With a new baby around the Christmas tree this year, you’re set for a season of Yuletide cheer like no other. Sure, they won’t remember the gingerbread cookies, crackling fire, and the sound of Nat King Cole crooning on the stereo, but that doesn’t mean their first Noel can’t be a special one.

Navigating the vast array of baby toys, essentials, and clothing items can be overwhelming in a season already known for the hustle and bustle, especially for new moms. What items will they be able to appreciate? And what baby gifts will see your newborn through the Christmas season safely?

To fill your Christmas with a few extra bundles of love and delight, we’ve compiled a list of baby's first Christmas gift ideas and baby stocking stuffer ideas to place under the tree.

#1 Fruit & Veggie Teethers

This holiday, Christmas cookies and candy canes are off the table, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give your baby something to chew on under the tree with an adorable fruit or veggie teether. They’re oh-so-cute and perfectly safe for munching and gnawing.

Made with 100% natural rubber from Hevea trees, these non-toxic, environmentally friendly favorites are free from:

• PVC
• BPA
• Phthalates
• Nitrosamines

Choose from a variety of options that includes colorful eye-catchers like Wally the Watermelon and Arnold the Avocado and know you’re giving a gift that keeps on giving, as every Oli & Carol toy purchased helps scholar kids in India. How’s that for getting into the Christmas spirit?

#2 Furry Friends

Want to gift your baby with a new bestie with whom they can snuggle up with through the winter? We think that’s a great gift idea. With its empathetic button eyes and unbelievably soft texture, the Petals Unicorn is the perfect pal to curl up with for a Nativity-timed nap.

Perfectly suitable for children of all ages, Petals is a friend and straight-up joy to the world, who will make years of memories as your little one grows up too fast. Petals can rest easy overnight in a Christmas stocking or be wrapped up in ribbons and bows for the perfect Yuletide morning surprise.

Plus, this product meets or exceeds EN71 and CPSIA safety regulations, so that you can enjoy Christmas worry-free.

#3 Holiday-Themed Pajamas

Our zip-up baby pajamas are here in a huge selection of holiday prints and patterns. Whether you choose a classic “Fir Ever” print, candy cane cuteness, or our “Light the Menorah” Hanukkah favorite, these sweet pajamas are a wonderful way to ring in the holiday.

With an easy on-and-off asymmetrical zipper from the front neck to the left leg and machine-washable dreamy organic cotton, these pajama sets make the perfect baby Christmas outfit from Christmas to New Year’s.

Psst… We love the idea of finding matching sets for the whole family to do on Christmas morning for extra family snuggly-ness. You’ll unwrap presents in a family-oriented mindset and have pics for next year’s Christmas card.

#4 Custom Stocking

Deck the halls with your baby’s first Christmas stocking, a sweet traditional gift that you can stuff with even more baby Christmas gifts and treats for your little one.

Don’t forget to fill up your baby’s stocking with a few goodies, such as:

• Pacifiers
• Swaddle blankets
• Cuddle buddies
• Holiday socks

#5 Jubilant Baby Rattle

Shake, rattle, and roll with an enchanting baby rattle sure to provide your newborn with almost as much entertainment as the paper it comes wrapped in. With painstakingly stitched details and a sweet bunny face, this rattle will provide hours of entertainment and soothing, curiosity-stimulating sounds.

This rattle is made from soft organic cotton and makes a perfect newborn present. With a wooden ring for a small-sized grip, you and baby will soon be making cheery noises and laughing, squawking, and happily rocking around the Christmas tree.

#6 Christmas-Themed Cap

Baby, it’s cold outside! Bundle up and make merry this winter season with help from one of our organic cotton and spandex top knot baby hats available in all kinds of cute patterns, from holiday cookies to jolly snowmen. Other seasonal favorite prints include:

• Pumpkin pie
• Gingerbread men
• Classic plaid

These caps fit newborns through six-month-olds, so your baby will make it to spring in cozy comfort. Plus, they mix and match perfectly with our line of cotton blankets and bodysuits. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

#7 A Hand Print Ornament

Don’t let your baby’s first Christmas slip away without setting the memory in stone (or modeling clay). With a Do It Yourself ornament kit that includes a hole punch, cookie cutter, and festive red ribbon, you’ll have all the tools you need to make a one-of-a-kind gift for the whole family that you’ll cherish forever.

This Christmas ornament kit is non-toxic and takes only a few minutes to make. Simply press your baby’s hand (or foot) into the clay until it makes an impression, then set it aside to dry.

Next year, let them hang it on the tree themselves for a double whammy of Christmas cuteness.

Will My Baby Even Notice Their Gifts?

If you’re a mom, you already know that your baby will likely be more interested in the tinsel glittering on the tree and the bright bows emblazoned on the presents than the actual gifts they receive.

The act of gift-giving is a social process that is learned and not inherently understood. Children typically don’t begin to fully comprehend the experience and why it’s important until they have reached elementary school.

That said, you can still help them begin to cherish the acts of receiving (and giving) gifts by trying to connect their gift to its giver and by modeling a thank you. While your newborn won’t understand the idea of gifting, jump forward a few Christmases in time and they’ll have the concept down pat.

Make Safe Gifting Choices For Your Baby

At Monica + Andy, we’re all about non-toxic baby clothes and accessories that allow your children to enjoy their early years safe and sound. Below, we’ve listed a few tips for enjoying the holidays securely and with peace of mind.

#1 Sweat the Small Stuff

Avoid toys, marbles, and gadgets with pieces that are smaller than an inch and a quarter in diameter. These can become lodged in your baby’s windpipe and obstruct your child’s ability to breathe. In fact, any toys with removable parts can present a hazard, so be careful around toys that may be scattered throughout the hall on Christmas morning, such as:

• Legos
• Action figures
• Plastic kitchen toys
• Board game pieces

Additionally, toys with batteries should have “child-proof” cartridges that won’t give those little fingers an opportunity to pry the batteries out. Battery fluid can pose serious threats if ingested.

#2 Let Baby Partake In the Christmas Festivities, Safely

Hanging their first ornament or decorating their first sugar cookie are important rites of passage for any child, and you may choose to involve your newborn in these important holiday traditions.

Just make sure you’re on the lookout for tools or plastic pieces that have sharp edges or are small enough to be swallowed. Ornaments for young ones should be non-breakable. And keep in mind that many of the most popular holiday plants are toxic if eaten. These include:

• Mistletoe
• Poinsettias
• Holly

#3 Let the Older Ones Lead the Little Ones

If your newborn is your second, third, or fourth child, you’ve already received your hands-on parental training on the dos and don’ts of careful gifting for babies and toddlers. But that doesn’t mean your other kids will be similarly safety-savvy.

Remember that it’s important to guide your other children on the fundamentals of safety that they can understand, so they don’t accidentally put the baby in harm’s way. For example, most kids in kindergarten and older know not to place plastic bags over their heads or put plastic balloons in their mouths. They can provide an extra pair of eyes to help keep your littlest one safe.

Ring In Baby’s First Christmas with Monica + Andy

The best gift you can give your newborn baby? Your love, care, and time. Snuggling up by the fire this year will provide cozy memories for years to come that you can one day share with your little one.

However your family chooses to celebrate, we want to be there for you to make sure the holiday is easy, seamless, and filled with cheer. Take advantage of our complimentary gift wrapping to save time in the lead-up to Christmas. And with free standard shipping on orders over $75 within the contiguous US and expedited shipping available, we make choosing and receiving the perfect gifts a snap.

Head to our site to check out our last-minute gifts for babies or check out tips for decorating and getting in the spirit on our blog and jingle all the way to Christmas in peace, love, and safety.

Sources:

1. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. How learning to shake a rattle affects 8-month-old infants’ perception of the rattle's sound: Electrophysiological evidence for action-effect binding in infancy. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6987660/
2. Romper. When Do Kids Understand Gift Giving? https://www.romper.com/parenting/when-do-kids-understand-gift-giving
3. KidsHealth. Choosing Safe Baby Products: Toys. https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/products-toys.html
4. The Washington Post. Children, Please Don't Eat the Poinsettias. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1979/12/19/children-please-dont-eat-the-poinsettias/58e3f7d0-5ca3-4208-8ec2-73ee0e9d7f3a/