Christmas Gift Ideas for Baby’s First Christmas

Christmas Gift Ideas for Baby’s First Christmas

This time of year I just love spending time with the boys wandering around aisles full of toys and watching their reactions as they try them all out. Ciarán runs ahead, with Cathal in close pursuit, shouting “Mammy can we press the toys?”. Santa will be visiting our house for the fifth time this year and he has left us some lovely presents. We’ve also received great gifts from friends and family so I thought I would share some of our most loved so that it might inspire you for Christmas gifts for the small people in your life.

Anything listed is something that we (both the boys and the parents) own and love, it has been thrown, stood on, drooled on and has survived. Many are now four years old and still favourites. They were either bought by us or given to us my friends and family so if you think that there’s a brand bias it’s a coincidence, or we have a family bias but there’s no funny business.

All items should be widely available through your local toyshop, Smyths, Amazon, Argos or Tesco, but if you have trouble locating any drop me a comment or an email and I will let you know where we got ours.

If you have other great recommendations pleas share them in the comments, or if you’re not a fan of some of mine.

What to buy a baby for their First Christmas

What Cathal got: a soft set of “Baby’s First Tools” that were fabric and adorable and for him very chewable. (We bought from Amazon)

What Ciarán got: A Graco Entertainer that doesn’t seem to be on the market anymore- like a walker that doesn’t move, a great toy, used by our boys and a friend’s little boy too and still going strong. Baby Einstein do a similar one that is quite expensive. They were all the rage in 2008.

Update: they’re back- Smyths have them in stick- check them out here.

Other great presents:

A Vtech First Steps Walker – a push along toy that makes music and has flashing lights. Can be used from tummy time to helping to walk, that’s how both our boys got walking. (Thanks Granny and Grandad)

An Activity Mat- check first that Baby doesn’t have one as they are often given as gifts to newborns

Shape Sorters- they come in lots of shapes and sizes and could be wooden or plastic, and have lasting appeal. As babies get to sitting up stage, their favourite game is “taking out and putting in” so these are great. We have the Fisher Price Laugh ‘n’ Learn Cookie Shape Surprise which has a musical element too

“Taggie Books”- fabric books with different textures and little tags, machine washable, great baby gift

Stacking cups- good developmentally we are told, and babies love them, again cheap and cheerful

A Toy Phone- we have a mobile phone from Tesco that Auntie Grá gave Ciarán for his first Christmas, it cost €5 and is played with almost every day

Bath toys- these are always a hit, from rubber ducks to watering cans, also if you are giving bath toys it’s handy to pick up the net bags to keep them all together

Buggy books- books that come with a strap that tie on to the buggy, available in most baby shops or bookshops.

The Vtech Crawl and Learn Bright Lights Ball – Granny delivered this for Ciarán’s first Christmas and he rolled over to grab it, it’s bright (as the name suggests) and babies will crane their necks to reach it and try to move after it.

That’s not my…books- these are a series of touchy feely books with not especially sensible text that babies really take to, they make an ideal bedtime story as they are short. (joke, sort of) There are dozens of titles, in our house favourites have been “That’s not my pirate” (thanks neighbours), “That’s not my Puppy” (thanks Santa) and “That’s not my Bear” (another Santa hit). If you know me and have a baby it’s quite likely that you own one of these as I tend to add them to a clothing gift for a new baby. Book habits should start young!

Practical/Boring Stuff
Everyone (myself included) loves gifting sparkly dresses and novelty clothing but parents are delighted to receive more practical bits, everyday clothes, pyjamas, babygros. Most newborns will have a press full of 3-6 month clothes so try to avoid that size. Bibs in bright colours always go down well too, and socks or tights. I know, boring, but might as well stay on the parents’ good side, Baby is too young to notice this year.

What not to give
Soft toys. Most people have lots already and when the kids get bigger they pick their own, baby doesn’t need any more, he/she is falling down with pink or blue ones already from when they were born.