A first birthday is a big one. Most 1-year-olds are pulling up, cruising along the furniture or taking their first steps, babbling their first words and carrying their favorite things everywhere. The best gifts for 1-year-olds keep up with all of it: a soft friend to hug and haul around, toys to toss and push, board books to point at, and an outfit to grow into. Here are our 15 best first birthday gifts, chosen for the people who love that baby most.
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Gifts from this story
Every gift in this guide is from Estella, a family-owned New York brand making baby gifts since 2003. Our toys are hand-knit one at a time by artisans in Peru with a soft organic cotton exterior, and our clothing is organic cotton. We’ve earned 1,800+ five-star reviews from 55,000+ families, been featured in Vogue, and you’ll never find us on Amazon.
Shop the full first birthday gifts collection, or start with our favorites below.
In this guide:
- Our quick picks
- What 1-year-olds love
- 1–5: Soft friends to hug
- 6–9: Toys to toss, push and shake
- 10–11: Books to read together
- 12–15: Outfits and gift sets
- Frequently asked questions
Our Quick Picks
- Best overall: Frank the Dog ($72), the friend they’ll carry everywhere.
- Best under $30: New York Is, Baby Board Book ($18), a rhyming tour of the city.
- Best for busy toddlers: the Large NYC Taxi Plush ($78), big enough to hug, push and lean on.
- Best gift set: the Big Apple Baby Gift Set ($98), an NYC romper with two hand-knit rattles, in sizes up to 18–24 months.
What 1-Year-Olds Love
A best friend. Around the first birthday, many babies pick one soft friend to carry by an arm or an ear and bring everywhere.
Moving and doing. New walkers love toys they can push, toss, chase and carry from room to room.
Pointing and naming. Board books with bold pictures are perfect for pointing, first words and reading together again and again.
Unwrapping. At one, the box is half the fun, so a gift with a few pieces to discover goes a long way.
Soft Friends to Hug
1. Frank the Dog
Our most iconic piece: a 12-inch hand-knit dog with floppy ears and a little taxi on his chest, easy to grab and carry everywhere.
Great dog! I love this dog. I have bought it for other people's children, and it's always their favorite.
2. Pierre the Paris Dog
A chic French pup with a red beret and a “Je T’aime” sweater, sent with love from Paris to their new best friend.
Organic knit doll, Pierre Dog: My 16mth old grandson LOVES Pierre! The toy is very well made, beautiful colors and great size.
3. Charlotte the Pig
All charm, with a bright pink snout and a playful spirit, in a huggable size for little arms.
Perfect lovey for baby: I got this for my baby (six months) and he loves it. It’s the perfect size for him to hug and play with.
4. Bruno the Donkey
A sweet hand-knit donkey, soft, friendly and ready for every adventure.
5. Pedro the Pigeon
New York’s most famous bird, made huggable. A little bit cheeky, completely lovable, and always good for a laugh.
Toys to Toss, Push and Shake
6. Large NYC Taxi Plush
A big, squeezable yellow cab: something to hug, push across the floor and lean on for story time.
Organic Stuffed Taxi Cab Pillow: We received our soft Taxi Cab Pillow from Estella - and it is everything we wanted in this item - soft, cute and cuddly.
7. All American Baby Rattles
A soft baseball, basketball and football, hand-knit and gentle enough to roll and toss indoors.
An athlete in the making: Order process and delivery were exceptional. These sporting goods are cute and perfect for a baby's hands, nice and soft too.
8. Concrete Mixer Truck Plush Toy
A soft 10-inch concrete mixer for the little one who stops for every truck on the street. No rattle, just cuddly fun.
9. Hot Sauce & Avocado Rattle Set
A hand-knit hot sauce bottle and avocado for the baby of a family that loves good food. A guaranteed laugh at the party.
Very fun & cute! Baby Oliver's grandpa eats Sriracha every single meal, every single day - doesn't matter what it is...so the hot sauce rattle is PERFECT!
Books to Read Together
10. New York Is, Baby Board Book
A stylish, rhyming board book celebrating New York’s culture, landmarks and energy, made for reading aloud.
Excellent book- This is the third book I have purchased from you and the process was again great. In addition my grandkids love the books.
11. Two Dogs on a Trike Baby Book
A zany counting adventure with playful pups on every kind of wheels, perfect for pointing and counting together.
Outfits and Gift Sets
12. Big Apple Baby Gift Set
A long-sleeve NYC romper with hand-knit Big Apple and taxi rattles. Choose 12–18 or 18–24 months for a first birthday.
A Joy to Give: This was genuinely fun to give. The design feels intentional, sweet, and full of New York charm.
13. NYC Print Baby Romper
Taxis, pretzels, apples and pizza, head to toe, in soft organic cotton, in sizes up to 18–24 months.
High quality and SUPER cute! My daugher and son in law LOVE it and their son looks so cute in it.
14. Urban Tot NYC Baby Gift Set
An NYC print bodysuit and bib with hand-knit taxi, hot dog and pretzel rattles: five pieces to unwrap. Choose 12–18 months for a 1-year-old.
Crowd Pleaser: Everyone commented on how precious this gift was.
15. NYC Dog Doll Baby Gift Set
A hand-knit NYC dog doll, the NYC ABCs board book and hand-knit apple and taxi rattles: a friend, a book and toys in one gift, with no sizes to guess.
Loved it: She was so excited This is the cutest thing ever!
What Size to Give a 1-Year-Old
Most 1-year-olds wear 12–18 months. Size up to 18–24 months if you’d like the outfit to last through the year. Shopping for a big brother or sister too? Our NYC Print Toddler Tee & Leggings Set is organic cotton playwear in 2Y–6Y, made for matching with baby. Plush toys, rattles and books need no size at all.
Ready to Give
Add a free gift message in your cart, and every order includes a gift receipt with no prices. Gift boxing is $8, complimentary on orders over $175. Orders ship within 1–2 business days, with free shipping on U.S. orders over $75.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good first birthday gift?
A soft friend to carry, a board book to point at, something to push or toss, and an outfit in 12–18 or 18–24 months. A gift set with a few pieces to unwrap makes the moment even more fun.
Are soft toys good for a 1-year-old?
Yes. One-year-olds love a friend to hug and carry. Our knit toys have an organic cotton exterior, hand-knit by artisans in Peru, with a soft polyester fill. Each product page lists its materials. As with any toy, supervise playtime.
What size clothes does a 1-year-old wear?
Usually 12–18 months. Size up to 18–24 months for a longer fit.
Can I send a gift directly to the family?
Yes. Ship to any U.S. address and add a free gift message; the gift receipt never shows prices.
Can I buy Estella on Amazon?
No. Estella is sold only at estella-nyc.com and at select museum and boutique partners.
More First Birthday Ideas, Made with Love
See all of our first birthday gifts, our stuffed animals and our book and toy gift sets.
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