Whether you look forward to Christmas shopping or not, choosing baby gifts is often an experience to relish. If you have welcomed a new baby to your family this year, or are buying gifts for a friend or family member who has then you’ll be grateful for any inspiration for baby’s first Christmas gift ideas.
Gifts that parents will love
When looking for baby’s first Christmas gift ideas, remember that anything you can do to make the parent’s lives easier will be especially welcomed. Gifts that make light work of bathtime, bedtime and feeding time are always appreciated.
Great Christmas gift ideas might include baby bib sets to clear up spillages during feeding time, babygrows to enable quick changes of clothes during the night or hooded towels to make bathtime easy and provide super cute photo opportunities!
We love these beautiful printed hooded towels from Petit Pehr which are made from super absorbent cotton terry and feature a handy hook so you can easily hang on the bathroom or nursery door when not in use.
You might not think they are the most fun gifts but parents will definitely love them. If you want to upscale your gift, why not try choosing matching sets or a range of gifts from the same brand to show how much thought you’ve put into your gift? Or, wrap each gift in a separate gift box with coordinating ribbon to keep everyone guessing when they look under the tree.
Gifts that baby will love
When shopping for toys it can be difficult to find things that are suitable for young babies, but rather than being impatient for them to grow up (as this will happen soon enough!) try a soft toy instead. Choose soft toys that have been designed to be suitable from birth as they will make a great and safe gift that babies will love to snuggle up to.
The cuddly animal soft toys from WWF, such as Mago the Brown Monkey are suitable from birth and feature a squeaker in their tummy for added sensory fun.
Baby’s first Christmas gift ideas that aid development
Though they are too young to remember their first Christmas, the gifts you buy for a baby can help to form part of their early development. Choosing sensory toys that help babies to discover the world around them through the senses of touch, smell, sight and sound can accelerate their language development and fine tune their motor skills.
Great sensory gift ideas for baby’s first christmas include stroller toys and cards that can be attached to their pushchair or stroller to provide stimulation when out and about. We love this House Stroller Toy from Wee Gallery which has an embroidered roof and features crinkly smoke coming out of the chimney.
Gifts that are great for nurseries
If you are buying for a family who are expecting their new arrival over the festive period, why not consider something for the nursery as their baby’s first Christmas gift? This is a great way to demonstrate your thoughtfulness in gift shopping and provide something sensory, cute and useful for the place where baby will spend a lot of their time in the coming months.
Christmas gift ideas for nurseries include storage solutions, wall decorations and mobiles, particularly those which feature different colours, shapes and textures. We love this Natural Pastel Rainbow & Cloud Cot Mobile from Fiona Walker which is ethically made using organic lambswool and is suitable from birth:
Clothing gifts
Clothes are always a welcome gift for babies at Christmas as they tend to get through several changes of clothing a day! It might sound like an obvious gift, but as the gift giver it is your chance to show off your fashion flair and choose brands that perhaps the new parents can’t afford or haven’t heard of before.
For an extra special gift you can choose matching clothing sets – such as vests, babygrows and bibs or even a delightful little outfit that can be worn on special occasions such as Christmas. Smart shoppers (and parents) will know to choose clothing in an appropriate size in case the little recipient has a growth spurt before the presents are unwrapped! Sometimes this might mean buying a size bigger, or getting a range of sizes in your clothing gifts but taking into account the season we might be in by the time they grow into them.
You really can’t go wrong with babygrows in the first year, but this doesn’t mean you can’t be inspirational in your style choices. For a Christmas gift that epitomises the season, look for festive themed outfits such as this Crochet Reindeer Babygrow from Albetta which features a cute hand-crocheted reindeer face:
Top tips for baby’s first Christmas
Christmas is an exciting time, but it can also be a stressful one, particularly when you have a new baby in the household. In addition to buying the perfect gift for baby’s first Christmas here are some top tips on how you can help new parents to enjoy the festive season:
- Christmas is all about juggling your time and everyone will want to get a chance to see the new baby. Try not to put pressure on new parents to see them on Christmas Day. Remember there is generally more than one family to please and there are other days to catch up and celebrate.
- Presents are a wonderful gift, but sometimes all new parents want is a good night’s sleep and a clean house. Get creative with your gifts and give a babysitting token or a spring clean from a reputable local cleaning company to help bring a smile to weary parents’ faces.
- Take note of gift lists – if the parents have been organised enough to provide one it’s because they feel strongly about the brands and types of gifts they receive so even if you disagree, it’s best to stick to the list, even if you supplement with your own choice of thoughtful present as well.
- Babies (and parents) are happier when in a good routine, so even though it’s Christmas and you want to throw caution to the wind, remember that sticking to the rules is vital for the new family if they want to get any sleep in the weeks to come.
And most of all, don’t forget to take plenty of photographs so you have treasured memories to look back on and compare each Christmas.
Just Add Milk is an online retailer of baby and toddler products, focusing on ethically sourced and organic cotton products for the conscientious consumer. For more information and to view their range of products, including those mentioned in this article, please visit www.justaddmilk.shop.