10 Christmas Gifts for Babies and Toddlers

The Christmas shopping season is here! Advertisers and social media influencers are already busy shaping your choices. However, let me cut through the noise and give you my top ten recommendations that will not only be fun (for years to come) but also help your baby meet all their developmental milestones.

Toys are expensive. Since you work hard for every cent, I want you to see your purchases not only as entertainment for your child, but also as an investment in their learning. Toys should be fun because children learn best when an activity is fun. However, many of today’s toys are merely entertaining and cannot teach real-life skills. My toy suggestions teach essential skills, including communication, problem-solving, emotional connection, and navigating the environment safely.

Let’s get started, shall we?

10 Christmas Gifts for Babies and Toddlers

1. Baby safe mirrors. Babies love to see faces! When your baby looks in a mirror, they learn to identify a few body parts, such as eyes and nose (communication skill). They learn to imitate certain facial expressions (cognitive skill). Looking into mirrors also improves eye contact (social skill).
2. Foam floor mats. Youngsters need to move, and foam floor mats provide a safe, padded surface. Plus, they’re easy to clean. I prefer those without removable letters or numbers because I’ve found babies chew on them and can choke.
3. Pop-up toys. When babies begin sitting and crawling, they adore toys that pop up. Look for ones that include various switches, push buttons, slides, and turning knobs (cognitive and fine motor skills). Push button switches are prevalent today and offer minimal opportunity for your baby to learn something more challenging. The more difficult the activity, the more cognitive skills your baby masters.
4. Balls and targets. Babies and toddlers love balls. Putting them into containers, shooting them into a hoop, or tossing or kicking them to another person improves gross motor, communication, and social skills. When your baby creates their own game with the balls, they are enhancing cognitive skills, as well.
5. Simple shape puzzles. I prefer simple shape puzzles with knobs so your baby can work on their pincer grasp to pick them up. They don’t need anything more than circles, squares, and triangles at this age. Shape sorters can often be too complicated and frustrating for young children.
6. Picture books with chunky pages. Pointing to pictures and turning pages improve fine motor skills. Hearing you label what the images are builds vocabulary (communication skill), and doing this together enhances social skills. Longer storybooks are for older children. Look for ones with pictures such as cups, cats, bananas, books, and babies. Avoid those with push-button sounds and things to touch and feel. These often distract children from looking at the pictures on the pages.
7. Climbing and riding toys. Toddlers love to walk, run, and climb! Offer safe climbing toys and toys they can ride. Avoid battery-operated riding toys, as they do not enhance gross motor skills.
8. Painting and drawing items. Look for inexpensive, blank paper (like butcher paper), chunky crayons, finger paints, and sidewalk chalk. All of these promote creativity (cognitive skill) and fine motor skills. They’re not yet old enough to stay within the lines of a coloring book. Finger painting or painting with a brush is ideal.
9. Play sets, such as kitchens or tools. Toddlers begin to imitate everyday activities, such as stirring a pot (pretend cooking) or banging with a play hammer (pretend building). These activities reveal that your baby is learning to do things in real life. Cognitive, fine, and gross motor skills are all improved. Additionally, when your child plays with someone else, their communication and social skills expand.
10. Blocks and building sets. Look for wooden blocks that are stamped with letters, colors, shapes, and animals, as these are useful for a variety of play activities in the years to come (cognitive, communication, and fine motor skills). Building sets, such as magnetic tiles, enable your child to develop fine motor skills and expand their creativity (cognitive skill) by constructing what they imagine.

The best toys to help your baby meet their developmental milestones in every area (gross motor, fine motor, communication, social/emotional, and cognitive) are worth every penny. Share on X They are timeless and last the longest. For more information on how to help your baby meet milestones, check out my latest book, The New Mom’s Guide: Help and Hope for Baby’s First Year (available now on Amazon).

If you have toys your baby no longer needs, please consider donating them to a local charity. I’ve been in many homes where the children have nothing to play with.

Keep your boxes! Those make great indoor houses, tunnels, and even something to draw on during the unpleasant days of winter.

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(Photo: Canva)