The question of what to give a child for 1 year is really relevant, since a 12-month-old baby is perhaps the most "wayward" birthday boy in the whole wide world.
Due to age characteristics, he has no preferences, enthusiasm, special habits and hobbies, which is why he will have to try to please the birthday boy. Moreover, I would like to buy useful, safe, colorful gifts.
It is especially difficult for a one-year-old to choose a worthwhile thing for those who do not have children yet. Our tips will help you navigate the variety of children's products, choose a really useful gift and share the joy with your little birthday boy.
A few words about the hero of the holiday
It is much easier to prepare a present for those who are already a parent or are well acquainted with the hero of the occasion. If the guests have maternal or paternal everyday life still ahead, you should get acquainted with the main features of the development of babies 12 months old.
In most cases a one-year-old child can:
- walk;
- dance;
- repeat certain actions and sounds after adults;
- pronounce a few simple words;
- eat from a spoon;
- chew solid food cut into small slices;
- interact with objects.
A child at 12 months of age does not eat sweets, which is why it is extremely inappropriate to give him boxes of chocolates or chocolates, even from well-known brands.
One year is the age of research. Kids actively learn about the world around them, and everyday objects from the point of view of adults are of interest: a saucepan lid, a sponge for washing dishes, brushes for cleaning shoes.
Of course, it is not at all necessary to give it, it is just important to understand that at 1 year old the child is interested in object activity, interaction with surrounding objects.
At this time, children begin to be interested in educational toys, with much more attention to pyramids, cubes and balls. In addition, babies are more likely to glance in the direction of books, dolls and cars.
The first birthday of a child is a special day, so it is better to consult with the parents of the hero of the occasion. Perhaps the crumbs already have what you wanted to please him. In this case, mom will tell you what they are missing.
Probably, the child needs a specific doll or a specific costume to go out. If relatives are shy, ready-made holiday ideas will come in handy. So what gifts can you buy for a one-year-old boy or girl?
Game library for the hero of the day: toys for the soul, sports and development
The opinion that an abundance of toys is a good thing for a child is wrong. Due to their peculiarities, one-year-old children can play simultaneously with 2 - 3 play accessories.
Toys need to be regularly updated so that they correspond to age norms, the characteristics of the child's development, help to form new skills and simply do not let the little mischief get bored.
Popular "gift" toys
Birthday 1 year is the perfect reason to complement the nursery with new toys that are popular among both little princesses and future men.
Tolocar
This game device is a wheeled car-wheelchair: from pink models for "ladies" to brutal "off-road vehicles".
Thus, both girls and boys will like the gift. Moreover, you can play with such a toy even at 2 years old.
Such a toy can be set in motion both by the child himself, pushing his feet off the floor or asphalt, and by the parents using a special handle installed at the back, or a rope that is tied to the front.
There are standard toys, as well as tolokars with musical accompaniment, with flashing lights, sparkling lights. Pay attention, first of all, to the ability to move around on a tolokar, all other functions are secondary.
The budgetary version of the tolokar is an ordinary wheelchair trolley, which the kid can either push in front or pull with him with a rope.
Tolocar
Rocking chairs and jumpers
These toys are usually made in the form of an animal. The usual option for everyone is a horse on runners, but ducks, cats, lions, elephants and other animals are on sale. Often, the set also includes wheels, which expands the child's play repertoire - now he can ride a horse.
Jumpers are also found in different varieties: calves, donkeys, zebras. A child can ride on them like a real rider, which contributes to the development of the vestibular apparatus, coordination of actions, motor dexterity and strengthening of muscles.
You should not buy a textile or woolen rocking horse, since a baby is able to write on a toy even at 3 years old, what can we say about a one-year-old toddler. In order not to force the parents to constantly wash the rocking chair, it is better to purchase a "horse" made of wood or plastic.
Rocking chairs and jumpers
Doll
A doll or baby doll is an ideal gift for a girl both at 3 years old and at 12 months old. You should not take a toy that is too heavy, because it is important that the little housewife can nurse the nude, put it in a crib or take it with her to another room.
You should also dwell on a "toy girl" with proportional body parts and similar to a person.
In stores, there are many options for dolls for girls of all ages, including one-year-olds. A good option is a baby doll who knows how to cry and eat.
A classic doll is a toy for growth, since a girl, growing up, will learn to dress and undress her, comb her hair, perform other play actions that are very important for the correct and timely socialization of the child.
Baby doll
Doll strollers
You can replace the usual gurney with a stroller, especially if the little birthday girl already has a doll or another guest will give it. At this age, girls do not yet play mother-daughters (imitation will come a little later), but they like to walk with the help of additional support.
Focus on a stroller of average cost, as long as it is made of metal. Cheap models are often made from fragile plastic that can break if the child rests on structures. In this case, even injury is possible.
Doll strollers
House or tent
If adults do not know what to buy for a one-year-old toddler or what to give a child for 2 years, then you can consider the option of purchasing an inexpensive but very functional home tent.
Such devices are different in shape and appearance: a standard "hut", a house, a locomotive, a car, a fungus. There are also models on sale that consist of two blocks connected by a flexible tunnel.
The child will definitely like his secret corner, where he can play with his favorite toys. Curiously, many parents adapt their tents to store numerous play equipment.
Children's house
Accessories for walking and sports
One-year-olds move more than babies. Therefore, you can consider the option of playing devices for the development of gross motor skills.
If you decide to give something sports related to swinging or walking for your child's birthday, then don't forget about safety. Such devices must without fail be equipped with protective straps so that the baby does not fall out during the game.
Tricycle with handle
A great alternative to a stroller for walking. This option is preferable if the baby does not sleep during the walks, but learns the world around with interest. Some children generally protest when sitting in a stroller, but they feel great on a bicycle.
The child pedals, and when he gets tired, the bike is put under parental control thanks to the handle-holder, which turns the front wheel.
You should take a three-wheeled vehicle with a reserve for the future, so that the baby can ride it even at 3 years old.
In such models, the handle, steps and sides can be removed. You should also give preference to bicycles with a deep hood that protects from rain and sun.
Tricycle with handle
Sledge
Every child must have a snow scooter in the "car park". A high-quality product will delight the baby for several years, it is also suitable as a gift for a boy or girl for 2 years. And if at first the mother will skate, then the child himself will be able to go down the hill.
By the way, today you can find models with wheels on runners, which allows you to transport sleds on an asphalt surface, indoors. This is very convenient for mothers who are loaded with baby and shopping.
Sledge
Dry pool
Such a device, filled with bright plastic balls, is a rather expensive and bulky gift. Therefore, it is better to purchase a pool for cottages, and not for an apartment.
Alternatively, buy a small trampoline arena fenced with a net. The kid will jump in it, and if you fill it with the same balls or small balls, the child can use it as a dry pool.
Pediatricians also approve of such devices, since playing in a dry pool improves gross and fine motor skills, and reduces increased muscle tone.
Dry pool
Swing
Almost all one-year-old kids love to swing. Therefore, the hero of the day can be presented with a children's swing, of course, you need to choose a special, "home" model that can be attached to a horizontal bar or consoles on the ceiling.
It is important to choose the strongest and safest toy that is additionally equipped with straps. In this case, the swinging child will not fall out and not be damaged.
Swing for a child
Educational toys
In general, almost all play devices for one-year-old children can be called developmental, but there are toys on sale that are specifically designed to improve certain functions. Let's consider them in more detail.
Study table
In children's stores you can find a variety of models of such developmental centers, but their structure is similar - several toys are collected on the table surface.
Most often, manufacturers equip such centers with sorters, pyramids, and constructors. With their help, children learn to sort objects by shape, color and size. Such play devices will help to develop attentiveness, perseverance, coordination of movements and logic.
Developing rugs
If earlier a girl or a boy 3 months old bought special surfaces with numerous toys for the development of sensorics, then an older child will like a puzzle mat that has immediately several advantages:
- the baby improves attentiveness, fine motor skills, thinking;
- the device helps to learn numbers and letters;
- it can be used as a soft cover for other outdoor games;
- such toys can decorate any child's room.
Massage mats recommended by orthopedists are also available. Such devices allow:
- to prevent the development of flat feet and other foot pathologies;
- to form a physiologically correct arch of the foot;
- to act on reflexogenic points located on the surface of the foot;
- train the muscles of the legs;
- improve the overall condition of the motor system.
Floor mats are a very useful toy, however, only parents will be able to appreciate all its advantages.
Developing mat
Bath toys
For a child who loves to spend a lot of time in the bath, gifts in the form of toys for bathing are suitable. There are a lot of them: submarines, pirate ships, fishing, water pistols and other game devices.
A very interesting option is a magic tap that is attached to the wall of the bathtub and supplies water to special molds through a pump. Such an interactive toy will surely attract children's attention and will allow you to captivate even a kid who previously did not like water procedures by bathing.
Bath toys
Easel with accessories
A child of the first year for his birthday can also receive a special developing easel, which combines a wooden sketchbook and several exciting play devices.
So, the device can consist from toys such as:
- accounts;
- clock;
- wire maze;
- alphabet;
- slate.
Some devices consist of 7 (!) Parts. They look like pyramids or cubes, on the edges of which are educational toys. These games can be played by a small company.
Such a multifunctional easel (and in fact - a real play center) allows you to improve logic, spatial thinking and perception, precise motor skills of your fingers.
Children's easel
Musical toys
This group includes both instruments for the smallest (such as a flute, pipe or drum), and multifunctional musical centers, which are tables on whose playing surface are located various devices.
Playing with musical instruments is extremely useful for the all-round development of a child. They are especially useful for the speech sphere, since phonemic hearing and sound perception, a sense of rhythm are improved.
In addition, manipulations with instruments allow you to improve motor dexterity, fine motor skills, coordination of actions, and thinking abilities.
The purchase must be agreed with the parents of the birthday boy. Not every mom and not every dad will agree to listen to a child knocking on a drum or taking out "roulades" with the help of a very loud pipe for days on end.
Musical toys
Toy bowling
Quite a non-standard gift for a boy or girl, but very useful. Knocking down the pins, the kid moves actively, develops an eye, coordination of actions. Regular exercise makes your toddler more agile, dexterous and skillful.
The pins themselves are made of materials that differ in texture and color. This allows us to further improve sensing, tactile sensations. Additionally, the kid will be able to learn the shades by placing the pins in a certain color order.
Toy bowling
Interactive books
For 1 year old, you can also give your child “smart” books, whose pages or pictures are voiced. By pressing the buttons, the child will be able to hear the voice of the narrator or the sounds made by domestic or wild animals and birds.
Consideration of such interactive books is great for the evening, when the baby is taking a break from active entertainment and getting ready to fall asleep. The repertoire of "talking" editions is wide - you can buy books about animals, colors, fairy-tale characters, nature, etc.
Do not forget about traditional educational play devices. These include sorters, nesting dolls, pyramids, puzzles, constructors.
Such toys form logic, teach the child basic mathematical concepts, develop spatial thinking, imagination, and coordination of movements.
An important rule is to purchase toys with large parts so that the baby cannot swallow them during the entertainment process. Children at two and three years old love to drag objects into their mouths for deeper study. So it doesn't hurt to be careful when choosing gifts.
Interactive books for children
Practical gifts
These gifts are appreciated by parents, since the baby does not yet understand the practicality of objects.However, their usefulness is still high. Most often, such practical souvenirs are made by close relatives who often visit the birthday boy at home and know how things are with the "dowry".
Bed dress
A banal gift? It is likely, but the pursuit of originality is not always the best option. Before buying, be sure to ask the mother of the hero of the day how many children's bedding sets are in the house. If there is a shortage of them, you can buy.
To make the gift not only beautiful, but also memorable, you can order a beautiful embroidery or applique on the duvet cover. You can even embroider the name of the child, it will look very advantageous and attractive.
Pillows and blankets are also purchased for children. Previously, these accessories were not used because children under one year old should not sleep on bolsters. So why not present your child with a quality pillow or blanket?
baby bedding set
Clothes and footwear
Beautiful costumes and dresses are another option for gifts for close relatives.
It is best to choose such clothes for a specific season, for example, smart overalls are bought in winter, and summer ones, respectively, closer to the hot season.
Should I buy shoes for my child as a gift? This is a very difficult question, because when choosing a couple, you should take into account many nuances that are often known exclusively to parents.
It is also worth solving this problem together with the birthday boy's mother.
If you decide to purchase children's things, then you do not need to focus on age indicators. One child is very large, the second is much less than the "norm", the third is within the standard size. You need to ask your parents for today's measurements and take a larger size - for growth.
baby clothes
Hygiene kit for teeth
From about 12 months of age, experts advise teaching a child to cleanse the oral cavity. That is why you can give your little birthday boy a whole hygiene kit, consisting of several brushes with high-quality soft bristles, special pastes.
In addition, in this age period, children are often disturbed by teething teeth, so it is quite possible to include a teether in the kit, of course, also of high quality and safe.
baby teeth set
Subscription to the pool
If the baby is not indifferent to swimming, and all household members are inclined to lead a healthy lifestyle, regularly visiting the pool, those who know about it can give a membership card to visit this institution.
By the way, another option for giving a boy for 2 years or 1 year old can be a subscription to developmental courses. This is acceptable if parents want to take their child to a specialized child development center.
Symbolic presents
The baby's first birthday is the most important milestone in his life and the life of his mom and dad, it is not surprising that many guests of this little anniversary are eager to celebrate such a symbolic date.
In this case, you can make gifts that will allow you to preserve and increase the memories of infancy, or gifts that hint that the child will grow up very soon:
- certificate for a photo session. A great surprise that will please every household member (possibly, with the exception of the baby himself). After all, the memories of beautiful dresses and the festival itself will be preserved;
- handmade photographic album. You need to ask the birthday boy's mom for his best pictures and arrange an album in the scrapbooking style. You can do it yourself or order from the master;
- vintage wine. Buy a bottle of an expensive drink, attach a piece of paper with a wish to taste wine on the day of majority. Very unusual, you can even suggest to bury the bottle in the ground;
- tree seedling. Another option for a "long-lasting" gift is to give a tree that can be planted in a summer cottage or cottage area;
- silver spoon. If this tableware was not handed over after the first tooth that came out, then it can be presented on this very day;
- stadiometer. The child is now standing on his own, so vertical marks can already be made. The door jamb is not very suitable for this, so a present in the form of a special device will be useful;
- box for curls. This item is ideal for the first anniversary date, since it is at this age that many parents cut their hair and keep it for the rest of their lives. The chest is perfect for this purpose.
You should not give hygiene products and food for children for a birthday of 1 year old. These items should be chosen exclusively by parents. It is also worth giving up toys for children of the younger or older age group.
Celebration organization
The question of what to give a child is certainly important. However, you should not forget about other aspects of the celebration. How to celebrate the first birthday of a child? There are many things to consider: menu, choice of venue, various competitions.
Basic Rules
To make the holiday go without problems, and the celebration becomes joyful, safe and hassle-free, you can use with a few helpful hints:
- Don't show all gifts to your baby. Naturally, he will want to play with every toy, so he will definitely be capricious. It is better to organize a special place for gifts.
- The duration of the celebration must correspond to the age of the birthday person. The maximum marking can take 3.5 hours, otherwise the child will simply overwork.
- It is better to distribute intense moments evenly throughout the festival so that the child does not get tired. Contests or congratulations should be alternated with rest and even sleep.
- The question of how to organize contests and participation in them for the birthday person, decide, focusing on the characteristics of the baby. If he loves attention, let him be in the center of events, and vice versa.
- For the protagonist and his peers, you need to free up space in the nursery and provide play accessories. Children need to walk, run, play - in general, move.
- Hide all valuables, sharp and fragile objects beforehand. During the celebration, adults will not be able to track every child's action, and safety must be ensured.
- If nursing mothers come, then part of the room needs to be covered with a screen. You can generally give one room for feeding babies and changing diapers.
- The little hero of the day should be regularly taken to another room so that he would be with his mother and without haste consider all the donated little things.
Mom will be worried about one single question: how to celebrate the first birthday. So she won't have time for photography. Therefore, it is better to redirect the paparazzi function to one of the guests.
Choosing a place to celebrate
Sometimes, on their birthday, adults leave for nature, go to a cafe or go to visit relatives. Some parents even invite animators for a grand celebration.
But the question of where and how to celebrate a child's birthday still remains relevant. Psychologists are convinced that it is best for such a little birthday boy to feel at home.
The first birthday of a child is always a stressful situation for the child's psyche, so it is important to give the baby a chance to rest or even take a nap. The easiest way to do this is at home.
If you decide that a home holiday is the best option, you need to think about how to decorate an apartment and a separate nursery. For festive decoration, you can use with the following ideas:
- prepare bright banners: “Happy birthday!”, “We wish you happiness!”, “Happy first year”, etc .;
- use lamp garlands, bows, sequins, made by yourself or bought in a store for decoration;
- inflate the balloons;
- glue on the surface images of your favorite cartoon characters of the hero of the day;
- a huge number “1” can be placed on the front door;
- decorate the apartment with a wall newspaper in which there will be pictures of both the child himself and his parents at his age;
- if possible, create a family tree on whatman paper with images of all known close relatives.
The question of how to celebrate the birthday of a child at 1 year old must be solved very thoughtfully, therefore, the number of invited guests should also be taken into account. Don't call a lot of people, it's tiring for a birthday boy. It is enough to invite only the closest relatives: grandparents, aunts-uncles, godfathers.
Often, other children of the same age as the hero of the day are invited to the celebration so that the baby does not get bored. This option is not excluded, but it is important to understand that such children do not yet know how to play together, so someone will have to spend all the time with them.
Birthday script
First birthday contests are an essential element of a successful celebration. So that the people who come do not get bored, it is necessary to prepare a script, constantly organize those present - that is, fill this event with interesting fun and entertainment.
There should not be too many contests: four or five entertainment is enough. Only it is worth alternating between calm and active fun. We also need to prepare surprises for the players and the winners.
Main home contests
There are many competition options, below are examples of the simplest, but, at the same time, interesting competitions. What games and contests at home will delight and amuse guests?
- letter for the birthday boy. The point of this competition is to write a congratulation for the hero of the day using random epithets. The parent has ready-made words for which the guests select adjectives. It turns out quite funny. The winner is the participant who picks up the funniest epithet;
- water chills. Adult participants are given baby bottles with nipples. Participants need to suck out the maximum amount of water in 60 seconds. For fun and surroundings, you can choose the appropriate music;
- "Who do you look like?" In advance, you need to put pieces of paper with the names of the parts of the body into the envelope. Participants should take out the cards and write on the back side who the hero of the day is like, for example, with ears, hand, etc. Then the presenter calculates the similarities and names the adult “analogue” of the birthday man;
- "tower". To build a turret, you need to stock up on plastic cans from under mashed potatoes. Two participants in a minute without hands build a turret from the proposed containers, inserting the jars into each other. The winner is the player who builds the taller structure.
You can also come up with birthday contests for children at home. The easiest one is to invite the kids to walk (or crawl) a certain distance. For example, children should approach their mothers at the signal of an adult. Naturally, the competition will be different for 2 years old, since a 2-year-old child is not interested in previous competitions.
Main traditions
How to spend this day with benefit? Of course, include several traditional rituals in the celebration scenario. The first is the symbolic cutting of curls. The godparents take turns cutting off short strands from the four sides of the cross-shaped head.
The performed ritual can be considered complete only when the cut hairs are put into a bag and placed near the icon of the saints. It is believed that such an object becomes a talisman for the child for the rest of his life.
Another common ritual - the hero of the day chooses a thing that predetermines his future. The child is planted on a sheep's skin (as an option - a natural sheepskin coat turned inside out) and offered several items to choose from.
What the baby takes in his hands, as many adults are convinced, will determine his future life. For instance:
- bills - financial well-being;
- keys - wealth;
- pen - a career as a scientist or teacher;
- glomerulus - a long century;
- brush - grows up as an artist;
- hairbrush - will be a hairdresser or stylist;
- ring - a happy family life.
These things should be placed not in a pile, but at a certain distance. There is a conviction that a child will intuitively choose the object that is closest to him in terms of his “aura”. That is why this ritual is not just entertainment, but even the establishment of fate.
Menu for the celebration
The question of what to cook for the guests and the birthday person is no less important than the problem of how to celebrate this grandiose event. The festive table should please everyone, and at the same time it should be useful to little guests.
The ideal option is to organize a buffet table, while you should pay attention not to the variety of dishes, but to the "cool" decoration. Examples of exciting menus can be found on the Internet.
For the smallest participants in the celebration, you need to set a separate table with bright and funny dishes. For example, fruit slices designed in the form of animals and cartoon characters are suitable for "yearlings".
Another dish you can prepare for your birthday is cookies, which are decorated with fruit wedges. Skillful housewives make a kind of sweets from the same ingredients, which are wrapped in beautiful wrappers.
The main meal (porridge or soup) is also decorated solemnly. So, a dish with a thick soup or porridge is decorated with the number "1" from fruit or vegetable slices (it all depends on the type of dish). You can decorate the plates with herbs beautifully.
The main symbol of the holiday menu is, of course, the cake! It must be appropriate for the solemn moment, bright, with various decorations and a candle, which the hero of the day then blows out (with the help of parents).
Should a child eat this cake? This question cannot be answered unequivocally. If the sweetness is prepared at home, by your mother or a person you trust, does not contain any harmful substances, then a small slice of a delicious cake will not harm the crumb.
How to end your first birthday?
You need to end the holiday calmly, without active games and entertainment. Experienced mothers recommend writing commemorative letters to the child at the end of the celebration. Each guest fills out a piece of paper presented to him, describing the wishes that should be fulfilled in 17 years.
You can write recommendations, instructions, wishes for the future. The author then sets the date, seals the envelope and signs his "correspondence." Mom and Dad put these messages in a small chest for safekeeping. The child himself will read the letters for adulthood.
By the way, this box can be just a present. The donated item is also useful for storing other valuable things: medals from the maternity hospital, tags, cake candles, rattles and other items important for parents.
It is interesting to note that 1 year old child is a rather difficult task for mom and dad. However, if you think over all the nuances, the celebration will become bright and unforgettable. Do not forget to just shoot all the important moments with your camcorder.
Thus, the question of what to give a child for 1 year and how to celebrate the event itself is not the easiest, but very exciting. It is necessary to take into account many conditions, but the reward will be a good mood of the smallest birthday boy and his parents.
