Is anyone else tired of buying toys that are used for a couple months and then thrown aside as your child loses interest or grows out of it? We’ve come up with list of items that grow with your baby and can be expanded and used in different ways as they grow older. All of these items have been personally used for multiple years in my household and continue to offer daily entertainment. These gift ideas can be bought for your baby for their first holiday season or second one or beyond. Not only are they are all excellent for growing with your child but they are all high quality items that will last for years to come in your home. Every one of these items will make great gifts this year whether your child is 3 months, 6 months, 18 months, 2 or 3 years old.
Toki Mats
Good starting at 0 months, these mats offer support for tummy time from the start and transition into an awesome spot for tumbling and rolling as your child gets older. Bonus: they make it so much more comfortable to spend more time on the floor with your baby. Available in 3 sizes to fit any room needs! Soft enough to help catch tumbles yet firm enough to support standing. I recommend just starting with the Mega or Epic size :). They are all certified to be free of dangerous toxins. One of the biggest perks of this brand is that the play mats are all washable or easy to clean which is a major win for any mom!
Stocking Stuffer Idea:
Nursing Pillow Covers to match your Toki Mat fit perfectly in a stocking.
Wiwiurka Climbing Toys
Interested in more gross motor play? There are many pieces of climbing furniture that are awesome for baby starting at 9 months old from Wiwiurka. The Baby Tadeus Kids Bench Table is a kids’ activity table and bench for assisting in your baby’s development of gross and fine motor skills. The Baby and Toddler Climbing Set is the ultimate playset for gross motor development. All the fun of a Jungle Gym Set in a fraction of the space! You will be amazed to see your child’s interactions change with these over time and how they use them.
Stocking Stuffer Idea: This wood camera would make an adorable stocking stuffer.
Everwood Friends
Seriously the smoothest blocks ever! Everwood Friends blocks are solid hard maple. These blocks are crafted to be heirlooms, lasting for generations to come. All edges are carefully rounded for safety and sanded beautifully smooth. Their blocks are not painted or stained for a natural beauty, durability, and CPSC safety tested. As your child grows, you can continue to add to the collection with specialty blocks and expansion packs. We first got them when our twins were under a year and these are still played with daily. My 4 year old loves to build with them as well. We recommend starting with the 26 pc. My First Block Set Maple Building Blocks, the 35 pc. Jr. Builder Set Maple Building Blocks or the 61 pc. Core Set Maple Building Blocks. They also offer beautiful themed blocks.
Stocking Stuffer Idea: For the new little one, the Personalized Baby Birth Christmas Ornament would make a beautiful family heirloom or for slightly older babies, check out the Little Town Blocks.
Nugget Comfort Play Couches
The Nuggets are another daily use item in our home. As babies, they learn to crawl all over them to help build their muscles and climbing ability. The pillows were awesome when my twins were learning to stand because they were able to pull themselves up on them. As your child gets older, the possibilities are endless for the play that comes from these. They are always a guaranteed good time. Excellent for gross motor and creative play.
Books
Books are always a good idea! And specifically board books at this age. There are so many good books that you can continue to read to your child for years to come. High contrast books are best for super young babies before their eyesight fully develops so I'd pick up a couple of those as they will continue to entertain them long after! You can also get your baby some of your favorites books from when you were a child. I'll say it again, books are always a good idea!
Brio My First Railway Beginner Pack
The Brio train sets are a classic and something that you can continue to grow as your little one gets older. Brio has been making trains since the late 1800s. This train set is good for 18 months+. Brio offers a wide range of add-ons and additions to continue to grow your set as your child matures. There are so many awesome learning opportunities with wooden train sets including problem-solving, imaginative play, fine motor skills, and vocabulary and communication. Not only are their cognitive benefits, there are also many physical benefits from holding and pushing trains across the tracks. The grasping of the trains and the building of the tracks helps to develop fine motor skills. This is an absolute classic toy that has been around for hundreds of years and is still so popular with children (and adults) of all ages.
Sarah’s Silks Play Scarves
These play silks are such a fun, open-ended toy that grows with your child. When they are babies, they make the perfect Peek-a-boo assistant and you will be amazed to watch how often your child gravitates towards the silk to play. While they appear to just be a piece of fabric, they are so much more in the hands of a child. These are played with in so many different ways in our house.
Stocking Stuffer Idea: The playsilks themselves are perfect for stockings and a mini playsilk is always a good choice or they offer various items that are the perfect size for stockings.
Written by Tara D.
Tara is the mom of 3 boys, a 4 year old and 2 year old twins. She lives in North Carolina where she loves to spend time with her boys and works in various roles at Citi Collective (if you join our VIP group, you'll get to know here better). She likes to share her various play activities she does with her boys and favorite toys on her Instagram account @threetimestheplay.