1St Birthday Gift - Plainfield, IL

V.,

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law got our daughter a set of alphabet blocks (from Toys 'R' Us I think) that she likes to stack and knock down now, and will surely love to build with later. My mom got her a (gently used) ride-on hippo truck. Pop-up/board books and anything with animals (so your son can learn animal noises) are great, too. And clothes/shoes/gift cards for those items are always appreciated, too.

Happy birthday (soon) to your son!
R.

toys they can walk and push
blocks
Elmo or Imagination mover DVDs (the music is a great distraction)
toothbrush, toothpaste (for babies of course)
bandaids
stickers (these will become a big hit soon)
crayons and coloring books
sidewalk chalk
very large toy trucks/cars

My kids love their leapfrog toys, leggo big blocks, big board books, a little pool, anything they can push around.

Blocks are good, and they can use them for the next few years. Some other ideas; push or riding toys, puzzles, and books.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony!

As soon as we assembled it, she was riding it and laughing. It's a little pricey at $72 because it hooks up to the TV, (a feature she is only beginning to understand at 18 months), but she has just loved the bouncing and the sounds. She now will sit on it and watch Backyardigans sometimes. I think Fisher Price has the same thing w/o the TV feature called a Go Baby Go! Bounce & Spin Zebra.

prewalkers and new walkers love things they walk behind and push. Even better if they can put stuff inside it.

Wagon, little push/pull scooter, toys that can distract at a restaurant, at that age they like to put things in other things

I set up a fund for college for my kids and for birthdays and such, I asked that maybe whoever could donate to that fund. THey still received something little, but the larger portion went toward their future. You always get so much when they are little.

Looking ahead to when he's walking --- a grocery cart and kitchen set-up. My daughter and her friends (boys included) that have these still play with them pretty much daily and she'll be 5 this week. One boy is going into 2nd grade and still plays with it at times, so it has longevity! You can get the little velcro fruit and "knife", bowls, mixers, the works. Really fun for them. More expensive kitchen sets are online or at Pottery Barn, or Target has a couple cute ones (one is red, white and mostly blue) for less. Also - and I know this sounds girly, but trust me - a little stroller to put his favorite animals in and give them a ride. He's in a stroller, so he'll relate to it. Another big hit with both sexes that is fun for them for years. And finally, I'd have to say books. It gets expensive to buy lots and it's great to have books for now and as he grows. You can get a good list from your library and hand it out. You can never have too many books. Happy Birthday to your little guy!

My parents have always bought my children savings bonds for their birthday and holidays. They bought the largest bond they could afford (usually $50 - 100) and then wrapped it with a book or something small.

My children have never missed getting a pile of presents from my family,

My daughter is now getting ready for college and will have some financial breathing room because of my family's generosity.

We now all give our friends children savings bonds.

The best first birthday gift we got was a Radio Flyer Wagon. We still use it and my son is 5!

Our son loved the Drop & Roar Dinosaur (Fisher Price, I think). We took it in and out of his room for over 2 years and it always captured his attention.

His Grandma also bought him a wagon - that has been great for many years too.

The other gift that had great staying power was a little tool bench by either Fisher Price or Little Tikes.

Toys that support walking were great too - John Deere makes a really cute ride on/walk behind!

Enjoy the awesome milestone!!

The best things my daughter got for her first birthday were money, a wagon, blocks and her own rocking chair. We got it from Toddle Rock. She loves the chair so much!! In fact she is playing peek-a-boo with the dog while sitting in her chair right now. I love the chair because it is durable and from a small company in Alabama. Nothing against Land of Nod or Babies r Us, but its always fun to give my money to a small company when I can.

http://www.toddlerock.com/

Think about the basics which teach more, take up less room and while my kids would love the flash the first day of some big colorful piece of plastic they always resorts to the wood blocks that they could build something with, cars(never could have enough little cars), books, wooden puzzles with shapes, colors, numbers, animals, or geography(don't laugh as a 14 month old my daughter loved the shapes, then as a 2nd grader she loved the fact she had it for a poster), savings bonds, all these things are very practical and don't take up as much space as molded plastic. They for the most part are toys so the gift giver doesn't feel gipped in the presenting. Truth be told your 1 year old doesn't care what they get as long as they have you.

My daughter got a musical table like this one for her first birthday and it has been a huge hit. She is now almost 2 and still plays with it, and even older kids that come to our house like to play with it. Before she was walking it was great because it encouraged her to pull up -- then she could lean on it and press the buttons.

http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=2341&e=detail&...

One of my sons favorite toys was a Little tykes Coop Car. You know the car you can get inside of. His next favorite was his Little Tykes tractor with wagon behind it. There is also a truck now.
He use to sit out in the back of our house and play and play. WHen he was a little older when they got dirty he would get his of soapy water and wash them.
Boys like cars, trucks and tractors. These are perfect for toddles and if you have a basement where he can play you bring them inside for the winter.
The little tykes slide was another thing he loved. The smaller one that they sell. That was in our living room he would slide and slide some more.
Depending on if your son puts things in his mouth or not Little Tykes or Fisher Price toys with little people is always nice. My son never put anything in his mouth unless it was food, even when he was teething.
He also had the little tykes train set. You put the tracks together. he also had the little tykes car with little people and had the toddler truck.
WHen my son was two he got the little tyke grocery cart. We use to take it to the store and he would put food in it that we were going to buy. It was a great toy.
There is also waffle blocks and jumbo legos. If you get him started at an early age using jumbo legos he may be like my son. He graduated to smaller legos by the time he went to school and later started building with K-Nex. Then graduated to building things using Knex motors. He has so much fun. Even in high school he built a tower that was about 6 foot tall and had many moving parts involved. It was cool.
Many of these toys he kept and is going to use them with his children, except the coop car and grocery cart.

You can also tell them to get US Savings bonds to start saving for college. It will take til college for them to mature in this economy.
There is also nothing wrong with them giving clothes that you may need.

I am sure you will get lots of ideas.

S.

For my son's 1st and also my nieces 1st our family has gone together for a swing set ( the old fashion metal ones, they run around $100). Ours has a baby swing with two other swings, slide, glider etc. It is a great gift that they enjoy for years to come.

Hi V.,

My daughter turned 1 in March... A couple of things that she has really seemed to enjoy are:

Elmo Live (target)
blocks
She also got a Barbie ATV and Kangaroo climber. She likes them, but she really isn't there developmentally (she can't steer the ATV).

Hopes that helps!

I would suggest riding toys and maybe a tricycle with a handle for you to push. Another idea- We got the step 2 push around buggy for our daughter's first birthday and it was well used. It is basically a small car for the child to sit in with a handle for you to push. Very cute. Other ideas: a piggy bank, books, savings bonds

My favorite gift that both of my girls received for their 1st bday was a cute growth chart to hang in their bedroom. They were from Land of Nod, and now we record their height every 6 months.

I see you have had several repsonses but I thought that I would add my 2 cents....several people I believe suggested money already, and I have to agree!!! My DD just turned 5 & I still tell family please do money for her college fund she gets toys from friends & extended family so she really does not notice even at 5 yrs old.
Congrats on making it thru that first year!!

Ideas: Fall clothing, developmental toys such as blocks, puzzles, books; walking toys, ride on toys, water toys for the summer, specific character toys (if he likes say Elmo or Barney, etc), gift cards to toy store/Target, savings bonds...

These are all things that my son had been given in the past. He just had his 4th birthday. I love that his birthday and Christmas are equally apart, because I ask for clothes for him, then he is set for the next season. Clothing is so expensive! And with little ones you buy a lot more frequently.

If they are really asking and are receptive...money to go towards college. Our kids all have accounts started and any and all money they get goes into it

What about a comfy chair just for him. Pottery Barn Kids and Land of Nod sell nice ones for about $100. You can have several family members give a small gift card to either of these stores then combine them to purchase a chair (you can even have his name embroidered on it). A nice chair will give him a comfy place to read or play for years to come.

My son loved any kind of balls. Anything sports related was always a hit. He received a lot of books too, which I liked because we can always use books! My son started using a tee ball set at a year and a half...if he is into balls that would be something someone could get him that you could use in a few months. Toys for the bath are always good. For my son's bday coming up (2) I have also asked for Disney dvds for in the car for long rides up to the lake. Perhaps you can start collecting those? Money for college if you have family members you feel comfortable with mentioning that is always great. It is never to early to start saving! Someone also gave me one of those activity cubes from target. It provided some entertainment over this long winter. Good luck and enjoy! Congrats on your little one's first year of birth!
xo
B.

My toddlers LOVE the Fidher Price Little People toys. Their favorites are the Little People town, school bus and garage.

When my granddaughter turned one, she got a gift that she loved and her parents loved it as well. A really nice Red Flyer (?) wagon..it had the slats on the sides so she didn't fall out. Also an insulated bag to carry cold drinks and stuff which fit on the back. She's almost 7 now and they still use it for outings, picnics, 4th of July parade, etc. It was a great gift....Maybe several can chip in for it.

my son just got the lightening McQueen Car for his birthday. He can either walk behind and push, or ride on and scoot. He is a little small for his age,and it fits him great!
Also baby first word type books are good, since they are going to start talking this next year...

The BALL POPPER! It blows this little plastic balls up and out into a funnel and then brings them around again...my son LOVED this!!

Don't fret over a gift for a 1 year old mommy. He won't remember it anyway. Give him a party at least for family so he "gets the idea" and remember at his age he'll be happy opening a box of balled up tissue. Also, he may be frightened at blowing out the candles so let other children help him. Have fun with that little guy. I envy you. Those days are gone 3 decades ago.....time flies

Since he's just turning one you can still get away with clothing and things that are needed! But of course if it's toys there are always things that move and things that toot.
Congratulations!

My son just celebrated his first birth day two weeks ago. He got a lot of books which we appreciate. Also he got some money about $150. We bounght him a savings bond. He got toys too, but we honestly don't have that much room for toys. Finally shoes are also a good gift. Think about what your son likes and go from there. So if he likes Elmo or trucks or bike tell them. I would tell them give whatever you would like, but he likes....or we prefer ....

Since your son will be one and really won't understand what gifts are get the essentials that you need. Diapers, wipes if he is trying to walk they have these cute push toys that help them with balance and standing. Just remember that he will be more interested in the paper and the box then the actual gift.

Money for their college fund! Seriously! They don't need lots of toys or clothes, they grow our of them. But if you put money away for them they will love it when they want to go to college or buy a house!

My parents got Connor a table and chair set. It is very durable plastic (I think Little Tykes). He loves to sit at his table and color and most of the time he even eats at his own table.