Perfect present ideas for 0 – 3 year olds

August is a month of celebrations in The Pilates Physio HQ!

We have wedding anniversary’s – 6 years this year, 4 year old birthdays and 30+ something birthdays to so we are pretty much cake, chocolate, crips, sweets and sugared out for a good while!

 

This leads us into this month blog post which is all about perfect presents for 0 -3 year olds.

 

Do you often struggle to know what to buy children under three?

Prior to having my little boy I was completely clueless about what to buy babies in particular as presents. I found it a lot easier to buy for little girls rather than boys probably because I had more ideas from what I loved when I was little.

 

So what do you buy this age range?

It can be really hard to think of present ideas for 0 – 3 year olds. Most things you buy for children say they are not suitable for the under three’s as they are a choking hazard.

So what is the ideal gift for 0-3 year olds?

 

I decided to keep a list of all the things I found useful for my little one at these ages and then lost it! However from memory here are some ideas for you all.

 

Some of these are unisex and some are more male bias as I have a little boy. These gifts are what I bought him and his friends.

Newborns – they don’t need much as normally new parents have everything already stocked up either by themselves or from the ever more lucrative baby showers we have these days.

The best present you can buy NEW PARENTS at this stage is FOOD!

Bring them a cooked meal. Buy them a frozen pizza and some pudding. Bring them ready made sandwiches, they will be so grateful.

New clothes are great and not necessarily newborn aged stuff. I remember 6-9 months age range I had to buy more clothes as baby started weaning, things often got dirty very quickly and four outfit changes a day was quite normal. Poonarmies often become more frequent with the added food to the diet!

Newborns:

1. Teddies – you will get literally hundreds – (so if you can avoid this one).
2. Comforters are a good choice.
3. Sockons – do exactly what they say, keep babies socks ON which is actually really hard.
4. Babygroes with the ends that you can fold over babies hands to stop them scratching themselves.
5. Baby blankets with holes in to avoid suffocation risk are great.
6. Sensory toys: juggling scarves, mirrors, bubbles, balloons.
7. Lamaze toys are perfect for newborns.
8. Bouncers/Rockers.
9. Dribble bibs,
10. Muslins,
11. Nappies,
12. Cotton wool balls,
13. Sudocrem,
14. Metanium is the yellow cream ideal for nappy rash is good to have in,
15. Calpol is suitable for babies over 2 months old but always needed for parents.

Mummies – may appreciate;

• Lansinoh (nipple cream soother lotion),
• Bio oil for scar/stretch marks,
• lavender oil is useful for adding to sanitary pads to heal underneath areas,
• arnica is also great for reducing bruised areas quickly.

A decent thermometer is a great present as they are not cheap but are essential and very useful at 8pm at night when babies always get sick.

Daddies normally like food of any kind!

6 months:

1. Hardback books that are colourful. Ones that babies can hold but won’t rip easily.
2. Bath toys – that move or make a sound.
3. Noise toys – yes they are unfortunately good at this age (not as good for parents)
4. Squeaker toys – sophie the giraffe is a favourite
5. A night light to help soothe little ones to sleep and create a bedtime routine.
6. A plastic jug and a wooden spoon.
7. Shakers/Bells
8. Play mats to ly on with activities
9. Stacking cups – always a winner and easily transportable
10. New clothes – 6-9 & 9-12 months.
11. Spoons, weaning containers for food
12. Baby cutlery
13. Food Bibs a gazillion with arms in!

For more expensive gifts at this age:
Jumperoos
High chairs
Bumbo’s are all fab present ideas.

1 year olds:

1. Books sturdy ones, word and picture books are great here.
2. Story books that rhyme and have great colourful pictures like Julia Donaldson, Nick Sharratt, Rod Cambell are just a few brilliant authors we love.
3. Clothes are again useful here that are season appropriate to the age of the child.
4. Bath books
5. Hand Puppets
6. Musical instruments/drums, bells, etc.
7. Shape sorters
8. Plastic food
9. Bag for nursery
10. Stacking cups
11. Happyland toys – if you have never heard of these they are chunky toys ideal for little ones to grab and play with at this age. You can get buses, schools and all kinds of things.
12. Balls

For more expensive gifts at this age:
Ride on toys
Next level car seats
Ball pools + balls
Toy Chests are all ideal gifts.

18 months:

1. Books with more of a story to them are great for bedtime. Lucy cousins books are great and the Usborne “That’s not my…” books are fab.
2. Bath toys – bath squirters.
3. Jigsaws with thick easy to hold pieces like Melissa and Doug ones
4. Plastic/wooden fruit or food
5. Aprons for cooking or painting
6. Play doh
7. Aqua-doodle
8. Clothes
9. Musical instruments
10. Bubbles
11. Pop up castles/fairy tents
12. Wooden toys

For more expensive gifts at this age:
Mini kitchens,
Teepees are brilliant gifts if the parents have space for them.

2 years:

1. Jigsaws – with more pieces.
2. Little cars
3. Bags for nursery
4. Pyjamas
5. Reward charts
6. Stickers
7. Books
8. DVD’s
9. Bath squirters
10. Dressing up clothes
11. Hair clip holders
12. Face masks
13. Stickle bricks
14. Colouring books & crayons
15. Wooden toys

For more expensive gifts at this age:

Train sets
Duplo building blocks
Prams and Dollies

3 years:

1. Finger print paint books
2. Paints
3. Craft items
4. Reward jars
5. Fridge magnets for artwork
6. Dressing up clothes
7. T-shirts with capes on
8. Tiaras and sparkly hair accessories
9. Orchard toy games like Old MacDonald Lotto, etc
10. Octonauts/Theme toys/ Peppa Pig, etc
11. Princess toys
12. Bubble machines
13. Disney toys
14. Garden toys
15. Chalks, chalk boards.
16. Clothes & PJ’s
17. Ride on horses/unicorns
18. DVD’s

More expensive gifts:
Bikes
Scooters
Safety helmets, knee & elbow pads, etc

After three years old, there are many age appropriate toys you can find a little easier as the choking hazard is removed.

As a little side business some of you may know this but I make and sell personalised children’s jewellery that make beautiful gifts. You can see my makes via my Etsy shop Twinkle Shimmer Shines at http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TwinkleShimmerShines  if you would like any further gift ideas.

Here are my bracelets and bag tags that I create to custom order.

     

 

If you found this blog really useful and a helpful guide then please share it around to all your friends.

 

Do you have any other present suggestions for these ages then please comment below as I would love to build on this list?

Happy present shopping for 0 -3 year olds everyone.