Our Favorite First Birthday Gifts
- Dallas Mom Friend
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
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Summer has brought longer days, but somehow this year has still flown by. With our son's second birthday just a few weeks away, we've been packing up and donating toys he's outgrown. As I sorted through everything, I realized that some of his favorite toys are the same ones he received for his first birthday. A full year later, they're still getting regular use. If you're shopping for a one-year-old, here are five presents that have truly stood the test of time in our home.
This gift has to make the top of the list! This five-piece set of soft foam blocks has become our go-to gift for every first birthday party we attend. Our son first used these blocks to pull himself up, then practiced climbing the small stairs, and now loves rolling (and "jumping") off them. They've encouraged gross motor development from the earliest pulling-up stage all the way through climbing, balancing, and imaginative play as a toddler.
DMF Tip: This gift includes a ballpit, but no balls, so you can make the decision if you want the extra chaos or not. The toddlers we’ve gifted this to seem to all love sitting in the ball pit with or without balls.
This isn’t the same tent that we were gifted, but it is very similar, and I believe that every kid deserves a tent. We’ve spent hours in our tent giggling over games of peek-a-boo, playing with puzzles, shape sorters, and books, and have even used it as a way to distract from a meltdown. “I’m going to get in your tent!” Racing to the tent together has turned many frowns upside down.
DMF Tip: After setting up our tent, we realized we were spending a lot of time on the hard floor. So we decided to buy a large round dog bed to put in there for some comfort. It turned the tent into one of the coziest spots in our house.
This brightly colored wooden toy has brought so much joy to our home. We've loved watching our son learn to match colors, recognize shapes, stack the pieces, and eventually name each one. It's one of those toys that has naturally grown alongside his development.
DMF Tip: This is a great size toy where it was small enough for us to be able to travel with it easily, but not so small that it feels like a choking risk.
We learned very quickly after that first birthday that toddlers are constantly looking for something to explore. Thankfully, a seasoned Mom gifted us this busy board booklet that includes eight pages of unique and educational activities. This has been one of our favorite on-the-go toys to throw in the car, bring on an airplane, or take to restaurants to keep our son entertained.
DMF Tip: Introduce this early and show your toddler how to interact with the different pages, but be patient and know that it will take them months to develop the fine motor skills to play with every part of it.
This might tie with the blocks for our favorite birthday gift. It’s been nearly 365 days since we received this, and I can’t think of a single day that it hasn’t been played with in some way. From teething on the wooden animals to now singing “Old MacDonald” and making different animal noises, this barn has been a toy that has grown alongside each new developmental stage. We now find ourselves playing little games together by asking, "Can you find the sheep?" or "Which animal says moo?"
DMF Tip: We’ve used this toy to encourage independent play as well as education. You can set up the barn and all of the animals and stay nearby while your child explores the different parts on their own.
Sincerely,
Your Dallas Mom Friend
What are some of your favorite gifts to give?