Best Gift Ideas for Baby – Toys, Keepsakes & More
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Originally published December 1, 2022. Updated for the 2025 holiday season.
Babies, with their tiny fingers and adorable giggles, bring so much joy into our lives. Whether you’re celebrating a newborn’s first Christmas or looking for the perfect gift for a baby under one, it can be tricky to find something both meaningful and practical. That’s why I’ve curated this list of unique baby gift ideas — from keepsakes and cozy essentials to toys that inspire learning and play.
Most of these baby gift ideas are perfect for ages 0–12 months, with a few options up to 18 months so little ones can enjoy them as they grow. I hope this list gives you some inspiration for the babies on your shopping list this year!
Christmas Gift Ideas for Baby’s First Year
I’ve rounded up 50+ gift ideas for babies with a variety of types of toys, books, pajamas, blankets, teethers, and more! Scroll on through to see all of the gift ideas for babies!
Baby’s First Blocks Set
I have this set of blocks on the list for my baby girl this Christmas. I love the muted colors of this “navy fawn” set, but Fisher Price makes some bright-colored sets too.
Knotted Gowns
Knotted gowns make a thoughtful and practical gift for any new baby, offering comfort and ease for both baby and parents. These gowns from Copper Pearl stand out with their ultra-soft, breathable fabric and adorable, modern prints. Designed for quick diaper changes with a convenient knot at the bottom, these gowns combine style and functionality, making them an ideal gift choice for welcoming a little one.
Luxury Pajama Set
Lou Lou & Company offers the most luxurious 2-piece pajama sets. Their fabrics are perfect for comfort and style. These pajama sets are made from the same soft, high-quality fabric used in their popular knotted gowns and swaddles, ensuring a cozy fit for your little one. Available in a wide variety of colors and patterns, Lou Lou & Company pajamas provide both softness and adorable designs for your baby’s sleepwear collection.
Custom Name Puzzle
We have a name puzzle that my son got from his aunt for either his first Christmas or his birthday and he loves playing with it even now as a toddler.
Play Mat
We have a black and white play mat that we put on the floor for our baby to lay on or sit on with toys and it provides just a little extra cushion so I don’t have to worry about her banging her head or falling over as she got old enough to sit up on her own.
Hatch Sound Machine
If they don’t already have this sound machine, it’s the absolute best! Bundle it with the on-the-go sound machine and they will be able to sleep anywhere.
Luxury Blanket
I got one of these Lush blankets in the mini size for my first baby’s car seat in the winter (we just draped it over the top after he was strapped in), and then I got the Bamboni mini for our daughter who was born at the end of winter and needed a lighter blanket. But now I upgraded to the Lush receiving blanket for my daughter and it is incredible! Totally worth the splurge and such a great gift!
Muslin Swaddles
These generously-sized, lightweight, and naturally breathable swaddles are designed for multi-use, measuring 47” x 47” (120 cm x 120 cm). They can serve not only as swaddles but also as playtime blankets, stroller or car seat covers, changing pad covers, burp cloths, and even nursing covers. Available in several modern colors, they are suitable for both baby boys and girls, making them a versatile and thoughtful gift that new parents will truly appreciate.
Lovevery Subscription
This is a great ongoing gift - a set of toys that are age appropriate and great for the baby’s development.
Rolling Rattle
Perfect first rattle for babies 12 weeks and older: This wooden rattle is thoughtfully designed for little hands to easily grasp, shake, and explore, promoting sensory development and hand-eye coordination. Made from natural, non-toxic wood with a smooth finish, it’s safe and durable for everyday play. Its lightweight design and gentle rattling sound make it an ideal toy to engage and entertain your baby while supporting early motor skills.
Colorful Animals Wooden Book
Lovevery® blends brain science and Montessori ideas to make toys that help babies grow. This Colorful Animals Wooden Book, for babies 4 months and up, shows simple pictures of animals like a ladybug, clown fish, duckling, frog, bluebird, butterfly, squirrel, and zebra. It helps babies learn through touch and seeing, and supports language skills. It also comes with a free Digital Play Guide and expert advice, making it a great learning gift.
Wobble Stacker
This wooden stacker toy is so beautiful and looks like a lot of fun for babies learning to grab things and put them together.
Hide & Find Drop Box
Another beautiful developmental toy for babies, the Hide & Find Drop Box engages your child starting at 9 months and builds important milestone skills. This Montessori-inspired wooden drop box combines many lessons into one toy, helping your baby begin to problem-solve at a young age. Be amazed by all your child can accomplish and enjoy learning together through play. It also includes a free Digital Play Guide and access to expert content with purchase.
Activity Gym
There are lots of different activity gyms out there, but this one is beautiful and folds up to easily store away when needed.
Teething Toys
When it comes to teething toys, Itzy Ritzy has some of our absolute faves!
Busy Mat
These busy mats are silicone and a great idea for restaurants and at the table.
Wipeable High Chair
After lots of research, this is the high chair that we got for our kids and love how easy it is to clean and our kids love having their feet on a foot rest.
Baby Crinkle Paper
This simple crinkle paper is a favorite for babies, and it is especially great for car rides!
Knitted Pom Hat
Pom hats make adorable and thoughtful gifts for babies. Their soft texture and playful pom-pom detail add a charming touch to any little outfit, making them both practical and cute presents for newborns and infants.
First Christmas Ornament
Start your baby’s ornament collection with a personalized option - lots of cute ones on Etsy.
Birthday Memories Journal
The Birthday Memories Journal by Promptly Journals has annual prompts to capture birthday memories and milestones for 20 years with spots for pictures and mementos. This is a fun birthday tradition for kids and adults and is the perfect present for any age!
Soft Activity Book
A soft activity book is a wonderful gift idea for a baby because it is safe, lightweight, and easy for little hands to hold. Made from gentle fabrics, it encourages sensory exploration through different textures and bright colors, helping to stimulate early development. Plus, it’s durable and washable, perfect for everyday use by the youngest babies.
Tummy Time Water Play Mat
These water play mats are so great for tummy time and keeping babies engaged with play while working on their neck muscles and development!
Tummy Time Toys
Tummy time toys are a useful and thoughtful gift for babies. They help build strong neck, shoulder, and arm muscles while encouraging movement and exploring senses. These toys keep babies interested during tummy time, making it more fun for both babies and parents. They are great for baby showers or new parents, supporting healthy growth and early learning.
Foam Play Mat
Love these foam play mats for play time. They are easy to set up and lay down on any surface, with their interlocking grid system. Love that they are wipeable and easy to crawl around on.
Baby Activity Center
An activity center is a perfect gift for babies around 6 to 7 months old who love to bounce and jump. It provides a safe and engaging space for your little one to play, develop motor skills, and have fun. With colorful toys and interactive features, it keeps your baby entertained while supporting their growth and coordination.
Soft Blocks
A darling set of soft blocks that won’t hurt the baby as they learn to play and hold (and drop) things.
Gripper Socks
Gripper socks make a fantastic gift for babies — they're practical yet feel a little luxurious. Babies stay comfy and cozy, while the non-slip grips help keep them steady as they start to explore. Plus, they come in adorable, fun colors that add a cute touch to any outfit. Perfect for both everyday wear and little adventures!
Indestructibles Books
These books are literally indestructible - they can chew, drool, slobber, crumble the pages and they won't be destroyed. There are lots of fun stories with bright colors for little babies.
Hollow Teether Tubes
These teething tubes would make a great stocking stuffer or addition to any gift for a baby! Our little girl has loved chewing on these while working on her teeth coming in.
Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat
We originally had a Bumbo seat for my son, but both of my kids had a hard time using those seats because of cute chubby thighs and since then I’ve learned that these are much better for a baby’s posture - we have this one for my daughter and she loves sitting independently.
Crinkle Toy with Teether
This crinkle toy is SO cute and has everything to keep a little baby busy and engaged! The body is a fun crinkle sound, the tags are engaging, the knotted feet are fun to hold and the teething ring is easy to grab and chew on. There are several cute animals to choose from.
Linking Rings
These linking rings are great for hanging toys on things or keeping several teething toys together and these are much more aesthetically pleasing and double as some teethers.
Spiral Car Seat Activity Toy
A beautiful version of those car seat toys that wrap around a handle - soft and safe for car rides or stroller rides.
Snowsuit
Christmas is a great time to get a snowsuit for babies - we love having one with the hands and feet covered since babies are less likely to actually be playing or moving around in the snow and no one wants to deal with mittens and snow boots for babies.
Crawling Crab Toy
This viral crawling crab is such a fun toy for tummy time!
Subscription Boxes from Cratejoy
There are so many different subscription boxes to choose from! Cratejoy has tons of curated subscription boxes for all ages, but you can filter and browse boxes for babies - anything from clothing rentals to sensory toys to book boxes, and more.
Tissue Box Toy
Babies love to grab and pull tissues, so give them a safe option that they can play with!
The Jesus Storybook Bible
We were gifted a Jesus Storybook bible for our kids when they were young - we loved reading them stories from this Bible at bedtime even when they were babies.
Muslin Quilt
I have given both of my kids a muslin quilt when they were babies that they will hopefully love and use for years to come. A great legacy gift - this Magnolia pattern is the one that we got for my daughter, my son has a black and white pattern that is now out of print. We love these Clementine Kids quilts, but there are lots of other brands with beautiful quilts: Little Unicorn, Copper Pearl, Parker Baby Co, etc.
Photo Ornament
We love getting a photo ornament of our kids when they are babies that they can use as the start of their ornament collection. We also make sure to get one for each set of grandparents.
DIY Handprint Ornament Kit
Another super cute ornament idea for babies.
Black & White Flash Cards
These black and white flash cards are a great practical gift that is great for baby’s development.
The Classic BabyLit Box Set
BabyLit® is the fashionable way to introduce your baby to the world of classic literature, while learning numbers, sounds, animals, colors, and more! This box set includes the following titles: Alice in Wonderland (A BabyLit® Colors Primer), Moby-Dick (A BabyLit® Ocean Primer), Romeo & Juliet (A BabyLit® Counting Primer), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (A BabyLit® Colors Primer), Sherlock Holmes in the Hound of the Baskervilles (A BabyLit® Sounds Primer), Pride & Prejudice (A BabyLit® Counting Primer), Jane Eyre (A BabyLit® Counting Primer), The Jungle Book (A BabyLit® Animals Primer)
Bandana Bibs
It’s no secret that babies drool a lot, especially once they start teething! Copper Pearl has lots of cute designs and patterns for boys and girls, as well as lots of neutral unisex options.
Knit Hooded Towels
These knitted hooded towels add a bit of luxury to baby’s bath time. Throw in a few fun bath toys for baby and you’ve got a great gift set!
Jumbo Quilt
This jumbo quilt would be great for a baby to start out as a floor blanket for playtime and grows into a great blanket for the bed or snuggles on the couch. Copper Pearl blankets have some amazing prints that are reversible and the three-layer style makes them super soft and comfortable.
Baby Rocker Bouncer
Honestly, this is a gift for mom and dad just as much as it is for baby! This adorable rocker/bouncer is a great option for giving mom and dad some hands-free moments.
Bumpy Ball
A fun sensory toy for baby with different colors, textures and sounds.
Silicone Pull String Toy
This silicone pull string toy is fun for any baby who is working on their motor skills and especially if they are teething.
Oversized Knit Sweater
We have this oversized knitted sweater for our baby girl and honestly, this would be so cute on boys and girls and have several colors to choose from.
Silicone Feeder & Teether
A great stocking stuffer - these silicone feeding teethers are great to add some frozen fruit or other soft foods into to let babies work on self-feeding.
Baby Spoons
We love these nom-nom “gootensils” that are a pre-spoon for babies. The design allows it to hold some food but also makes it easy for baby to hold and stick in their mouth.
Baby Banana Toothbrush
This banana toothbrush also works as a teething toy, but is just the right size to start brushing baby’s teeth once they cut through.
Baby Slippers
Slippers are so practical and useful in the winter time and these are designed to stay on baby’s feet! Lots of colors to choose from.
