best toys to give your one-year-old, you’ve come to the right place!

• My First Signs: American Sign Language (Baby Signing)
• Hape Pound & Tap Bench With Slide Out Xylophone
• Shopflowerlane Handmade Monogrammed Birthday Crown
• Fat Brain Toys Oombee Cube Sorter

1. My First Signs: American Sign Language (Baby Signing)

Starting this list with something that might be considered a curveball for some, we have an amazing book that is perfect for engaging babies!

Many people may have been expecting the first item in this guide to be something a little more like a toy, or something else with perhaps a more clear playtime application.

But trust us when we say, My First Signs: American Sign Language is a phenomenal little book for little ones in so many ways.

For one thing, this book has some practical skills that are likely to come in handy for both you and your little one. And not just because it allows them to communicate with deaf children and adults.

Kids at this age are likely still not quite ready to speak in full sentences, so having a little book that you can teach them physical signs is a great way for them to communicate.

It might take a little while, but nothing will melt your heart quite like seeing your little one-year-old sign ‘eat’ to you as you grab the baby carrots.

Plus, it’s generally just a very pleasantly illustrated book. Even if your little one isn’t reading it for the education factor (they’re one.

We can hold off on the testing and hard learning for a few years), the drawings and illustrations alone are enough to keep your baby engaged with this book.

Plus, this book is made from tough paperboard, so it can handle being held, pulled, and anything else your baby might do to it while being handled by them.

In short, if you believe that getting your child’s brain working and playtime can be one of the same, you’ll probably have a blast with this book for your little one.

Pros

• A great way of teaching one-year-olds great skills for themselves and others.
• Colorful and bright illustrations are great for keeping kids engaged.
• Tough material that is durable and long-lasting, when cared for.

Cons

• 12 Pages isn’t exactly a lot of books. Then again, for a one-year-old, this may not be much of an issue.

Also Available From: Abe Books

2. Hape Pound & Tap Bench With Slide Out Xylophone

Moving on to a toy that’s a little more active when it comes to baby’s playtime, we have this adorable little sound bench and xylophone.

By this point, many parents will know that young babies love touching and interacting with objects, as well as making plenty of sounds. For better, and for worse (at least for mom and dad).

Kids are more than likely going to love bashing on the xylophone bells to their heart’s content. Especially when they’re this bright and colorful to look at!

However, there is a lot more to this toy than simply a colorful xylophone.

The tap bench and bright balls that this toy comes with are also great little items that allow your child to interact with the item too.

Placing a ball through one of the holes allows the ball to hit and roll down the xylophone, creating all sorts of fun noises.

If your little one loves sounds and tactile experiences over other toys, then this is a gift to give them. Whether it’s best for their parent’s ears? We’ll leave that judgment to you!

Pros

• Tons to do with this toy for your 1-year-old.
• The xylophone bench adds a little extra auditory stimulation for your baby.
• The toy is plenty durable enough to survive playtime with the little ones!
• Promotes dexterity and other key motor skills.

Cons

• Balls could easily become lost under furniture. Still, their bright color should make them easier to spot.

Also Available From: Walmart

3. Shopflowerlane Handmade Monogrammed Birthday Crown

Not every toy that your baby has to get for their first birthday needs to be this amazingly bright and loud piece of plastic. Sometimes, a simpler present is all that’s needed for a birthday.

After all, on their first special day, a baby should be treated like royalty. And with this hand-made birthday crown, they’ll certainly look like one!

While this particular store has plenty of crown designs for adults and children, it’s this one that we think will make the perfect headwear for your little one on their special day.

With plenty of options to customize the hat, from the color of the stitching to the message, and even whether or not you want pompoms on or not.

The seller is also very responsive and will be able to help better help you tailor your purchase to your baby’s needs.

Add to that a super-comfy design for your baby, and you have a pretty darn good hat for your little one, in our opinion.

Not every toy has to be shiny. Some can be comfy, instead!

Pros

• The hat is very comfortable to wear for children and easily slips on.
• Plenty of options for customization with this gift.
• The seller is very responsive and can help further customize your order.

Cons

• There are very few things besides its comfort that guarantee that a baby isn’t going to be very interested in it.

4. Fat Brain Toys Oombee Cube Sorter

Moving back to the toys for a second, we know that many young babies love to have toys that they can interact in many ways with. 

Shape-sorting toys have been a staple of children’s playtime since… well, forever, as far as we can tell! So you’ll find that Fat Brain Toy’s Oombee cube sorter fits right in with many other classic toys that many children at this age will be playing with.

Like with many of the other toys and gifts that we’ve covered in this guide so far, this cube shape toy is brightly colored and full of character. Perfect for keeping the attention of your little one as they play with it.

One of the many things that makes shape-sorting toys annoying to handle and deal with is the shapes. Well, when the shapes get lost somewhere around the playroom, and no one can find them, at least.

This is a problem that the Oombee cube sorter manages to avoid, by using made from high-quality, yet chemical-free tethers that keep them attached to the cube.

There’s no chance of losing them with this one, that’s for sure!

And, of course, being a baby toy, this Oombee cube sorter is going to be tough enough to handle being played with by a young child.

The design and material of the shapes themselves are perfect for babies who are teething, containing no harmful chemicals, thanks to the 100% food-grade silicon that they are made from.

There’s plenty that your little one will enjoy about this toy, that’s for sure!

Pros

• Bright colors make this toy exciting to look at, and easy to find.
• The cube itself is tough and durable, while the silicon shapes are soft and safe for babies to bite and play with (ideal for teething tots)
• Shapes are well-tethered to the cube, so can’t get lost easily.

Cons

• There’s no way to keep the shapes inside the cube when placed. In terms of tactile feeling, that might annoy some children.

Also Available From: Bed Bath & Beyond

Buyer’s Guide

So, as you can see, there are plenty of gifts that you can give to your little one when they are at this very young age.

There’s a good chance that you already have a few items in mind when it comes to finding the right gift for a one-year-old. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of toys out there aimed at this age group.

However, not all of them are made equal. Some might be better at pleasing your baby than others, depending on some of the qualities that they may have.

What sort of qualities? Well, we’re glad you asked!

These are some of the most important features and factors that you should be looking out for in your children’s favorite toys when they are reaching their first birthday!

Presentation

This is likely going to be the first thing that will stand out to you and your baby in question’s mind.

If it doesn’t stand out to them and get their attention, after all, how good can it be for your little one to play with?

When looking for a toy that has a good presentation, you want something that has one of two things: Bright colors (preferably ones that your little one loves), or a strong sense of design.

In terms of baby toys, this means something that makes it identifiable as its own thing, rather than just… well, a mishmash of different plastic bits and pieces.

Amongst a sea of brightly colored plastic, kids are likely to pick the item that looks a little different, while still retaining bright or interesting shapes or colors.

A cartoonish, but still Identifiable object or animal is a great example of a toy that will have a good balance of both.

Interactivity

When we mean a gift should be interactive, what we really mean is that a good gift for a little one shouldn’t just be flashing light and bright colors. At least, not all of them.

While textual and tactile toys are great, a baby gift can also be something that they can learn something from.

This isn’t even necessarily something like words or concepts, but also basic motor skills.

Remember, your baby is still developing, so having toys that help them understand the world around them better is always going to be interesting to them.

In this category, we would consider toys like the My First Signs: American Sign Language and the Hape Pound & Tap Bench With Slide Out Xylophone very good for these purposes.

They teach your kids both good communication and motor functions, respectively.

Engaging

Of course, bright colors and fun shapes are only going to get your baby to water. How exactly are you going to make them drink?

Tortured metaphor aside, how interesting or interactive your toy is for your baby is another crucial step. Once they have their attention caught by a toy, they will need to keep it somehow.

Items that have secret compartments in them are always a safe bet for this kind of thing, as are books or items that have identifiable characters that your little one knows and loves. 

This one might take a little narrowing down at first, as you’ll need to know what sort of aspects of play your child already loves.

However, once you’ve narrowed down those things, finding the right toy will be a cinch.

Safety

We’re honestly a little disappointed with ourselves that we didn’t think to put this even higher!

Safety should be a primary concern when it comes to looking for gifts for a year-old baby. After all, not only are they small, but they’re also curious and prone to accidents!

You should ideally stay away from presents that shoot toys or objects at high speeds.

Something that gives a ball toy a little lift as a part of the toy design is fine, but anything that, for example, uses a considerable amount of force is just asking for trouble.

Gifts for your little one should also be on the larger side of things, if possible.

Year-old babies are at a stage of development where they’re likely teething and are going to want to try and put every toy they find in their mouth and chew.

So make sure that it is tough enough to handle that!

And, when in doubt, make sure that you read the label to a toy! These will usually list all the potential hazards that they might present to a child, if any.

Durable

You’re going to want to get them a gift that can stand up to any rough play they put it through!

Right next to safety, having a tough be durable enough to stand up to punishment is a great way to keep your little one healthy.

Gifts with pieces that can fall off and potentially harm your child in some ways are not durable enough for consideration.

That being said, gifts that are too hard can also potentially be annoying for your little one if they bit too hard into it. So, ideally, a material that is tough, but also flexible enough is the ideal choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Should You Spend On A Child’s First Birthday Gift?

The answer to this question will be different for every gift-giver, as there is pretty much no limit as to what can make a good gift.

Generally speaking, most gifts for one-year-olds tend to be less than $200, but don’t let that stop you from getting a truly incredible gift, if it is within your budget, of course.

Can I Give These Gifts To A Baby Below 1 Year?

Considering that some of these have somewhat strange textures and need a decent attention span, we would not recommend giving these gifts to 10-month or younger babies.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it. Our list of the best gift a one-year-old baby can receive for their birthday.

It’s hard to say what gifts exactly kids will latch on to.

Some gifts that have a thousand hours of thought put into them get zero attention from them, while the sock puppet that cost $5 becomes their favorite present.

But hopefully, this guide has narrowed your search down a little!