Top 10 First Birthday Gifts

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So your little one is turning the big one? It’s such a milestone birthday – not only because you’ve survived the first year of parenting and they’ve made their first trip around the sun – but because they go from being babies to real little people. Some are walking, others are talking, and all are developing their personalities and becoming more and more engaging.

Whether you’re looking yourself for something special to get your almost-toddler or putting together a wish list for the relatives, Mom Crew has 10 tried and true ideas for you…

1. Play Kitchen

They may still seem a little young for such a big item, but the first birthday is actually the perfect time to invest in a play kitchen. Even if they’re not pretending to cook and serve you full meals at this point, they can use it for standing and cruising, and they’ll love opening and closing cabinets, putting objects inside and pulling them out again, and banging around toy pots and pans. Plus you can use play food to help support their learning of colors and food names. You can really go down a rabbit hole with accessories (toy stand mixer, anyone?!) but the nice thing is that you can just start with the kitchen and a few accessories and add on over time. Once you have the kitchen, accessories make great gifts for 2nd, 3rd or 4th birthdays, and even beyond.

Here are some of my favorite play kitchen items for the 1st birthday:

2. Indoor Climbing Toys

If you have a little one who is very active, it’s nice to be able to redirect their climbing interests to safer options than the bookshelf or window ledge. Here are some of my favorite indoor climbing options that don’t take up too much space:

  • The BABY JOY Folding Slide is one of my absolute favorite items, because it gets a ton of play time (climbing, sliding, scaling the front, crawling under it, rolling objects down it) AND folds up when you’re not using it. It can also be used indoors or outdoors since it’s plastic. My almost-4-year-old still enjoys going down it, even though she can practically touch the floor while sitting on the top of it. And my little guy was able to climb up it and go down even before he turned 1 (under supervision for the times he decides to stand up at the top and try to step down).

  • ECR4Kids SoftZone Climb and Crawl Activity Play Set is a fun soft foam set for climbing. The pieces slide apart easily (which I solved with adhesive velcro strips), but the upside is that it allows for different configurations and more versatile play, especially with older kids. AmazonBasics Kids Soft Play Corner Climber, 4-Piece is a similar type of foam climbing set – you can’t arrange it in different configurations like you can with the ECR4Kids one, but the pieces stay together better.

  • Pikler Triangle – there are a lot of different options for this type of wooden climber. We have a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old, so we got a larger set to accommodate both kids for a few years that comes with a triangle, arch and two different types of ramps. I purchased from this Etsy shop and the quality is excellent.

  • The Nugget is all the rage – so popular that it’s on backorder for 6 months. So unless you’re planning way ahead for your little one’s 1st birthday, it probably won’t be there on time; but the good news is that your child won’t know or care exactly when this gift arrives, so you could still ask for it as a 1st birthday gift from the grandparents. We’re actually still waiting for ours, but I’ve heard from many people how great it is for climbing, sitting, laying, reading, and fort building, so I have high hopes that it will be a versatile item that will get years worth of use.

  • Little Tikes Rocking Horse Blue is a great rocking toy that’s easy to climb on and off of, and more secure to sit in for the little ones than a regular rocking horse.

  • Pop Up Tunnels, Ball Pit, and Play Tent for Kids – not exactly a climbing toy, but another great toy for encouraging physical activity. Plus I love how the pieces can be used individually and are easily collapsible so they don’t take up much room if you’re putting them away. We got two sets of these plastic pit balls to go with it, which my kids even like playing with on their own (although I don’t like cleaning balls up from all over the house, so most stay in the mesh cases when not in use).

3. Push Trike

A push trike is less a trike at this age and more a stroller alternative – which comes in VERY handy when they go through the stroller hating phase around a year. This is the phase where they will kick and scream and wriggle and arch their backs when you try to put them in the stroller, making it nearly impossible to strap them in safely and inciting looks of horror from fellow passersby who cannot imagine what torture you might be inflicting on this poor child. Enter the push trike – for whatever reason, they don’t seem to view this as a stroller and will happily get in and stay in. Maybe it’s being more upright and having better field of vision and feeling less “contained”. Whatever the reason, I’m all for it. In fact, since we got a push trike for our son’s 1st birthday, we have not even used the stroller for walks and trips to the park. The only downside is that there’s not as much storage as there is with a stroller, but we just fit what we can and carry a backpack for the rest. This feels like a worthwhile alternative to the stroller scenario described above.

With our first, we had the Joovy Tricycoo, which was comfortable for our daughter and not terrible to push, although I probably wouldn’t have taken it on a long walk. It has a fairly big footprint and doesn’t fold, so it wasn’t ideal for an NYC apartment. If you live in a house and can store it in a garage, it’s a good and reasonably priced option. The Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll 'N Trike is also a popular choice and even less expensive than the Joovy, but for that price it does seem to be a bit more cheaply made and may not be as comfortable for a younger toddler; plus it has the same issues of being bulky and non-folding.

For our second, we splurged on the Doona Liki Trike S3, which is awesome and worth the extra in my opinion (especially if you’re getting it for a first child and can potentially use it for more than one kid down the road). It folds, which is huge for city living, and is easy to throw in the trunk if you live in a suburb and own an SUV like we do now. It’s very comfortable for our son, who started using it at 1 year, is easy to push and steer (not as good as a stroller, but that’s to be expected), has a handy little storage bag that’s attached, and has some other good features to grow with them when they’re ready to start pedaling. We got the red color and it looks great too. We have literally not used our stroller since getting it – we use it on walks around the neighborhood and throw it in the trunk to take to the park.

4. Balance Bike and/or Scooter

Most kids are still just a tad young for either of these items, but may be using them well before their second birthday – some are even scooting expertly by 18 months, especially if they have an older sibling with whom they’re trying to keep up!

We received this balance bike for our son’s 1st birthday, at which time he enjoyed being held on it and slowly pushed forward. By 14 months, he is now learning how to get on and off it by himself and how to scoot himself forward a little. His older sister also enjoys riding around the house on it, even though she is way too big and looks hilarious on it. This type of balance bike is very stable, sturdy and low to the ground, so there’s little chance they’ll get hurt. But once he’s really riding it and can go outside on the sidewalk, I’ll get him a Baby Nutty helmet (the XXS fit my daughter’s 90something percentile head until she was at least 2).

One of the best scooters you can get for a very young person is the Micro Mini – it’s stable, durable, lightweight, smooth to ride and intuitive to steer using body weight (not by turning the handles, which can cause more accidents). My little guy is already trying to steal his big sister’s, so I have a feeling we’ll be springing for his own before his 2nd birthday!

4. Activity Cube

A wooden activity cube is a fun gift for this age. It’s interactive and helps them develop motor skills. I made the mistake with my first of buying a very simple one that I thought was more age-appropriate and wouldn’t get old too fast, but from the little attention it got and the way that she was drawn to the ones with more bells & whistles at friend’s houses or the doctor’s office, we got a fancier one for #2. Here are a few of my favorites:

5. Kids’ Table + Chair Set

They’ll need to be supported at this age, but soon enough they’ll be climbing onto the chairs by themselves and will want to do EVERYTHING at their little table. It’s a great alternative to the dining table when they are flat-out refusing to be in the high chair, or for snacks, or any type of arts & crafts activity. Get a few little ones sitting around it together and it’s just about the cutest site you’ve ever seen.

The first one we had was this Pottery Barn Kids My First Table + Chairs Set, which I loved. I was lucky enough to find it at a thrift store for a fraction of the price, but I would pay full price for this one (or wait until it goes on sale periodically). It’s super cute, very well made, and the perfect size for the littlest of people.

For a less expensive option, the Melissa & Doug Tables & Chairs 3-Piece Set or KidKraft Farmhouse Table & 4 Chair Set is also a good choice for a starter table.

6. Kids’ Reading Chair

We got a Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair for both of our kids for their 1st birthdays. When we lived in NYC, I wished we had gone with the My First Anywhere Chair since the regular sized one turned out to be pretty large and wasn’t getting as much love as I had hoped. But now that we’re in a house and have plenty of room, I’m glad we have the regular sized one and our almost-4-year-old uses hers a lot. My son was already climbing into his big sister’s chair, so he immediately loved having his own. He uses it as a climbing structure sometimes, but will also sit in it to look at a book or drink milk from his straw cup. I have the two chairs surrounding a low book shelf in the play room, which is great because they will both reach for a book and sit in their respective chairs to enjoy it. Now if they will just do this for one hour straight, I could actually relax with a cup of coffee and a book of my own. (A mom can dream, right?)

Some people prefer the Crate & Kids Nod Chair, which is also a good choice. Our old neighbor had the small one, which is a great starter size for a 1st birthday – it seemed firmer than the PBK ones, which probably means it would hold its shape better if it gets heavy use or heavily beat up over time. The back is rounded and also seemed to be a bit lower, so it wouldn’t be as good for leaning a head back on. But still a great choice for a 1st birthday gift, and they have some very cute and unique patterns available.

7. Musical Instruments

I started playing the piano at a very young age and developed a lifelong love for classical music, so I love the idea of fostering an early interest in music in my children. Just having musical instruments around probably won’t quite do the trick, but it can’t hurt, right? Well maybe your ears, but it’s worth it in my opinion to see their enjoyment at making “music.” My favorite big musical instrument gift is a toy piano – after some research into one that would be a good size for a 1-year-old and would sound like an actual piano (not an off-key twangy toy), we got the Melissa & Doug Learn-To-Play Piano With 25 Keys, which I love. It’s the perfect size for the little ones, it sounds realistic and in tune, and it has enough keys to play most kids’ songs. Both my kids have loved banging around on it and hearing me sound out their favorite songs, and over time the bangs have turned into deliberate finger presses and an actual interest in learning how to play songs.

Here are some of my other favorite smaller musical instruments for one-year-olds:

8. Building Toys

Although one years old is still a little young to be doing actual building, my son has been loving his big sister’s building toys for a while now. There’s a lot of banging them around, but he is actually trying to put some things together, and you can use them to work on colors too. Or you can build something and let them knock it down, which is also a favorite game among one-year-olds.

My son has also been stacking objects for a few months now, so he loves blocks. You have to evaluate your own child’s tendency to use them as a weapon, but if you think they can handle them, a nice set of wooden blocks is a great investment. This is probably not the kind of toy that I would leave out at all times for free rein, but if you’re able to sit and play with them, you can practice stacking and counting together.

Here are my favorite starter building toys, which your child is likely to enjoy for years to come:

9. Things That Go

It seems like pretty much all kids enjoy things on wheels. It’s fun to make them slide across the floor, and even better if you can load them up with objects. Here are some favorites in our household:

  • Green Toys Dump Truck, Recycling Truck, Fire Truck and School Bus are all good choices.

  • Coogam 4 Pack Friction Powered Cars Construction Vehicles Toy Set is even fun for me – they move by themselves with just the slightest push, and they’re the perfect size for little hands.

  • Melissa & Doug Keys & Cars Rescue Garage is a car toy and educational toy at once that works on fine motor skills since you use a key to open the garage doors; before they’re ready for the key part, you can just keep the doors open so they can slide them up and down to get the cars out.

  • Green Toys Toy Wagon is the perfect toddler-sized wagon – they can pull it around and also load it up with stuff to transport from room to room.

  • VTech Drop & Go Dump Truck – while light up toys that play sounds are not my favorite, this one is pretty cool and most of the time I leave the sound off so my son can just play with the mechanics of it; and he loves it, sound on or off.

  • VTech Sit-to-Stand Alphabet Train is a toy that every child I’ve ever met has loved. We used to bring it to the playground when we lived in NYC and even the big kids would be attracted to it. My 4-year-old still likes to ride around the house on it, and it’s held up well after years of heavy use. It is another one of those rather annoying toys that lights up and plays sounds, but it’s not terrible – and I like that there’s more to it than that. There are some interesting mechanical elements too, such as putting the letters in the top and watching them pop out the bottom. You can detach the seat to let them push it around or attach the seat to ride on it.

10. Educational/Developmental Toys

The first birthday is about that age where many of us start looking into toys that encourage learning, development and exploration. Even if you don’t really need to “teach” your child at this age, it’s still great to talk with them about letters, numbers, colors, shapes, animals, sounds, etc. and interact with them in a way that feels meaningful and purposeful. Here are some of my favorite toys that fit the bill for this type of play:

  • Personalized Name Puzzle – these are super cute and good quality, and you can use them to start casually talking about letters and colors. There’s also a small stand you can purchase to display it on a shelf when you’re not playing with it.

  • Melissa & Doug Wooden Peg Puzzle 6 Pack Numbers, Letters, Animals, Vehicles – my son mostly likes to dump these out unceremoniously at this age, but I try to use it as a learning opportunity by telling him about the piece he’s holding (e.g., “that’s a cow, moo moo”) or asking him to pick out a certain piece.

  • Lakeshore What’s Inside Soft Feely Box – this seems like a rather expensive toy, but we got it for my daughter around a year and it’s gotten a ton of play. It comes with several small toys that fit inside, and you can put in whatever else you’d like. They don’t seem to get tired of discovering what’s inside.

  • Buckle Toy Buddy Activity Backpack with Zippered Pouch for Storage – this is a great and engaging toy that encourages fine motor skills and color matching. The backpack version is fun because they just love stuffing small objects into pouches. The regular Buckle Toy and Mini Buckle Toy are also great (the latter is especially great for travel and diaper bags).

  • Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube – we have a few different shape sorting toys, and this one is my favorite. It’s the most basic, but also contains more shapes than most. My son enjoys sliding off the top to get the pieces out, and then we talk about colors, what the shape it, and I show him how each shape fits into the corresponding slot.

  • Coogam Matching Eggs 12 pcs Set Color & Shape Recognition Sorter – this is one of those toys that seems kind of random but my kids absolutely love and find different ways to play with. My son mostly just enjoys taking the eggs out and pulling the halves apart right now; as they get a little older, you can talk more about shapes and colors with them, and how to fit the pieces back together. My 4-year-old has started incorporating them into pretend play where she builds incubators out of Magna-Tiles for the eggs and places them inside to hatch. (I think this was inspired by a Daniel Tiger episode.)

  • Fat Brain Toys MiniSpinny – this is a fun small version of the large one, and I like that it all stays connected (unlike the larger one, which could turn the stick into a weapon); it’s also the perfect size for travel or the diaper bag.

  • Melissa & Doug Rainbow Caterpillar – I love this one for practicing colors, fine motor skills and the mechanics of how gears turn one another; plus it’s cute too.

  • Skoolzy Jumbo Nuts and Bolts – these are interesting for color matching and practicing how to do a twisting motion.

  • LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set – this is a great magnet toy to keep a little one occupied while you’re trying to make something in the kitchen or do dishes. Whether they actually learn letters and letter sounds from it is questionable, but it encourages them to figure out how to fit the pieces into the magnetic base and to press different buttons to make different things happen. Plus they love the songs.

  • And of course books! Not exactly a toy, but certainly educational, and books make great gifts at any age. By 1 year old, many kids have a short attention span for books, which is totally normal, so don’t try to force that long Dr. Seuss book on them at this point (don’t worry, they’ll want to return to it at some point). The books you think are annoying because they’re super repetitive (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Brown Bear) or rhymey are actually great for them at this age, because they not only hold their attention but also foster language development and understanding. Check out my Favorite Books for Babies & Toddlers and focus on the board books and interactive books for this age.