Is your little one turning one? Congratulations, toddlerhood here you come! The first birthday can be a tricky one to buy for – since you want it to be memorable but you don’t have a great idea of their likes and dislikes yet.
This isn’t my first rodeo – I’ve celebrated first birthdays twice with my two kids, so I know the dilemma. With that in mind I’ve compiled a great list of the best 1st birthday gifts for boys and girls turning one.
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There’s something here to suit all budgets – these are ideal 1st birthday gifts if you’re buying for your son, daughter, niece, nephew, grandson, grandaughter, godson or goddaughter, or even your BFF's little boy or girl.
Whether you’re looking for something sentimental, a cool toy they’ll love or something a bit special, you’ll find it below. Keep scrolling!
Personalised 1st birthday gifts
Happy birthday to you personalised book, £24.99, Wonderbly
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This is a really unique first birthday gift that’s sure to become a bedtime story fave as they grow. The sooner you start making reading part of their bedtime routine the better – it’s never too young to start. All you need to do is add the child’s name and their age and the Wonderbly peeps create their interactive birthday story – personalised from the front cover to the final spread.
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Personalised Rocking scooter, £85, NotOnTheHighStreet
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Forget rocking horses, rocking scooters are the coolest fun 1st birthday gift around. Hours of fun to be had and this looks great in the nursery – it’s also available in pink. Personalise with a little ones name or your family name for a gift that can be passed down through the family as children grow. It has secure rails to prevent tipping and a sturdy handle to hold on to.
Personalised 1st birthday cushion, £11.99, Etsy
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This personalised cushion is so nice that shoppers are ordering multiples for their nurseries. There’s also a more blue-themed version and a neutral version available. Just add the birthday boy or girl’s name and choose whether you want just the cover or filling included too.
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Personalised height chart
Personalised dream big cloud canvas height chart, £32, NotOnTheHighStreet
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They grow up too quickly - with this lovely chart you can keep track of every centimetre. Personalise it with their name and date of birth, it's a lovely 1st birthday gift which will brighten up their nursery or bedroom.
1st birthday party wear
Personalised 1st birthday bib, £5.99, Etsy
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This cute bib is an Etsy bestseller and has over 100 five star reviews. It’s a perfect 1st birthday gift idea that you know will be needed and used. Says one happy reviewer: “Absolutely brilliant! Ordered for my boys first birthday and it was just perfect! Great communication from seller, I was able to change the size after I ordered and got to view the design before it was printed. Super speedy from ordering to receiving, highly recommend!”
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Keep calm it’s my first birthday t-shirt, £14.30, Zazzle
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This is the perfect t-shirt to be worn on their special day – you can get it in pink, blue, grey or white…
1st birthday party crown, £12.50, Etsy
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How adorable is this glitter crown? It would look absolutely adorable in photos! Contact the seller if you want a different colour scheme.
Fun 1st birthday gifts
Baby Einstein Hape magic touch piano, £30, Jojo Maman Bebe
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If you’re looking for a great toy that’s ideal for a first birthday gift, this magic touch piano is perfect. It’s a great first instrument – and it’s magic touch, meaning there are no clunky keys to press. It makes sweet music just by the delicate touch of little fingers. They can also practiv¡ce their colour co-ordination by matching the colour-coded notes on the music sheets to the keys on the piano. Says one delighted mum: “We were given this as a present for our one year old. It's a great gift, durable and really well made. He throws it at the floor (usually during a tantrum!) and it hasn't been damaged, cracked or stopped working. It's a fantastic gift! I'm getting one for all the nieces and nephews.”
Wheelybug toddler ride on tiger, now £59.99, was £67.50, Amazon
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We got one of these for my oldest’s first birthday – and both kids (now aged four and eight) still fight over it to this day! It’s still good as new despite many hard knocks, and was just brilliant to help them practice co-ordination and balance as they progressed from being wobbly toddlers to fully walking and running little kids. If tigers are not their fave animal, it’s also available as a ladybird, mouse, rabbit, bumble bee and a cow. Get the small size (for one to three years) but there’s also a large size, suitable for two and half to five years. I honestly wish we’d got two!
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Winnie The Pooh first birthday set, £18, shopDisney
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You can't go wrong with a Disney-themed gift, and I love this cute Winnie The Pooh set for an easy first birthday present.
Sentimental 1st birthday gifts
1st to 18th birthday memory book, now £28.99, was £29.99, NotOnTheHighStreet
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Hands up if you’ve got an unfinished baby book hidden around the house somewhere? Well, no chance of that happening with this great 1st birthday present idea. There’s space for a photo and one page for every birthday celebration to fill in details about the guests, party and presents – it’s totally doable. This will be a great book to hand over when they turn 18 – such a lovely keepsake gift.
Baby’s first year photobook, from £26.99, Snapfish
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Really this one for the parents to enjoy right now, but will make a great keepsake for baby when he or she is grown. You can fill it with all the best moments and memories from baby’s first year, from the day they came home, to their first birthday party and everything in between.
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Little royal keepsake box, £59.99, Harrods
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Another great little piece for keepsakes is this 'English Trousseau gifting box' - an adorable way to store beloved keepsakes. From their first lock of hair to their first piece of jewellery, this silver-plated design offers a polished storage space for treasured totems.
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