6 Great Gift Ideas for a One-Year-Old

It's that time of year where everyone starts asking me for gift ideas for the boys.  Everybody wants to get them something fun, but I need to save some special gifts for us & Santa, so it's alway a struggle.  This year I'm really at a loss because O just had a birthday, and he has a ton of hand-me-down stuff from JD.


In an effort to help you, I'm sharing some of the cool gifts that O received from our awesome friends & family.  

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Dance And Play Puppy

Both O and JD LOVE this one!  The mechanics are noisy, but you can still hear all the things he says/sings, and the hand clapping excites O every time.  There are over 25 songs & phrases, and he has our favorites: "If You're Happy and You Know It" and the ABCs.  JD is quick to point out, however, that he sings "Do Your Ears Hang Low" & "Pat-a-Cake" WRONG.  You don't throw the cake in the air!  You mark it with a "B"!

Mwwahhhhh!  There is an adorable video of him kissing it as soon as he unwrapped it, but it's buried in a ton of unedited party footage.

Here's a video of O playing so you can hear how loud the motor is.  And see how cute he is.

Little People Peek n Discover Backyard

We love all the Little People toys.  They are still JD's favorite thing to play with, and they keep him busy for big chunks of time every day.  For his birthday, we got O a bunch of his own since it really pisses JD off when O messes with his organization of the people.  And JD totally knows which little person goes with one of his sets or with one of O's. He's a funny little man.

We like this backyard set because it comes with a DOG and a TRIKE- two things O is very into!

LeapFrog My First Book

O really likes things that talk to him.  And he likes pushing buttons- especially when his brother isn't tackling him to do it first.  These talking books are great for the car and for when I'm trying to occupy O at one of JD's doctor appointments.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Screen Laptop

JD has the LeapFrog Leaptop, but I like this one better for O because the buttons are bigger and more baby-friendly.  And it has O's dog friend.  It has a dozen different songs and many more educational phrases in English and Spanish.  For under $20, you can't beat it!

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Apptivity Case

My favorite!  This is a drool-proof, drop-proof playful case for my iTouch.  The boys love playing games, but they are constantly pushing the circle button and losing where they were.  Not only does this keep the iTouch safe, but they can't get to the home button.  This way I can hand it to them in the back seat with a video or game set up, and they can't mess it up.  Sometimes the touch screen doesn't work properly through the case, but we have been using the iTouch 20x more now that I can hand it to them and not worry.
It also has a mirror on the back and teething rings around it.  I can't wait to bring this along on our next road trip! 

Vtech - Explore and Learn Helicopter

One more education toy.  This one also has songs and phrases about colors & shapes, but it has one thing the other don't.  BALLS.  I didn't even have to explain this one to O.  He'll pop the balls in over & over & over.  And it has a string so he can drag it around the house.
JD has been OBSESSED with helicopters lately, so it is just killing him that this is O's toy.  Good thing O likes to share.


The only decent ideas I have for Christmas gifts are a tiny toddler table for in the kitchen (our table is bar hight, and the chairs are just a bit tall for my wiggle worms) and those inflatable toddler beds for when we travel.  I'm looking at the ones that are a full tent, since it's hell to get JD to stay in a bed in a hotel room.


What ideas do you have for your kids for the holidays?


*The links go through my Amazon Associates account.