Celebrating the holidays with a little one definitely makes it seem even more special, right? However, deciding what to get your baby when they aren’t even really aware of the holiday can be tricky. Of course you want it to be special and fun for them, but at the same time you don’t want to go nuts because they won’t remember or really even know what’s happening. I’ve pulled together a few ideas that will hopefully give you a bit of inspiration as you begin shopping for your sweet baby.
1. Think Ahead
Let’s be real, a baby this young doesn’t need a lot in terms of gifts and they can’t exactly tell you what’s on their wish list. So think ahead! What will they need in a few months that you could go ahead and purchase when you see a pre-holiday sale? For example, your three month old may not be ready for a high chair at the holidays…but they will probably need one when March rolls around. Do you have plenty of teething toys for your future chewing machine? Or do you need to fill in the gaps of their wardrobe for the coming months so even if they’re wearing 6 month clothing at Christmas, they’ll be stocked up and ready when it’s time for 9 or 12 month outfits?
2. Keep It Practical
This one is especially helpful if you have a really young baby around the holidays, like under 6 months. They won’t care at all what the presents are but they will most likely have loads of fun helping tear off the wrapping paper of whatever gift you give them. So go ahead and wrap up practical items that you need to buy anyways! A box of diapers or wipes, formula, pouch purees if you’ve started on solids, the next size up in clothes that you just pulled out of the closet- anything goes! Now I’m not saying all their gifts should fall under this category but it’s a great way to put some things under the tree without spending extra because you probably already have these items in your budget.
3. Build Their Library
Books, books and more books. The value of reading to children, letting them look at books even when they can’t read yet, and having a variety of books in your home cannot be understated! So when grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends are wondering what to get your little one for their first holiday season suggest a book! If there are particular books you’ve been eyeing, add them to an amazon wish list and share that with family members looking for ideas.
4. Don’t Forget the Fun!
Ok, ok! A lot of the suggested items so far may not seem as “fun” for your little one with the more practical items or things they can’t actually use yet. So you’ll definitely want to throw in a few gifts that can be ripped open and enjoyed in the moment. I’ve linked a few of my favorite toy ideas for 0-6 months and 6-12 months if you need some inspiration!
0-6 Months:
Activity Mat
Rattles
Tummy Time Mirror
Teething Toys
A Musical Toy
6-12 Months:
Bath toys:
Walker
Activity Center
Blocks
Wooden Activity Cube
5. Think About Experiences
Does your house already look like a baby store exploded in your living room? (Certainly, it’s not just mine right?!) If you’re thinking you can’t fit one more baby gadget, then gifting experiences is a great idea to save space and still be enjoyable for your little one. A few ideas might be getting a membership to your local zoo, aquarium or children’s museum. You could also see if somewhere in your area offers Gymboree for babies, or other local mommy and me classes. Sometimes these activities are geared towards slightly older babies but many places offer an infant options periodically, so do some exploring to find out! This is a great gift because not only is it fun for your baby, it offers you both bonding time with one another and plenty of daytime stimulation to tire that baby out!
6. Add a Keepsake Item
You don’t need to fill the tree with these but I’d encourage you to find one thing that can be a special keepsake item from baby’s first Christmas. Alright, this gift might be more for you than for your baby but is still worth mentioning here! This could be something like a new ornament for the tree, a special “lovey”, holiday jammies, or a personalized book. Something that can be a reminder for everyone of this special season of life.
I hope these ideas have given you a shopping starting point and I hope your holiday season is full of joy and magic with your sweet baby!