Top 10 Gifts for Baby’s First Christmas

Because even though they don’t need them, you still want them, don’t you?

A friend of mine had a Christmas baby. The wee bundle was supposed to make her appearance in early January but instead decided that the afternoon of December 23rd would be so much better!

The next morning, when the happy parents were calming down and staring at their new creation, the dad suddenly sat up in a panic: “She has no Christmas gifts under the tree! I have to go out!” And with that, he dashed off faster than a reindeer on it’s last run of the night to a local big box store to stock up on gifts for his new little one.

Was this necessary? No, of course not. They had already stocked the nursery with everything baby might need. But it felt wrong to them for what would TECHNICALLY be baby’s first Christmas to be completely without gifts. Silly? Maybe. But cute, right?

Whether your bundle is hours old or well into a few months old, the first Christmas only comes once. Here are some great gift ideas for the little wee bundle, and a few for the parents too!

First Christmas gifts for newborns

A baby born near Christmas time is a gift indeed! There are two schools of thought at this age: something practical for the parents or something commemorative for baby. Since I’ll be talking about parents later, let’s focus on the second idea.

• A beautiful Christmas ornament personalized with the baby’s name and the year, to be kept and cherished as a keepsake for years to come.
• A personalized Christmas stocking that baby can use, year over year.
• An heirloom gift, traditionally something in silver and engraved, is delightful. It doesn’t have to be a silver rattle, though there is nothing wrong with that idea! How about a silver picture frame, a silver based snowglobe or a locket that can be kept for when baby is older?
• A kit for making hand or footprints in oven bake clay. That’s a keepsake that you can never reproduce later, so get it now!

First Christmas gifts for three to six month old babies

Baby is moving a lot more and can interact with toys, so this is the age where you can start to have a little fun with the gifting.

Christmas themed pyjamas or an outfit are a great idea and will look festive and fun in the hundreds of pictures that you will inevitably take!

• A musical teddy bear that they can have in their room, to lull them off to dreamland.
• A color tummy time blanket with lots for baby to examine in terms of patterns.
• n activity gym for baby to spend a little quality time on the floor, reaching for toys and stretching their limits.
• Soft, organic cotton or fabric covered rattles, to soothe baby and let them use their amazing grip to make a racket!
• Baby board or fabric books, to be enjoyed for many bedtimes to come.

First Christmas gifts for six to twelve month old babies

Whether they’re walking yet or not, baby is now moving a lot more and interacting with the people and toys around them in whole new ways. This is a great time to figure out if they have something they love in particular and to stock up on one or two extras: you never know when a lovey will get lost!

• A plush animal or a crinkly tag blankie are two items that kids seem to love for a long time. Having a comfort item isn’t a bad thing, though remember to keep plush toys and other bigger items out of baby’s crib as they can become a suffocation hazard.
• Brightly colored toys with levers to pull, lights to look at and musical sounds are great at this age, as baby starts to interact more and more with their surroundings.
• Large blocks or stacking toys in primary colors.
• Bath toys are always a good idea, as baby sits up and learns to enjoy the bubbles!
• Fun teethers are also a practical gift that will get a lot of mileage!

First Christmas gifts for new parents

Whether you want to treat mom to a mani-pedi or just help the new parents finish kitting out the nursery, there are plenty of ways you can spoil mom and dad too.

• Gift certificates for spa treatments or a dinner out of the house that come with free babysitting!
• A wagon or a sleigh—depending on where the family lives—can be a lifesaver for parents trying to get around the neighborhood.
• Jumpers that can be hung in doorways are fun, let an older baby get some upright exercise AND give parents arms a break, all in one easy to assemble package. Bouncy chairs are also epic in this regard!

Whatever you choose for your own baby, for your friends or your family, put some thought into it and your gift will be appreciated now and for years to come.