When shopping for your kids I find they are the easiest to go overboard on spending. I remember Lily's first Christmas like it was yesterday. I was so excited to start all these new holiday traditions for her and make her first Christmas memorable. But truly when I look back, who was it memorable for me or her? Mostly me, LOL because she doesn't remember a thing with only being 6 months old. But it was my first Christmas as a mom and no one was going to tell me to hold back, so I am not going to tell you to either.
However, I am going to recommend some great gift ideas for those baby's on your list. Whether it is your own, a friends or a family members!
When picking a gift for a baby here are my biggest tips:
1. Buy something that benefits not only the babe but the parents as well 2. Keepsakes are one of the most thoughtful gifts you can get
3. Think ahead, purchase clothing and toys that are ahead of the stage the baby is at
Those are my 3 main tips to keep in mind when purchasing gifts for baby's. My reasoning is;
1. Often times the parents are forgotten about and all the focus gets put on the babe. Keeping in mind though there are lots of gifts (that I will mention below) that would not only make the parents but baby's happy too! Therefore, its a gift you can cross off your list for more than one person!
2. Keepsakes are thoughtful and often gifts that aren't given. Whether you get a gift certificate for the parents to make a keepsake with their child or do one with the baby keepsakes are definite winners!
3. People often want to buy something that baby's can use now but often times they already have everything they need. I always liked when people purchased toys that were for the next age level so I had things handy when the time came. It also helped challenge my kids as they were growing. Baby's do not need much, so purchasing toys from a higher age group is less wasteful. Same goes for clothing. Purchasing the next size up in clothing is always a great idea so parents have stuff handy.
Here are some of my suggestions for great gift ideas of baby's
Gift Certificate for a Sleep Consultant This is something that parents are probably not gifting to themselves and not only are they but their baby is in dire need of some sleep. I am sure you will know if your friend or loved one is having difficulties with their baby's sleep schedule. Getting a gift certificate for sleep consultant services is a great gift not only for baby's but parents as well! If you are unsure of local sleep consultants google will be your best friend, or post on mom groups as there are lots of people willing to give you a recommendation. However, I would recommend contacting
Experiences Most parents love doing things together with their child. Gifting an experience is a great idea to help encourage parents to get out and do something fun as a family. Often times parents feel they shouldn't be spending the money on these types of things and can put it on the back burner easily. Whether it is a gift card for a program that parents can take their kids to, an indoor playground,or a membership to somewhere like the Royal Botanical Gardens I am sure parents would be grateful. Some of our favourite local places to get gift cards for are; PlayVille Hamilton, Messy Play, Safari Niagara, Little Rebels Music , Royal Botanical Gardens and Jungle Hut
Keepsakes
If you are someone who has access to the baby and can spend some one on one time with them (i.e. offer to babysit so parents get a night out) take advantage of this time and make a special keepsake to surprise the parents for Christmas. Pinterest has a ton of great ideas for crafting with baby's that are fairly quick and simple. If you are looking for something a little more complex and to take the load off your hands, I would recommend checking out Wee Piggies There are various franchises located throughout Canada that you can connect with.
Another great idea is a custom ornament with baby's name, nickname, birth stats whatever your heart desires! I highly recommend checking out Curated By Carolyn for your custom ornaments! Whether you take the child and have something made or get a gift certificate for the parents to these make a great gift! Another great keepsake is custom clothing. For Mason, I had a custom bodysuit made with his ultrasound photo on it. It is one of my favourite keepsakes of his! A Life She Loves does an amazing job capturing this memory on your clothing and you can use code CAMARA10 for a special discount!
One last keepsake idea that I am sure families will love is a gift certificate to have updated family photos. For a lot of families I know it can be difficult to afford to have family photos taken. This would be a great gift for multiple people to pitch in on together to make a families dreams come true! Our favourite family photographer is
Toys
As I said above my biggest tip for gifting toys is to gift toys that are slightly more advanced then the stage the baby is at now. Baby's don't need much and I can probably guarantee their parents already have everything they already need. I also recommend getting toys that are going to last throughout the years and stages. Here are some of my favourite toys for baby's
anything Melissa and Doug branded - whether puzzles, cars, play food, educational toys. Their products are made to last a lifetime and grow with your child. I also love that they are wooden products which makes them more eco-friendly
sensory toys some of our favourites are the Manhattan Toy Winkle Rattle and Teether Infantino Texture Multi Ball Set Infantino Pat and Play Water Mat Active World Tray (this is a great gift if parents love creating their own sensory play activities at home) Musical Instruments are amazing for baby's and something that will grow with them!
Teething Aids - every baby goes through teething at some point so it's great to have something on hand when the time comes. My favourite shop for teething aids is Chew Chew Baby Roo
Sustainable, Eco Friendly Items BZ Littles makes the most creative and amazing Busy Boards! They are sustainable, eco-friendly and wooden! We've personally purchased the Busy Board and Cube from this shop. My kids started playing with them around 10 months old (while supervised) and Lily continues to use them and she is 3! This is something that your child will get lots of use out of!
Robot and Dino make the best in quality, comfort and support pillows for mom and child using natural and sustainable products. We personally have a mama and child pillow and I highly recommend either adding it to your Christmas list or purchasing to check someone off your list!
Baby Octopi designs and creates a line of products intended to celebrate life and comfort newborns through replicating elements in the womb. I highly recommend her signature crochet Octopus with tentacles that mimic the feel of the life giving umbilical cord that surrounds babies in the womb! You can use code CAMARACREW for 15% off your order. There are so many other sensory toys and activities that encourage growth and development! I highly recommend checking out Scholars Choice Website and searching by category to get some more great gift ideas.
Food This was something that we got a lot of for both Lily and Mason's 1st Christmas because they were around the age of starting solids or close to it. So we purchased new bowls, spoons and a variety of baby food so we had it ready when needed. It is a practical gift but something that as parents we have to purchase anyways so great way to fill up a stocking without spending unnecessary money.
Like I said at the beginning I am not going to tell you to not go overboard for your children at Christmas. Because to this day I still do. However, what I will say is be selective and invest in gifts that are worth giving.
If you've received a great baby gift, or gifted one to someone that was a huge hit! Please leave a comment below so we can great a list of great gift ideas for baby's!