All I Want for Christmas is...40+ Gift Ideas for Children from Birth to Two Years Old
As a speech-language pathologist for almost 50 years, I honestly believe that the most important part of a child’s communication development is….. their parents! The runner up at a close second place are toys! And when you combine both, the phenomenon of actual dialogue amazingly occurs. It’s important to note that some toys are better at helping this process. I felt is was very important to develop a list of approximately 10 toys for children within the following age groups: 0-6 months, 6-12 months, 1 year of age and 2 years of age and share the success I have witnessed with you: parents, grandparents and other family members and friends. Enjoy perusing, purchasing and playing. Have fun, and Happy Holidays!
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Gifts for Babies 0-6 Months Old
Fisher Price Deluxe Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym
Features: This portable play gym can be used in any part of the house or taken with you for family visits.
Best for: Cognitive and motor development
iHaHa Baby Tummy Time Water Play Mat
Features: This water play mat is colorful and portable.
Best for: Cognitive development and development of muscle strength and range of motion.
Splashin’ kids Inflatable Tummy Time Premium Water Mat
Features: This water mat is visually entertaining for babies.
Best for: Development of upper body strength and visual perception
Baby Einstein 4-in-1 Kickin’ Tunes Music and Language Play Gym
Features: This play gym has activities for children in early infancy through their 3rd birthday. It transfers to many configurations to
accommodate tummy play and for carrying the musical instrument.
Best for: Development of language concepts, speech development, motor strengthening and color and music appreciation
iPlay, iLearn 10-piece Baby Rattle Toys
Features: These rattles are multicolored to introduce choice-making.
Best for: Eye-hand coordination development, environmental and body exploration
Sassy Tummy Time Floor Mirror
Features: This mirror is excellent for tummy play, highchair time or interacting with mom and dad during lap time.
Best for: Every baby needs to see their beautiful face! Promotes facial part recognition and development of self-awareness
Taf Toys Toe Time Infant Car Seat Toy
Features: This toy allows infants to engage in stimulating learning experiences without premature exposure to unnecessary screen time while traveling in the car.
Best for: Excellent infant stimulation of cognitive skills. Stimulates thinking, motor and language skills
Vtech Tummy Time Discovery Pillow
Features: This baby pillow is soft and easy to hold.
Best for: Environmental exploration and awareness
Fisher Price Soothe ‘n Snuggle Otter
Features: This snuggle toy has 30 minutes of soft music and lights, customizable sound and breathing motion. It's also machine washable.
Best for: Soothing baby after activities and play time
Fisher Price Rainforest Music Lights Deluxe Gym
Features: This toy is the #1 pick of a speech-language pathologist.
Best for: Overall infant development! Activities
on mat, above baby and on poles
surrounding baby
Gifts for Infants 6-12 Months Old
Mini Tudou Baby Blocks
Features: This toy is a safe introduction to block building with soft colors and images.
Best for: Stimulation of the 5 senses during play
Munchkin Sound Asleep Nursery Projector and Sound Machine
Features: This night light and sound machine allows for multiple LED scenes that project on the wall or ceiling.
Best for: Calming or soothing baby after a day of play and stimulation
TUMAMA Stacks of Circles
Features: These rings are an ideal fit for infant hands and features funny sounds with each stacked ring.
Best for: Cognitive stimulation for introduction to STEM learning. Many learning opportunities in one toy
Vtech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker
Features: This walker has a removable busy board for stationary floor play.
Best for: Promotes overall development while promoting gross and fine motor strengthening.
Fisher Price Rock-a-Stack Baby’s 1st Blocks Bundle
Features: Two essential toys at a reasonable price- ring stack and shape sorter.
Best for: Wide variety of concept development including “dump & fill” play stage, and exposure to shape/color/size exploration.
Splashin’kids Infant Toys Beginner Crawl Along Game
Features: This toy is easily inflated and colorful.
Best for: Encourages mobility, building strong core and cause and effect while baby tries to catch this visually stimulating toy.
Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Smart Stages Puppy
Features: This learning toy is soft and huggable.
Best for: Plush boy dog to learn body parts and action word vocabulary
Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Smart Stages Lil Sis
Features: This learning toy is soft and huggable.
Best for: Plush girl dog to learn body parts and action word vocabulary
Vtech Lil’ Critters Shake and Wobble Busy Ball
Features: This ball is easy for baby’s small hands to manipulate.
Best for: Infant exploration and problem solving
Vtech Sort and Discover Drum
Features: This musical drum has a colorful, removable lid.
Best for: Beginning skills like following directions, matching and learning attention to task
Bright Starts Around We Go 2-in-1 Walk-Around Baby Activity Center & Table
Features: This activity center comes in 3 colors/patterns and has a wide variety of activities in a safe environment.
Best for: Baby can safely walk around while exploring an age-appropriate activity center.
Gifts for One-Year-Olds
Melissa and Doug K’s Kids Hungry Pelican
Features: This pelican toy is washable, soft and huggable and children can change animals within the pelican's “diet.”
Best for: Excellent parent/child face-to-face play with built-in language stimulation and social development
Playskool Elefun Busy Ball Popper Toy
Features: This toy is colorful and versatile.
Best for: Development of problem solving and imagination
Learning Resources Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set
Features: This set has realistic produce and vibrant colors.
Best for: Learning to sort and categorize, learning to make pretend and vocabulary growth
Magifire Wooden Toddler Puzzle Set of 6
Features: These puzzles provide versatile and developmental learning and are based on Montessori learning principles.
Best for: Fine motor and logic development, with 4-piece to 6-piece puzzles included
Fisher Price Little People Big Helpers Home
Features: Comes with a family sized just right for toddler hands and folds with a handle for carrying.
Best for: Developing social skills, speech and language vocabulary
Fisher Price Little People Caring for Animals Farm
Features: This farm plays songs and makes animal sounds.
Best for: Speech/Language development, including imitation, vocabulary and concept development
Fisher Price Little People Musical Zoo Train
Features: This musical train has animals that engage in actions during the ride.