One of my best friends from college has a daughter who is about to turn one. I’d like to send a surprise gift for the cutie-pie. So, moms and dads, I could really use some suggestions for an appropriate and fun gift. What do you think?
Re: First Birthday Present
i know i’m not a parent, but here are my suggestions- gleaned from working part-time at a fab toy store in toronto, over the holidays…
they had all these cool german and french-made toys and they were all eco-friendly and kid friendly too, i.e. made from rubber wood with vegetable dyes, so even if kids bit down and the paint flaked off, the vegetable dyes weren’t harmful.
most of the toys they sold at the toy store i worked at, can be found in the states through this other store- www.moolka.com
the pull and push toys were by far the most popular ones for that age group because they’re new walkers then… there were little ducks or frogs - some of which were more about action than noise, which i’m sure the parents on here can appreciate.
http://www.moolka.com/jzv/cats/179/Toys/Push+and+Pull+Toys
building blocks in plastic or foam, were super popular for the 1 year olds.
also pretend-play… like wooden food, fruits and veggies, little plates and cups, etc.
i dont know in the states, but in canada, if you send by land-mail, its the size of the package and not the weight that dictates postage, and most of the pretend stuff was nicely packaged in a smaller size.
or how about a really lovely hand-made doll, like the Waldorf dolls? they were around $60-$100 at the store i worked at, but they were so beautiful and hand-washable too. plus they’re made from entirely natural materials.
http://www.moolka.com/jzv/cats/171/Kathe+Kruse?ct=3
this is the link to the 1 year old toys section - http://www.moolka.com/jzv/search?m12=115&p=
(this is random but, i really loved working at the toy store… it was so much fun, and everybody who came in was so happy and such a joy to talk to! :))
or oh! actually, also popular were the Emma and Paul dolls… they’re anatomically correct and they’re companions to the book that teaches/guarantees your child will be potty-trained in 1 day! the owner of the store swore by that method because it worked on her son.
this is the book - http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/Dr-Phil-Potty-Training/Dr-Phil-Potty-Train-in-One-Day.htm
and this is the doll - http://toys.about.com/od/corolledolls/gr/pottytraining.htm
but hrm.. it says to wait until the child is 2 years old before using this method… so maybe not.
out of curiosity, have any parents here used this method?
Re: First Birthday Present
Lots of wrapping paper and empty cardboard boxes :k:
Re: First Birthday Present
^ Yup, they're more into that stuff, than the actual toys
Re: First Birthday Present
whatever you do dont buy any toys! My sisters hated it when people bought their kids toys because they already had tons of them ...most of which they didnt even play with.
I'd suggest giving something memorable like her first pair of earrings (if she doesnt have it already). You can get really nice diamond studs for kids that have a locking mechanism in the back so they can't open it or it can't fall off. Tiny little diamond earrings for a baby isnt that expensive either. I bought my niece a charm bracelet for her first b-day ...it had her birthstone on it along with her name and my birthstones on it as well. It had a little charm hanging from it that read "princess". I bought it online....can't remember the site. If you are interested.....I can find it for you.
Re: First Birthday Present
whatever you do dont buy any toys! My sisters hated it when people bought their kids toys because they already had tons of them ...most of which they didnt even play with.
I'd suggest giving something memorable like her first pair of earrings (if she doesnt have it already). You can get really nice diamond studs for kids that have a locking mechanism in the back so they can't open it or it can't fall off. Tiny little diamond earrings for a baby isnt that expensive either. I bought my niece a charm bracelet for her first b-day ...it had her birthstone on it along with her name and my birthstones on it as well. It had a little charm hanging from it that read "princess". I bought it online....can't remember the site. If you are interested.....I can find it for you.
I agree. In addition to an inexpensive gift above, you could give her something personalized.. like a card that you spent time making yourself. To me theres no gift more precious than something that someone else spends some of their time making. The kid ofcourse wont know but the parents will definitely acknowledge.
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cheegum…it’s a nice idea BUT if you give them just a homemade card as a gift and nothing else…they’ll rip up the card and throw it at your face 
Re: First Birthday Present
Well i wouldnt be friends with such shallow people then 
Haha… i did say in addition to the gift.
i just read that…sorry 
Re: First Birthday Present
I guess instead of just ordering something online, I could get something here, write a personal note, and then send it. I teach English and her mother is a writer, so perhaps a collection of childrens books or something? What do you think?
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great idea! winnie the pooh? dr. seuss? love you forever?
Re: First Birthday Present
I guess instead of just ordering something online, I could get something here, write a personal note, and then send it. I teach English and her mother is a writer, so perhaps a collection of childrens books or something? What do you think?
thats a really nice idea....!!...
books are always the best gift,for all ages....
i still remember i used to love getting books as gifts when i was younger....
Re: First Birthday Present
i've been thinking about this and i guess i like to give toys because its instant gratification for the wee ones... they get to open it up, be excited about it, and play with it-- whereas with books or jewellery, its still something they need parental help with in order to enjoy, its not something they can do on their own, especially at 1.
if you're still pondering, sahar, what about bath toys?
Re: First Birthday Present
These are really good ideas. Thanks! Maybe I'll send a small toy she can use now (like a bath toy) and then a collection of books for various ages (some for 1yo with touchable elements, some for slightly older kids, etc)
And I'll make sure to include wrapping paper :D
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Yeah I agree, little baby, wrapping paper & tissue can provide for fun in itself. My son's 1st b-day party, when we opened the gifts & gave him toys to play with..all he wanted was to grap the helium filled balloons, and rip the wrapping baber or just crinkle it. But i agree maybe interactive board books, or book swith texture for the little one.
Re: First Birthday Present
food 
Re: First Birthday Present
Maybe I'm missing something but I think a one year old is too young to understand stories or appreciate a personalized greeting card. I would give her a disney toy, probably a Mickey & Minnie Mouse couple or Hello Kitty toy. One year olds love these cartoon characters.
Re: First Birthday Present
CA, kids no matter what age they are, love story books. The books for tootdlers are mostly with very few words and rich pictures.
I'd also go with a nice story book and maybe a small toy...
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Lusi, I can't speak for all toddlers...certainly each kid is different but my niece who is 18 months old would not sit still if someone wanted to read a story to her because she does not fully understand or comprehend language (except for a few words) eventhough she loves to talk in her own language. :)
Re: First Birthday Present
^^ there you go CA, She might not comprehend the exact words or the exact story but her talk in her own language (lol) can be her interpretation to those pictures, she might be making up her own story using them. Many kids do this. Honestly if you talk with a childcare professional, they will tell you to keep reading them, show them pictures from the story books and encourage them to talk about it and respond to it even if you don't understand them.
You are right that every child is different but never stop reading to them even if they don't sit at one place. They should have variety of books to go through, look over the pictures, and make their own interpretations. Eventually they will start recognizing the words as well.