Our favourite gifts for baby’s first birthday

Your toddler’s first birthday is a great time to celebrate how much they’ve grown — from a tiny baby, brand new in the world, to the charming little person you’ve gotten to know over the last 12 months 🙂 

Your 1-year-old will never remember how many gifts they received for their first birthday, and there are countless other ways to celebrate. Mostly, they just want to be with you ❤️ If you do choose to mark this occasion with a special gift (or gifts) for your toddler, or if someone close to you is looking for ideas, this list has everything from paint brushes to a play tunnel.

Here are our 15 favourite gift ideas for the 1-year-old in your life:

Art supplies

Chunky crayons, sidewalk chalk, and paint brushes are great tools for developing fine motor skills as your toddler’s colouring evolves from their first faint marks to bolder, circular scribbles.

Bubble machine

Bubbles create a special kind of magic for babies and toddlers, who love to chase and try to catch them. A bubble machine always makes a great addition to a party, but an afternoon outside can be the right occasion too.

Memberships to local attractions

Zoos, children’s museums, and indoor playgrounds are a lot of fun, but they can be expensive—especially if you have to cut out early for one reason or another 🙃 Having a membership means you can stay for as long (or as not-so-long) as you like, without feeling like you wasted a day pass.  

Montessori Play Shelf

Research shows that rotating toys keep them fresh for your toddler and promotes deeper, more meaningful play. 

Learning tower

Your 1-year-old loves to see what you’re up to in the kitchen, and may even be ready to start helping. Bring them up to counter-height and give them real tools like measuring cups, whisks, and wooden spoons to explore. 

Ten Little shoes

No matter how your 1-year-old is getting around at this stage, their shoes should be comfortable, lightweight, and flexible.

Push toys

Once they figure out how to stand up and move, 1-year-olds love to go, go, go 🙂 Practising with a wagon or play stroller might even be just the thing to get them walking on their own, if they aren’t doing it quite yet. A favourite stuffy or Baby Doll can add some extra weight for stability.

Riding toys

If it isn’t clear by now, movement is the name of the game for your 1-year-old. Riding toys are great for scooting around indoors and out, and can be loved year round.

Play tunnel

Your 1-year-old will love crawling through this colourful tunnel, developing gross motor skills that support walking in the process. While they explore inside, you can stick your face at the opening at either end for a game of peek-a-boo  ❤️

Water table

Sensory play is so good for your toddler’s developing brain, but it can get messy 🙃 A water table keeps materials like water, sand, and even mud in basins you can remove for easy cleaning.

Education fund

Whether used for preschool, college, or something in between, an investment in your child’s education is a gift that will benefit them well beyond their first birthday

Foam playmat

Foam playmats provide firm support for playing, are easy to clean, and come in a wide variety of styles to blend in with your home’s decor.

Pikler triangle

A Pikler triangle provides just the right amount of challenge as your child learns to walk, run, and climb. You can even add on accessories to turn the triangle into an indoor slide or give your toddler a change to practice rock climbing.

Nugget

The soft-but-sturdy cushions of an indoor activity set are ideal for creating forts and obstacle courses. Rearrange them to give your growing toddler new and challenging ways to build their gross motor skills. Link the cushions together with the Pikler triangle or Lovevery Play Tunnel for even more fun.

Instruments

Toddlers love having an impact on their environment—especially a noisy one 🙃 A musical instrument capitalizes on this new fascination with cause and effect, and supports fine motor and cognitive development at the same time.

The Play Kits

The Play Kits by Lovevery are thoroughly tested, baby safe, eco-friendly and Montessori inspired. Give your child the best start with our stage-based play toy subscription boxes.

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