The Best Birthday Gifts for a 1-Year-Old (That Won't End Up in a Drawer)
Looking for a first birthday gift that actually gets used? These are the gifts that were a big hit in our home — including honest tips.
A first birthday is a special moment. The very first time being celebrated with a cake, candles, and often the first time genuinely unwrapping presents.
That is exactly why you want to give something that actually gets used. Not something that disappears to the bottom of the toy box after a few days, but something that genuinely brings joy — for the child and for the parents.
We are sharing the gifts that were the biggest hits in our home.
Looking for a gift for a newborn instead? Check out our favourite personalized newborn gifts, including practical tips and links.
Personalized book from BoekjesAtelier
Okay, you probably saw this one coming. But the book we made for his first birthday was an instant hit.
Around this age you start to notice that children develop real preferences. A favourite stuffed animal, an interest in cars, or a love of music or animals.
That is exactly when a personalized book becomes extra special — because you can tailor it entirely to those interests. And since your child is starting to look less like a baby and more like a little person, the character in the book actually looks like them too.
Create a birthday book here: https://boekjesatelier.nl/en/register
Vtech baby walker
Honest review: it is not the prettiest toy. Bright colors, sound effects, music — quite overwhelming.
But he walked with it so much. It is one of the sturdiest walkers we have seen and he had months of fun with it.
Sometimes practical just wins over beautiful.
See the walker here: https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/vtech-2-in-1-baby-walker-educatief-babyspeelgoed-loopwagen-met-licht/9200000107825789
First shoes
Our son got his first shoes from his grandparents. We went to the shop together to pick them out, which made it a lovely shared moment in itself.
Shoesme was recommended to us often and that is what we went with, though we are also fans of the New Balance baby shoes.
We kept the shoebox with a note inside saying these were his first shoes and that he received them for his first birthday.
Busy board, learning tower, and balance bike
With a dad who is an engineer, the busy board was basically a given. Within a day he had figured out how to turn a light on and off. After a week it was three. It is always fun to watch how quickly they pick things up — and great for fine motor skills.
We have the Joyreal version (Montessori busy board): https://www.amazon.nl/Joyreal-Montessori-speelgoed-motoriekspeelgoed-activiteitenbord-sensorisch/dp/B0CL7N2D8C/ref=sr_1_5
A learning tower was also a real winner here. Since he turned 1, he 'helps' in the kitchen — at first just watching and snacking on fruit, but these days he does more and more himself. We bought ours at Action (online).
For the slightly older one-year-old: a balance bike with their name on it. Personal, and something they will enjoy for years.
If we have learned one thing: the gifts that went down best were nearly always ones where the child could recognize themselves, or where you could do something together.
Our personal favourite remains (no surprise) the personalized book. Because it is something you enjoy together — and something you can come back to again and again.
Want to create a birthday book that feels truly personal?
Create your birthday book hereRelated articles
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