The best baby Christmas gift ideas are those that encourage development or make a parent’s life easier!
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Hello! I am Kayla and I have been working with babies and toddlers in early intervention since 2010, I also have two kiddos of my own!
Babies experience rapid growth during this period in their lives, and they need stimulation to stay healthy and happy and parents need support as they go about this journey.
One of the best ways you can provide this is by giving them toys that will promote their physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development and will grow with them!
We want to avoid toys that can only be used for a short while that will just take up space and the baby will grow out of.
Instead, think long-term!
A baby Christmas gift that encourages development can be enjoyed by the baby for many months or even years to come!
For example, when my son was only a few months old when he had his first Christmas.
For his present that year I got him a ball pit like this and balls for it.
We would play in it together when he was little using it in different ways…and guess what…he still has fun in it as a 6-year-old!
The right toy is one that provides a wide range of developmental opportunities; it should be challenging enough to keep the baby engaged but not so difficult as to frustrate him or her; it should also be age-appropriate.
I think it is best to buy a few high-quality toys instead of buying things that are cheap but will break easily.
In my work with children, I’ve found these types of toys to be the most effective for stimulating development.
Baby Christmas GIfts that You Don’t Even Have to Think About!
Subscription Box
Subscriptions can be a great way to go if you want to get a gift that keeps giving all year long.
Getting a subscription box like this one lets you enjoy the gift all year round and the toys that are included are well made and great for little ones to learn from.
Depending on which subscription you choose you can get toys that are sent to you every few months based on your child’s age.
It also includes instructions on how to use the toys with your little one and information about the stage of development your child is at.
The toys in these kits are high quality so you do not have to worry about them breaking or falling apart!
Magazine Subscription
A baby magazine subscription can be a fun way to promote early literacy development all year long.
These are a couple of my favorites:
One of my favorite things about a subscription is the little ritual that develops out of it.
It is always so exciting to go out to the mailbox together and discover a new magazine is so much fun!
Mindful Parents of Babies and Toddlers VIP Subscription
This can be a great affordable option for parents that are interested in learning more about child development, ways to inspire learning throughout the day, and connect with other parents.
When you sign up for my parenting community you immediately get access to courses, resources, and printables that will support your parenting journey such as my Inspire Learning Course for Babies.
You can check out VIP membership HERE for a very practical gift.
Educational Toys that Encourage Baby’s Development
Blocks that can be used for stacking, building, or constructing are great choices because they’re open-ended and provide an opportunity for creativity and imaginary play.
A classic plaything is a set of nesting dolls because babies learn about shapes and colors as well as socialization skills as they put the dolls together and take them apart.
For babies of all ages, I would recommend musical instruments like these because music provides an opportunity for auditory development as well as creativity.
You can use these for younger babies by just exploring sounds together.
They work well for toddlers as well as they can start to explore different sounds through play.
Newborn Christmas Gifts
Non-Toy Baby Gifts
Non-toy gift ideas for babies include things like:
- diapers or diaper subscription
- baby lotion
- baby washcloth
- baby wipes
- diaper rash ointment
- infant teething toys
- soft baby swaddle blankets
If you’re not sure what to get someone who just became a new parent or is pregnant with their second child – it’s not too late!
Start by contacting the parents and asking what they’re most in need of.
Shopping for a toddler?
You can check out my list of top non-toy gifts for toddlers as well.
Why are baby toys important?
Toys are important for babies and children because they help them develop.
Toys should be chosen so that they are not too hard for the baby or too easy, but just right.
You want to give toys that will help with physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development.
All babies like some toys more than others, but it is best to give them a variety of different types of toys so that they can learn about all the different things in the world.
It is important to give babies Christmas gifts that will grow with them and help their development.
Best Baby Toys that Encourage Gross Motor Skills
Developing motor skills is a major focus for a baby’s first two years of life.
A baby at this age is moving from lying on her back to sitting up and crawling as well as taking those first steps!
These are crucial skills that must be supported from the baby’s earliest days.
This is why I recommend baby toys that encourage them to play and move in lots of different positions.
Here are some examples:
Baby Crawling Mats
Having a safe place for the baby to crawl around is key.
I think they make a nice gift because your little one will use it for a long time!
Click here to see some of my favorites.
Activity Tables
Baby activity tables can be great for letting your baby explore in a more upright position.
Click here to see which ones I recommend and to find a baby activity table that works for your home.
Baby Toys that Encourage Hand-Eye Coordination
Fine motor skills in babies start developing early on.
These are exciting skills for baby because she’s learning how to manipulate objects in many different ways!
I would recommend toys that encourage the baby to pick up, hold, shake, drop, reach for objects – you get the idea.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Best Block Set for Babies
Having a good set of blocks is always a good baby gift idea!
A block set can be used starting from very early on by using them for visual tracking.
As your baby grows they will start grabbing them and banging them together.
Then they will love knocking down and building their towers over and over again.
Blocks are also great for learning colors and developing hand-eye coordination skills.
Here is the block set that we enjoyed in my house.
Baby Play Mat
Giving your baby time to reach and grab helps them build strength and coordination.
A baby play mat allows your baby to play in multiple positions and works on encourages gross motor skills like rolling as well.
I really like this baby play mat because you can use it in so many different ways!
You can get more ideas for baby toys that encourage fine motor development here.
Baby Toys that Encourage Cognitive Development
Make Christmas extra special with baby toys that encourage cognitive development.
When looking for these types of toys you want to look for something that encourages problem-solving skills and is interesting for your baby to explore and play with multiple ways.
For example, a shape sorter like this can be great as you can use it in multiple ways and it will grow with your child.
You can start using it with your baby when they are very young by taking the shapes and just showing them to your child and seeing if they can track them visually.
As they get a bit older you can use the shapes to explore by holding them and banging them on surfaces.
The next thing I like to do with shape sorters is take off the lid and just let your baby put them in and take them out…trust me…little ones love to do this!
Lastly, you can use it with your little one as they put the shapes through the holes using almost like a puzzle.
This requires them to twist and turn the pieces to figure out how to get them in using those problem-solving skills!
Baby Gift Ideas that Encourage Language Development
Some of my favorite ways to encourage language development in babies are by singing, reading, and talking…but how does that translate to gifts?
Explore Music With Your Baby
There are so many benefits to exploring music with your baby.
Getting a music subscription like this can allow you to have all kinds of music right at your fingertips.
Some of the memories that have stayed in my mind the longest are those that include music.
I would make soothing playlists during calm downtime or when putting them to sleep.
We had playlists that were fun to dance to.
Every holiday season we would find new favorites as well!
Music has built-in repetition which is very helpful for language development!
Books Make Excellent Baby Christmas Presents
Books encourage babies to explore with their hands and discover new textures, sounds, and pictures which is wonderful for fine motor development.
Getting your baby some books as part of baby Christmas gifts can be helpful for baby language development skills because it gives them the opportunity to hear words over and over again.
You can get book ideas here.
Communication Idea Cards Make a Great Gift
This is the perfect gift for babies that do not need any more toys!
One of the best ways to work on language development is by being mindful during daily routines and playtime.
My Communication Idea cards (you can check them out here) are designed for babies 0-12 months and give parents and caregivers simple ways to work on language development all day long.
These cards come in a PDF right to your computer so you can print at home and use them immediately.
There are 50 idea cards included in this set!
What to get a baby that has everything?
If your baby does not need any more toys then I would focus on getting gifts that provide your little one with a unique experience or a way for you to bond.
For example, you can take the Christmas gift money and put it towards a pass to the zoo or state park where you can use it all year long.
I hope you found some ideas!
The holidays are a time for family, friends, and celebrations.
It’s also the perfect opportunity to give your baby some special gifts that will encourage their development while you make memories together.
You don’t want to just get them any old toy because chances are they’ll only play with it for one month before getting bored of it – which means you’re wasting both money and space in your home!
These toys are things that will grow with your baby and last more than a month so if this sounds like what you need then check out my list below.
Frequently Asked Questions
When choosing the perfect gift for a baby’s first Christmas you will want to look for something that will grow with your child and can be used in many ways. This way you won’t end up cluttering your space with toys that fall apart or are not used. Choose baby gifts that have a sturdy construction so that they are safe and don’t fall apart.
Newborn babies do not need much so you could always buy baby products or a baby toy that they may use a little later on.
Newborn Christmas gifts could also include practical items such as things for bath time, tummy time, or a board book which you can read now to your baby and later as well.
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Kayla O’Neill has a master’s degree in education as well as a bachelor’s degree in special education with an emphasis in early childhood education. She has been working as a developmental therapist with babies and toddlers in early intervention since 2012. She is also a mom with two young children.