Gift Ideas for Infants

As many of you know, my baby boy is going to be turning the big ONE next week. Therefore, I am in full party mode right now trying to get everything done before his big birthday bash. One of the things that I had been struggling with was deciding what to get him for his birthday. After all, he isn’t really going to remember what he gets at this birthday party and he will get lots of toys from relatives and family friends, but as his parents we have to get him something.

Maybe you aren’t the parent of an infant but are going to be attending a birthday party or need to purchase a gift for an infant and don’t know what to get. Below are some of the ideas that I’ve had over the last few days as I struggled to decide what I should buy (and tell others to buy) for my little guy for his birthday.

• Walkers – After much deliberation, this was actually the gift my husband and I decided to go with. Basically, we didn’t want to get him another toy that was going to litter our living room floor. Instead, we wanted something that he would have fun with and use. So, we decided on the Melissa and Doug Rattle Rumble Push Toy. We chose this particular one because we like the old-fashioned look and feel of the Melissa and Doug toys, but really any walker similar to this will be a great gift for an infant just learning to walk.
• Bath Toys – While my little guy has lots of regular toys, he only has one bath toy and it’s one of those floating rubber ducks. He has just reached the age where loves playing in his bath water. He can honestly sit in there for 30 minutes without getting fussy. Therefore, bath toys are naturally going to make excellent gifts for my little guy – and I imagine they will make great gifts for any infant who enjoys bath time.
• Vibrating Teethers – I’m not sure about you, but we have been at the teething stage for a while now. However, my little guy hasn’t really taken to any teethers yet. I’m not sure what the deal is, but my oldest son fell in love with the vibrating teethers when he was about 14 months old – once his bite was strong enough to get it to vibrate. I’m guessing his little brother will be the same way, so I’ve requested a vibrating teether from grandma this birthday.
• Fisher-Price Infant Swing – This was actually an early birthday gift to my son from his grandparents but he loves it and I know most other infants will be the same way. There’s just something fun about getting to go out in the backyard and swing (without being in the arms of mom or dad) that infants love. Therefore, the Fisher Price Infant Swing is a great gift idea for any infant.
• Money – Finally, if you just can’t decide what to get the little one for his/birthday or other special occasion, consider giving money. I know that babies don’t need money, but if the parents have set up a college fund already, then request that the money gets donated to his/her education. If a college fund hasn’t been established, savings bonds work great too.