1 Yr Old Christmas and Birthday Gift Ideas

For my son's first birthday we just gave him a $1 ball I picked up while I was at the party store. We knew he would get other gifts and he had so many toy already with having an older brother. After all the gifts were open, the $1 ball was and is his favorite toy.

My son was 8 months old when he had his first christmas. We got some great developmental toys from his Aunts and Grandparents. One toy that he really liked and that I enjoyed watching him learn to use was this walker that you push to help infants stand and walk, but then in the front of it, there are buttons that light up, play music, switches to pull and shapes to match the slots. It was great because it grew up with him. At 8 months all he did was push the buttons and danced to the music, then when he started to stand up, he used it alot to help him get around the house. Then when he got a little older, he was able to put the stars in the star slot and the ball in the round slot, etc. He's 2 1/2 now and he still enjoys the music and lights and loves pushing it around the house.

Have considered buying stock? You can sign up through Share Builders and buy stock one share or a portion of a share at a time. It is a great way to invest and they don't miss the toys. I tell my kids the money in their stock accounts will be around alot longer than the toys they get.

my charlie is 17 months and he loves to play. someone got him a zylophone that ihave to put away sometimes becaue it drives me nuts also a drum with the stick that is atached to it soit doesnt get lost. he plays outside a lot and loves to help with gardening i was taking him out to my garden since he was a month old so that is why he likes it. he has and shovel that he loves to use also a little plastic lawnmower that he pushes around.i dontknow if your baby is walking yet but charlie was walking at 9 months and is very active so he loves things he can drag. he also likes to get into the cupboards and i have all of them locked except for one which has a bunch of butter dishes andold tupperware and wooden spoons. those keep him busy while im cooking. but his favortie toy of all is a cardboard box. he loves boxes . i push him around until i get tired then hide the box and bring it out when i have more energy. im his grandma but not antique so we do play alot he jsut has too much energy.

Blocks!!! They are a great size for them to manipulate and no small parts to choke on. Also ride on toys, help promote stong legs and good posture. A wagon is always good at this age too because you can use it to store toys, give rides around the neighborhood and they love to climb in and out of things.

My daughter got a truck that you can ride on or fill with stuff in the dump truck portion. My son now 20 months loves it!

My sister just had her son's 1 yr birthday party last night. He recieved this electronic book from walmart. Its pretty inexpensive. It sings when you turn the pages and its plastic so it can't be destroyed. I got him a package of rubber balls that are about the size of baseballs (also from wal mart) and he carried those around and threw them and rolled them everywhere. He loved it. As far as games, there is a really great book you can get off of amazon called
"365 games babies play" by Sheila Ellison. Its basically a different game for every day with great ideas for birth to 18 months. Hope this helps.
good luck

Hello & good day.
I would have to agree that you have received all such good advice before me. I like the idea of the musical instruments...we shall have to do that here at our home. Sounds like fun.

It also seems like from Marie's post, her child is a lot like my 2 boys who are now 2 & 3 years old. Building with blocks whether they be wooden or duplo, they love it! Manipulatives are wonderful for small motor skills which aids in handwriting skills later. And, I have to admit...anything with wheels is a BIG hit here too...especially if it goes outside like a wagon (good investment too)!

Another good investment we made was in 2 BIG metal Tonka Dumptrucks (one for each of our 2 little boys). They love riding in the backs of them as well as pushing them around the yard. Great Large Motor skills being developed with those around.

With your son being so interested in the kitchen supplies you may want to invest in a Food & Dishes set. Lakeshore Learning has a really good bargain.
You can order online too: http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/

And then if you were to ask me what my personal preference is...I would have to say our collection of Baby Signing Time DVDs are an all-time favorite of all ages. Great learning tools, especially for the younger ones that are learning to talk. What a great aid they have been for communicating and avoiding the temper tantrums.
If interested, you can find them online here:
http://www.signingtime.com/

Whatever you decide, I am sure that the love you have for your child by taking this time to invest in them will ever so shine so BRIGHT! You cannot go wrong there!

The best to you & your little ones!
~D.

Someone gave my daughter stacking cups at that age, she still plays with them at almost 3. It is one of her favorite toys.

Song wise she loves "three little speckled frogs." Also, we play "Where's Amber?" I pretend to not know where she is and look for her in silly places, "is she under my purse?" etc. We play this every morning. It also stops fits in public.

Hi M M,

My son was also keen on kitchen goodies, and so I bought him a kid's tupperware mini baking and serving set for his 1st birthday. He has been practically inseparable from the little jug ever since, and he's now 19 months. It's really perfect for little hands and good for water play. For Christmas he is getting a Rody - it's a blow-up bouncing horse thing. Every time we go to the toy shop it's the first thing he goes for. My only reservation about it is that you need a space with a soft floor surface and no hard edges or corners to bang heads into, because it's easy to fall off. His other favourite is a spinning top - you know, the kind where you push down and it spins and hums.

A fun game for littlies is "round the garden" - you trace your finger in a circle around the palm of the hand or the tummy button, saying "round and round the garden, goes the teddy bear", then "walk" with your fingers up the arm or the chest saying "one step, two step", then tickle under the arm or chin saying "tickle you under there!". It usually gets a laugh, although sometimes it takes a while for the kid to get it. It's all in the anticipation!

I have a daughter who will be one on New Year's Eve. I just found a great toy that I will be getting her. It is called a bilibo. It has no exact purpose and can be used for tons of things. I'll probably get two, one for both my girls. They look really fun. You can google it and check it out.

Have a wonderful Christmas!!!

My children's favorite toys at this age were instruments! We bought the BeeBop Band by Parents (sold at Target and Mervyn's) It is a bunch of kid-friendly instruments that come inside a drum. They still play with it and they are five and three. This purchase alone would help you to interact with your son!!!! I used to march around the room singing silly songs and have them follow me whether they were crawling or walking. We also would put on a children's cd and dance to that. I have to say, my kids have rhythm now:)

The only other gift that can stand out in my head was the little playhouse by Fisher Price. It is about $60 and the babies can crawl through a little door, ring a door bell, drop balls down a rain gutter, etc. etc. It was fun for all ages and was a gift we kept for a long time! They also sell a little kitchen that is the same concept.

If you need more activities to do with your son google "Activities for young toddlers" or visit a teaching supply store where they sell curriculum books for toddlers and mini cards that have daily activities to do with your child. I bought mine at Teaching Tools(name?) on Gilbert and Southern.