Gifts for Baby: First-Year Ideas Parents Will Actually Use
By the Giftruly editorsUpdated 18 hand-picked ideas
A baby doesn't know it's getting a present. It will happily chew the wrapping paper and ignore the gift. So every baby gift is really two gifts: one for a small person who changes almost every month, and one for tired parents who have to wash it, store it and find a use for it. The best ones respect both.
That's why this guide is organized by stage rather than by price. Newborn gifts are mostly about helping the parents. From three to six months, babies start grabbing, chewing and staring at everything. Between six months and the first birthday, they sit up, crawl and pull themselves up to stand, and their toys need to keep up. We finish with keepsakes, which the family will treasure long after the baby has outgrown everything else, and a short note on safety along the way.
Shopping for a shower rather than a baby who's already here? See our baby shower gifts. The parents deserve something too: our gifts for new parents list is for them. And for a first birthday and beyond, gifts for toddlers picks up the story.
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Tell Truly about them in a sentence. You'll get ideas picked for them, each with a reason why.
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For the newborn, which really means for the parents
In the first three months, a baby needs to eat, sleep, be held and be changed, over and over. The most welcome gifts make that cycle easier: clothes in the right sizes, things for bath time, a first book to look at during those long, sleepy feeds.
Here's the trick most experienced parents know: buy the next size up. Newborn clothes are outgrown in weeks, and everyone else will have bought them.
- 1
Organic Cotton Baby Bodysuit Set
~$25
Plain snap bodysuits are the uniform of babyhood, and babies get through several a day thanks to spit-up and leaky diapers. A multipack in soft organic cotton is never wasted. Buy the 3–6 or 6–9 month size, so they're ready just as the newborn clothes stop fitting. Simple colors are easier to mix with everything else the parents already own.
- 2
Wearable Blanket Sleep Sack
~$28
A zip-up sleeping bag that a baby wears over pajamas. Many parents go through several sizes in the first year, so one in a larger size is a practical gift that will be used. Check with the parents which brand or fabric weight they like, and follow safe-sleep guidance for anything used in the crib.
- 3
Hooded Baby Bath Towel
~$22
A soft towel with a hood that keeps a wet baby's head covered after bath time. Regular towels slip and leave little heads uncovered; this one wraps neatly. Many come with animal ears, which makes for the best bath-time photos. A good, inexpensive gift that lasts well into the toddler years.
- 4
Muslin Swaddle Blankets Set
~$30
A set of large, breathable muslin squares. Parents use them for everything: burp cloths, a clean surface for diaper changes on the go, a nursing cover, a light wrap while holding the baby. They wash well and get softer each time. Whether to swaddle for sleep is the parents' decision, so give these as all-purpose cloths.
- 5
High-Contrast Black and White Baby Book
~$10
A book of bold black-and-white shapes and faces. Newborns see high contrast best, so this is one of the few books a two-week-old will actually look at during tummy time or a feed. It costs very little and tucks nicely into a card. A good first book from a grandparent or godparent.
Before you buy: a short word on safety
Babies put everything in their mouths, so read the age label on every toy and take it seriously. For anyone under three, avoid toys with small parts, button batteries or loose magnets, and check for long cords or ribbons. Skip loose blankets, pillows, bumpers and anything else sold for decorating the crib, however pretty. If you're unsure about anything sleep-related, leave it to the parents and follow safe-sleep guidance.
Secondhand gifts are generally fine for clothes and books, but avoid used car seats, cribs and anything that might have been recalled or damaged. And remember that new parents are often swamped with duplicates. If there's a registry, it's a gift in itself to use it, even if you add a small personal extra on top.
Three to six months: grabbing, chewing, staring
Around three months, babies discover their hands and start reaching for everything. Soon after, teething begins, and anything that fits in a mouth will go in one. These toys are made for exactly that.
- 6~$60
Soft Activity Play Gym
A padded mat with an arch of hanging toys to bat at during tummy time. One of the most-used baby gifts, and parents get a few hands-free minutes.
fun - 7~$10
Silicone Baby Teether Toy
A one-piece silicone teether with bumpy edges. Cheap, easy to clean, and parents always need a spare in the diaper bag.
practical - 8~$15
Textured Sensory Ball Set for Babies
A handful of squishy, knobbly balls that small fingers can actually hold onto. Later, they roll slowly enough for a new crawler to chase down.
fun - 9~$12
Soft Cloth Crinkle Book
A fabric book with crinkly pages and bright pictures. Babies grab it, chew it and shake it, and it survives the washing machine.
Book Loversfun
Six to twelve months: sitting up and starting to move
In the second half of the first year, babies sit up, crawl, pull themselves up on furniture and, sometimes, take their first steps. They also start to understand that things go in and out, on and off, and that dropping something makes a grown-up pick it up.
Toys at this stage should be sturdy and simple. A few classics will see a baby well into toddlerhood.
- 10
Wooden Rainbow Stacking Ring Toy
~$18
Colorful wooden rings that go on and off a post. At seven months a baby will mostly chew them and knock the post over; by eighteen months they'll be stacking them in order. That's a long life for one toy. Choose one with a rounded top and smooth paint, and it'll look good enough to leave out in the living room.
- 11
Stacking and Nesting Cups
~$12
A set of plastic cups in graduated sizes that stack, nest and fill. They're endlessly useful: towers to knock down, cups to pour in the bath, scoops at the beach. It's one of those toys babies come back to for years, and it costs very little. A good choice if the parents dislike noisy toys.
- 12
Wooden Baby Push Walker
~$50
A sturdy wooden cart with a handle for babies who've started pulling up to stand. It gives them something steady to push for those first wobbly steps, and blocks can ride in the cart. This is a push toy, not a sit-in walker. Choose one with wheels that don't roll too fast on hard floors, and save it for around the first birthday.
- 13
Waterproof Baby Bath Book Set
~$12
Soft vinyl books that float in the tub and survive being chewed and splashed. They make bath time a little longer and a little calmer, and they introduce books into one more part of the day. A small, playful gift that pairs well with the hooded towel.
- 14
Toddler Board Book Collection
~$20
A set of sturdy board books with short rhymes and bright pictures. By ten months many babies have favorite books and want them read again and again, which is exactly what they need. Thick pages hold up to chewing and clumsy page-turning. Write a short note inside the cover; parents keep these.
Keepsakes for the years ahead
The baby won't remember these, but the family will. Keepsakes are a lovely choice from grandparents, godparents and close family friends, especially if you'd like your gift to still be around in twenty years.
Personalized items take time to make, so order a few weeks ahead.
- Our favorite15
Baby Time Capsule Keepsake Box
~$35
A box with prompt cards and envelopes for collecting letters, photos and small mementos from the baby's first year, to be opened on a birthday many years from now. Grandparents, aunts and family friends can each write a letter to the baby. It's a gift that gets better the longer it waits, and it costs no more than a few outfits. Start it off by putting your own letter inside before you give it.
- 16
Baby's First Year Memory Book
~$30
A guided book for recording first smiles, first foods, first words and photos. Parents mean to keep track of these things and then lose a year to tiredness; a book with prompts makes it easy. Choose one with simple layouts that don't make busy parents feel they have to fill every page.
- 17
Baby Handprint and Footprint Kit
~$25
A clean-touch ink kit and frame for capturing tiny hands and feet. Those prints are gone within months, and parents always wish they'd done it sooner. It's a gift best given early, in the first few weeks. Offer to help with the printing; wriggling babies are a two-person job.
- 18
Personalized Wooden Nursery Name Sign
~$35
A wooden sign with the baby's name to hang in the nursery. It's a decorative gift that tends to move with the child into a big-kid bedroom. Check the spelling with the parents, twice, and ask about their nursery colors before you order. Hang it well away from the crib.
Shop this guide by price
Under $25
$25–$50
$50–$100
What experienced parents wish people knew
Buy the next size up. Newborn clothes are outgrown in weeks, and they'll get plenty from everyone else.
Use the registry if there is one. Add a book or small personal touch if you want it to feel more personal.
Choose machine-washable everything. Anything that needs hand-washing won't get used.
The best gift for new parents is often help: a cooked meal, an hour of babysitting, a load of laundry done.
Still not sure? Tell our gift finder about the baby and the family, and you'll get a short list.
Baby gift questions
What is a good gift for a baby?
Practical clothes in a bigger size, a hooded towel, board books, a soft play gym or a teether are always welcome. For something lasting, choose a keepsake like a memory book, a time capsule box or a handprint kit.
What should you not buy a baby?
Avoid anything with small parts, button batteries or loose magnets, and don't buy loose blankets, pillows or bumpers for the crib. Skip newborn-size clothes too, since babies outgrow them fast.
How much should I spend on a baby gift?
Anywhere from $15 to $50 is typical. Close family members and grandparents sometimes spend more, or contribute to something bigger on the registry.
What is a good first birthday gift for a baby?
A push walker, a stacking ring toy, a set of board books or a keepsake like a time capsule box. Our guide to gifts for toddlers has more ideas for one-year-olds.