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Baby's First Christmas: 12 Useful and Original Gift Ideas
Baby's first Christmas is bound to be a little special. They can't open their presents yet, but they'll undoubtedly be the star of the celebration! So what can you give them to mark this first family Christmas without filling their room with toys?
A comfort toy, book, night-light, personalized keepsake, or something little they'll actually use every day: here are 12 gift ideas for baby's first Christmas, to choose from based on their age and what the family would like.
Useful gifts for baby's everyday life
1. A night-light
A little night-light can be part of the bedtime routine, casting a soft glow in baby's room. Some are portable and can also be used at the grandparents' house or on vacation. It may not be the first gift that comes to mind for a little one, but it can quickly prove useful for nighttime wake-ups, diaper changes, or bedtime rituals.
A soft blanket comes in handy everywhere: in the crib, in the stroller, on the couch, or at the grandparents' house. That makes it a particularly practical gift in the early months.
Choose a comfortable fabric and a size that's easy to carry, so you can slip it into a bag when you go out. With pretty colors or delicate patterns, it can also add a decorative touch to baby's room.
A classic baby gift works just as well for a first Christmas. Choose a super-soft comfort toy that's easy for little hands to hold and light enough to take everywhere.
At Petit Picotin, comfort toys can be personalized with baby's name to make one that's all their own. And with a little luck, it'll soon be the one they absolutely need at bedtime!
After a bath, baby usually loves being wrapped in a big, warm towel. A hooded baby towel is a gift that's both lovely and genuinely useful for many months of bath times.
With its wraparound shape and hood, it helps keep baby warm as soon as they come out of the water. And if you'd like a personal touch, you can also have baby's name embroidered on it for free at Petit Picotin.
Gifts to engage baby's senses
5. A sensory toy to explore
At their first Christmas, baby is still discovering the world. Gifts that let them touch, look, listen, and explore with their hands can be wonderful companions for those early discoveries.
A sensory ball, an easy-to-grasp rattle, a teething ring, or a little textured toy: toys that engage little hands and senses are especially well suited to babies. The important thing is to choose one that's right for baby's age and meets the manufacturer's safety recommendations, rather than a sophisticated toy they can't really use yet.
Baby doesn't need to know how to read to start building a library! A cloth book, a board book with pictures, or a picture book with big illustrations can be enjoyed together from the first few months.
It's also a gift that creates a moment together: a few pages before a nap, a story while snuggled up with Mom or Dad… Those first books soon become little rituals.
7. Stacking blocks or cups
They might not be building a tall tower right away, but stacking blocks or cups can stay with baby through several stages of development. At first, they'll mainly pick them up, look at them, or knock them over. A few months later, they'll start stacking and nesting them and making up their own games. It's a simple gift they'll enjoy at more than one age.
Gifts that become treasured keepsakes
8. A personalized Christmas ornament
Baby won't really remember their first Christmas… but their parents will. So it's a chance to give a keepsake the family can treasure for years to come.
An ornament with baby's name can go on the tree for their very first Christmas. Each year, the family can bring it out again and see how much baby has grown, adding a new one to mark each Christmas that follows. It's a lovely way to build, little by little, a collection of keepsakes that tells the family's story.
9. A photo album of their first year
First smile, first outing, first meals, first meeting with the grandparents… Baby's first year is full of little moments you photograph without even realizing it. A photo album brings them all together in one place. It's a gift parents will appreciate right away and their child will enjoy looking through when they're older.
10. A box for their little treasures
Along the same lines: hospital bracelet, birth announcement, first lock of hair, tiny outfit… Some things are too precious to end up forgotten in a drawer. A pretty box keeps them all in one place, ready to add to as your child reaches new milestones.
11. A family photo session
For a change from physical gifts, a photo session can be a lovely way to mark baby's first Christmas. It's a chance to capture beautiful photos of baby with their parents, siblings, or grandparents. Above all, you'll have photos from a time when little ones change so quickly.
A gift they'll use long after their first Christmas
A personalized backpack can go along with baby well beyond their first Christmas: to daycare, for sleepovers at the grandparents', on weekend trips, or to carry their favorite stuffed animal and a few essentials. Handy from their first outings, it's something they can keep using as they grow.
Discover our selection of backpacks for ages 0–4, designed to go along on baby's first adventures!
A first Christmas to remember
For baby, this first Christmas will mostly be about twinkling lights, arms to snuggle into, and wrapping paper that's much more fun to crinkle than to open. And maybe that's exactly what makes this first celebration so lovely: everything is still new, a little magical, and inevitably a little chaotic.
In a few years, baby may not remember their first Christmas… but you will. And that's a very good reason to celebrate it properly!
Things your little ones say
“I asked Santa for a present, but can I ask you too, just to make sure?”
– Ange, age 4
“Does it hurt the Christmas tree when we put ornaments on it?”
– Simon, age 5
“If I don't go to sleep, will Santa still come?”
– Clémentine, age 3
AUTHOR
Hello, moi c’est Capucine ! J’espère que cet article vous a plu. Passionnée par la rédaction et spécialisée dans les contenus autour de la petite enfance, je fais partie de l’équipe éditoriale de Petit Picotin. Au fil du blog, j’explore les questions du quotidien des familles pour vous partager conseils, idées et inspirations, en m’appuyant sur des recherches, des sources spécialisées et l’expertise de notre équipe.
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