I absolutely love selecting gifts for kiddos. The excitement starts as soon as my little ones receive a birthday invite. In fact I could spend an afternoon browsing in a toy store (with a hot coffee in hand) even without my children. We are lucky to have a great independent toy store in our local mall Toy Tales. If you are in the Cambridge area, I recommend that you check it out. It has great selection and it feels so nice to support local business! I digress.. I have realized as of late that many adults do not share my zest for toy choosing gifts for children and I thought I would share this list. These are all amazing gift ideas that my children received (and LOVED) for their first birthdays.
* NOTE: This blog post was not sponsored by any company and all ideas and opinions are my own and are based on my family's experience with these products.
* NOTE: This blog post was not sponsored by any company and all ideas and opinions are my own and are based on my family's experience with these products.
1. Little Red Wagon
A little red wagon is a classic first birthday gift and for good reason. First off, wagons are actually practical. They are great for transporting kids on evening strolls or for carrying a ton of stuff for picnics at the park. Second, they will be used for years by you and your children. Mr. Jeej loves to go for wagon walks so he can pull his little sister. I highly recommend the Radio Flyer All Terrain Cargo Wagon, it is a little pricey, but it may be a great group gift option. The wheels are inflatable which is great for a smooth ride, it stores very nicely in tight garage spaces, and the rails easily slide in and out for easy access. For a tighter budget, the Little Tykes Little Red Wagon is also a great option. This wagon is designed specifically for toddlers to pull and it can be used indoors as well as outside. Mr. Jeej and E fill it with stuffed animals and pull it around for hours! It's not meant for children to ride in , but there is definitely a bit of sister towing happening with this wagon, which is fun.. but definitely not recommended by the manufacturer.
2. Puzzles
3. Mega Bloks
4. Nesting Cups or Blocks
5. An Activity Cube
There is a reason that nearly every dentist and doctor's office in North America has an activity cube in their waiting room, they keep little hands busy! The B. toys zany zoo is full of surprises for one year olds. It features door with animals hiding behind, alphabet tiles that feature pictures on the back corresponding to each letter, a bead maze, an animal race track and spinning animals. Aside from being fun to play with, it actually looks good too. In our house we LOVE B. toys! They are a unique Canadian toy company that donates a portion of their sales to the charity Free the Children and are environmentally friendly in their packaging and material choices.
6. Shape Sorter
A shape sorter is another classic gift for a one year old and rightly so. Shape sorters help little ones develop logic and fine motor skills while introducing them to the concept of shapes. We have the Green Toys version, which the kids love because its so portable and light and I love because whenever it's dirty I can throw it in the dishwasher (like all Green Toys Products). There are also tons of great options in different shapes and price range such as the Hape shake and match or the . My kids also love the Melissa and Doug Safari Truck , it can be used to sort the animal shapes and also as a make believe toy, plus it seems like wheels make anything more fun!
7. Chunky Cars
Cars are a must have for any toy collection, both of my little ones enjoyed car play at age one (and still do). B. Wheeeels cars come in a set of 4 baby friendly cars, each with a unique sound, colour, and style. These cars are safe for little hands (and mouths) and move when pulled back. Green Toys also makes chunky vehicles safe for babies, check out the school bus or ferry boat (which doubles as a bath toy). Cars are great for introducing little ones to concepts like stop and go, developing hand eye coordination, and gross and fine motor skills.
8. Tap & Pound Bench
The Hape Tap and Pound Bench includes several fun elements: balls, a hammer, and musical instrument all one! Little ones can work on their hand eye coordination while tapping the balls with the hammer, the balls will fall and make noise while rolling down the xylophone piece. One of the great features of this toy is that the xylophone part is removable, so on days when parents are not feeling the noisy toys this one can double as a slightly quieter version, and also the xylophone can be used on its own for music making activities. Melissa an Doug and B. Toys also make unique versions of this toy, which are more budget friendly options but still tons of fun to play with.
9. Bath Toys
Bath toys are a unique gift that will be enjoyed for years, My son received the Yookidoo Flow N' Fill Spout for his first birthday and it is still a favourite with both my little ones. Its great for one year olds who love to play with water flowing from the tap, without wasting more water. If you are looking for something a little more traditional, the B. Toys Fish N' Splish is a complete set of bath toys, which can be stored in the boat that is part of the set. For a more budget friendly option, Sandra Boynton's Bathtime! tub book does not disappoint.
10. Play Farm
There is just something about farm animals that most small children love. There are so many nursery rhymes (Old MacDonald, This Little Piggy) and classic kids stories featuring farm animals that just work for little ones. My daughter received the B.toys Baa-Baa-Barn
and absolutely loves it. It's interactive with a ball maze, lots of doors to open, and when the animals are placed on the barn floor they make noises and play a song (don't worry this feature can be turned off for days when parent's aren't necessarily feeling musical). Playmobil 1,2,3 also makes an adorable farm set that any one year old would love.
Receive or give a great gift for a one year old that i missed? Have Let me know in the comments below.
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