Don't call me baby

[venta]

I require some assistance from the baby-aware among you, please. In a couple of weeks a sprog for whom I ought to buy a birthday present will be one. What does one give a one year old ? A boy, though I suspect that's not that relevant.

A while ago I happened on a craft stall selling nice wooden puzzles, and bought a brightly coloured, chunky jigsaw in the shape of a sealion. It has, I think, seven or eight pieces. Unfortunately, I'm now wondering whether perhaps that might be too babyish. Is he likely to be beyond it already ? What I know about the developmental stages of children could be written in quite large letters on a postage stamp.

So, er, any ideas ? If you were one year old, what would you want ? If you had a one year old, what would you want other people to give to it ?

Comments

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Chunky jigsaws are good; one year olds vary considerably and even the brightest ones will continue to do that kind of thing for another 8-12 months anyway. I'll look up what smallclanger got for his first birthday and come back in a moment...

But also, I would say BOOKS. Even if they're not at the right level, you can give nice books for the future, at this age.

[mrlloyd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, 8 piece jigsaws seem about right judging by my collection of nieces / nephews.

[reddragdiva]

Something from the mad scientists at VTech.

[satyrica.livejournal.com]

certainly not too babyish from my recent toddler-wrangling experiences . . .

[mr-tom.livejournal.com]

Crack and flick-knives.

[ebee.livejournal.com]

Yep that sounds good- i recommend BOOKS though..lots of books. Parents get soooo bored of the same ones.

[cuthbertcross.livejournal.com]

hiya - a 1 year old will bang wooden jigsaw pieces about, put them in their mouth and drop them on the floor and generally enjoy them- but they won't even try to do a jigsaw yet.

Simple 4-8 piece jigsaws are probably "done" in the traditional way from about 2 and a half, with the number of pieces rising to about 24 by age 3 years. (there's a big variation between kids)

If the enthusiasm shown by my two is anything to go by, it depends on your friend's attitudes to noise and/or mess.

Very cool presents include xylophones, jingly bells and clackers. Big bouncyballs go down well too, as do tops that are simple ebough for child to bash them, or toys with exciting flashy lights/sounds in response to buttons.

Try these: (all things currently beloved by scarysaxon who's almost 1)

http://www.vtechuk.com/products-and-accessories/babys-laptop/

http://www.elc.co.uk/toy-41975

http://www.djmmusic.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=MX3008&eq=&Tp=

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BOOTS-BUTTERFLY-AND-LADYBIRD-SPINNING-TOP_W0QQitemZ270262649602QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL080806092a7938

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Lots of good suggestions above...

...but actually if it's the parents who you know then never mind the kid and get them a bottle of wine. Seriously, the sprog (and their carpet) will likely be buried under more toys than he knows what to do with. The parents, on the other hand, could probably do with a drink!

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I think the jigsaw will be good, although it may start with said one year old watching their parents do it!

My two were into things that made music (remember the musical snail?) and clothes are always welcome (new things to be photoed in!). I think the child is young enough that it might be difficult for even the parents to tell what sort of toy is a sure hit (certainly we had that problem with the duo at that age)!

[addedentry.livejournal.com]

When I remember to send presents for my sister's children (three under 5) it's usually too late to ask her advice so I go to the Early Learning Centre. They always have big, colourful shapes for the benefit of dozy uncles who can just about recognise a number in an age range.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

That sounds like about the right thing for a one year old. He will quite possibly still be teething slightly, walking or starting to think about walking, understand a large part of what he's told. The complicatedness of jigsaws only starts being important at about 4 - until then the main criterion seems to be whether the pieces are small enough to choke on when chewed/force fed to the cat.

[ghoti.livejournal.com]

The jigsaw sounds good. I was recently congratulated on my present buying - I just buy what looks like fun. For some reason, I often end up buying bath toes... I love the Do Re Mi dolphins, for example.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm in Bateleur's gang (and I do know the sprog's Ma)

[dmh.livejournal.com]

Seems you've had a lot of good ideas already. As he grows older, speaking as an uncle, my suggestion is to get things that are as loud as possible. Best item I ever bought was a Fisher-Price hedge-trimmer, the bright little nipper was very imaginative as to what or who represented a hedge, my brother was really appreciative.