2018 Gift Guide for Babies and Toddlers

 The stars in the bright sky, looked down where he lay  Oh how we remember those fantastic Christmases when the children were really young. Presents bigger than them … spoiling the newborns with gifts, when all they wanted was milk, sleep and less fuss! These are the best Christmases, with new babies and new characters in the shape of toddlers. And of course new parents and new grandparents! It’s difficult to know what gifts to buy this age group, but we have a few suggestions to help you decide. Enjoy x

Gift 1: Ana Gibb Christmas Pudding Hat and Booties Set

Do you have a friend who is having a little pudding for Christmas? This beautiful handknitted Christmas pudding hat and booties set is ideal. Made from merino wool, and available in a range of sizes from 0-3 months up to 1-3 years, it is machine washable at 30 degrees. Ana Gibb set up her business in 2011. She believes that hand knitting not only makes her products unique and beautiful but they are also bright and fun to keep little people warm and cosy.

RRP: £26.99

Link to purchase: AnaGibbsHatandBootiesSet

Gift 2: Shapes Colours Numbers Book by Dario Zeruto

When I was a child my mum told me that I loved pop-up books. Now, in a new educational concept, the Shapes Colours Numbers book by Dario Zeruto can teach 1-3 year olds by virtue of their own exploration and curiosity. This robust board book is split into two halves; each side contains flaps with coloured shapes on them. Children can flip the pages, matching up shapes and colours, counting them as they go.

Published in the UK by Quarto Publishing. First published in 2018 by words & pictures, an imprint of The Quarto Group.

RRP: £14.99

Link to purchase: ShapesColoursNumbersbook

Gift 3: Penguin Musical Wobbler by Hape

There’s something special about wooden toys. This Penguin Musical Wobbler is made by Hape, who have a reputation for good quality, sustainable wooden toys. Suitable from 6 months upwards, the brightly coloured wobbly penguin makes a soothing tinkle sound when rocked. 

RRP: £18.00

Link to purchase: PenguinMusicalWobbler

Gift 4: Personalised Santa Plate by Funky Pigeon

We have a personalised Santa plate that we’ve used ever since the children were toddlers. Every Christmas Eve they excitedly (even now!) put a carrot on the plate for Rudolph, a mince pie treat for Santa, and a glass of sherry to keep him warm on his travels. On Christmas morning, just some pie crumbs remain … This personalised plate, from Funky Pigeon, will start a family tradition – Christmas is really close when the plate gets set! 

RRP: £14.99

Link to purchase: PersonalisedSantaPlate

Gift 5: Arnold the Avocado Teething Toy from Sous Chef 

Oli & Carol make a range of fruit-themed baby teethers/soothers. They are 100% natural, made from natural rubber from the Hevea Tree (aka rubber plant). The fruits are hand-painted with food-grade dyes. Arnold and his friends are non-toxic, sustainable and biodegradable. Also in the range you’ll find Kendall the Kale, Brucy the Broccoli, and Wally Watermelon. All are in stock over at Sous Chef. Excellent for small hands to hold, these are amazing teething (and bath time) toys.   

RRP: £13.95

Link to purchase: ArnoldAvocadoTeethingToy

Gift 6: Nattou Mini Mobile from Hippychick

What we like about this mobile is that it is fully portable. As well as being perfect for the ‘obvious’ use above a cot, it can also be used while travelling, on car seats, pushchairs and prams. There’s no battery as there is a wind-up mechanism activated by a pully string. The top of the mobile has a velcro loop, making it easy to fix to things. Hippychick offer a range of Nattou mini mobiles – each one contains a Nattou character, a ball/round hanging toy, and a mirror. They are beautifully soft and can be machine washed! What’s not to like …

RRP: £25.95

Link to purchase: NattouMiniMobile

Gift 7: Plasmon Italian Baby First Foods from nifeislife 

nifeislife stands for ‘Nice Italian Food Everyday. And it’s not just for grown ups either. They carry a range of Plasmon baby first foods for babies aged 4 months and above. If you know a baby close to weaning age, then some of these items in a hamper would make a fantastic gift. Some items in the range (and shown above) includes:

• Manzo (beef puree – no gluten, preservatives or artificial colours; no GMO in animal’s feed)
• Mela (apple puree – organic, no gluten, no chemical pesticides)
• Nettare di Albicocca (apricot juice – no gluten, chemical pesticides, preservatives or artificial colours)
• La Pastina Bebiriso (baby rice – gluten free and easy to digest as made from rice flour)

RRP: £2.45 to £3.99

Link to purchase: PlasmonBabyFoods

Gift 8: Hand-knitted Christmas Decorations by Ana Gibb 

We’ve already mentioned Ana Gibb previously in this gift guide. As well as amazing clothes, her company also makes lovely knitted tree hanging decorations. These include a Double-Decker Bus, Mini-Cab, English Soldier, Telephone Box, Snowman, Christmas Tree and Christmas Pudding. They are 100% cotton, totally safe for young children and pets and will look amazing on any tree! 

RRP: £5.99 to £7.99

Link to purchase: ChristmasTreeDecorations

Gift 9: Hape Wonder Wagon

This is amazing! It’s a big-box toy that oozes quality before you’ve even opened the box. What I like most about it is that no assembly is required! There’s a wooden twist catch that secures the handle in place when not in use (or when transporting it), the handle tucks neatly underneath. I can just imagine the hours of fun a toddler will have with this, using it as a walking frame as they take their teddies for rides, or for collecting things to take around the house/garden. It is recommended for children aged 12 months and above. The Wonder Wagon is a fantastic wooden toy – one to keep!

RRP: £85.99

Link to purchase: HapeWonderWagon

We hope our selection of gifts has given you some inspiration? We would love to know what toys and keepsakes you are buying for babies and toddlers this Christmas. Please tell us about them in the comment box below.

A couple of the items above have been gifted to PackThePJs in exchange for our opinion (we only include things we really like though!)

End note: Would you like your products included in our future Gift Guides? Please add us to your mailing list tracey@packthepjs.com and huw@packthepjs.com x