For those of you who are still checking off your holiday shopping lists (like me), we have put together a list of our tried and true baby and toddler gifts to help make shopping a little bit easier for you. These are all items that our kids personally own and LOVE. Happy shopping!
For Baby
1. Dear Hayden Knit Romper with Magnetic Opening
This is just as much a gift for parents as it is for baby. This easy one and done outfit makes changes a breeze with its hidden magnets that run all the way down the front of the romper. Your baby will be comfortable and stylish. This is a wardrobe essential.
Cozy, cute, and comfy. These are made for baby snuggles and photo sessions. You can’t go wrong with these.
Adding a bonnet instantly elevates baby’s outfit and keeps their head warm too. Grab one as the perfect stocking stuffer. These are great for both baby and toddlers!
These knit hats are adorable and cozy. They come in a variety of colors and patterns. Restocking soon on dearhayden.com or available on the Huggalugs website.
We bought this for my daughter’s first birthday and even now at 3 1/2 it is still one of our most loved and played with toys. Our kids love to load it up and push it around. We have it in pink but it’s available in several color options.
The perfect soft and cuddly stuffed animal. My daughter takes her panda everywhere with her. They come in a variety of sizes.
These montessori-inspired playkits are designed to support brain development at each stage of a child’s life. They are available as a subscription box or can be purchased individually. Not only are the toys beautiful and high-quality, but they come with a manual that teaches you how to introduce them to your child, explains what your child is learning at their developmental stage, and gives you ideas of activities to do with your child.
This play gym was designed to grow with your baby and converts into a play tent for the toddler stage. Just like the play kits it comes with an activity guide that provides activity ideas and helpful insights for a baby’s first year of life.
9. Nogginstik Developmental Light Up Rattle
This rattle is amazing for babies, although my toddler loves it too. When you tap the rattle, it changes color, which babies find fascinating. It’s also easy to hold which helps babies as they learn to grasp. This was a must have for us.
10. Lamaze Freddie the Firefly Clip and Go Stroller Toy
This was our go to “grab before walking out the door” toy to keep baby happy and engaged while out and about.
11. Kyte Sleep Bag
Kyte baby sleep bags are made from incredibly soft bamboo. They come in several different weights and sizes. We put my son in one every day for nap and bedtime. They are a great option to keep your babe warm before you feel comfortable putting a blanket in the crib. Kyte makes amazing blankets for the whole family as well.
For Toddlers
My daughter LOVES wearing dresses so our knit dress had to make the list. It is super soft and comfy and has the sweetest woven detail on the chest. It looks amazing as a dress but also can double as a tunic with leggings.
2. Dear Hayden Waffle Knit Set
You can’t go wrong with our matching waffle knit sweater and joggers. Your child will be cozy and fashionable. The pieces look great together or can easily mix and match with other pieces in your child’s wardrobe.
Not a gift suggestion, but if you are local to Chicago, I highly recommend checking out the Red Balloon in Bucktown. They have an amazing selection of baby and children’s clothing, books, toys, and more. Many of the items on this list can be found at Red Balloon including books, the Toniebox, Kyte sleep bags, and more.
These are unbelievably soft and cozy. My daughter’s pink blanket from Saranoni is her single most cherished belonging. We own an embarrassing number of them: baby blanket, toddler blanket, adult throws, and they have now become a go to gift. You can’t go wrong with one of these.
We love our learning tower/kitchen helper. It allows our toddler to help bake, prepare meals, wash her hands at the sink, do crafts at the counter, and so much more. The best part of this learning tower is that it quickly and easily folds so when we aren’t using it, we can get it out of the way.
My son is going through a major truck phase. This one is high quality and super realistic. Both my kids love to play with it.
We love Melissa and Doug toys and this one is a super fun one. I love that this has real world applications.
We had to include this classic toy. My kids play with my husband’s Brio train set from his childhood. We love that this can be passed down from generation to generation.
9. Toniebox
On the flip side, the Toniebox is new on the scene. The box provides for an audio experience-think songs and stories read/sung out loud to your child. The Toniebox is a great screen-free way to entertain your child and can be taken on the go. The starter set comes with a puppy tonie that when popped on top of the Toniebox will play popular children’s songs. There are a plethora of other tonie characters that you can purchase a la cart like Elsa from Frozen, Elmo, Mickey Mouse, Daniel Tiger, Peppa the Pig, and many more for your child’s listening enjoyment.
10. Minnow Swimsuits
Yes, it’s winter, but let’s be honest, many of us are dreaming about a warm weather vacation and a cute swimsuit for your kiddos is never a poor choice. Minnow makes the most adorable swimsuits. If you enjoy matching with your kids, there are plenty of options to do so as well. I’m calling out one of my favorites for boys as well as girls but literally everything on their website is adorable and high-quality.
Books
As a former elementary school teacher, I am absolutely obsessed with children’s books. It’s always great to add a new book to the bedtime story rotation. There’s nothing I love more than cracking open a new book with my kiddos and curling up on the couch to read together. Here are a few of my favorites:
2. "I See Me Trucks"
3. "The Day Crayons Quit"
4. "Knuffle Bunny"
5. "The Jolly Christmas Postman" (or the original, the Jolly Postman for a non-Christmas version)
6. "Circus Ship"
7. "Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse"
8. "The Cool Bean"