Great Gift Ideas for a 1 Year Old!

Great Gift Ideas for a 1 Year Old!

Here is the first post of my series on Great Gift Ideas! I am always looking for great things to get my loved ones or am asked by friends for suggestions. I decided to document it to help others that may have the same need.

Since my little one recently had his first birthday, I am currently up on the 1 year old toy buzz. Here are some of the great things my little one loves that make great gifts!

ELMO!!! Is there any question? Anything Elmo seems to be a winner! Elmo Live is the new craze but is quite expensive. It is regularly $69! You can try to keep an eye out on eBay or Craig's List and could score one for cheaper. My little guy had Elmo on his coat. He will look down throughout the day and smile and say "MELMO".

If you want to have an Elmo Party, here are a few products you could check out:

Elmo Mylar Balloons
Printed Elmo Invitations
Homemade Invitations

Books: My little guy really likes books with lots of color and different animals. He is a fan of the Sesame Street books which you can usually find at Target for $1! The key is to find books that are short and sweet. If the book is too long, they will get up and walk away half way through.

Here are some great book ideas:

Elmo Guessing Game About Colors
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
10 Little Ladybugs

Music: Yes, I know, another noise maker but that is what they love! The more noise and the more variety of noise the better. Just make sure you turn them off at night if you have cats or you will wake up wondering who is in your house! Been there, done that.

Here are a few options:

Music Set
6-Piece Music Set
Tub Tunes

Homemade Picture Book of Babies: You could use old baby pictures of your family which would also make a great memorabilia. You could also handmake one using cutouts from magazines or catalogs and then laminate the pages to make it baby proof. These little guys seem to love looking at other babies. It seems to be very calming and entertaining to them. My little guy will see a picture of a baby and walk around showing us over and over saying "Baby!" It is very cute.

Here are a few companies that you could purchase the memorabilia books through:

Shutterfly
Snapfish
Kodak Gallery

Toy Phone or Remote: Why is it that boys love phones and remotes? I don't understand the attraction. My little one sees a remote or phone and v-lines for it. If we don't watch him, they will end up in water somewhere. That is how I got my new cell phone :-) My suggestion is to get them a toy one, don't give them an old one that you don't use anymore. If you do this, they will associate anything that looks similar to a toy which is not a great idea if you want to be able to find the ones you use. My little one's grandma let him play with hers and now he always wants mine!

Here are a few that I saw:

Elmo Talking Cell Phone
Teaching Telephone
Silly Sounds Remote Control

Do you have a 1 year old? If so, please comment with their favorites to keep the ideas coming.

If you have an occasion that you need help finding a gift for, email me and I will make a post in your honor!