Gifts for a 1 Year Old That Get Used
A one year old will not remember the present. They will remember the ribbon, the box, and the noise the wrapping paper makes. So the real test for gifts for 1 year old parties is not what the birthday child reaches for on the day. It is what the family is still using six months later.
The short version, if you are standing in a shop with twenty minutes before the party: buy clothes in 1Y or 2Y rather than a baby size, pick one outfit that photographs well and washes clean, and add a few small things that get used every single day. Socks, a hat, a set for the beach. Toys are the obvious choice and the most likely to arrive in triplicate.
Here is how we think about it, as parents who have done a few of these.
Buy 1Y or 2Y, never a baby size
This is the single most useful rule and the one most gift-buyers get wrong.
Our sizes run 0-3M, 3-6M and 6-12M, then 1Y and 2Y. A child turning one has usually just grown out of 6-12M, or is about to. Buying the baby size feels safe and is almost always wasted.
Buy 1Y and they might get a few months out of it. Buy 2Y and it goes in the drawer, then comes out next season looking like a brand new present. When you are not the parent and cannot check the drawer, 2Y is the better gamble.
A jumper that is slightly big is still a jumper. A jumper that is slightly small is nothing. If you want the detail on how the sizes actually measure up, we wrote a full guide to baby clothing sizes.
The first birthday outfit, and what happens to it
Two pieces beat one. A tee and shorts come off over the head without a wrestle, which matters when there is cake in the hair and a bath waiting.
The other honest note is about colour. Pale ecru and cream photograph beautifully and hold buttercream like a sponge. A print hides far more. Decide which one you actually care about before you buy.
For a cake smash outfit, the towelling sets do the job better than anything else we make. The Baby Towelling Tee in Apricot is $14.99 with matching Baby Towelling Shorts at $14.99, and the same set comes in Sand. Towelling is absorbent, it forgives, and it goes straight from the party into normal summer rotation. You can see the pairs together in matching sets.
If the party is a dressier one, the Baby Woven Dress in Autumn Bouquet Ecru is $49.99 and the Baby Check Shirt in Woven Check is $39.99. Both run to 2Y.
Our view on dedicated cake smash outfits worn once for photos: skip it. Choose something that works as the birthday outfit and then earns its place in the drawer.
Gifts for 1 year old birthdays that get worn, not stored
A one year old is going from crawling to walking, spending most of the day on the floor or outside, and eating with their hands. Buy for that and you cannot really go wrong.
Overalls and dungarees. Knees take the worst of it at this age. Corduroy Overalls in Balsam or Clay are $59.99, and the Baby Dungarees in Sand Stripe are $39.99. Both survive a season of crawling.
A cardigan. In and out of shade all day, in and out of the car, into an air-conditioned shopping centre. The Baby Cotton Cardigan in Sage or Ecru is $49.99, and Toasted Peach is $39.99. It goes over everything and it is the piece parents reach for most.
Bloomers and shorts. Cut with room for a nappy and easy to get on a child who will not lie still. Printed Bloomers in Lemons are $24.99.
Muslin pieces. The Muslin Romper in Light Green Stripe is $34.99 and the Baby Muslin Shorts in the same print are $29.99. These are 100% organic muslin, and they get softer every wash rather than stiffer.
Socks and hats. Never a wasted gift, because both get lost constantly. The Baby Socks 3 Pack is $24.99 in Under The Sea or Yes Sunshine. The Baby Bucket Hat in Lemons or Sea Friends is $29.99, and the Baby Muslin Sun Hat in Green Stripe is $29.99.
Everything above sits in baby girl and baby boy, filtered to 1Y and 2Y.
When grandparents and friends want to pool together
The instinct with a group gift is one big expensive thing. For a one year old, a spread across two sizes is usually the better present.
Try a set in 1Y that gets worn immediately, plus one or two pieces in 2Y put aside for next season. The family gets something now and something later, which is a nicer shape than one item that fits for eight weeks.
If the birthday falls heading into the colder months, one substantial piece does make sense. The Printed Pram Suit in Cosy Bear Russet is $119.99 and runs to 2Y.
The unromantic advice, which is also the best advice: ask the parents what the drawer is short on. They will tell you, and they will mean it. If you would rather browse what other families buy most, best sellers is a reasonable place to land.
We do not sell toys, so here is the honest bit
Yes Mila makes clothes for newborn to eight years. No toys, no books, no furniture. If your group is buying the toy, two things are worth knowing.
The first is that simple beats electronic at this age. Raising Children Network says toddlers love playing with boxes, building blocks, pegs, buckets and containers, and clothing for dress-ups. Their play ideas for toddlers is worth a read before you spend anything.
The second is safety. Toys for children up to and including 36 months are covered by a mandatory standard in Australia, and anything with small parts that can break off is a choking risk. The ACCC advises buying toys labelled as safe for children up to three years and checking for parts that could come loose. Their kids' toys guide is short and worth two minutes.
A quick list by budget
Under $30: Baby Socks 3 Pack at $24.99, Printed Bloomers at $24.99, Baby Bucket Hat at $29.99, Baby Muslin Shorts at $29.99.
Around $30 to $50: the towelling tee and shorts set, Baby Dungarees at $39.99, Baby Check Shirt at $39.99, Baby Cotton Cardigan from $39.99, Muslin Romper at $34.99.
Around $50 to $60: Baby Woven Dress at $49.99, Corduroy Overalls at $59.99.
Group gift: Printed Pram Suit at $119.99, or a bundle across 1Y and 2Y.
Shipping across Australia is free on orders over $100, which is worth knowing if a few of you are ordering together anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size should I buy for a 1 year old?
Buy 1Y or 2Y. Most children turning one have just outgrown 6-12M, so a baby size will not get worn. If you cannot check with the parents, go 2Y and let it come out next season.
Is a cake smash outfit worth buying?
Only if it works as normal clothing afterwards. A two piece set in towelling or cotton comes off easily, washes clean and stays in rotation. A single-use outfit bought for one set of photos rarely justifies itself.
What do you give a 1 year old who already has everything?
Clothes in the next size up. Toys and books get duplicated at first birthdays, clothes in 2Y almost never do, because most people buy down rather than up.
How much should you spend on a first birthday present?
There is no rule, and a $25 three pack of socks that gets worn weekly beats a $90 item that sits in a cupboard. If you are part of a group, put the money into a spread of sizes rather than one large piece.
Can I buy for a boy and a girl from the same range?
Yes. A good part of the range sits across both, including the cardigans, overalls, muslin pieces, socks and hats. Print and colour are usually the only difference.
Ready to pick something
If you take one thing from this: buy up a size, buy something that washes well, and let the parents decide when it comes out of the drawer.
Browse baby girl and baby boy in 1Y and 2Y, and find something they will still be wearing long after the cake is forgotten.
