Need Gift Ideas for 1 Year Old Boy & Girl

give them money. They don't need anything, trust me. especially if they are having a huge party, their house will be filled with large plastic objects that make lots of sounds and flash lights. One year olds really don't need anything at all. They just like to run and play and climb.

I see a lot of my favorites listed below, but one thing that was an all time favorite for every kid we know and mine was the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Home.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=226526...

Anything from that line was well loved too, it has great fun music, not annoying.

I have three boys, youngest turning one this month. Just bought the "Whisper Ride Step 2 push car" at Toys r Us last week!! It is the greatest thing ever! Can't believe we never owned one. He loves it and stops traffic when he is in it. It is so cute. Your friend would love it!

If your friend is having a huge party, why not get each of the kids an individually wrapped book, and a savings bond? If you don't have the kids SSN, you can use your own but make the bond in their name. Super easy to get - B of A has the forms in their branches, and they take about 3 weeks to arrive. They will also give you a cute little insert for the birthday cards telling them a bond will be coming soon.

Don't worry about cool toys - 1 year old have a *very* limited attention span. :) Have fun at the party!!
M.

Target has a great wooden activity cube called the Parents Busy Zoo which is $50 - well worth it and well made. I also recommend the Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Kitchen or Activity Table.

Hey D.,

We gave out a oogly googly ball with a light inside it. Found it at Walgreens for like $6. But for our son's 1 year bday - he got: a Duplos set with a dumpcart, a bubble belly tiger, a sand/water playset, a driver steering wheel with lights and sounds and a surprise circus drag-around thing.

Hope that these idea help you.
-e

The thing is, toys ALWAYS pile up in a house, or are not used, or the child gets bored with them etc.
For us, we like "useful" toys... and things that can be used in the yard or home.... and your friends kids will probably gets TONS of toys for their birthday...

Toys R Us has free shipping now, on "classic toys."

These are great and my kids used them from that age and even now still and love it. It grows with the child, and they can keep it for years, thus making it a "useful" toy. We have had ours for at least 4 years already. They can use it in their yard (if they have one and take it to the park):
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2308720
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2415216
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2674712 (this one is not free shipping)

http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2255956 (they are also having a store wide sale as well).

These are also real great, and my kids STILL both use theirs, and drag it around from room to room. It's very useful and not a 'waste' of money where the kid will either not play with it or just get bored with it. They can also use it to sleep in or take it to Grandmas's house. We even took my son's to a hotel when he was 1 years old, for him to sleep in, and he loved it. It's so portable too. Kids love to have their "own" furniture. AND it's great for "pretend" play, which my kids both use it for as well.
http://www.toysrus.com/search/index.jsp?kw=kids+sofa&...

Good luck,
Susan

I am a mother of five and a grandmother of 6. I have found that at 1 a child really likes push toys. There is an excellent tonka dumptruck at Wal Mart. It is very large with a handle on it to push the toy around. For the little girl I would buy a baby carriage. Make sure it is one that will not fall over when being pushed. Anything really that they can push around the house is fine.

When my boys turned one, my mom got each of them a push car. They can stand and push it or sit on it and ride it. The seat also lifts up for them to put toys inside. They have been the best toys ever. They each learned to walk with them and they still play with them all the time - they are now 4 years old and almost 3. I have 2 boys, but I think a girl may like one of those, too. My younger son has a push car for outside too. It is his most prized possesion and it is always the first toy he wants when we go outside. I know that not all kids will be in love with the same toy, but in my experience (and in my mom's experience raising 7 kids) it's a toy every child "needs."

Hi D., Duplo Blocks, their like Legos but bigger. Or you can go on line and look up, Playschool Learning Toys, blocks ofany kids as long as they are to big for choking would be a good gift for one year olds. J. L.

I see you have had a lot of good suggestions for toys already. I just wanted to suggest maybe starting your own personal gift of a savings bond for each of them. You can make it a tradition for thier birthday every year and I'm sure the parents will appreciate the gift as well.

If you're interested in something besides a toy... you could get them each a gift certificate to a Gymboree Play and Music in their area. They could use it anyway they want. Everyone gets a free "trial" class. If they like it, they could use the gift certificate toward membership. Or they could dole it out - I think each class for non-members is $20 (at the one in La Habra, anyway) and the free-gyms are $10 (which is what I'd recommend if they just wanted to go a few times). They could also use it toward toys they sell there, but not at the stores in the mall. I loved having a clean place to play out of the house with my son when he was that age and not walking yet (since the park was just too dirty before he could get around on his own). Mom, Dad and even you could join them in the fun, too. Just a thought.

I have boy/girl twins who are 18 months old. For their first birthday our friend gave them little cars to ride on. I don't know how much they cost, but they don't have a motor. Emma's is a pink princess one and Andrew's is a blue Finding Nemo one. They love the cars and still like to ride them. At first they couldn't do much more than sit on them, but now they are good at moving around. Hope this helps!

I would give them each a piggy bank and fill it about halfway with coins, so the parents can begin saving change for them. If they do not have savings accounts already, that is. If they do, then give the parents money to put into the savings account. The reason I say this is that they probably have enough clothing and toys already. You outgrow clothing and toys, but having a savings account and money for the future, for college, is something the children and parents will appreciate.

Are you crazy? A party for 1 year olds is for the parents and invited guests, not the babies. Find some good strong boxes, wrap up in pretty paper with a savings bond that will increase in value significantly when they truly need the money for college, and the box and the pretty paper, along with maybe their picture playing in them, will be enjoyed by the babies for now.

I like most of the suggestions you've gotten already. I was just at my cousin's son's 1st birthday party: talk about a carful of toys!!! So it is true they will have so many toys that they may not get used much. The savings bond is a great idea. However there are some great toys that stimulate them and can often grow with them.

If you want to get them a similiar toy so as not to play favorites, a push/pull/ride-on toy is great for this age (or tricycle). I also like the slide/outdoor toys idea. Here are few more ideas that I didn't see mentioned.

A sand box/ sand & water activity center and supplies for both. I'm partial to ones with covers- to keep the pests/pets out when not in use and the sand stays clean. My daughter absolutely LOVES playing with sand and dirt- so this way mommy knows it clean. http://www.toysrus.com/search/index.jsp?sr=1&f=Taxono...

Bounce & Spin Zebra: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2298888
(They also have a pony which is interactive and can be hooked up to a TV. They had the pony set up at ToyRUs last time I was there, and my daughter walked right up to it and climbed on it with no problem and she's pretty tiny for her age. Most 1 year olds are her size or bigger.)

Imaginarium 5-way Tabletop Bead Maze: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2674731
(I bought one for my daughter for Christmas- It is different has an abacus, xylophone, white magnetic board, bead maze and wire maze on top (like this one) and cost 2x as much. $60 was on sale for $40. I can't tell from pic, but her's looks like it might be bigger. It is a 12" cube and the wire beads on top can store inside by flipping upsidedown. She really loves it. She is now 18 months and goes to it often to entertain herself.)

There are few more great ones shown here- the activity tables/bead mazes: http://www.target.com/Bestsellers-12-18-Months-Baby-Toys/...

http://www.target.com/Battat-Parents-Kitty-Keyboard/dp/B0...
My sister got this for our little cousin. It is adorable! It says 2 years and up, but a 1 year old would really love it also and it doesn't have small parts.

Little People play sets and toys are great. http://www.toysrus.com/search/index.jsp?sr=1&kw=littl...
The Firetruck ball-pit looks really fun: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3295287

Or maybe a ball popper. Some moms don't like the facts that the little balls can scatter, but then that's what happens with babies' toys- that's how they learn. I got my daughter's for her first birthday and she really loves it. http://www.target.com/Hasbro-Playskool-Busy-Ball-Popper/d... (I got mine online for under $20 and paid no shipping or taxes.)

My daughter (now 19 mos) has loved push toys ever since she started learning to walk. I thought she would get sick of it once she started walking on her own, but she seems to love it even more. I would recommend a very sturdy shopping cart of stroller. We got her this cart:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=302894...

It's very stable and responds with music when the baby puts things in the cart, pushes it, or matches the shapes.

She also loves her new stroller: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3140279
This steers and folds up so we can take it to the park as well as let her play with it in the house. She really really loves it.

You could also get a collective toy for the two of them- my daughter also loves her toy kitchen. There are some in the $100 price range.

Good luck!

Hi D.,
I know this is not a "toy", but it's a wonderful gift. www.iseeme.com sells precious personalized storybooks (hard cover professionally bound with beautiful illustrations). The books spell out the child's name letter by letter (using animals or fairies that start with the same letter). There is "My Very Own Fairy Tale" for girls and "My Very Own Name" for boys and girls. They also have a board book, but I like the first two books more (the board book is less personalized and only geared toward baby stages whereas the other books are fun forever). Each of my daughters have the "My Very Own Fairy Tale" and we love them! If you or anyone else is interested, please feel free to use my FREE SHIPPING code fsd12725. This gives you free US standard shipping on your entire order and lets them know I referred you. It does not expire. You can see photos & get more info on their website www.iseeme.com and/or on my business site www.menneexpressions.com

i highly recommend anything musical and educational. and since youre buying for twins, you will have to give them the same thing! my friend has twin girls who are about 10 months old and she said the biggest problem is that they always want to play with the same toy but they only have one of most of the toys in their house!
i know leap frog has great learning toys. so much fun!
also those little plastic balls that have stuff in them or on them, those are great too.

My son's favorites are "little people" toys and trucks/cars to push around.

I have to echo the Little People by Fischer Price. In our family my parents by the Farm or House for each of the kids for their first Christmas. There are so many add ons for boys and girls. Animals, trains, amusement park, castle, noahs ark, etc. At 12 mo. they are colorful and soft and in about 2 months they are the sudden miracle toys because regardless of what the child wants to play with there is a little people for that. And they are nearly indestructible!!!
My son is 9 and will still occasionally play with them when my nieces are over.
Good Luck

My twins just turned 1 & my fav gifts were from FAO Schwartz. They received a "band in a drum" and wooden blocks. The site also has super cool dump trucks that would be fun for the boy. My girls are CRAZY about the band in a drum & have loved playing w/the blocks as well. Have fun!

Hi, no ideas for a girl, but for a boy, my youngest absolutely loved the Little Tikes toddler sport center (comes with a baseball to hit, a basketball hoop and some other stuff). He loved putting stuff down the basketball shoot. I think it costs $25-$30.
Also, any pound a ball thing. I know Parents Magazine makes one they sell at Target, and we had a castle one made by Chicco. Lots of years of use from that.

Also, the all time best gifts we got for our boys, and they STILL use them in the house (because we don't have a yard), and they are now 6 and 11 is a Little Tikes adjustable basketball hoop, and also some sort of 2.5 feet tall hockey / soccer net. They still play floor hockey and soccer in the living room with soft small balls. But both of those can be outdoor toys too. I think these are fine for a 1 year old, but more appropriate to give a 2 year old.

Hi D.,

Just wanted to throw out a suggestion and you can think about it. I teach baby sign language classes and you could get a gift certificate that's good for a Baby Signs(R) Parent Workshop, a Sign, Say & Play(R) Class, or products to help teach sign language to the babies. They are at a good age to learn and it really helps reduce frustration and tantrums because the babies can communicate their needs and wants to you. My 18-month-old son has been signing since he was 12 months and it is wonderful! He currently has a vocabulary of over 150 signs and over 200 spoken words. My first son, who is now 5, did not have the advantage of signing and the difference between the two as babies is astounding. You can take a look at my website at www.TalkingBabyHands.com. I will be holding classes in early July at a preschool in the Anaheim Hills area if you are interested, or I also give private workshops. It's also a good time to start if you are interested for your own 7 month old boy. :o) (If you or anyone else is interested, I will give you a discount.)

Other than that, I agree that a good gift would be to contribute to a savings account for them. It's something that not many people think about doing, and it really helps the parents save money for the kids. I usually try and do this for children of family and friends once a year, such as at Christmas or birthday time.

Y. :o)