What in the World Do You Give a 1 Year Old?

1

“I love getting 1 year olds little walkers for them to play with, because they are at the age where they are learning to walk. My nephew flipped his s**t over this.” Having a Ball 3-in-1 Step N Ride Lion, $36.49, at Target.

2

A keychain full of random keys—”my mom did this for my girls, and they LOVED it. Hadn’t ever thought of it before.” Battat Electronic Keychain, $9.99 at Amazon.

3

A keychain full of random keys—”my mom did this for my girls, and they LOVED it. Hadn’t ever thought of it before.” Battat Electronic Keychain, $9.99 at Amazon.

4

Books were definitely the most common suggestion, and the works of Sandra Boynton in particular got a number of shout-outs for offering a little light humor for parents, too. Boynton’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 1, $13.99 at Walmart.

5

Books were definitely the most common suggestion, and the works of Sandra Boynton in particular got a number of shout-outs for offering a little light humor for parents, too. Boynton’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 1, $13.99 at Walmart.

6

“We just got a ball pit for [my son’s] 1st birthday party, and I am so glad we have it at the house now. It’s his favorite thing.” RecTent Jumbo Ball Pit Playpen, $17.95 at Amazon (Note: balls not included).

7

“A backpack!!! Put some bubbles and/or stickers inside and you’re a winner.” Skip-Hop Unicorn Zoo little kid backpack, $19.99 at Buy Buy Baby.

8

“Totally go for a riding toy. … It’s the best gift ever.” Whisper Ride II Buggy in pink, $67.99 at Amazon.

9

“We just got a ball pit for [my son’s] 1st birthday party, and I am so glad we have it at the house now. It’s his favorite thing.” RecTent Jumbo Ball Pit Playpen, $17.95 at Amazon (Note: balls not included).

10

Giving experiences—like Waterbabies swim classes—was another popular suggestion, with the added benefit of less toy clutter for parents. From $23 per class for a 20-week semester at Emler Swim School.

11

“Totally go for a riding toy. … It’s the best gift ever.” Whisper Ride II Buggy in pink, $67.99 at Amazon.

12

“A backpack!!! Put some bubbles and/or stickers inside and you’re a winner.” Skip-Hop Unicorn Zoo little kid backpack, $19.99 at Buy Buy Baby.

13

“The pound and tap. Toddlers love it and the xylophone in it is removable so parents don’t have to listen to the sound all the time.” Hape Pound & Tap Bench with slide-out xylophone, $28.48 at Amazon.

14

“My son played with this until he was 4. Now [my daughter] loves it.” Leap Frog Lettersaurus, $39.99 at Amazon.

15

Giving experiences—like Waterbabies swim classes—was another popular suggestion, with the added benefit of less toy clutter for parents. From $23 per class for a 20-week semester at Emler Swim School.

16

“The Hallmark recordable stories are the best. You record your voice reading the story (we usually throw in a few inside jokes for the parents…though keeping it G-rated is tough). Always a HUGE hit.” You Are My Joy! Recordable storybook, $29.95 at Hallmark.

17

“A pop up play tent that requires no assembly and then folds into a small bag. Extra points if it fits in a suitcase.” Big Mouth Caterpillar tent play tunnel, $28.88 at Amazon.

18

“A pop up play tent that requires no assembly and then folds into a small bag. Extra points if it fits in a suitcase.” Big Mouth Caterpillar tent play tunnel, $28.88 at Amazon.

19

“My son played with this until he was 4. Now [my daughter] loves it.” Leap Frog Lettersaurus, $39.99 at Amazon.

20

“Or if your aunt game is on *THAT* level…” Kidz Motors Mercedez Benz E550, $209.99 at Buy Buy Baby.

21

“The Hallmark recordable stories are the best. You record your voice reading the story (we usually throw in a few inside jokes for the parents…though keeping it G-rated is tough). Always a HUGE hit.” You Are My Joy! Recordable storybook, $29.95 at Hallmark.

22

“Check out the Rockabye Baby rockers on Amazon. They are plush and wide so kids don’t fall off and the music is button based and not annoying.” Rockabye Owlivia pink owl rocker, $89.19 at Amazon.

23

“Check out the Rockabye Baby rockers on Amazon. They are plush and wide so kids don’t fall off and the music is button based and not annoying.” Rockabye Owlivia pink owl rocker, $89.19 at Amazon.

24

“The pound and tap. Toddlers love it and the xylophone in it is removable so parents don’t have to listen to the sound all the time.” Hape Pound & Tap Bench with slide-out xylophone, $28.48 at Amazon.

25

“Or if your aunt game is on *THAT* level…” Kidz Motors Mercedez Benz E550, $209.99 at Buy Buy Baby.

26

“I love getting 1 year olds little walkers for them to play with, because they are at the age where they are learning to walk. My nephew flipped his s**t over this.” Having a Ball 3-in-1 Step N Ride Lion, $36.49, at Target.

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Truly, there is nothing more frightening and overwhelming for a childless person than trying to figure out what to buy for a baby. Newborns are fairly simple—Onesies! Crib stuff! Elaborate diaper sculptures!—but what in the world does a person buy for a 1-year-old? With my first niece about to hit this milestone and a lack of any decent guides online, I did what any millennial would do—I crowdsourced, creating such a fantastically useful Facebook thread of ideas that I simply had to share them. 

One common theme is to remember that the kid is not going to remember this moment, so some of the best ideas are actually for the parents, to celebrate keeping a tiny human alive for 365 days—think gift certificates for date nights, free babysitting and bottles of booze. “First birthdays are about currying favor with parents,” says my friend Caroline. “Books. Things that don’t make noise. Shift to loud, obnoxious things at three when you start to make memories to kids.”