Great Baby Toys | Baby Gift Ideas | Best Gifts for Babies

If you need Christmas or Baby Shower gift ideas, you are in the right place. This page will list a variety of toys and gifts for babies from newborn to 12 months. Watch the videos to see babies in action with their toys and gifts, so you can see how the toy actually works before you buy it. I've broken down the gift ideas based on age. Sometimes it's hard to determine what to buy your niece or nephew, or just a friend's child. Hopefully, this page will give you some great ideas of age appropriate toys for your next baby or toddler gift. Try to buy a gift that the child can "grow into". You almost need to look at the next age category older than the age of the child you are buying for, to ensure the gift receipient can use your gift for more than just a few months.

Newborn: Practical items make great gifts for newborns: diapers, receiving blankets, pacifiers, bouncy seat, changing pad cover, baby carrier like a Mobi Wrap, Pack-n-Play, crib mobile, bassinet sheets, layette sets, and bath items like baby shampoo & lotion.

4-5 Months: Baby is now starting to put things in her mouth and may be teething. She is also starting to roll over, and sit up with assistance. This is the perfect age to buy: teethers, squeaker toys, baby seats like the Bumbo, play mat. If you are considering buying a Bumbo seat, keep in mind that if you child has been a good eater and has chunky legs, his or her legs may not fit comfortably through the leg holes. My two younger children fit just fine, but my nephew, who was a big baby when he was born, and a good eater, had no chance of fitting his legs into the Bumbo.

6-8 Months: Baby is stronger now and will be learning to crawl soon. Great gifts for this age include activity centers and jumpers. The jumpers that are sold now are self standing activity centers. The baby can bounce up and down, and still have an activity tray surrounds them if they want to just sit there and play. All three of my kids LOVED the jumpers. They also have a separate activity center. I would keep one in the family room and one in our master bathroom and let the baby play while I got dressed and put on my makeup.

9-12 Months: Soon baby will be walking, and baby may enjoy using a push toy while they learn to walk. There are some great walker wagons, and push wagons on the market that babies love to use before they can walk alone, and also after they can walk. They will love pushing around a walker wagon even for the next year or so. And as they get older, they will begin to put their dolls and teddy bears in their walker wagons to push and pull around. When my youngest daughter turned one, we bought her the Melissa and Doug Alligator Chomp and Clack, which she loved! However, I can see where buying a walker "wagon" style toy might get more long term use, as the kids will continue to use it to pull around teddy bears and dolls, and even use it as their pretend grocery store shopping cart.

Are you wondering what to buy for a Baby Shower gift? When buying a gift for a baby shower, first check with the mom-to-be to see if she is registered at any local stores like Target or Babies R Us. If she is, start there. Get the list of items this mom would like.

If she doesn't have a baby gift registry anywhere, then ask mom or dad what they NEED for the baby. Good gifts for baby showers include items that are practical in caring for a newborn.

• Changing Pad
• Receiving Blankets
• Burp Clothes
• Baby Play Mat
• Bumbo Seat
• Diapers
• Baby Swing
• Baby Monitor
• Layette Set
• Car Seat Cover
• Toy for Car Seat
• Pacifiers
• Baby Bottle Warmer
• Baby Bottle Drying Rack
• Nursery Furniture
• Stroller