A baby's first Christmas in New Zealand is a summer one. The useful presents are for the beach, the deck and warm evenings, not for snow. Babies do not care what is in the parcel, which frees you to give something the family will use in January and something they will keep for twenty years.
For the beach and the paddling pool
- A sand bucket and spade set with a sieve and a few moulds. Choose sturdy ones with no small parts that snap off. A baby who can sit will fill and tip a bucket for a long time.
- A rash shirt and swim nappy set with UPF 50+ fabric and long sleeves.
- A legionnaire hat with a neck flap and a chin strap, in a size up.
- A pop-up beach shelter with UV protection. Parents will thank you for this more than anything else.
- A small paddling pool or a shell pool for the lawn.
- Bath and water toys: stacking cups, a watering can, floating boats. Choose ones without holes that trap water.
- A hooded towel.
Christmas pyjamas for hot nights
Matching Christmas pyjamas are a lovely tradition, and in New Zealand they need to be summer weight. Look for short-sleeved, short-legged cotton, a size bigger than now so they still fit at next year's photos, and a snug fit or a low fire danger label. Many families give them on Christmas Eve so the Christmas morning photos match. See our Christmas Eve pyjamas tradition.
Books
Board books are the best present for a baby: they are chewed, read and loved for years.
- A Kiwi Christmas story. There are New Zealand versions of the night before Christmas and several Christmas picture books set at the beach.
- A Hairy Maclary board book.
- A touch-and-feel or lift-the-flap book.
- A cloth book for the youngest.
Write the date and a message inside the cover.
First Christmas keepsakes
- A tree decoration with their name and the year. Add one each Christmas and by the time they leave home they have a set.
- A handprint or footprint in salt dough. Our salt dough ornament guide shows how.
- A framed photo from the day.
- A letter to them about their first year, sealed for their eighteenth birthday.
- A stocking with their name on it that will be theirs every year.
Toys that last past January
- Wooden stacking rings or cups.
- A set of soft blocks.
- A shape sorter.
- A push-along walker for a baby who is nearly on their feet.
- A soft ball.
- A simple instrument: shaker eggs or a small drum.
One good wooden toy is better than five plastic ones. Good second-hand ones turn up in op shops: see our Thriftmas guide.
Gifts the parents will love
- Meals for the freezer.
- An offer to babysit, written on a card with a date on it.
- A voucher for a family photo session. See our Christmas photo ideas.
- A picnic rug with a waterproof back.
- A contribution to something big they are saving for.
Safety first
- Nothing small enough to fit inside a toilet roll tube for a child under three.
- No button batteries, and check that battery covers screw shut.
- No long cords, ribbons or strings.
- Check the age label on every toy.
- Babies under six months should be kept out of direct sun. Shade, clothing and a hat come first, and sunscreen is for small areas on older babies.
- Never leave a baby alone near water, even a paddling pool with a few centimetres in it.
By age
Newborn to six months: cloth book, soft rattle, hooded towel, keepsake decoration.
Six to twelve months: stacking cups, board books, sand bucket, rash suit and hat, bath toys.
Twelve to eighteen months: push-along walker, shape sorter, ball, spade and watering can, paddling pool.
For older brothers and sisters, see our gift ideas for toddlers.
A message from Santa for a baby
A baby will not chat on the phone, but they will stare at the screen and listen to their own name. A Santa message by email says their name, can be played as often as you like, and comes with an MP3 to keep. It is a first-Christmas keepsake they can hear when they are older. When they are about three, they are ready for Santa to ring.