First birthday gift ideas

[Mellow_Water1]

My nephew is turning one in a month from today. Any good gift ideas?

[Chimichanga]

Books or educational toys are always a good idea. Is he into any character at this time? Maybe a toy, but honestly he's probably going to get SO many toys.

Things like books can definitely be used more than once - and definitely after your nephew's birthday.

[ash313]

I am getting my son a radio flyer retro rocket for $40
I also got him a sterling silver piggy bank
He is getting a pottery barn anywhere chair from Grandmaw and a bubble blowing lawnmower from his aunt

Other ideas:
a wagon
toy chest - bru has one for $60 that I liked
a little car that baby sits in that you can push like a stoller for walks
a swing that you can hang from a tree maybe?
some sort of ride on toy

one thing my son got for Christmas was this huge peekablock thing that has all sort of activities on it - he plays on that thing all day long.

He also loves his peekablock train and his leap frog learning table

[Heidi]

My nephew is turning 1 in a few weeks, I just got him a big Tonka dump truck, I think (hope) he will like it and play with it for years. DH told me it has a lot less steel than his Tonkas used to, but even the new one is made mostly of steel!

[vjel]

We got this for our DD when she turned 1. She loved it and loves it just as much now (she's getting ready to turn 2) though she has a little less leg room in it now. ;)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000IZEM.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg


My sister got her this ball pit for Christmas and she loves it too.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000068DMA.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Chris~n~Jen]

The main thing we got our neice for her first birthday was a share of Disney stock.

http://www.oneshare.com/images/content/img_index_dis.jpg

We ordered it from oneshare.com (http://oneshare.com). You get to pick the frame and also a saying for the plaque. Her room is Winnie the Pooh themed and they hung the certificate in her room. We also used a phrase that is a quote from Winnie the Pooh.

Of course, we also got her a couple of outfits and a few little toys. She ended up with so much stuff that I think her parents really appriciated this gift a lot more than us buying her any more "things". We plan on adding to her "portfolio" as the years go on. :D

[Mellow_Water1]

Thanks for the ideas so far everyone! Jen, that is a really nice frame! My aunt actually gives all the neices and nephews a share of Disney stock for 13th birthdays...I'll have to tell her about that site!

I love the sterling silver piggy bank idea, and the Tonka truck idea!

[ash313]

Just wanted to come back and say the Retro Rocket is a big hit. Not only does my son love it but the big kids loved it too! My son can't get the concept of riding it yet but he loves to push it around the house - oh who am I kidding he'll push anything around the house - its his mode of transportation till he learns to walk!

[DelSol]

We bought my niece the Peek-a-Blocks Gobble & Go Hippo from Fisher Price.

It starts as a push-along walker, then converts to a ride-on—both with great gobbling fun! The hippo’s head bobs up and down as he gobbles up blocks. Early walkers can push it along to steady first steps and encourage movement. Then shift the handle down to form a seat for ride-along fun. Includes five delightful Peek-a-Blocks with favorite foods inside—cereal, broccoli, carrots, pie, and a PB&J sandwich! Lots of block storage space, too.

http://www.fisher-price.com/us/img/product_shots/C5843_b_2.jpg

[Aug2002Bride]

I also got my DD the push buggy car thing and she loves it!!

I went to a bday party yesterday for a friends little boy who turned 1 and we got him the bubble mower from fisher price. It says 2 plus for the age but my DD loves hers and pushes it all around out back when Daddy is out there.

[Renrel]

The laugh and learn home by fisher price is a great toy, though it does take up some space. DS got it for his first birthday and is still playing with it at 2.5 years. It has all kinds of different "doors" to open teaching great motor skills. It has buttons to push, switchs to turn on and off. Two shape sorters. A door to crawl though. A clock to turn the hands on. Letters to mail. A "radio" to push the buttons on to chose music. A ball drop. It also "teachs" letter, number, shapes and opposite with electonic music, but that is secondary in my my mind to all the free play opportunity in this toy. It is a good size for pulling up and cruising. It has a little seat. A really excellent toy.

A toy kitchen is all good around this age, though it may be a few months before he is really ready for it.

A shopping cart or other type of push wagon.

Blocks. A basic set of those cube/alphabet blocks would be great. Also duplex blocks. Foam blocks which can also be used in the bath. Blocks are just such a great toy for open ended play. Kids develope fine motor skills, learn about balance, about math, about colors, sorting. So much. And it is a toy that will last for years of play, Growing with the child.

a wooden shaper sorter

A chair just his size.

Table and chair set.

A subscription to a children's magazine like Wild Animal Baby or babybug.

A small slide or climber.

signing times DVDS

Wooden puzzles.

[Ohana]

When DD turned 1, the gifts we most appreciated were books and savings bonds. She already had so much stuff, we simply didn't have a place to store anymore!

[Renrel]

Bath toys

toddler place settihgs, flatware and placemats.

eta

Finally found this at Sensational Beginings and it is such a great toy for early letter recognition. I think handling the letters and doing the puzzles really makes a lasting impression on the kids for learning the letters. It is also a good fine motor skill. And they learn about the names of many animals and colors while you play with them as well. Associating the letter with the animal gives a clue for later sound associations. I really credit this toy, along with the leap frog videos we introducted around the age of 2 for my son knowing all of his upper and lower case letters and their sounds at age 2.5. Other than getting b,d, and p mixed up he has them totally down.


http://www.sensationalbeginnings.com/images/p8242B.jpg

[alienhost]

www.frameastock.com also does a share of stock.

someone posted this on the parenting board:

www.iseeme.com which is a personalized book w. the child's name

DD loves this kitchen (mini sized) from little tikes

http://www.littletikes.com/productimages/full/F_1681_OL.jpg