Your friend or relative has had a baby, and baby is growing up faster than you can keep track of. What to buy for his or her first birthday? There are plenty of great items available to stimulate the baby’s growing imagination. Before you get ready to go to the mall or to begin your online expedition, make sure to find out from the parents what the baby loves and get a sense of what the parents want for their child. Do they want their 12 month old to be around intellectually stimulating toys or do they want the baby to have some fun and be entertained? No matter what their preference, rest assured you’ll find something they and their baby will love. These are some great first birthday gift ideas:

Books – If the parents want to place on the baby’s intellectual stimulation and growth, books are some great 1st birthday gift ideas. Obviously most children at this age can’t read, but getting the books in their hands at such a young age will instill in them an appreciation of reading. Pop-up picture books are best for the immediate future, or you could invest in the books they can read further down the line. Perhaps you want to share your love of certain books from your childhood like the Peter Rabbit series, The Giving Tree, or other favorites of past decades. Or if you think the decision is best left in the hands of the parents, you can buy a gift certificate for your favorite local bookstore. Either way, it’s hard to go wrong with books as 1st birthday gift ideas.

Toys and Dolls – Toys and dolls that are specifically made for 12 month olds are great first birthday gift ideas. These toys will usually be smaller than toys and dolls for older children, and they will be made according to safety regulations set in place to protect your baby from coming to harm from the toy. Other items like toy rockers and rocking chairs are charming 1st birthday gift ideas.

Clothes and Accessories – Having a baby is expensive! Among the expenses many parents wish they could do without is the constant need to buy more clothing as baby grows. Do them a favour and buy some baby clothing and shoes for baby’s first birthday. These are great first birthday gift ideas because if you make sure you buy baby clothing that are slightly larger than the baby’s current size, the next time the parents realize baby needs new clothes, they’ll remember they won’t need to go shopping again because they’ll have your gifts.