It can be really tough to think of gift ideas for kids in the family or your friends’ children – especially if you don’t have kids yourself. Since becoming a mum, I’ve learned about so many new brands and websites selling stuff for children, and I’ve learned what makes kids of different ages tick.
One newly-married friend of mine has been begging me to write a series of posts on presents to buy kids of different ages (she readily admits that she bought ten Gingerbread blankets from Mamas and Papas ready to give to various friends after reading this post of mine). So here’s the first in a series… 10 presents that a one-year-old will love. Read it and avoid being that person who buys a one-year-old a skateboard. Nobody wants to be that person, right?
1 & 2. Every self-respecting one year old needs some melamine dinnerware to eat spaghetti hoops (or quinoa, if you’re that way inclined) from and bash on their table, making a big old mess for Mum to clean up. This Design Letters Melamine Cutlery Set is £23 from Scout And Co Kids and the Design Letters melamine bowl is £9 from Scout And Co Kids.
3. When you’re learning to walk (or even if you’re still crawling, or in the case of my daughter, bum-shuffling), pull-along toys are ace fun. I love the range from Djeco. This Djeco Scouic Pull Along Toy is £13.99 from Cissy Wears.
4. Speaking of Cissy Wears, while I was visiting the store recently, I spotted a range of books for babies that are inspired by classic novels. The most outrageously middle class thing ever, yes? And genius. This Little Master: Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet book is £5.99.
5. I’ve just bought this fox romper suit for a friend’s baby. The stripes are unisex and woodland prints are everywhere right now. Sense Organics fox romper, £18.00.
6. Tights for boys! These totally rock – why should girls be the only ones who get to wear comfy warm tights? Buy these Little Titan Superhero Tights for £15.99 from The Pippa And Ike Show and make a one-year-old boy you know very happy.
7. One-year-olds need a stylish bedroom too, and these Ferm Living Little Dorm Shelving units, £60, from Scout And Co Kids, will keep lots of small toys and books neat and tidy. And look how pretty it is!
8. Stacking boxes are a sure-fire winner for a nearly-walking or just-walking tot. They can build them, knock them over, build them, knock them over – you get the picture. These ones have brilliant designs that create an extra puzzle for the child as they get older – they have to put them in the right order to create the character. Djeco Totem Cubes, £17.50, from Eeny Meeny Kids.
9. This clever wooden rocking horse has a back support which you can use when your tot is small and then remove as they grow. Tell me this won’t look amazing in a playroom. I dare you. Janod Caramel Rocking Horse, £110, from Little Citizen’s Boutique.
10. You can buy these gorgeous battery operated night lights from lots of places. They add a warm glow to a child’s nursery and they’re not too pricey. Rabbit Night Light £6.50 from Cox & Cox.
WIN! WIN! WIN!
But wait! There’s more! The lovely people at Scout and Co Kids have given me a Ferm Living Little Dorm Shelving unit worth £60 to give away to one lucky winner. HOW amazing? Scout and Co Kids are a fairly new brand run by some seriously cool mamas. Stocking design-led products for babies and children, I pretty much want everything on the website.
Enter below using the Rafflecopter entry box….
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Such gorgeous choices I love them all! As for the shelves I’d rather like them for my Sonny Angel dolls but I think my girls would have other plans for them, no doubt including Littlest Pet Shop pets 😉
Author
Oh Sonny Angel dolls would look fab on this wouldn’t they?
This would be great for my eldest and all her little Moshi monster figures as well as her little nick-nacks
Author
It’s perfect for keeping nick nacks tidy isn’t it?
Brilliant choices. I would add, remember whatever you get them they will love the box most of all!
Author
Haha! Yes, I should add a cardboard box as number 11 🙂
Never mind a one year old – that shelving unit would be perfect for my three year old’s growing collection of shells, marbles and pin toy dolls!
Author
Oh absolutely. This is on my shopping list when I eventually do up G’s bedroom 🙂
Exactly what I’ve been looking for!
I would display my children’s LEGO creations. I love all of these choices especially the totem cubes, how cute!
My little boys dinosaur collection. He’d love to see them all displayed 🙂
I love these gift ideas, and its true – no one wants to be the skateboard guy! My brother in law bought our one year old a scooter, not the baby kind, a proper scooter. He’s now known family wide as the ‘not-baby-friendly-uncle’.
The Djeco pull alongs and BabyLit books are in my top 5 too!
daughter’s knick nacks!
The kids books! Its gorgeous
Stuffed animals
The twins would put their princesses on it
I would put the logo creations my son has made
The works of art the kids have done at school
Ohh they are so beautiful! I think I’d fill them with a few of his smaller books, some of his animal toys and a few little pictures. I might even throw the odd seasonal thing in too as the year goes. X
I would put my boys skylanders in them as im sick of finding them all over the place 🙂
Id put all my favourite memories, girls’ first shoes, toys etc
Whatever I put on the shelves, it would look really amazing in my new house (don’t you think?) 😀
Author
Haha! Yes they would!
Love all these! My girls already have a little shelf house like this so if I won I would defo keep it for myself (and not feel guilty!) and put little memory bits on
Author
I spotted it in your post about their room – looks fab!
my gemstones
I absolutely know for sure that my youngest would make each shelf into a tiny room with her dollhouse furniture, yes even though she has a dollhouse, I regularly find boxes which have been emptied of their contents and made into a bedroom for her dolls.
I want that fox! So into foxes at the moment. In fact I want it all!
Been lusting over these forever
Love ferm living
We have some Arne Jacobsen design letters from Scout & co for stocking fillers xx
The first beautiful rabbit Sylvanian family I have bought my 2 year old daughter for Christmas (she’s 3 in Jan), so they can look pretty, and just out of reach of those little hands!
I would display my 5 month old’s salt dough hand and footprints (when I get round to doing them this Christmas – ha!) in it until he’s old enough to gather his own treasures to put in it.
Author
Ooh crafty mama!
Author
PS love your blog Susie.
I would love to win this and fill it with some of my old 80s figures the kids love playing with x
Oh I love the Ferm Living dorm!
I would probably display different things every week, like cute playmobil figures or mini hello kitties, just cute little toys really that sometimes get lost under the bed 🙂
Would love this! I would place photos and little keepsakes on the shelves for when my little one grows up, also a couple of Lucky Boy Sunday friends!
What great gifts. I especially love the Scout & Co toys. They ladies at Scout & Co are great. It’s such a lovely shop!
Author
Scout & Co are fantastic, aren’t they? Love all of their stuff.
I’m such a fan of Scout & Co. They have the best gift selection!
I’m an English teacher so it has to be books!
I would store my daughters collection of beany babies!
I love this little shelving unit I’ve been admiring from a far for a while now. I would probably start with happy land in it and then progress to little pretty figures as Juni-bug got older. Loving your list. I would gladly love any of the list for my son for his first Christmas and I think my daughter who is nearly three would like most too 🙂
what a great guide!! I know a few turning 1 this year, including my daughter! I love cissy wears and am always on the lookout for similar sites! x
Author
I’m so pleased it’s helpful!