48 Jolly Good Baby Christmas Gifts
The holiday season is a special time for celebrating traditions old and new, but if it happens to be baby’s first Christmas—well, that calls for pulling out all the stops. Ornament? Check. Photo? Check. Outfit? Check. Baby’s first Christmas gifts? If you’re still working on that list, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve done the hard work for you and selected the best Christmas toys and gifts for your little love.
From festive threads to seasonal toys and keepsakes, any one of these baby Christmas gifts is sure to be the star on top of this special milestone. And while you’re making your list (and checking it twice), browse our seasonal gift guide for toddlers and preschoolers for even more inspiration.
Doing holiday shopping for little ones is always fun, but picking baby’s first Christmas gifts is an extra-special affair. From play mats to loveys, rattles and more, these age-appropriate presents for newborn girls and boys will delight your sweetheart.
Personalized storybook
Keen to start new family traditions? Give baby this jolly tale as their very first present, then read it to them every year around the holiday season. The book is filled with cute animal illustrations and read-aloud rhymes that countdown the days until Christmas. Choose from a selection of characters and add baby’s name to the story for an extra-special keepsake.
Age range: 0 to 36 months | Batteries required: No
Plush security blanket
If you’re considering gifting baby a stuffed animal for Christmas, then this is a perfect present for your little treasure. As soft as a marshmallow, this sweet, clutchable blanket will see your little one through long car rides, doctor visits and victorious battles with monsters in the closet. Looking for something a little different? Jellycat has many festive toys including a sweet candy cane and a plush bunny complete with a Santa hat.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Christmas pajamas
Pajamas make great Christmas gifts for babies and kids of all ages—and Hanna Andersson is a brand known for high-quality PJs. Crafted from organic cotton, this cute sleeper suit has flatlock seams for added comfort and a practical full-length zipper. Plus, the quirky Fair Isle print, adorned with reindeer and snowflakes, is perfect for your little holiday helper.
Age range: 0 to 18 months | Batteries required: No
Developmental play mat
This play gym from Lovevery is a guaranteed good time. Designed by child development experts to deliver engaging activities, the mat has five different play zones, and easily transforms into an adorably cozy fort—so you can use it for the first 12 months and beyond. It’s also eco-friendly, thanks to sustainably sourced wood, and pretty darn stylish to boot. If you’re looking for a big ticket newborn Christmas gift, this is a stellar choice.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Teether gift set
Searching for foolproof newborn Christmas gifts? Check out this stylish set by Sophie la Girafe. It includes the beloved classic teething toy, snug slippers and a seasonal baby beanie—trés chic.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Animated toy
This soft, huggable plush elephant is so much more than a stuffed animal—it flaps its ears, plays peekaboo and sings songs to delight your little one. It has our vote as one of the must-have baby Christmas gifts this year and is the second most popular stuffed animal toy on Amazon. Bonus: Gund also has a penguin and bunny version to play with.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Charming three-piece set
Can’t settle on a toy for baby’s first Christmas gift? How about a trio of treats? This cute set includes a soft bear, a teething ring and a book with crinkle pages. Talk about getting some serious bang for your buck! Plus, the teething ring is made from natural unfinished wood free from unsafe chemicals, so baby can happily gnaw away.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Festive rattle
Crafted from organic cotton, this sweet, knitted rattle is easy for tiny fingers to clutch and shake, which makes it ideal for encouraging baby’s fine motor skills. We’re also obsessed with the ultra-unique, festive elf design (there’s a super-cute reindeer version too!). Baby Christmas gifts that are adorable and development boosters? Yes, please.
Age range: 0 to 6 months | Batteries required: No
Baby sound machine
Next up: An innovative product pegged as a must-have by celebrity parent (and all-around style guru) Tan France. The Baby Shusher is a portable sound machine that emits a rhythmic shushing sound, which mimics in-utero noises and engages baby’s natural calming reflex. Trust us, this is one newborn Christmas gift new parents will thank you for.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Hand knit doll
There’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit than with baby Christmas gifts that give back. When you purchase one of cuddle + kind’s adorable handmade toys, the brand donates 10 meals to children in need. The heirloom-quality present is one your kiddo will love more and more as they grow older. We also like that each doll comes in two sizes (one smaller, one larger). If baby has a sibling, consider getting a matching set.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Activity toy
We’re in love with this darling dog activity toy by SkipHop. It has multiple textures, patterns and sounds that are ideal for multi-sensory play at home or on the go. Plus, the pup’s bandana doubles as a teething toy that mom can detach and wear around her wrist—genius!
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Baby-friendly mirror
Baby may be so taken with this floor mirror they’ll forget they’re doing tummy time! Those neck, shoulder and upper arm muscles will be getting stronger in no time. The reflective toy also promotes visual development.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
At this age your little one is starting to explore the world around them—so the baby Christmas gifts you select should encourage this natural curiosity. Delight baby’s senses with musical toys, teethers, tummy time accessories and more.
Holiday-themed baby book
As babies grow they’ll begin to explore the world with, often with their mouths! Luckily, this board book is virtually indestructible (the clue’s in the name!). The holiday tale is rip-proof, drool-proof and features bright illustrations that are perfect for the festive season.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Hooded towel set
Looking for practical Christmas gifts for babies? Consider this buttery-soft towel set by LouLou Lollipop. The generously sized towel keeps baby’s head and hands warm, thanks to the hood and pockets, while the matching washcloth is gentle on delicate skin. And get a load of that whimsical winter print!
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Modern wooden grasper
Here’s another baby Christmas present that’s easy on the eyes: This multi-sensory clutching toy has a minimalist design that makes it stand out from other toys. What’s more, it’s durable and utterly fascinating to curious infants.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Holiday sweater
Can’t get enough of holiday apparel? Then you’ll love this sweet, knitted sweater for baby. Full of festive flair, it’s decorated with a Fair Isle-style design and smiling gingerbread men. Just imagine your little one wearing this for pictures beside the Christmas tree—too cute!
Age range: 3 months to 4 years | Batteries required: No
Stroller toy
Inspire baby’s imagination to soar with this plush dragon stroller toy. The crinkly feet, squeaky nose and vibrant, soft fabrics will stimulate your little one’s senses as they play. Baby will love pulling on the white clip to make the dragon’s wings flap—plus, it features a signature Lamaze link for on-the-go fun.
Age range: 0 to 24 months | Batteries required: No
Music player
This “MP3 player” is easy to grasp and fun to play with—making it one of the best baby Christmas gifts. Your mini musician can press the large center button to toggle through seven classic tunes. Meanwhile, colorful lights dance across the screen to promote visual-perception skills.
Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Toy projector
How sweet is this little plush fawn? Perfect for babies and toddlers alike, this toy projects a starry night sky onto bedroom ceilings and walls. Not only will it banish any night time fears, the soothing colors and celestial light show will inspire peaceful dreams.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: No
Textured taco toy set
Are you a big fan of taco Tuesday? Share your favorite meal with baby all week long with this fun newborn Christmas gift idea. The three-piece set includes an avocado rattle, a crinkly taco and lemon and lime clackers. Playtime will be a fiesta when this toy is around, thanks to its contrasting textures and vibrant colors.
Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: No
Play gym
This three-stage baby activity center will grow with your child as they develop their motor skills and become a more independent player. It seamlessly transitions from a bouncing seat for babies to a sturdy table for toddlers to use while snacking, coloring and more. The toy features more than 25 activities to captivate your child’s imagination at any age, and clip-ons are also available for extra fun.
Age range: 4+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Sensory pad
Shake Santa’s belly like a bowl full of jelly! This sensory toy boasts multiple textures and has a squishy pad in the center filled with colorful beads that baby can poke and prod. It’s the perfect Christmas toy for gifting under the tree this holiday season.
Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: No
Taggy ball
At 3 months baby’s eyesight is still developing, so they’ll be drawn to high contrast colors like black, white and red. This sensory ball by Wee Gallery is sure to capture their attention thanks to the monochromatic woodland pattern, the textured tags and a hidden rattle inside. It’s a simple baby Christmas gift that’s sure to go down a storm with the youngest member of your yuletide crew.
Age range: 3+ months | Batteries required: No
At the 6-month-mark baby is busy fine-tuning their motor skills (by grabbing everything in sight). Opt for baby Christmas gifts they can get their little hands on, like clutching toys, rattles, balls and sensory activity books.
Crochet bunny
Baby Christmas gifts (the best ones, at least) magically charm infants with their brilliant simplicity. Here’s a prime example: This cheerful knitted bunny is super-soft and cuddly, not to mention cute—check out that mini holiday sweater!
Age range: 6+ months | Batteries required: No
Tummy time toy
Is baby experimenting with tummy time or crawling? Give them a confidence boost with this too-cute alligator. The toy was developed with movement-based learning in mind, and features a contoured surface to keep your kiddo comfy. What’s more, it’s equipped with wheels to help baby explore their space, improving natural coordination and mobility.
Age range: 4 to 12 months | Batteries required: No
Cuddly learning toy
This cuddly learning toy has been thoughtfully designed to introduce little ones to mindfulness, emotions, first words, animals and so much more. Bonus: Scout can even learn your child’s name before he’s unwrapped on Christmas morning!
Age range: 6+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Fleece booties
Stacking cups
When it comes to finding the best Christmas gift for a 9-month-old to one-year-old, you can’t beat a classic stacking toy. Made from recycled plastic, this set of stacking cups is dishwasher-safe and suited for regular playtime, bathtime or a trip to the beach. And the cups are numbered to help teach slightly older kids counting skills.
Age range: 6+ months | Batteries required: No
Toy guitar
The best infant Christmas gifts spark creativity. And this adorable avocado guitar is sure to be a hit with your mini musician. Designed with tiny hands in mind, it has seven songs to keep your pint-size superstar entertained. Spin the avocado “pit” for twangy tunes, press the light-up buttons and rock out!
Age range: 6+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Musical wobbler
This sweet penguin wobbler will rock, spin and “waddle” whenever your kid bats at it. It also has a built-in bell that jingles a baby-pleasing sound. Together, the features are sure to entertain your little one for hours.
Age range: 6+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Surprise gift box
Everyday’s a holiday with this fun toy by Melissa & Doug. Baby can “unwrap” the wooden box to unveil a child-friendly mirror as well as a ball, a teddy bear, a textured crinkle cloth and a soft book. It’s a sweet baby Christmas gift that keeps on giving—plus you’ll save on gift wrap!
Age range: 6 to 12 months | Batteries required: No
Stacking toy
This stacking toy is colorful, cute and educational, making it one of the best gifts for baby’s first Christmas. Each easy to grasp ring features a different texture and color. And the hole in the center of each ring is the same size, allowing them to be stacked in any direction for frustration-free play.
Age range: 0 to 24 months | Batteries required: No
Tunnel toy
Featured on Toy Insider’s holiday list for 2023, this pick is among the best baby Christmas gifts. It offers six modes of play to keep littles entertained for longer. Baby can lie on their back and bat at the toys dangling from the arch, enjoy a tummy time workout on the soft mat or bang out a tune on the light-up piano. While early crawlers can make their way through the tunnel with a little encouragement.
Age range: 0+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Accordion toy
This woodland critter is so easy to push, pull and make music with, even for little hands. It has movable beads attached to work baby’s fine motor skills too. Aren’t cool Christmas toys the best?
Age range: 6+ months | Batteries required: No
Bath toy
Looking for baby Christmas gifts that literally make a splash? This wind-up penguin bath toy actually swims through the water. Plus, it’s a small, affordable option, making it a perfect stocking stuffer.
Age range: 9+ months | Batteries required: No
Presents that baby can push, pull and chase are bound to be winners for children between 9- and 12-months-old. After all, your tiny tot is probably on the move—or will be soon! Our picks for the best baby Christmas gifts boost little ones’ fine and gross motor skills and sensory development. They’re also just plain fun.
Pajama and book set
Make some cozy memories with this baby Christmas gift set. It comes with the classic tale Twas the Night Before Christmas and a matching set of cotton jammies for baby. Feeling festive yet?
Age range: 12 to 18 months | Batteries required: No
Musical toy
Does your kiddo love to dance? Then this next toy on our list of baby’s first Christmas gifts is a no-brainer! This musical toy will bop with your little one as they listen to educational songs together. Baby will learn the alphabet, counting, colors and opposites while they enjoy colorful lights and 75+ sounds.
Age range: 9 to 36 months | Batteries required: Yes
Vehicle set
Another one of our favorite baby Christmas gifts to help encourage motor skills: These pull-back vehicles from Melissa & Doug. They’re perfect for older babies who are ready to grasp and pull. Once they’re pulled back, the plush cars zoom off, to your little one’s great delight.
Age range: 9+ months | Batteries required: No
Activity table
Looking for a big Christmas gift for baby? Check out this activity table by LeapFrog. It’s perfect for seated play as baby can sit beside it and enjoy the twisty bead maze and shape-sorter blocks. Then, once they’re ready to try something new, flip the centerpiece over to find touch-sensitive pictures that encourage kids to discover letters, words and phonics. Educational and fun? We’re sold.
Age range: 6+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Plush panda
Gift baby a stuffed animal that’s extra comforting this holiday season. This panda plushie encourages calmness and sensory play, thanks to sweet lullabies and heartbeat vibrations. Whether it’s bedtime or playtime, baby is sure to love this toy’s friendly face and soft fabric.
Age range: 9+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Rolling helicopter toy
Is your little one ready for lift off? When baby presses down on this helicopter’s propeller, it’ll soar across the floor, motivating them to try and crawl after it. Then, when they press the side buttons, they’ll be treated to fun songs and lights. The educational baby Christmas toy also introduces them to colors, letters and numbers.
Age range: 9 to 36 months | Batteries required: Yes
Fidget toy
Next on our list of favorite baby Christmas gifts is the Dimpl sensory toy from Fat Brain Toys. Little fingers love to explore—and they won’t be able to resist these vibrant silicone buttons in varying sizes and colors. Babies can push them all the way in to pop them through to the other side—so simple, yet absolutely fascinating for littles. Plus, there’s even a matching bath toy set for water fun!
Age range: 10+ months | Batteries required: Yes
Climbing frame
The best baby Christmas gifts will stimulate kiddos well after the holiday season has ended. Cue: This wooden climbing triangle. Made from FSC-certified birch hardwood and stainless steel hardware, the toy will be a staple in your playroom for years to come. You’ll love this climber’s modern, minimalist design, and baby will love reaching new heights during playtime. Better yet, when this climber isn’t being used, it seamlessly folds flat for easy storage.
Age range: 6 months to 5 years | Batteries required: No
Bath boat
Fishing for baby’s first Christmas gifts can be tricky—but in our experience, bath toys are always winners. This colorful boat comes with a captain, fishing hook, four ready-to-catch fish and more. The grabbable pieces foster hand-eye coordination and can be tucked away inside the boat once playtime is over. Set sail for bathtime fun!
Age range: 6+ months | Batteries required: No
Sports center
This baby Christmas gift is sure to be a home run with the kiddo in your life! The fun-filled activity center includes basketball, soccer and baseball toys for your little sports fan to choose from. It even features an interactive concession stand and a light-up scoreboard for endless entertainment.
Age range: 9 to 36 months | Batteries required: No
Plush car toy
Baby may not be ready for a ride-on toy, but they can certainly take this mini motor for a spin. The multi-textured plush vehicle offers a comfy seat for pre-walkers and comes complete with a side-view mirror and engine sounds.Talk about a great Christmas gift for babies!
Age range: 9+ months | Batteries required: No
Rattle and teether combo
Babies at this age are beginning to discover cause and effect, so encourage curiosity with an engaging toy that makes noise when they shake it. This Christmas gift for infants is lightweight for easy play, chew-safe and colorful enough to really catch baby’s eye.
Age range: 0 to 24 months | Batteries required: No
We get it—holiday shopping can feel like a chore. To help you find the perfect gift for baby’s first Christmas our goal is to do the bulk of the research, so you don’t have to spend hours searching online. We do this by considering a list of criteria when sourcing toys and gifts, including age appropriateness, durability, price, entertainment value and, last but definitely not least, safety.
To decide which products are the best options on the market, we leverage our familiarity with leading baby brands to make sure items are from reliable manufacturers. We read user reviews to get the low-down on how these products work for families, and typically don’t consider anything with less than an average four-star rating. And since many of us are also parents, we rely on our writers’ and editors’ experience using these items with their own kids.
Interested in learning more about our editorial process? Read about how our team develops and reviews all articles here.
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