Christmas gift ideas for babies and toddlers

Holidays with little people around brings extra magic to the season – nothing beats seeing them light up with delight at time spent with family, occasional tasty treats, and, of course, gifts! Don’t wander aisles for hours looking for the perfect gift for their age and interests: just check out this gift guide which we have curated for you to make sure you can spend more time with your family and less time browsing shelves.  

Christmas gifts for babies under 12 months 

In the first year of your baby’s life, your little one is busy learning vital skills and hitting simple milestones that lead to bigger movements. For newborns and younger infants, soft plushies or play mats are ideal. For babies closer to the year mark, block games or interactive toys will keep your little one thoroughly entertained. Though younger babies may not be able to actually open their Christmas gifts, they’re never too young to feel the excitement and joy of family members, and there are several toys and accessories a new parent or grandparent can give to help them develop and play. Here are some ideas for a special gift for a baby's first Christmas: 

1. Play gyms

Play gyms or activity mats are a great gift for your little one, and you can take a moment to enjoy hands-free play with your baby. Tummy time is extra fun with rattles, noise toys, and hanging plushies involved. These mats can grow with your baby, encouraging them to reach, roll, and track movement.

Our pick: Ingenuity Cozy Spot Reversible Gym Loamy

Soft as a cloud, this play gym features a natural wooden toy bar with several activity toys that will keep your baby entertained and engaged. Tummy time is a breeze with the included tummy time pillow, perfect for supervised play, and the SlimFold design means when playtime is over, there’s plenty of space for other activities. 

Age range: For newborn +  

2. Soft toys

Plush toys are a great source of entertainment for your newborn during tummy time as they hold their head and neck up to reach for these fun toys. These soft, cosy plushies will also help your little one work on grasping, passing objects from hand to hand, and exploring textures and colours. Extra bonus – they are often easy to pop in the nappy bag when you’re on-the-go and needing to pack light. 

Our pick: 4Baby Elephant Pram Toy

This pram toy makes an excellent friend for your little one. Attach this cute elephant toy to any carrier, pram, car seat or activity gym and keep your little one busy as you two explore. This elephant includes a baby safe mirror and textured teething ring for your little one to enjoy. 

Age range: For newborn + 

3. Baby playmats

Playmats are an essential in any house with a newborn, and they make excellent baby Christmas gifts for 6-month-olds. Playmats are an excellent place to let your little one explore as they get stronger and begin to roll, sit, and rock. Looking for a gift for a friend or family member with a small baby? Look no further – playmats are one of those things where having extras can come in handy as they can be used through different rooms, as a replacement when one is dirty, or one to keep in the car for visiting other places, so no need to guess or ask if they already have one.  

Our pick: Oscar & Florri Large Play Mat

This playmat creates the perfect space for babies to play. With bright patterns, this mat also features a peek-a-boo mirror and textures that will keep your little one happy as they learn to crawl and discover the crinkles within the mat.

Age range: For newborn + 

4. Activity centres

Activity centres provide a safe environment for your little one where they can play with interactive toys and bounce on their feet. The interactive toys on the centre will help your baby develop fine motor skills while you can enjoy hands-free play with your little one.  

Our pick: Ingenuity Spring & Sprout 2In1 Activity Jumper & Table First Forest

This activity centre provides a safe space for your little one to engage with interactive toys. This hands-on, multi-sensory area will let them bounce, spin and laugh as they play.

Christmas gifts 1-2 year olds 

Once a baby hits one year old, you might notice them gaining confidence, curiosity and independence; the milestones they’ll hit between one and two years are exciting to see. Toddlers between these ages might want to start kicking balls around, play outside games and perhaps even show early patterns of playing alongside peers. At this point, they will probably also enjoy playing alone on floors with toys, taking things apart and using switches and knobs. Your little one might have the interest and ability to open their own presents, and they might even show excitement to play with their new Christmas toys. What toys do you get for babies under two?

1. Interactive musical toys

Any toy that helps your child interact with one of their senses can be delightful. Musical toys encourage your baby’s hearing and language skills. Bond with your little one by creating music together and dancing to the songs that play through the toys. 

Our pick: Baby Einstein Hape Magic Touch Keyboard

This wooden musical toy allows babies and toddlers to make music without having to actually press buttons or keys on the keyboard. This toy plays realistic keyboard sounds and the portable design helps your little one make music wherever you go. 

Age range: For 12 + months 

2. Interactive rocking toys

Rocking toys make great playmates for any little one. Rocking toys can give your little one a bit more independence when they play, making them feel more adventurous. For parents, these interactive rocking toys give toddlers the ability to entertain themselves in the close vicinity of caretakers. Watch them learn as they work on gross motor skills and coordination, using their body to initiate and control the movement. 

Our pick: Babylo Rocking Animal With Sound - Elephant

This elephant rocking chair has a wooden rocking base for safe, secure, and fun play. When your little one presses the elephant’s ears, they can hear elephant sounds. The soft padding and high seat back curves will keep your little one supported on all sides. 

Age range: For 18 + months 

3. Trikes

Tricycles for babies and toddlers offer a new perspective as they explore the world. Some models grow with your little one, transitioning from a stationary seated position to an active pedalling and steering tricycle. If you’re planning on getting out and about with your little one and their trike, look for options with parent steering handles, which gives a little more control, especially for those busier areas. 

Our pick: SmarTrike STR7 7-in-1 Folding Trike - Urban Black

This unique baby tricycle can grow with your baby from 6 months to 36 months. This tricycle folds up compactly, making it handy if you need to drive to your play destination. The inbuilt features offer parents easy manoeuvring and control, and when your little one is ready, this baby push tricycle can transform into an independent toddler tricycle. 

Age range: For 6–36 months 

Babies love building and stacking. DUPLO is perfect for little hands, featuring big blocks and easier joining between blocks. It lets your little one build – and knock down – to their heart’s content. Parents: get involved with the creations, or sit back and allow your toddler to practice independent play. 

Our pick: LEGO DUPLO Number Train

This set is a wonderful addition to your playroom. Inspire your little one to build, play and learn with this number train. Your kids can sort and transport the numbered blocks around their play area — all while exposing them to foundational numeracy. 

Age range: For 1.5 + years 

Christmas gifts for 2-3 year olds  

Between two and three years old, your little one will be extending their curiosity about the world around them, looking for opportunities to learn through play. They’ll likely be working on important skills and concepts like as hand-eye coordination, cause and effect, categorisation, imagination and language. So, what toys can you get your three-year-old for Christmas that will support this big learning? 

1.Sensory tables & toys 

Sensory toys are a great way for your toddler to explore the world and work on their fine motor skills. They invite your little one to engage with different materials, enabling you to present them with substances like sand, water, or dry rice – you can even make it a full science activity if you DIY adding colour to your materials. Perfect for supervised outdoor play, your little one will love pouring, pinching, sifting and splashing the day away. We love these so much we couldn’t just pick one, so we’ve got two of our favourites below!   

Our pick: Beach Wagon Set

Your little one will be fully equipped for any day in the sand with this beach wagon set. Complete with spades, bucket, moulds and wagon, your child will be digging and building to their heart's content. 

Age range: For 3+ years 

2. Baby books

Baby books are a great learning tool for toddlers as they learn how to identify short words and letters. Books encourage toddlers to learn as well as explore new textures within the pages. For independent and enthusiastic toddler who love turning the pages themselves, board books can last longer than books with paper pages. Books are a great gift from parents and grandparents, and reading to your little one is brilliant for both brains and bonding. 

Our pick: Very Hungry Caterpillar Board Book

The Hungry Little Caterpillar is a classic tale, and older toddlers love to giggle along at the absurdity of everything this little character munches on. Be prepared to read and re-read over and over as your little one commits every line to memory, an important pre-literacy developmental activity. The sturdy board pages help to last through the toddler years, making this book ideal to love now and in the future. 

Age range: For 3 + years 

Christmas gifts for babies of any age 

If you’re buying for a friend or family member and you want to make sure they get what they need, sometimes the best gift is the gift of choice. A Baby Bunting eVoucher lets parents get exactly what they need, when they need it, and they can be purchased gift in values ranging from $25 to $500.