Although your little one might not remember it, your baby’s first Christmas is a most special one. It’s the perfect opportunity to start some Holiday traditions that last for the rest of their childhood! Holiday baking, crafting, and all-around memory-making are what the season is for and you can include your little one to start building the sort of Christmas memories we all wish we had as children.
Christmastime is a magical time of year and we encourage you to lean into that whimsical sort of fantasy when brainstorming ideas for your baby’s first Christmas. We wanted to discover the best sorts of ways to make it fun for everyone involved and we were not disappointed by the many ideas members of the MU team had for making your baby’s first Christmas a wonderful experience filled with love!
Make Your Baby’s First Christmas Magical with These Fun Ideas!
Find an Ugly Christmas Sweater for Your Baby
We love the tradition of ugly Christmas sweaters that are festive but often a bit over-the-top. You can find an appropriately garish sweater for your little one or get matching ones for the whole family. Now, it’s portrait time. You can start this tradition and enjoy ugly sweater season every year! You’ll love looking back at all of those sweaters one day.
The Advent Jar
Another fun holiday tradition you can start on your baby’s first Christmas is a festivity jar! Instead of an advent calendar, grab a small jar. Then, take 24 slips of green and red paper and write a holiday activity on each piece. Think of activities like “take a walk in the snow” or “look at Christmas lights” or “craft a Christmas wreath.” Pull a piece of paper out (eventually this will be your child’s job) and do what the piece of paper says to celebrate every day of the season with that baby.
Baby’s First Christmas Ornament
One of the most celebrated Christmas traditions for newborns is to create or purchase a baby’s first Christmas ornament that will hang on every Christmas tree in the future. It can be a frame ornament with a picture of your baby or you can get even more creative! The important thing is to just mark the occasion with a keepsake that your family will enjoy for years to come.
Baby’s Handprint
You can do this for the Christmas ornament we just mentioned or as a separate project. Using paint, you can take your baby’s hand and footprints to mark the very special moment. Think green and red paint! How cute! Conversely, you can use salt dough to get an impression of your baby’s hands.
Save Some of That First Christmas Tree
Before you put your tree in water, saw off a round from the tree’s trunk. It will preserve well and you can choose to decorate with the date of your baby’s first Christmas. You can even drill a hole through it and use ribbon to turn it into an ornament you will love forever.
Matching Christmas Pajamas
For those Christmas morning pictures, consider coordinating your pajamas so that you and your family all have matching pajamas to wear. You will all look so festive and cute. You can continue this tradition as long as your child will play along!
Go to a Local Tree Lighting Ceremony
Cities big and small across the US often have a Christmas tree lighting ceremony where people gather to watch a big tree get lit up for the first time of the season. Your baby will love seeing those sparkling lights! We know that most of these events will take place past your baby’s bedtime but you can make an exception for Christmas, right?
Storytime
Christmas stories are so fun and full of magic and as children, for many of us, the stories are the best part. Start young! Read your baby Christmas stories that you enjoyed as a kid and discover some new ones to start your own unique traditions.
Visit Santa
The idea of a stranger in a costume holding your infant might be offputting but we promise that those funny baby’s first Christmas with Santa photos are going to be worth it. We encourage parents to take a trip to visit Santa very early on in the season. Like, if you can make it the first days that he’s around, you will likely miss a lot of the long lines.
Dress Up as Santa
If visiting a mall Santa fills you with dread, fear not! There are other alternatives that can turn out to be much more fun. You can dress up as Santa or Ms. Claus and take some fun photos with your baby. We imagine it will be very fun for the whole family! Conversely, if you have a particularly portly and jolly family member, you can ask them for their assistance. We bet they’ll do anything to help make baby’s first Christmas a special one.
Decorate Baby’s Nursery
Why not make your baby’s room extra festive for their first Christmas. Hang some twinkling lights or paper snowflakes from the ceiling. Keep things safely out of reach but really do it up! We bet your little one will enjoy the change of scenery. Who doesn’t like Christmas lights?
An Heirloom Gift
Sure, you should let grandparents and extended family spoil your little one with Christmas gifts but you might want to commemorate baby’s first Christmas with a gift that your child can cherish as an adult. This could be a quilt made from clothes your child has already outgrown or something like a silver rattle that your baby can gift to their own child one day.
Make Cookies for Santa
Okay, we’re actually just encouraging you to make cookies for yourself but it’s a fun Christmas tradition that you can go ahead and start for your baby’s first Christmas. Bake some cookies and set them out for Santa along with some celery and/or carrots for the reindeer. The more photos you can get of these cute moments, the better!
Chart Baby’s Growth
Think of the perfect place to take a picture of your baby. This could be next to the tree or near a hearth just someplace festive that you can return to each year. Take a picture of your child in the exact same spot every Christmas season and you can chart their growth through the years. Bonus points for a cute Christmas outfit!
Put Baby on This Year’s Christmas Cards
For Season’s Greetings on baby’s first Christmas let your child be the star of the show. Snap a festive shot of your baby with some ornaments or in front of poinsettias and then use the image to create Christmas cards that you can send to family and friends.
Hang Little Stockings with Care
Get your baby a special stocking or even hang some Christmas baby sock’s on the mantle. You can keep this special memento of your child’s first Christmas forever.
Have an Immersive Christmas Moment
Your baby’s first Christmas is an opportunity for you to spend some time with your little one and introduce them to the things that make the holiday special. Put on some Christmas music and allow your baby to feel a clipping of your Christmas tree. Allow them to jingle some bells or you can jingle the bells for the baby. Show baby the Christmas tree and lights and let their eyes light up with excitement. Make it special for that little blob of love of yours!
Christmas Baby Mobile
Create a DIY Christmas mobile that’s safe for your baby. This activity is similar to the last, but it will allow your child to have a real hands-on experience. Hang red and green pom poms, small stuffed animals, soft Christmas ornaments, and more from overhead and allow your baby to play with the items.
Got to a Christmas Tree Farm
Christmas tree farms are a lot of fun for the whole family and most offer plenty of opportunities to snap some priceless photos. Your baby will love the smells, sights, and sounds of an exciting visit to the tree farm.
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Play with an Elf on a Shelf
Most Christmas traditions work best when they feel to children as if they’ve always been done. Start them young! For baby’s first Christmas, introduce your little one to an Elf on a Shelf toy and let them touch and play with it if you are comfortable. You can move the elf around your child’s nursery or place it in locations where you know your child will see it. What a blast!
There you go! Are you ready to start some traditions and create memories for your baby’s first Christmas? We hope we presented you with some fun ideas! Christmas is such a magical time for families to bond and celebrate each other. Do your best to get baby involved at every turn and you won’t regret it!
For even more about newborns and Christmas, check out our gift guide!
Shop the Perfect Present with These Newborn Baby Gift Ideas for Parents.
Infant Optics DXR-8 PRO Baby Monitor
$199.99 at the time of publication.
Baby monitors are essential when it comes to keeping a close eye on infants especially when they are sleeping. Parents can place the camera anywhere they want to to get the best view of their little one in their crib and take the monitor wherever they go. This Infant Optix baby monitor is like the Rolls-Royce of monitors making it one of the best newborn baby gift ideas.
Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine
$59.99 at the time of publication.
This sound machine will allow caretakers to control both the nightlight and noise filtering through their child’s right from her phone. The Hatch system creates the ideal sleep environment — recommended by sleep experts — for a child, which in turn, means parents will get a good night’s sleep too. It’s one of the newborn baby gift ideas that can grow with the child and be used for years to come.
Pure Enrichment MistAire Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier
$39.99 at the time of publication.
Keeping the air in your baby’s nursery moisturized is a must for new parents. So, a Humidifier is one of the ideal newborn baby gift ideas. With a nearly five-star review and more than 40,000 reviews on Amazon, this humidifier has a night light, a large water tank, and an automatic shut-off feature! With an easy setup, people who have purchased this product say they “love it,” which means it will make for a great gift.
Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail
$79.99 at the time of publication.
Having babies, comes having lots of diapers to change and if you don’t want used ones sitting in your regular old garbage can, most parents agree that odor-locking diaper pails are a winning solution. This one by Ubbi comes highly rated by other parents. In fact, some are calling it the “best diaper pail ever.” If the parents of the newborn you’re buying for don’t have one yet, it’s one of the best newborn baby gift ideas.
OXO Tot Bottle Brush with Nipple Cleaner and Stand
$7.19 at the time of publication.
With babies come bottles and new parents are going to be using and subsequently washing, a lot of baby bottles. This OXO Tot bottle brush is the one you need as it is one of the most highly rated ones available. If you’re looking for newborn baby gift ideas, this tool is an excellent contender.
Summer Contoured Changing Pad
$34.94 at the time of publication.
Baby Care Play Mat
$179.94 at the time of publication.
It’s the perfect play mat for a little one to get some tummy time on and it’s adorable enough to have it laid out all the time in either their nursery or their playroom. One of the hottest items on most registries, playmats are some of the best newborn baby gift ideas.
WaterWipes Original Baby Wipes (12 Pack)
$34.39 at the time of publication.
Parents are huge fans of these unscented WaterWipes for their little ones. It’s the perfect pair! Many moms have said they are worth the money and perfect for those babies with sensitive skin. Running out of wipes is a literal nightmare so they make excellent newborn baby gift ideas.
Fisher-Price On-the-Go Baby Dome
$63.99 at the time of publication.
Here’s a multi-use item that is going to check off a number of boxes for new parents. When it comes to traveling with a little one, having a safe place for them to sleep and play is so important. And according to parents everywhere, this Fisher-Price On-The-Go Baby Dome is the five-star product you need. “Compact, Convenient, perfect for any baby 7m or younger. Well priced. Wonderful quality!” one parent writes. Sounds like one of the great newborn baby gift ideas to us.
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Muslin Burp Cloths
$8.99 at the time of publication.
These Muslin Burp Cloths are a must-have for new parents! Washable, lightweight, absorbent, and able to be taken anywhere, it’s what parents will use again and again for burping. Give the gift of clean shoulders and a new parent will certainly thank you later.
Did you find the perfect item? We hope you discovered some great newborn baby gift ideas for parents that will help them out in those first weeks as a family together. New parents need all the help they can get so give one of these gifts to lighten the burden.
If you’d like to discover some sensory toys that are excellent for babies, keep reading. We’ve got some truly excellent ones that young ones love.
Baby GUND Animated Flappy The Elephant
$30 at the time of publication
He’s cuddly, he sings, and he plays peek-a-boo. Flappy the Elephant by GUND is the perfect little friend for your adorable little baby at home. And it’s the perfect gift to find under the tree for his or her first Christmas.
UOLIWO Baby TV Remote Control Toy
$15.98 at the time of publication
This remote control toy is so realistic, it may have you second-guessing which remote actually works the television. This UOLIWO baby remote was designed to be an early educational learning toy. Its purpose is to introduce your baby to colors and numbers early on to shape their cognitive and thinking abilities. It’s also BPA-free and non-toxic! So grab a few this Christmas, one for you and one for other little ones in your life!
Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys
$3.68 at the time of publication
When it comes to your growing infant, you can never have too many teether toys to help soothe them as their teeth start to come in. These Nuby Ice Gel Teether Keys can be put in the freezer to give your child relief during the teething process. It also helps your baby exercise their hands and aids in teaching them fine motor skills. And it’s the perfect stocking stuffer!
Little Tikes Go and Grow Lil’ Rollin’ Giraffe Ride-on
$29.99 at the time of publication
Is your little one getting the itch to start walking? We know it may be sad to see them growing up so fast, but they’ll love waking up to this Little Tikes Go and Grow Lil’ Rollin’ Giraffe under the tree! What a fun gift!
Fat Brain Toys Dimpl Baby Toys
$12.95 at the time of publication
As babies grow and start to experience the world through fresh eyes, it’s so important to keep their motor skills as polished as possible. This attention-grabbing toy by Fat Brain helps with that! The silicone colorful bubbles are able to be poked and prodded which also engages the baby’s sense and cause-and-effect learning. Now that’s a Christmas gift worthwhile!
Little Tikes Rocking Horse
$29.99 at the time of publication
Now, this Christmas gift idea is a traditional one. Who else had a rocking chair when they were babies? This one by Little Tikes will have you and your little one smiling with joy. And according to Amazon, it’s durable enough to last generations!
Little Tikes Cape Cottage Playhouse for Kids
$279.99 at the time of publication
Now, this is a gift that will make their eyes go wide on Christmas morning. This Little Tikes Cape Cottage is the perfect place to allow your baby’s imagination run wild. And the best part is, it will be years before they grow out of it!
Simple First Words Let’s Talk
$12.88 at the time of publication
It’s a book that introduces words into your baby’s life for you. This gift will give your little one the gift of knowledge. By pressing the buttons over and over again, they will start to see the pattern between what they are hearing and what they are seeing. And before you know it, they are reading on their own!
Baby GUND My First Toolbox Stuffed Plush Playset
$23.54 at the time of publication
How adorable is this plush My First Toolbox playset by GUND? It comes with a toolbox, a saw, a hammer, a wrench, and a screwdriver to provide endless fun for your growing baby! And it’s the perfect Christmas gift to preserve for years to come so that one day your baby can hand it down to their baby.
Moredig Baby Projector
$27.99 at the time of publication
Fill your baby’s mind with wonder this Christmas by wrapping up this Moredig Baby Projector. Once you turn this machine on, you will fill their nursery with incredible lights and shapes that will shift all around the room. It also plays music and has a timer so that you don’t have to be there to shut it off.
Skip Hop Interactive Shape Sorter
$24.94 at the time of publication
This interactive Yeti by Skip Hop is designed to help your baby develop fine motor skills, problem-solving, and cause and effect. It’s also designed to make your little one smile and giggle all Christmas morning!
Animal Adventure Soft Landing Joyrides
$74.99 at the time of publication
Not only is this an adorable addition to your baby’s nursery, but it’s a cool, modern, and plushy take on the traditional rocking horse. This Animal Adventure Soft Landing Joy rides come in a plethora of characters. So pick which one your baby would like more and watch how excited they get when they see it under the tree Christmas morning.
Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker
$44.99 at the time of publication
This Fisher-Price Infant-to-Toddler Rocker with two bat-at toys is compact enough to take with you everywhere. This means, this isn’t just a gift for your baby, it’s a gift for you too. Safely, heading over to grandma’s house Christmas morning? Take this rocker with you and keep your little one content for hours!
Soft Foam Baby Play Mat
$89.97 at the time of publication
We all know how important tummy time is for your little one, and with germs being a big worry this year, this Soft Foam Baby Play Mat solves all of your problems. Instead of putting your baby right on the carpet that may have been walked on with outdoor shoes, put them on this foam mat. Not only is it comfortable for them, but it comes with barriers so that they can’t roll off of it. It’s also incredibly sleek looking! Merry Christmas to all!
Unisex Infant Support Newborn Lounger Pillow
$19.99 at the time of publication
Are you in need of a place that can pretty much fit anywhere so that you can lay your baby down when you need a free hand but still keep an eye on them? This Infant lounger is not just soft and cuddly, it provides support where your baby needs it most. This may be more of a practical gift for yourself, but your little one doesn’t need to know that.
Blige SMTF Cute Animal Soft Baby Socks Toys Wrist Rattles
$12.68 at the time of publication
How cool are these? While your little one is rolling around on their Soft Foam Baby Play Mat, throw some of these soft wrist rattles on them and watch them light up. These very practical toys for newborns teach them how to engage and realize!
Baby GUND My 1st Teddy Bear Stuffed Animal Plush
$10 at the time of publication
Everyone needs their first teddy and GUND has you and your baby covered. And how pretty is this one? And it makes for the perfect stocking stuffer.
Mini Tudou Baby Blocks Soft Building Blocks
$19.99 at the time of publication
Don’t be afraid if your little one puts these Mini Tudou Baby Blocks in their mouth, they are soft, squeezable, and come in great colors. They also have shapes, animals, various textures, and numbers on them so they can use them for months! These blocks are also BPA-free and non-toxic!
Playskool Glo Worm SmartSense Soft Stuffed Soother Toy
$24.99 at the time of publication
This Amazon Exclusive is an incredibly thoughtful gift to your baby. Playskool created this Glo Worm SmartSence toy that is designed to help your baby self soothe when they get fussy. How does it work? Well, “the SmartSense cry sensor can detect the unique pitch of a baby’s cry, which automatically activates Glo Worm’s soothing sounds and soft glowing light.” It also has a built-in recorder so that you can sing to them, talk to them, and more when you’re not with them.
Playskool Fold ‘n Go Elephant Stuffed Animal
$26.99 at the time of publication
Playskool Fold ‘n Go Elephant is a great Christmas gift that can be used during tummy time and more. And it’s an Amazon Exclusive!
Fisher-Price Walk Bounce & Ride Pony
$37.18 at the time of publication
Help your baby on to go, go with this adorable Fisher-Price Walk, Bounce and Ride Pony. With its ability to do all that, plus glow, sing, and count, your baby will love finding this under the tree Christmas morning!
Skip Hop Explore and More Baby’s View 3-Stage Interactive Activity Center
129.99 at the time of publication
Skip Hop Explore and More Activity Center will leave your baby entertained for hours. It was also designed with the help of a pediatrician and it provides “a ‘whole body’ approach to play.”
Jolly Jumper
$84.39 at the time of publication
And for a more traditional jumper, this Jolly Jumper is one of the most highly rated! These help babies build coordination among other important motor skills, making this the perfect Christmas gift for your little one.
Fisher-Price Animal Activity Jumperoo
$79.99 at the time of publication
This Fisher-Price Animal Activity Jumperoo also allows your baby to jump while also refining their fine motor skills with all of the other activities it comes with! Now that’s a Christmas present! The fun will never stop!
GOODWAY Baby Rattle & Sensory Teether Ball
$16.99 at the time of publication
This GOODWAY Baby Rattle is also a teether toy. Each loop is something that your baby can gnaw on, but when they are not in the mouth, the colorful loops and sounds will captivate your baby’s attention. Now that’s a stocking stuffer.
Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube
$24.99 at the time of publication
This toy is perfect for introducing new sounds into your baby’s life. And the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube can also instill a love of music and instruments into their life. By Christmas night, they’ll be composers of beautiful tunes!
Splashin’kids Inflatable Tummy Time Premium Water Mat
$17.95 at the time of publication
This Splashin’kids Inflatable Tummy Time makes rolling around so much more fun for your little one. The water mat stimulates your baby’s development in terms of having solid head, neck, and shoulder muscles, while also honing their hand-eye coordination and more!
VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube
$17.99 at the time of publication
The VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube “has 5 sides of play that encourage discovery and exploration!” Now that’s a toy you will want to bring with you everywhere your baby goes! What a neat gift!
Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym
$39.88 at the time of publication
Just like the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube, this Fisher-Price Deluxe Kick ‘n Play Piano Gym will also instill a love of music into your child!
VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker
$34.99 at the time of publication
Now, this VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker is perfect for the baby who is on the go, or starting to get there! Not to mention, it has several other attention-grabbing activities that will leave your baby entertain and wide-eyed.
RenFox Kids Musical Mats
$29.99 at the time of publication
Music is so important, and this music-making play mat is so much fun! Whether it be tummy time, rolling, or crawling around, this mat will be music to your baby’s ears, literally!
TIKTOK Kids Musical Instruments
$33.99 at the time of publication
You have a piano, now add a few more instruments into the mix and your baby will soon be creating the soundtrack to your life!
LeapFrog Little Office Learning Center
$39.99 at the time of publication
With many of us bringing our offices home this year, Christmas is the perfect time to bring an office for your baby into the home. This LeapFrog Little Office Learning Center “features a laptop, phone, globe, and more with 27 electronic touchpoints for exciting imitative play.”
Care Bears Grumpy Sing-a-Long Bear Plush
$12.88 at the time of publication
Having had multiple Care Bears growing up in the 90s, how exciting is it that we can now share these pieces of our childhoods with our own baby? Knowing our emotions promotes emotional intelligence so show your child all the human emotions with Grumpy Care Bear, who can sing three songs, dance, talk, and comfort any child.
Organic Farm Buddies Plush Toy
$16.95 at the time of publication
This Organic Farm Buddies Plush Toy is made of hypoallergenic, 100% natural corn fiber filling and is free of harmful chemicals making it the perfect cuddly stuffed doll for your baby. Not to mention, you can purchase it in the form of a Boxer Dog, a Chef Cow, or a Belle Cow. How cute?
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There you have it. From handheld toys to full-on baby pianos and more, this gift guide is here to make it easier for you when deciding what to get the loved one in your life. And if you’re not in the market for baby presents, then check out our other gift guides! There is something for everyone.