Gift Ideas for 1 Year Old Girl

A little baby doll stroller! That was my daughter's favorite 1 year gift and now I give it to all of my friend's girls on their first birthdays--always a hit. They enjoy pushing EVERYTHING around in the stroller.

Also, a little kitchen is a good idea too

A little young for my idea, but she'll be ready before her 2nd birthday, I believe. The little kitchen set-up. Such varieties out there now. For now get the push toys like vacuum cleaner. If the boys don't have them, get the large Legos. Girls like to build, too.
L.

Musical instruments and musical DVD's were always popular for us for years. We always had music/dance time while I was making dinner every night.

We have so many toys that I dreaded the girls getting more at the Holidays! You might want to can suggest "Gifts of Experience", such as a month of gymnastics, dance, lessons or a "Mommy and Me" class. Or perhaps an annual membership to a local kids musuem or other local attraction in your area/nearby area.

The fisher price laugh and learn home is great! My daugher got it at 14 months, still plays with it at 5 and so does my 20 month old. The 3 in 1 tricylce is also great. It can be a rocking toy with the handle folded under it. Unfold the handle and pull out the foot rest so grown ups can push. Take the handle off for a regular tricycle. I also ask for gift cards to babies r us and target instead of trying to guide relatives to the right size and type of clothes needed. The new bubble lawn mower from fisher price is also great. I also recommend a sand and water table for outside. Little Touch Leap Pad and books are also great for longevity.
Don't forget to ask for gift receipts. One year my daughter got many duplicate Dora items because everyone knew she loved Dora. Toys R Us won't do anything now without a receipt.

How about some baby dolls

This is a little different, but I think it's a great idea. Do you have a Children's museum or a fun kid's place (a farm or zoo or play area that requires you to pay every time you visit)? If so, it would be great to have the grandparents get an annual pass to a place where you can bring your child all year round and enjoy. It's less "stuff" in your house and hopefully she won't get bored of it! I did the children's museum and it's fun to take her there, she loves it and I wait till I have a rainy or really hot day to go so I'm not stuck in the house all day and it doesn't cost me a thing! Hope this helps!

Dress up clothes or gift certificates to one of those jumpy balloon places so on rainy days when she needs out you all can go and she can get and outing plus have some great fun.Many of them have like mommy and me times it's really fun. Maybe a membership to the zoo is always nice.

Hi there K.. Speaking as a fellow grandparent, go for almost anything that is kitchen material. Fisher Price has a great kitchen with a oven, pots and pans, dishes etc etc. Or anything dress up like princes clothes, old clothes you may have that you don't use anymore, even shoes..great stuff....Maybe I am old fashioned, but kids are going to lose interest in anything, but the box after a short while. My grand daughters loved the old clothes thing and after-all could you beat the price???
So grab your purse and go to the local Faith Hope and Charity and have a ball
Your grandkids will love them. Either way old-like new or new for a fortune...what can I say??
Go Granny!!
Love, Nana

I think that Grandparents, Uncles, Aunts, etc. should help by investing in the future of the child or children involved. I suggest to my family members: CD bonds. That way they are also helping to prepare for the future.

Hi K.

I bought our girls a ball pit filled with the plastic balls and a pop up tent to play in. They loved both. The tent was hard because they tipped it over often but they really liked playing hide and seek in it with each other. These are items you may already have but if not, they could be fun for the whole family. For gifts at this age, I have given money to start savings accounts and have also donated to Save the Children in honor of the 1 y/o. Then another child has the opportunity to have a good birthday as well.

M.

Hi K...I have always loved Legos..they now make pink legos and for a 1 year old Lego Duplos are awesome. Duplos are large enough for little hands to grasp and too large to swallow..Fisher Price also makes a beautiful toddler friendly dollhouse again pieces will allow you to relax..they are too large for that sweet little mouth to swallow. Both of these suggestions are within your gift price range. Happy shopping.
M.

Our baby boy turns one in November, then there is Christmas, then our daughter turns 3 in January. We posted a "wish list" for both kids on Back to Basics Toys web site. We also create wish lists for Constructive Playthings and Play Fair Toys and a couple others (though not an option on their web sites.) We share the lists with family only. (I would not do this with friends, as I am not a fan of setting an expectation of gifts.) The web sites have great classics, educational toys, books, etc. Hope this helps.

K. - I suggest you check out the wonderful educational playthings available from Discovery Toys. These products are not available in stores, are unconditionally guaranteed (no recall worries), are developmentally appropriate, and have loads of play value. If you go to my website (www.junithstoys.com) you can see the toys by age range. I'd be happy to answer questions about any that look interesting to you. I gave both Hammer AWay and Castlemarbleworks to my one-year-old grandchildren. There are lots of great choices.
J. K.

My daughter turned one in May and we bought her a small playhouse she can play in until she's five. It's from Step 2 and it's called "The Little Cottage." Another great gift she recieved was a push and ride car. Right now there's a handle on the back we push her with, but as she gets older the floor board comes out and the handle comes off the back like a Cozy Coupe. I was trying to get toys that will last a while and she loves these two. Toys R Us has the best prices and you can research toys for this age group and read reviews from consumers. Good luck!

Books!!! best gift in the world.

What we did with family for our daughter was ask for them to sponsor a class for her. We want to do a swim class and a music class, so the grandparents gave money for that. Then we didn't get stuff! This is for her 2nd b-day, but she still have stuff she hasn't played with or opened from her first birthday! Good luck, and Happy Birthday!

Hi K.,
My daughter got an American Doll (Bitty Baby) when she was 1. It is still a favorite at 4 yrs:) If she isnt walking yet, a push/ride on toy may be a good idea. We also had one that she could hold on to and walk behind. This helped her finish her walking skills faster and she still loved it long after she had the walking down. Wooden puzzles were also a favorite... A learn n play puppy that does ABC's/colors? and tells body parts(Toys r us), Baby Eienstien videos are nice too. I started my daughter on Precious Moments figurines too. They have the ages on them and ones for different milestones. Good luck and happy birthday to your little one:)

set up a gift registry at Wal Mart or some other store that she likes and put tht info on your invites. Works every time.

God Bless
W.

Wow you've gotten a bunch of great responses. I didn't see one for the Fisher Price "house". I'm looking at it right now but it doesn't have a name on it. It's really just a doorway with a mailbox, a window that opens, music box, clock, etc. Most pieces on it move (it's plastic) and make appropriate noises (i.e. the clock makes clock noises). My daughter received it as a gift at 1 and is 2 1/2 and still loves it. Otherwise, Crayola kids paint for fingerpainting (washable, non toxic) with a spool of drawing paper to go with it. Check out target.com I think they have toys per age category. We always love the gift of books!

Hi K.. I have a 17 month old son, and the best gift he received for his birthday (in my opinion) was an overnight bag from Pottery Barn Kids with his name embroidered on it. It is the perfect size for weekends with his grandparents, and it looks mature enough for him to use it for years. We were also really glad to get gift cards to Stride Rite and REI for shoes, since our little guy seems to grow out of them SO quickly. It was nice to get things that were useful, especially since he seemed to enjoy the paper and boxes more than the presents. Happy Birthday to the little one.

Do you have one of those bounce and spin zebras? Not only is it lots of fun but it's good exercise esp on rainy days when she can't get outside. If you feel overshelmed with too many toys maybe you can donate the old toys she's tired of and bring in the new. It's also a good idea to hide some toys for awhile then switch them out this will keep her interested in her toys b/c they will be "new" again. Gift cards are great that way you can get something you might really need (ie diapers).

HI K. you can ask every one to bring gift cards then you can get whatever you want.good luck K..

Books are always great gifts!

Savings bonds are great. You could also always ask for things you will need in the future(bigger car seat, diapers/pull-ups, shoes in a size too big, clothes in a size too big, etc.).

Something else is a life insurance policy. Whole life policies through Georgia Farm Bureau are generally about $15/month and worth over $50,000 and paid off by the time they are 21. Since it is whole life, it has cash value that can be borrowed against as well.

(Pink!) 6-12" balls that she can chase around (you might buy it if shipping will be an issue) and we also got a ball popper that my DD loves!

Hi K.,

In this economy, have friends and relatives to purchase treasury bonds, or savings bonds. At her age she isn't aware of her birthday and you will be saving towards her future.

V.

How about a play kitchen. All little girls like them and her brothers could play with it also. Good luck!

Contributions to a college fund would be nice.

The gift that both of mine loved best, and that their friends have really loved, was their own kid-size easy chairs. You can get more pricey ones at Pottery Barn, and more affordable from Babies R Us. Kids love kid-size things. My kids finally outgrew their little easy chairs and have matching kid-size ones from IKEA. They're still a favorite.

Really REALLY good picture books, or a book of children's poems, something that has the potential to be cherished for years and maybe even kept into adulthood. I know in my family, almost all the toys eventually got tossed, but my favorite books, as well as those of both my parents, still grace the bookshelves. My boys (2 and 5) recently had birthdays and there was just Too Many Toys. They don't even really appreciate them when they get so much at once. And when they already have toys cluttering the place, it just makes it hard to find what they really want - they get overwhelmed, and they're always having to "clean up! clean up!" So, the last 4-5 birthday parties, I've been giving books - just books. But very carefully selected ones.

Another good idea (if it's not too pricy) is an annual membership to the Fernbank Museum, or the zoo, or a nearby nature center. That's something that the whole family can enjoy over and over. My in-laws gave my 5-year-old a session at summer camp for his birthday present, which we really couldn't afford at the time, so it was GREATLY appreciated. But it doesn't have to be that extravagant.

I like the idea of "experience" gifts, it can even be a one-time day trip or special outing, or some "classes" at Music Together or Little Gym, or just a special day with the grandparents all to herself (no siblings for a change). It's even better for the older kids, because they'll hold on to those memories (even if it isn't a trip to Disney World.)

Ride on toys are great! A wagon, we love taking walks with ours. Get a zoo membership, Aquarium, those are good ideas also. Dollhouse bookshelf at Target is great! We love books, it has lots of storage space.

My parents always send gift cards for the grandkids. They always have no matter how old they were. I enjoyed getting them because then we could go shopping and pick out what she needed or wanted and we were not rushed to go to the store and exchange.
Just a thought...

Uusally for kids I just buy a character toy that the kid really likes. You know like Dora the EXplorer, Diego, Spongebob and stuff like that. Most of these toys are educational and at least you know that the kids will enjoy.