Best Gifts For Babies and Toddlers

A list of the best gifts for babies and toddlers to help you find perfect presents for a little ankle biter in your life. A range of prices for all budgets.

I am a firm believer in not getting little kids holiday or even birthday presents. For one, they have no idea what is going on, and second, they don’t know who is giving them what. When our oldest son was a baby, we bought three remotes from the thrift store, ran them through the dishwasher a few times, and put them in a gift bag for Christmas. Our family and friends spoiled the ever-loving snot out of that child…and he spent the day playing with all the tissue paper.

Now that our second child is almost two, he kinda sorta gets the idea of presents, but not really. We wouldn’t buy him anything for Christmas if our eagle-eyed eight-year-old wasn’t busy monitoring such things.

If you have a new baby, mother-to-be, or toddler in your life, I hope these ideas for gifts for babies and toddlers will encourage some creativity and help you check one more thing off of your to-do list.

1. This diaper bag from Kiddis is the best thing ever. I have had lots of diaper bags in my eight years of being a parent, and this one takes the cake. I saw a family carrying it on an airport shuttle over the summer. I was so immediately taken with it, that I bought it from my phone right there on the bus. I never do that. I always research, save, and weigh my options. I have not regretted this purchase once. The bag can be compact or huge depending on how you need to use it. It has more pockets than a kangaroo wearing overalls. The fabric and construction are durable.It is stylish and yet won’t embarrass any dads who carry it. It is the absolute best.
2. Sophie the Giraffe is a teether loved by kids and parents alike. My oldest was so attached to her that we actually had two – one for home and one for daycare. Sophie was such a fixture in our house; she and Jack even had a special song that I would sing in a fake French accent. Sophie has come under fire for being kind of gross on the inside, so I recommend washing her by hand instead of using the dishwasher.
3. ErgoBaby carrier. Both of my boys were fussy babies and if they wanted to be attached to me, at least I could have the use of two hands thanks to the Ergo. The Ergo is designed for how women carry our weight (at our hips), versus many other carriers distribute weight best designed for men (the back). The Ergo is super comfortable, and I even used it three weeks ago to go on a long walk with Bennett. It is our go-to transportation system for airports and crowded places where a stroller would be a nuisance.
4. Wooden blocks. Seriously, people, kids are drawn to these and play with them for years. YEARS!
5. Covered Goods the original four-in-one nursing cover. Oh, my, I love this stretchy piece of fabric so much. Bennett stopped nursing at 18 months, and yet this nursing cover still gets used weekly. It’s a nursing cover, a grocery cart cover (how I use it often), scarf, and car seat cover. It comes in adorable prints and is the softest thing ever. Now through December 31st, readers can take 10% off any purchase from Covered Goods by using code: HOLIDAY272296 at checkout.
6. Learning Tower. These things are so great for getting your kiddos involved in the kitchen, more self-sufficient with brushing teeth and washing hands and giving them independence to do tasks that little kids adore. But they are expensive to buy, so I have volunteered my husband to make one for our toddler this year.
7. Books! While I may not advocate purchasing gifts for babies, I can never pass up books. Some of our favorites for the earliest of early readers are:

a. Sandra Boynton books. Silly stories, great illustrations, and easy to memorize words (so you can read it while “resting your eyes”. Duh).
b. The Little Blue Truck. If you add up all the time I have spent reading these books in the last eight years, it would total 411 years. Maybe. Math isn’t my strongest subject. And yet I still don’t hate this book!
c. Press Here. This book is so much fun and kids of all ages love it. It involves making noise and clapping and being silly. I do not recommend it as a “stay quiet and occupied” book for church or other quiet places. 🙂
d. Darth Vader and Son (or Vader’s Little Princess) adorable and funny books for adults and kids…and big nerds. The author of these books also writes another series that Jack loves.
e. The Interrupting Chicken. Silly, fun, and helps kids learn about manners.
f. The Day the Crayons Quit and the sequel The Day the Crayons Came Home. Both my boys have loved these stories and reach for these books often.
g. Is There a Dog in This Book? The other two books (There Are No Cats In This Book and There Are Cats In This Book) from this series seem to be out of print, but this book is just as wonderful. It’s interactive and fun for kids and adults.
h. Little Pea. The story of a little pea who hates candy!

8. Thule Urban Glide Stroller. Let me be perfectly clear that this stroller is expensive. It is not frugal or rational in the least. This stroller cost more than actually having the baby. If I could do it again, I would buy this stroller in a hot minute. It’s so comfortable to push, my kiddo loves it, and it really is the best kid thing I own. When any other parents have pushed our stroller, they all immediately fall in love with it too. I walk about 100k+ steps a week and many of those steps are taken while pushing the Thule Urban Glide. And my kid. I’m not just walking around pushing an empty stroller.

9. Manhattan Skwish Classic Rattle. My son loved this toy, but honestly, I find that adults pick it up and play with it the most. It is wooden, interactive, and so fun.

10. Aden and Anais swaddling blankets. Oddly enough, we never used these to actually swaddle, but they are so versatile. We used them in the infant car seat to add bulk around the little head support. We use them for lightweight summer covers during heatwaves. They’re the perfect blanket for snuggling a feverish kid who needs to sleep on mom or dad. I also loved the story of the creation of this company on one of my favorite podcasts, How I Built This. <— bonus, if you listen to that episode, you’ll finally learn how to pronounce the company’s name. 🙂

11. Play Kitchen. Whether you make it yourself or purchase one, all kids love a play kitchen.

While I hope this list was helpful, I still highly recommend a crinkly paper bag stuffed full of tissue paper as the ultimate gift.

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