Great gift ideas for first birthdays

At your child’s first birthday, “Don’t be surprised if your little one is more interested in the box and pretty paper, than the present itself, which is good news because children don’t need an enormous amount of presents at this age” says human potential and parenting expert, Nikki Bush. 

Nikki is also the founder of Toy Talk - a series of toy workshops she hosts every year. In her talks, Nikki discusses everything to do with toys for kids and shares expert videos and reviews. She covers toy trends, innovations and the latest games for kids of all ages. 

Here are Nikki’s birthday gift suggestions: 

Mobile toys 

By the age of 12 months, most babies are becoming more mobile. This means you’ll notice your little one wanting to stand up or push up against objects, as well as alternating between standing and sitting. Your child should also be crawling and learning how to toddle - moving with short, unsteady steps before learning to walk. 

“Therefore, any toy that’ll encourage movement is first prize”, says Nikki. So, a classic would be a push wagon with building blocks. The wagon is used for assisted walking and the blocks for building and playing, sorting and packing back into the wagon. 

Shape and colour sorters 

Nikki believes that any kind of shape sorter is great too, as well as any sensory toy that engages most of the senses such as sight, smell, hearing and touch.

Soft, plush toys are ideal for touch - and comfort - and fun bath toys that allow children to engage safely with water are super for stimulating almost all the senses. 

Engaging toys 

Action-reaction toys are a must at this age, so “put it in, take it out” toys are ideal says Nikki. A good example is a hammer ball, where your little one holds a hammer, aims and hits a ball, which travels down a ramp of some sort. This encourages hand-eye coordination and engages your child’s shoulder girdle too, which is excellent for both gross motor and fine motor skills. 

“Another great idea is a toy where you hit something that pops up. These toys will capture your child’s attention, which is a bonus because at this age, their attention spans are incredibly short – around one and a half minutes for every year of life,” explains Nikki. 

Touch and sound books are fabulous for little hands too, especially the ones that have sound buttons your child can press or push, as well as textures they can touch, including felt, shiny paper, etc.  

Construction toys 

Although items like Duplo are great, don’t expect children to construct a tower by themselves, you’ll need to help them build, and they’ll more than likely deconstruct. “This is the name of the game at this age”, says Nikki - you build, they bash down! 

Your involvement in play is critical 

Children at this age can’t yet play for long periods on their own, as they don’t yet have the concentration span. However, they are curious about the world, and you should be encouraging as much play and movement as possible. The more you engage with your children, the better. 

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com