Buying Christmas gifts for babies 6 to 12 months can be a little tricky.
While I would typically argue that experiences are the best gifts for young children, there are just not many options for those 6-12 months. Not that they’d actually remember.
That said, I decided to create this gift guide for anyone struggling to come up with the perfect gift for the 6 to 12 month olds on their list!
This post was extra fun for me to create because my little Luca just turned 1. So a lot of what I’ve included we actually own! Or still want. 😉
From my favorite clothes and baby accessories to Luca’s favorite toys and beyond, scroll down for the ultimate list of Christmas gifts for babies 6 to 12 months.
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Shop this collage by clicking these photos…
Christmas Gifts for Babies 6 12 Months by Category…
Baby Clothes
At my baby shower I got a ton of clothes for Luca’s first 6 months, but not much for beyond that. I know a lot of my friends experienced the same, which is why I can promise you that clothes make great baby Christmas gifts. Don’t sleep on them!
If the family you’re purchasing for hopes to have more children, gender neutral clothes are an especially great baby gift idea! That way that can be reused for future children, no matter what.
Here are some items to consider…
Matching Set
Stores like Old Navy, Gap, and Gap Factory have such cute matching sets for babies and kids. We love the plain onesie sets and pants sets from Baby Gap because they can be mixed, matched, and styled different ways. Plus, they make great layering pieces when layering is necessary!
Here’s Luca in one of our favorite gender neutral sets from Gap…
Related: 12 Affordable Places to Buy Cute Gender Neutral Baby Clothes
Pajamas
We love the organic cotton pajamas from Burts Bees Baby as well as the bamboo pajamas from Little Sleepies. You can discover more good choices in this post: 6 Places to Find the Best Baby Pajamas
Denim Jacket
Denim jackets are great for year-round wear. They can be styled with pretty much everything, they’re gender neutral, and they never go out of style!
Sherpa Jacket
A cozy sherpa jacket is also a nice, warm layer that can be used all year – that’s why these timeless pieces make great gifts!
Baby Accessories
Beanie Hat
Beanie hats make any baby outfit look extra cool. We love the beanies by Furtalk on Amazon. They come in so many different colors, they’re great quality, and they’re affordable, too!
FYI: We have the regular beanies as well as the pom beanies and love them both.
Simple Sneakers
Luca has the Nike Blazer Crib Booties and the Nike Air Force 1 Crib Booties, and he wears them on repeat. He even wore the white Air Force 1’s with his suit at his Aunt Kayla’s wedding! We have purchased these shoes in several sizes so he can continue to wear them as he grows. That’s how much we love them!
Muslin Bibs
We’ve purchased two styles of muslin bibs off of Amazon, and we love them both! They come in bright colors as well as more muted colors, but most importantly they’re absorbent and wash well!
Here’s Luca wearing both bib styles…
Plain Onesies
I feel like every time I go to Target I have to pick up a new pack of onesies. Between sizing up and losing them to bad blowouts, we’re always in need! This is one of those baby gift ideas that might feel boring, but I promise it’s 100% practical and appreciated by parents!
Socks
Little socks are extra hard to keep track of. Similar to onesies, they always seem to be needed, so don’t hesitate to gift them. Even if you buy a few different sizes that can be used as baby grows.
Baby Toys
Before I jump into this I just want to say that this list of the best toys for babies 6-12 months is strictly opinion-based.
I’m sharing items that we have received and/or purchased and enjoyed, as well as products that are well rated for this age range.
These are strictly ideas.
As with most things, please do your own research to ensure these products live up to your – and the parents of the kid(s) you’re purchasing for – standards.
Fisher-Price Classic Infant Trio Gift Set
This classic toy set includes a shape sorter, stacking rings, and a xylophone!
According to the Target website, the stacking rings help baby understand the concept of relative size. And the blocks help develop baby’s problem-solving skills! All 3 toys foster finger hand dexterity and hand eye coordination. So this is a great educational toy set!
Bath Toys
At this age, bath time is getting to be more of an activity than a task! So gifting some fun toys for tub time is totally appropriate.
From bath books to a set of water-friendly developmental toys, there are plenty of great options for a good time!
Activity Gym
The play gym market has really stepped it up since I was a kid. I know that was a long time ago, lol, but seriously!
From wooden climbing arches and ramps to aesthetically pleasing wooden baby gyms, there’s so much to choose from!
Activity Center
According to NY Mag, an activity center – like the Skip Hop 3-in-1 Activity Center – is the preferred alternative to the classic baby walker. The notion is that they’re safer than baby walkers because they’re stationary. They’re less likely to tip or take a tumble down the stairs. (source)
I’m not going to lie, Luca has used a classic baby walker for months. But only with strict supervision. He’s had so much fun in it, but you certainly have to be mindful of the dangers.
We actually still use our Skip Hop 3-in-1 Activity Center every day! Without it, I would never get to take a shower, haha.
Activity Walker
Luca was gifted the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Puppy Baby Walker by a friend, and he absolutely loves it! Whether the child is sitting, crawling, or walking, an activity walker can provide tons of engagement and entertainment.
VTech Drop and Go Dump Truck
I bought Luca this interactive dump truck when he was about 6 months old, and it’s been so fun to see how it’s improved his hand-eye coordination. He’s gotten so good at using his little hands to push the rocks through the hole, haha. He also loves to mimic the sound effects the truck makes!
Soft Blocks
Soft blocks in different colors and textures are another great option if you’re looking for a 6-12 month education toy! These soft blocks from Walmart include numbers, shapes, and animals on them. So you can use them to stack and learn!
Wooden Rattle
Wooden rattles and wooden teethers are great toys to keep in the car and/or diaper bag! They’re fun for babes, yet compact for easy travel.
Toys With Suction Cups
We recently bought Luca these suction cup spinners that stick to the window and he is OBSESSED! He loves tapping them with his little fingers and watching them move.
These are a fun way to keep a baby busy on a plane for those traveling with a baby at any point! You can also stick them to a table at a restaurant for easy entertainment.
Related: The Only Baby Travel Packing List You Need (Plus a Free Printable!)
Baby Rhyme Time Board Books
These little board books cover all of the popular nursery rhymes. They’re the best books for quick reads, and of course they help with language development!
Sensory Balls
Sensory balls make a great sensory toy, and this sensory ball set I found at Walmart can double as bath time toys!
A great alternative to the set above is this Montessori toy set from Walmart which includes a number of child development toys – soft blocks with different textures, stacking rings in different colors, and 5 different sensory balls!
Play Mat
A play mat is especially great for the 6-9 month range, when babies are practicing tummy time, rolling, and crawling.
We have our play mat laid out in Luca’s 5ft x 5ft playpen because we have hard wood floors. It helps prevent him from bonking his head now that he’s starting to stand and walk around the perimeter of the playpen.
Plush Toys
A stuffed animal is such a simple toy, but one could provide such a sense of security for little kids. But don’t assume these are safe toys just because they are soft! Be sure to get something that’s age appropriate. Something that doesn’t include small objects that can detach and become a choking hazard.
Toy Cars
The Children’s Rattles and Rolling Cars are great first car options because they’re soft and easy to grasp. They’re one of the more affordable Christmas gifts for babies 6 12 months, too!
Musical Instruments
Playing with instruments – like this Baby Einstein Piano – build baby’s fine motor skills! They can be fun for parents, too, encouraging interactive play.
Baby Gear
Let’s face it, the kids in this age group are not going to remember what you bought them for Christmas (or didn’t). So don’t think twice about buying something for the baby that’s actually for the parents.
There are so many simple items that have made our lives so much easier during this first year as parents! Here are a few that would make a good gift. And a few that are currently on Luca’s list (aka my list, lol), too!
Baby Delight Go With Me Uplift Deluxe Portable High Chair
We take this portable high chair pretty much everywhere with us! Not just when we’re traveling, but on trips to our parents, too. It gives Luca a safe place to sit, eat, and play when we can’t chase him around.
A Stroller Wagon
If you’ve never seen a Wonderfold Stroller Wagon or Keenz Stroller Wagon in action, you have to check them out! They have the functionality of a wagon (lots of space!), but you push them rather than pulling them. They’re really great for families, especially those with multiple kids!
Pacifier Clips
Luca stopped using a pacifier months ago, but we still use is paci clips to clip his rattles and other toys to him/his stroller/his car seat. Like socks, they tend to disappear out of thin air, though, haha. So it’s nice to have plenty of extras!
Car Seat
This age range typically calls for a new car seat, and those things are expensive! So even if you can’t swing buying one in full, you could always gift the parents money to go towards one. That thought would definitely count in my book!
We have the Baby Jogger City Turn Rotating Convertible Car Seat and absolutely love it! That fact that it turns 180 degrees makes it so easy to get Luca in and out of the car – a process that he makes very difficult, haha. Plus, it can work for children up to 65 pounds, so he will hopefully be in this seat until he doesn’t need one any longer.
Extra Large Play Pen
We bought Luca a 5ft x 5ft playpen when he was about 6 months to give him a safe space to play while we were getting other things done. It’s the best $75 we could have spent as it’s given us a little extra time and freedom!
High Chair Mat
These go under the high chair to catch messes for easy clean up! There are so many options on Amazon, but we chose a vegan leather high chair mat that matches our floors so it doesn’t stand out too much.
Child Hiking Back Pack
If the family you’re buying for is outdoorsy like ours, consider a child hiking back pack! That way the whole family can pursue their love of the outdoors together.
Biking Gear
A bike seat or bike trailer is another great gift for parents who love to spend time outside! Just don’t forget a little bike helmet for babe, too.
Food Storage
Food storage containers make great Christmas gifts for babies 6 12 months because so much starts to change during this period of time!
From formula dispensers to snack containers to bento boxes, parents need it all! Even if someone stays home with their kiddos, snacks and meals on the go are inevitable. So having a variety of food storage containers to suit different situations (a long travel day, an hour at a siblings practice, etc.) isn’t just nice – it’s necessary!
Organizing Service
Kids have a lot of things – that’s just a fact! A professional organizing service can help parents to come up with a storage system that works for their home, no matter the size. Whether they need to organize a closet, play room, or other, gifting a professional organizing service is a great way to help them tackle the project without much effort.
Diaper Bag
By the time a baby is in the 6 to 12 month range, the parents should know if the diaper bag they originally chose is going to suite their needs ongoing. So don’t hesitate to ask them if there’s a different diaper bag they’d prefer. They make great gifts!
I hope this list of Christmas gifts for babies 6 12 months helps you find something you’re excited to give the babe(s) in your life!
Whatever idea(s) you’re gravitating towards, be sure to run it/them by the parents before pulling the trigger. Not only will it help to avoid duplicates, it’ll allow the parents to have a say as to what’s brought into their home.
Some parents only want their kids to play with toys made of safe materials. Others – like me – are easily overwhelmed by physical objects and like to filter what goes into their home to maintain peace of mind.
No matter the reason, it’s just respectful to ask rather than assume.
If you have any ideas you’d like to add to this list, based on your experience, please feel free to drop them in the comments for others to see. But no links, please!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and in the free LTK app for more gift ideas and all things simple living. I’m here to help you feel less stress and more joy, so please use me as a resource. I want nothing more than to see you THRIVE!
Do your best today,
