Eleven months is the last stretch before the first birthday, and it’s a big one. Many babies are pulling up, cruising along the furniture and maybe taking a first wobbly step. They wave, clap, point at everything and love a toy they can carry while they explore. The best toys for 11-month-old babies are soft friends to tote around, rattles to toss and bang, and books to share. For gift-givers, it’s the perfect moment for something that bridges baby and toddler, and that the family will keep for years.
Shop this story
Gifts from this story
1 color available
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.
In this guide:
- Our quick picks
- What 11-month-olds love
- How to choose a toy they’ll keep
- Soft friends to carry
- Rattles to toss and bang
- First books
- Gift sets
- Frequently asked questions
Our Quick Picks
- Best overall: Frank the Dog ($72), the friend they’ll still have at ten.
- Best under $50: the Football & Baseball Baby Rattle Set ($45), for rolling and tossing.
- Best book gift: the NYC Dog Doll Baby Gift Set ($115), with a doll, a board book and two rattles.
- The showstopper: the Baby New Yorker Gift Set ($298), nine pieces including a dog doll and a swaddle.
What 11-Month-Olds Love
- Carrying a friend. Cruisers and new walkers love toting a doll by the arm as they go.
- Tossing and rolling. Soft balls and rattles are perfect for the drop-it, throw-it, find-it game.
- Pointing and naming. First words are on the way, and board books with one bold picture per page help.
- Copying you. Hugging a doll, waving bye-bye and clapping along are favorite games.
How to Choose a Toy They’ll Keep
Look for a toy that works now and in a year: soft, light and easy to grab, with a face or a shape they’ll recognize. A hand-knit friend becomes the toy in every photo; a board book gets read again and again. With the first birthday a few weeks away, a gift set that pairs a toy with a book or an outfit in the next size up covers both.
Soft Friends to Carry
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 carry by an arm or a leg.
Adorable: Great quality, my son loves them!
Large NYC Taxi Plush
A big, squeezable yellow cab to hug and pull up on, and a sweet piece of nursery decor too.
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.
Bruno the Donkey
A sweet hand-knit donkey, soft, friendly and ready for adventure, who grows into a cherished best friend.
Pedro the Pigeon Plush
New York’s favorite bird as a soft hand-knit friend in his signature red scarf, full of personality.
NYC Taxi Lovey
A hand-knit organic cotton taxi lovey with pom-pom wheels, about 14 inches square and easy to drag along and lovely to give to a family who loves New York.
Great gift for a friend who loves NYC: Beautifully made! Made a great gift for a friend whose favorite city is NYC.
Rattles to Toss and Bang
Football & Baseball Baby Rattle Set
A soft football and baseball, hand-knit and light enough to toss, roll and bang together.
Pedro the Pigeon Baby Rattle
A quirky, city-inspired hand-knit pigeon, perfect for little hands and future explorers. $32.
NYC Apple Baby Rattle
The Big Apple, hand-knit with a gentle jingle: a simple, sweet rattle and an easy add-on gift at $28.
Love love! Well made, vibrant colors, rattle sound is just enough for babies to enjoy and parents won’t go crazy! Haha!
NYC Taxi & Pretzel Baby Rattle Set
Two hand-knit New York icons, one for each hand. $48.
Precious rattles: We love our NYC rattles in the new nursery! Perfect size
First Books
NYC ABCs Baby Board Book
The alphabet, the New York way, with a bold illustration on every page for pointing and naming. $14.
Just darling! Purchased this for a friend who recently relocated to NYC from SF and it was a hit.
Two Dogs on a Trike Baby Book
A zany counting adventure with playful pups on every kind of wheels. $14.
My First Book of New York
A first tour of the city, page by page, and a keepsake for any family with New York in its story. $25.
Gift Sets
NYC Dog Doll Baby Gift Set
A knit NYC dog doll, the NYC ABCs board book and hand-knit apple and taxi rattles: a friend, a book and two toys in one gift.
Loved it: She was so excited This is the cutest thing ever!
MVP Football Baby Gift Set
An embroidered MVP bodysuit, a hand-knit football rattle and a football baby book, for the family’s newest fan.
Big Apple Baby Gift Set
A long-sleeve NYC romper with hand-knit Big Apple and taxi rattles, available up to 18–24 months so it fits past the first birthday.
A Joy to Give: This was genuinely fun to give. The design feels intentional, sweet, and full of New York charm.
Baby New Yorker Gift Set
Nine pieces, including a dog doll, a swaddle and hand-knit NYC rattles: a generous gift from a grandparent or a group.
My Go-To Baby Gift Now: This officially became my go-to baby gift for NYC families. Thoughtful, adorable, and consistently well received.
What Size to Give an 11-Month-Old
Most 11-month-olds wear 12–18 months. If a gift includes clothing, choose 12–18 months, or 18–24 months for a bigger baby, so it lasts well past the first birthday. Rattles, plush toys, loveys 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 are the best toys for an 11-month-old?
Soft dolls to carry, balls and rattles to toss and bang, a large plush to pull up on, and board books for pointing and naming.
Should I buy an 11-month-old a toy or wait for the first birthday?
Either works. A hand-knit friend or a toy-and-book gift set is just as right at eleven months as at one year, and it will be loved through both.
What are your toys made of?
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.
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 Ideas, Made with Love
Turning one soon? See our first birthday gifts, our stuffed animals and our baby gift sets. Shopping for the holidays? See our Baby’s First Christmas gifts.
Keep reading:
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.