Gifts for Baby: First-Year Ideas Parents Will Actually Use

By the Gift DeskUpdated October 17, 202617 hand-picked ideas

The ideas at a glance

Zip-Up Footed Baby Sleepers~$25
Hooded Baby Bath Towel~$22
High-Contrast Black and White Baby Book~$7
Baby Tummy Time Floor Mirror~$15
Soft Activity Play Gym~$90
Tummy Time Water Play Mat~$10

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, plus a little help with tummy time. From three to six months, babies start grabbing, kicking, chewing and staring at everything. Between six months and the first birthday, they sit up, start solid food, 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, which focus on registry gear. For a first Christmas, Christmas gifts for baby has ornaments, stockings and festive picks. 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.

Shopping for Christmas?Christmas Gifts for Baby

Giftruly is reader-supported. When you buy through our links we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. How we pick

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: sleepwear that’s quick to get on and off, something for bath time, a first book to look at during those long, sleepy feeds, and a reason to put up with tummy time.

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
Zip-Up Footed Baby Sleepers
MORI Clever Zip Pajamas Sleepsuit, 4-Pack
Ask any parent who has fumbled with a dozen snaps in the dark, and they’ll tell you to buy zippers. A two-way zipper opens from the bottom, so a diaper change doesn’t mean undressing a sleepy baby. Choose soft, snug-fitting cotton sleepers in the 3–6 month size, so they’re ready just as the newborn clothes stop fitting. Babies can go through two or three a day, so a multipack is never too many.
On Amazonabout $25
2
Hooded Baby Bath Towel
Bebe au Lait Mermaid Hooded Towel
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.
On Amazonabout $22
3
High-Contrast Black and White Baby Book
Black & White by Tana Hoban
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.
On Amazonabout $7
4
Baby Tummy Time Floor Mirror
Pediatricians recommend daily tummy time from the first weeks, and plenty of babies protest loudly. A soft-framed, shatterproof mirror propped in front of them helps: babies are fascinated by faces, and the one in the mirror moves when they do. It’s inexpensive, folds flat, and stays useful once the baby starts sitting up. Use it on the floor during supervised play, never in the crib.
On Amazonabout $15

Know exactly who it’s for?

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, kicking, chewing

Around three months, babies discover their hands, then their feet, and start reaching for everything. Tummy time gets easier as their necks get stronger. These toys are made for exactly that window, when a baby can’t go anywhere yet but wants to touch the whole world.

5
Soft Activity Play Gym
Tiny Love Tiny Mariners Developmental Gymini
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.
On Amazonabout $90
6
Tummy Time Water Play Mat
Infantino Pat and Play Water Mat
An inflatable mat with water and floating shapes sealed inside. A baby on their tummy pats it and watches the fish drift. Cheap, and for supervised play only.
On Amazonabout $10
7
Wrist Rattle and Foot Finder Socks Set
1Lovebaby Infant Wrist Rattle Socks
Soft bands and socks with rattling animal faces. Every wave and kick jingles, so babies work out that those hands and feet belong to them.
On Amazonabout $9
8
Soft Cloth Crinkle Book
Lamaze Peek-A-Boo Forest Soft Book
A fabric book with crinkly pages and bright pictures. Babies grab it, chew it and shake it, and it survives the washing machine.
On Amazonabout $15

Six to twelve months: first foods, first teeth, first towers

In the second half of the first year, babies sit up, start eating solid food, crawl, pull themselves up on furniture and, sometimes, take their first steps. The first teeth arrive too. 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.

9
Silicone Baby Feeding Set
Most babies start solids around six months, and the first meals end up everywhere except in the baby. A plate and bowl that suction to the high-chair tray, soft spoons sized for a small mouth and a silicone bib with a pocket that catches what falls make the whole business less messy. Everything goes in the dishwasher. Parents often have a plan for feeding gear, so ask before you buy.
On Amazonabout $25
10
Silicone Baby Teether Toy
Teething often starts somewhere around six months, and a baby with sore gums wants to chew anything they can reach. A one-piece silicone teether has no gaps for gunk to hide in, goes in the dishwasher and can be cooled in the fridge (never the freezer). It costs very little, and parents always want a spare for the diaper bag or the car.
On Amazonabout $7
11
Soft Baby Building Blocks
Squeezable blocks with animals, numbers and different textures on each side. A six-month-old chews and squishes them; by ten months they’re stacking two or three and knocking them over with delight. Because they’re soft, nobody gets hurt when one is thrown, which it will be. They wipe clean and make no noise, a combination parents appreciate.
On Amazonabout $14
12
Wooden Rainbow Stacking Ring Toy
Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker
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.
On Amazonabout $10
13
Stacking and Nesting Cups
Lamaze Pile and Play Cups, 8-Piece
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.
On Amazonabout $12
14
Toddler Board Book Collection
Baby's Very First Library, 18 Board Books
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.
On Amazonabout $45

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's First Year Memory Book
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.
On Amazonabout $20
16
Baby Handprint and Footprint Kit
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.
On Amazonabout $17
17
Personalized Wooden Nursery Name Sign
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.
On Amazonabout $35

Shop this guide by price

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.
Match the gift to the stage: a newborn needs help with sleep and tummy time, a nine-month-old needs things to stack, bang and chew.
Choose machine-washable or dishwasher-safe 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?

It depends on the age. For a newborn, zip-up sleepers in a bigger size, a hooded towel or a high-contrast book. From three months, a play gym or a tummy-time mirror. From six months, a feeding set, soft blocks or stacking toys. For something lasting, choose a keepsake like a memory book 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?

Stacking rings, a set of board books, soft blocks or a keepsake like a memory book. Once they’re walking, a pull-along toy or a ride-on push car is a hit. Our guide to gifts for toddlers has more ideas for one-year-olds.

Christmas Gifts for Baby Gifts for New Parents Baby Shower Gifts Gifts for Toddlers Christmas Gifts for Toddlers Long-Distance Gifts Birthday Gifts for Kids St. Nicholas Day Gifts La Befana Gifts

For the newborn, which really means for the parents

Know exactly who it’s for?

Before you buy: a short word on safety

Three to six months: grabbing, kicking, chewing

Six to twelve months: first foods, first teeth, first towers

Keepsakes for the years ahead

Shop this guide by price

Under $25

$25–$50

$50–$100

What experienced parents wish people knew

Baby gift questions

Related gift guides

For the newborn, which really means for the parents

Know exactly who it’s for?

Before you buy: a short word on safety

Three to six months: grabbing, kicking, chewing

Six to twelve months: first foods, first teeth, first towers

Keepsakes for the years ahead

Shop this guide by price

Under $25

$25–$50

$50–$100