Friday Favorites: Top 10 First Birthday Gifts

With Tommy’s first birthday just 2 weeks away,  I’ve got birthday gifts on my mind. I started thinking about some of the best gifts Maggie and Alex got, some toys Tommy has been enjoying lately and last polled friends who have little ones that recently turned one. What I came up with is a list of my top 10 suggestions for 1st birthday gifts. These will also make great holiday gifts for kids ages 12-18 months. 

Top 10 First Birthday Gifts 

1. Blocks

Blocks seem like the most basic baby gift ever, but there’s a reason they’ve been around forever – they’re fun! Blocks are also a great gift that will grow with the child. We love:

Wood Blocks : The Land of Nod has wonderful wood block sets in various sizes/ priced sets

Mega Blocks

Bristle Blocks

2. Fisher-Price Zoo

Maggie got a Fisher-Price zoo for Christmas when she was 18 months old. She got the Fisher-Price Little People Zoo Talkers Animal Sounds Zoo. She’s now almost 6 and still plays with it all the time. Even when other kids come over to play, they always gravitate towards it. It’s either set up with animals or becomes an extension of the dollhouse. Tommy recently got a newer version, the Fisher-Price Little People Big Animal Zoo and it’s adorable. The big elephant it comes with plays music and makes sounds that he loves. He plays with it all the time and his big sisters “borrow” it often to add to their zoo. This Fisher-Price Zoo is a huge hit in our house and now one of my go-to 1st birthday gifts for friends. 

3. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Scooter 

We’ve had a lot of ride on toys over the years, but this is by far our favorite. Tommy plays with this scooter non-stop. For the price, it makes a perfect birthday gift. What makes it even better, it that it grows with the child from 12-36M. The Smart Stages Scooter includes a new technology that lets you change the learning as your child grows with 3 different levels of play:

– Level 1 – includes songs about numbers and counting

– Level 2 – features prompted play by asking baby questions about numbers and colors

– Level 3 – encourages pretend play as baby cruises around

4. Freshly Picked Moccasins 

We love Freshly Picked moccasins and they make a really nice gift. I think they are easy to size and I like that they come in such a cute little bag for gift giving. There are so many fun colors to choose from and are a comfy option for new walkers. 

5. Micro Kickboard Mini2Go Scooter 

If there’s one gift I always recommend for kids, it’s a Micro Kickboard scooter. We have tried a number of scooters, and none seem to be as easy/ fun for little kids. Maggie has had her scooter for a few years now and uses it almost daily. Alex got one last Christmas and if you ask her what her favorite toy is, my guess is she’d reply “my scooter”.  I was thrilled to see the new Mini2Go Scooter! This is going to be Tommy’s big 1st birthday gift. The Mini2Go is Micro’s new ride-on for 18 mo+ that grows with your child (converting to a stand-up 3 wheel scooter like what Maggie and Alex ride now). 

– Stage1: Ride on with drawer in and t-bar at lowest setting

– Stage 2: Converting to a stand-on with t-bar at lowest setting

– Stage 3: Converting to a stand-on with t-bar at highest setting

6. Musical Elephant Stack & Ball Game

The Tiny Love Musical Elephant Stack & Ball Game is cute, fun and a great gift. It’s fun because it’s a few toys in one: it plays music, is a stacking toy and the ball feature can be made easy or more difficult based on whether you put the wide opening on top or keep the narrow opening. Tommy has this toy and loves it. His big sisters like helping him set it up too! 

7. I See Me! 

If you’re looking for a great book or a personalized gift, I highly recommend checking out I See Me! They have so many cute personalized books to choose from. Maggie and Alex each have an I See Me book that they love reading because they are “part of the book”. There are other great gift options like personalized puzzles, coloring books and music. 

8. A Slide 

A plastic, small slide is a great indoor or outdoor toy. We’ve had our plastic slide for years now. Maggie and Alex still play on it with their friends (it usually becomes part of a fort or obstacle course) and Tommy is now big enough to use it. You can find them from about $30-$100. Keep an eye out around the holidays, because there are always great deals on these slides. 3 favorites:

Step2 Play and Fold Jr. Slide

Little Tikes First Slide 

Step2 Naturally Playful Big Folding Slide

9. First Doll

I always think a doll makes a great first birthday gift. Both Maggie and Alex still play with the dolls they got when they were one. A few great options: 

Corolle

Pottery Barn Kids

Bitty Baby

10. Fisher-Price Bright Beats Dance & Move BeatBo 

I saw this fun little guy at a toy event this summer and Tommy is hoping to get one from Santa this year. BeatBo  is a fun new character that will get baby moving, dancing and singing. There are 3 modes of play to grow with the baby:

– Mode 1: Dance & Move mode is all about encouraging baby to wiggle & move.

– Mode 2: Learning & Games mode introduces baby to colors, ABCs, counting, action & interactive games

– Mode 3: Record Song mode allows for baby and mom to record their voice, then BeatBo will sing it back in a customizable song

For other birthday gift ideas, check out these posts:

Gift Guide for Toddler Girls 

10 Birthday Gifts for All Ages 

Birthday Party Gifts for Boys or Girls