Need Advice for 1St-birthday Gifts

My very best friend's daughter just had her 1st birthday. I sent her a book called "Barney's Book of Shapes" which is an excellent board book (only type to get at this age) for teaching shapes and lends itself well to colors, too. I also sent, via the Tupperware website, a shape sorter. The combination of these two is great - 2D and 3D! Ha!

Why these? I have a son with special needs who went to early intervention school at age 2. This is the type of book and toy they advocate - fun while learning, develops hand-eye and manipulation ability. Also, on a far less professional note, my 18 month old has a favorite book and a favorite toy and these are them.

Hope this helps!
S. :)

For my daughters first birthday she got a chair that she absolutely loved. Get one that's just her size. My daughter got a rocking chair and to this day she still won't get rid of it (she is 11 now). She has a large stuffed animal that sits in it. Also, the little books that can't be torn up (ones made of plastic are great because they can take them in the tub). My daughter loved being read to at that age and as time went on she started "reading" them to me. Good luck!

Honestly???

The box, the wrapping paper, and the bags.

But, if you need to buy gifts, I'd suggest getting a subscription to ZooBooks- you can read it to her, with her and point out the animals.
Or some of the MegaBlocks- the giant sized legos.
Stakable cups to pour water and sand with are always good toys, as well as sorter toys and the interactive bead toys (think like the big activity cubes with the bead that travels on a wire- you tend to see these in kids waiting areas).

Between 1 and 3 you child will pick up the toy and be really interested in it one day, only to set it down and ignore it for MONTHS. When that happens, put the toy in a box in closet and after a few weeks, bring it back out, let her re-open it, and viola! new toy!

Katheryn,

We faced that question twice. For bth of our sons we got the standard toys, and clothes, but we also got them a savings bond. They're easy to get, just go to the bank, have a social security # handy and tell them you want to purchase a savings bond. If you want a $100 it will cost you $50. as they mature they earn interest and you can designate when your child can cash them. It would be a great way to help with college, or whatever.
We get our sons one every birthday now.
Good luck, and Happy Birthday to your little one!!!

Hi Katheryn! I also have a little girl that will be one in April! I agree that the first year has gone by so quickly. What we plan to do for her, in addition to some gifts, is donate money in her name to a charity. My idea was to continue this each year for her birthday. When she is old enough she can choose the charity. I hope this will teach her to think of others. Just an idea. We also plan to start a college fund for her. I don't know about your daughter, but mine is still more interested in packaging than the actual presents. We didn't get her much for Christmas and probably won't get much for her birthday. Good luck!

H.

We decided on a toy box and book case. We have a big family and lots of friends so we did not want to buy her toys or clothes because we knew that everyone else would. We are also glad we did that because we are expecting again so they both can use them both. We also got her a savings bond this way she can get to use it later in her life for whatever shes wants. (Car, College, Wedding, etc.)

Hi there... Congrats on getting throught the first year!!!:) I thought awhile about my daughters gift as well last year and I will tell you that I went with something very basic... a comfy chair. She uses it all the time, to watch movies and just mimic dad in his chair.. it is so cute. She is still useing it and it is very light that she can take it with her around the house. My parents got her stock in Disney. that way down the road it will be there for her. I know it isnt non traditional but she love it.
Good luck
D.

I honestly didn't get either of my daughters gifts for their one year birthdays. As terrible as it sounds we had a little party and they got gifts then and I felt that was enough since they were so young.
On the other hand, if you would like to get a gift I think a really nice gift for a little girl is a jewelry box that she can have for many years to come. Both of my girls got one as gifts from close friends and I thought it was a great idea!

You could sign her up for some kind of mommy and me class or kindermusik. Also a museum or zoo membership! Also I love the store Learning Express in Centerville they really know about all there toys.
Good Luck
jo

Hi! My daughter is just about to turn 1 this Thursday and we're having a party for her Sunday. Anyhow, I had my parents by her one of those turtle sandboxes and some sand toys. The sandbox itself is only $30 and you can get it at Walmart,Target or Toys R Us. My inlaws are getting a toy box. For Christmas she got a vibrating Elmo chair that's just her size and she loves it. And I just got an email from one of the baby sites I go to that said anything pully or pushy is good for this age. So a little vacuum cleaner, a baby stroller w/her own dolly to go in it would be good. They said a kitchen set w/the food is good for this age. I also want her to get some kind of toy to ride outside when the weather gets nice. Oh, the article said books, and things that you can stack together or put in or take out is good for a 1 year old. I also had my sister get her some bath toys.

Huh...ok, does that help? LOL!

S.

Hello.. I work at a bank, and for a non tradional gift, you might consider bonds. I see lots of aunts, uncles, and grandparents, buy them for family members. A gentlemen just came in the other day and cashed in 20 years of bonds, and he ended up having alot of money. I am going to start buying them for my children. To help save for a car, or college, or even graduation. Whenever they will need them.
As for regular gifts, I always found clothes, and step two, or little tykes gifts the best for my children. They last a long time and they really enjoyed them.

In addition to a party this weekend (she'll be one on March 3rd), I got her a birthday dress. I just searched on google for a birthday dress. Most of them can be emboidered with your child's name. The one I bought is from B. Swanky http://www.bswanky.com/childrens-birthday-clothes.aspx

The things that they play with the most are the simple things. My son loved getting vaccum cleaner and swifer (yes the real one) for a gift. His fav. toy two christmases ago was a $5 flash light...he still plays with it! It's a tiger and you squeeze the tail, he growls, opens his mouth and turns on. Something she can take care of but isn't high tech...like a baby doll that makes no noise at all. Sentimental gifts that my son has gotten is a ring with his initials on it. It has been put in a box for when he gets older. His godfather got it for him. Books are always wonderful. A big empty box is probably what she will love the most. The things that I think will help most in the future are the savings bonds and stock (yes, my son has more money in his retirement than I do...but I definitly wasn't the one who put it there lol) :) Good luck

My husband and I didn't go overboard at all for my sons first b-day. In fact, we bought him diapers, onesies, and his first walking shoes. I know "walking shoes" are not as popular as they used to be, but I just loved them. I felt it was a big deal to buy the white high tops, rather than a pair that had a character on them or were just fashionable. We have pictures and film of him at his birthday party in his new shoes and everyone commented on them. I wonder if they still bronze them? Anyways, that was our big gift to our son that made us feel we were doing something memorable vs. just tons of toys.

Hey for my 1 year old's first birthday, my husband got her the Fisher Price A to Z zoo animals, and surprisingly from all her gifts, this was her favorite. She is 19 months now and still plays with the animals every day. This is a toy that should have their interest until at least three. I think her second favorite gift was the Little tikes crazy coupe car. Hope that helps.

If you like the idea of saving money for her future I would suggest you look into a 529 plan (in Ohio) or equivilent program in your state. It is a much better way to save for college than savings bonds and you can encourage others to add to the account.
As a banker for 11 years I have seen alot of savings bonds but you have no control over what they earn. With the 529 you can decide how to invest the funds to maximize your returns.
You just need to meet with an investment advisor at your bank (I would suggest Don Boyer at KeyBank if you are in the Toledo area), they can fill you in on the details.
Best of Luck to you!

We had the same question when our daughter turned one five months ago. Boy the time goes fast! We got her a ride on toy-actually two, one was the gobble 'n go hippo by fisher price, which she can ride or walk behind, it was great when she was learning to walk and she still loves it now. Her great-grandparents got her the new Radio Flyer ride on toy without pedals, but it has real steering and a bell. She still isn't that coordinated with it and still can't make it "go". She just gets on and off and plays with the bell. I think I would recommend that for Christmas for your daughter. She got a wooden rocking horse for Christmas (at 15 months) and she really loves that now. I've given bath toys and books for gifts in the past and they have been big hits. I'm not a person who wants a million toys in my house, but there are a few things that kids of this age need to help them along developmentally- a ride on, something to walk behind, something to pull behind them, and books with big pictures. The caterpillar with the balls by FP is a great pull toy, and the traditional popper is a big hit for little kids. My daughter walked around with the popper off the floor for a couple of months until she got the hang of it, but she still had fun. Now she has a blast chasing the dog around with it! We got our daughter an outside swing that she absolutely loves. A climber (like a Step 2 Kangaroo Climber, or one of the Slide and Climbs) is a great toy as well, especially one that you can use indoors since we get a lot of rain here. I just ordered one for her today, but I wish I had bought one for her a long time ago, because now that she can walk she is climbing on everything in sight! Lego Quattros are nice big blocks, and the Melissa and Doug wood puzzles with 3 pieces are also a big hit. She loves peek-a-blocks, books, the little people sets, and her toddler music as well. Some of the things I am listing are a little beyond a one year old's capability, but she will grow into it quickly, and will be able to use all of this before Christmas rolls around.

My parents gave her a plaque with her name and its meaning on it, and that is something she is going to have for a very long time. A few other keepsake/non-toy ideas for you- a music box, a Precious Moment-or you could start the Precious Moments birthday collection, a first Bible, or start any other kind of tradition you would like. My cousin always got a pearl every year to add to her necklace (although I think she started this when she was about 8, I don't remember). If all else fails, savings bonds or money in a savings account will always be appreciated by her later. Have a great party!

I just went back and read the other posts- my daughter loves the real swiffer, too, and I've shortened it so it is just her size. Starting her on housework early! =) We also did get a really nice wood toybox from her other grandparents, and keep that in the living room. That has been a big help on keeping the clutter down.