Hello friends! I have a 4 year old niece who is awesome and super fun to shop for at the holidays. I also have a one year old, of my own, who is terribly difficult to buy gifts for.
We have been extremely lucky to know generous friends and family who give us toys, books and clothes second hand so she is swimming in STUFF.
Sophie also just had her Birthday where people said ‘what does Sophie need for her Birthday?’ and I would reply with ‘I have no idea because she has everything in the world’ (and I wasn’t joking.) She ended up getting some really thoughtful gifts that we were all happy to receive and bring into our home and here comes Christmas and people are, yet again, asking ‘what does Sophie need for Christmas?’ I realize, unless you are the parent or guardian of the child, you have no idea what to get the child. Perhaps the child already has that toy, perhaps the parents don’t want them to have that toy, maybe there is already too many toys, books and clothes that the parents are considering buying a bigger home to fit everything (all of these are very real possibilities.) I wanted to do a round up of some of Sophie’s favorite toys or toys that would be awesome for a 1 year old to receive.
Handmade Toys:
DIY Quiet Book. I’d love to make a felt quiet book for Sophie to play with in the car, at a restaurant or on trips. I found this amazing site on clever activities to add to your quiet book but you could always buy one on Amazon.
DIY Teepee. I think little forts, nooks, tents and teepees are awesome little areas for kids to have playtime or reading time. How fun is this teepee Jen made for her daughter?!
DIY Dress-up Wings. I am obsessed with this skirt/wings combo for dress up (or the grocery store.) Lier makes amazing costumes for her kid’s and these dress-up wings are no exception!
DIY Zipper Monsters. I’ve never sewed a stuffed animal or even added a zipper to anything but these zipper pouched monsters are amazing! Kids can hide things in their mouths!
Store Bought Toys:
Sorting Cube. Sorting cubes are a great learning toy for toddlers. I like this Melissa and Doug version because, Sophie who just turned one, can’t figure out how to put the shapes in yet, but she loves taking colorful shapes in and out of buckets. She’ll learn soon enough how to sort the shapes in the correct holes.
Mega Blocks. Mega Blocks are an awesome pre-Duplo/pre-Lego toy that little toddlers can use to stack and build towers.
Water Table. There are a ton of different water tables out there. You can even make your own out of PVC pipe! I liked this Step2 water table for someone Sophie’s size because more than one kid can play at once and there’s a lot of space reserved for splashing.
Wood Blocks. You can’t go wrong with wood toys and wood blocks are a staple in every kid’s toy box. They’re great for learning numbers, letters, colors and how to be destructive like Godzilla.
Indestructible Books. My sister bought Soph a few of these indestructible books and they are awesome. These books are tear proof, chew proof, water proof books with beautiful illustrations.
Musical Bath Toy. Sophie loves bath time but I know a lot of one year olds don’t like baths. These colorful dolphins make whistling noises when you dunk them into the water. I’m sure she can’t tell that they’re different tones but she loves bopping them to make them whistle!
Do you agree with me that 1 year olds are difficult to buy for? Especially if you’re not the parent or guardian. What is your go-to 1 year old present?? Usually they like the tissue paper and bag the gift comes in better than the present! Any tips on toy management so you don’t feel overwhelmed after holidays with TOYS?
I love the felt book and the legos! My 4 yr old didn’t start liking them until this year but baby O likes them earlier because of her brother’s influence. I think gift-givers should ask parents of small children what to get because it’d be terrible to give a gift that isn’t used or liked.
Yes — 1 yr olds are very hard to buy for, especially when you already have a bunch of toys from your first baby! I would add an indoor trampoline to your list (she’ll be using it before you know it) and some simple wooden puzzles. Stacking toys (like a set of nesting buckets) and balls have also been popular toys for that age at my house.
I thought the ideas were so cute, especially the homemade book, and the dunking dolphins.
Thanks for sharing.