Gift for 1St Birthday- for Neighbor's Daughter We Don't Know Very Well

Updated on August 07, 2007
K.M. asks from Orient, OH
22 answers

I am looking for some *inexpensive* gift ideas for our neighbors' daughter's 1st birthday. My husband, daughter and I have been invited to the party, but we don't really know them that well, although we are hoping to become good friends with them. The mom told us a gift is not necessary and just asked us to come over and spend time with them, but I wouldn't feel right not bringing something. I was thinking of bath toys, but if anyone else has any ideas, please let me know!!!

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions! I will be keeping a list of all of them for future gifts. I ended up finding some great Seaseme Street & Mickey Mouse board books at the dollar store & they were really appreciated. Thanks, again!

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T.W.

answers from Dayton on

For a friend's daughter I got her foam number and letter bath toys from K-Mart. It was like $3 or $4 and it had 0-9 and all of the alphabet. She was going on 2, but I think it is never too early to start working with those.

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J.L.

answers from Columbus on

The best gift my son got for his first birthday was a ball. He loved it and played with it all the time. They are super cheap too.

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B.G.

answers from Cleveland on

A gift that I love to give is a gift certificate to Picture People. They are in most malls and I place the GC in a photo frame

1 mom found this helpful
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C.P.

answers from Cleveland on

I've seen ads for Crayola markers and special paper so the markers do not work on other surfaces (ie, no stains on walls, carpet, or the child). This might be something good for a gift since it won't mark where it's not supposed to, and I've found with my nieces and nephews that they like to start coloring as soon as they can hold the crayons in their little hands.

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S.P.

answers from Cleveland on

I hate to say this but I don't agree w/crayons for a 1st birthday. My daughter just turned 1 in March and she was eating the crayons at that age. You could still get them for them tho and they can put them up till she's ready. Bath toys is a great idea I think, or a dolly or something like that. Does she have a sandbox or is she getting on? Then Sand toys would be good too. My daughter loves play necklaces and purses those you can get pretty cheap at Walmart or Target. A book possibly?

Hope that helps!

S.

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K.N.

answers from Cleveland on

i think getting her a child's place setting is a great idea she's at the age where she is eating inher high chair and self feeding and it is never to early to start teaching a child to use silveware and eat off a plate ect. it's very functional and you can get a princess or dora or hello kitty set so that i's familiar and girly, whatever it is she is into, and they are easy to find. i would think at one she is to little for the small crayons to be overly functional. good luck, and if she really said not to bring a gift then just go small wrap it up pretty and go enjoy yourself.

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K.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

Not sure if you are into crafts or scrapbooking, but one thing that we got for my daughter's first b-day in May was just a cute little picture album that someone decorated with stickers and other cute little things to highlight the fun things that we did at her party. We just had to put in the pictures and a few words that we wanted, but it was so easy to just put them into an already made album. I got lots of scrapbooking things and photoalbums over the past year, but to have one that is already made up, saves valuable time, and its a keepsake that I am sure they will treasure. "Fridge Phonics" is a huge favorite of my daughter. It is a little magnetic square thing that hangs on the fridge, and it has letters and numbers that when they put it on the square, it tells them what sound it makes and some other things. My daughter loves to just sit at the refrigerator and play with it. Think its around $20, but there are several different versions, so some may be cheaper. Its nice for me too, when I am cooking, because she wants to be with me in the kitchen, but she is busy and I dont have to worry about her.

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P.B.

answers from Dayton on

My favorite gift these days are pajama's! My SIL started getting them for my 2 little ones and I loved them. Everyone ends up with too many toys. Pajama's are relatively expensive but they are the perfect price point for a birthday present. Parents and kids both will really love them. Parents because it is a usefull gift and the kids because you can get them a cool pair - for girls they normally like the pretty flowy nightgowns and boys normally like the character ones.

T.K.

answers from Cleveland on

Hi K.!

Books are always a wonderful idea, especially if she told you not to bring anything. It's little and inexpensive! My son loves the little board ones. I got him a pack of 12 Disney story books at Target for $7.99. Kohl's has some as well. His Seasame Street 12 pack came from there.

Bath toys are fun as well. My son received a Barney castle that sticks on the side of the side with suction cups and he loves it! I would go with something a little older and fun, like those bath paints or something.

Good luck!!

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J.K.

answers from Toledo on

We just went shopping for my daughter's first birthday. We bought her an elmo wind up bath toy. It was fairly inexpensive at Toys R Us. A toy cell phone or a fuzzy book might be a good idea, too. We also purchased a first baby doll. There are two kinds- one kisses and the other giggles. It was also fairly cheap. I hope this helps!

J.F.

answers from Cleveland on

How about a large, bright and colorful bouncy ball? Children LOVE these and they are very inexpensive.

J.

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P.S.

answers from Cincinnati on

How 'bout gift certifs to UDF, DQ ir Graeters? They can come in incriments as low as $5. P.

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C.

answers from Cleveland on

Bath toys sound good to me. This is right about the time my son started to want to play and I just bought him some inexpensive boats from Giant Eagle. Anything that was musical also went over well with him. The Sort and Learn van by VTech was a favorite of his. It plays music and has different shapes and that have to be placed in the correct hole. It is under $20.00 at Toys R Us.

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K.J.

answers from Mansfield on

I had this same prob when my neighbor invited me her sons 1st bday party too!! We had hardly met and she wanted us to all come over. I had the hardest time thinking of something to take as a present for a boy I didnt know anything about! Finally, I got creative and got a very cheap picture frame. It was the kind that had the cut outs for one/two picture and then room(paper) to write on. I brought 2 to the party and went around during the party having every one there sign it. It was a big hit! Not only was it something they could keep forever and see who was there... it was something that no one else brought! Its very cool to see it now (we are much better friends, lol) hanging in their living room with all the signatures of the people there, with the best pics of the party! Hope this helps!!

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S.M.

answers from Toledo on

A good book is always a great gift.

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L.D.

answers from Columbus on

My son is getting ready to have his first birthday..
Suggestions I have made to people for his gifts are bath toys, plastic or nerf balls and finger paints!

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M.L.

answers from Cleveland on

I always thought books were the best gift. Nothing is better than a bedtime story that your child will eventually read to you.

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K.P.

answers from Columbus on

Half Price Books often has a wonderful selection of bathtub books which are vinyl, cushioned and a great intro into reading.

Hope you all have fun.

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R.C.

answers from Youngstown on

Well, I don't disagree with crayons and markers if you think she is able to play with them properly now. My son has been using washable markers in his high chair since before his first birthday! Washable mean s washable too! I however, think mayeb you can get her a plate, cup, and eating utensil set for under 15$ soemthing girlie of her own. You can also go to any store K-mart, Babies R us (is great) to get a cheap outfit uner ten dollars! Have fun at the party though! It's nice having another mom close!

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M.B.

answers from Columbus on

I understand your desire for it to be inexpensive, you don't know the child or parents yet. But let me caution you on one thing. With all the recalls for products (or parts/ingreds)from China, find something inexpensive that is NOT made in China. The last thing you want to do is give the child something Toxic. It would be better to show up with homemade cupcakes then give a inexpensive gift that may later be recalled, and pose a danger to the child. Best of Luck!!!!

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K.B.

answers from Cincinnati on

I loved getting, and love, little books, like board books and such. They are so wonderful. Short enough for a child of any age to kinda sit through or at least look at, and if they eat them, they eat them. lol...there are other books for young kids that are mouth friendly too, but at one I would think board books are wonderful.

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N.H.

answers from Dayton on

Hi K..

If you go to Walmart right now, they have crayons for around twenty-five cents and markers for under a dollar. You could give those with a coloring book or a drawing pad or a ream of computer paper and that would be very inexpensive. You could still throw in some disposable sippy cups or bath toys and have a nice collection of items that the neighbor will be able to use.

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