2025 gift guide for babies, toddlers, and mamas (and grandmas, too!)
We know the holiday season can feel loud and overwhelming—between the pressure to do all the things, rising costs, and the endless options out there, it’s a lot.
We DO want to offer thoughtful suggestions you can feel good about (while also reducing the pressure to buy more than you need). We hope you’ll view these recommendations as just that… recommendations! Simple, yet beautiful gift ideas that have stood the test of time in our own homes and families.
As speech language pathologists, we’re often asked which gifts encourage talking and language development. The truth? No specific toy makes toddlers talk. It’s the everyday interactions (playing, talking, reading) that matter most. That’s exactly what we teach in our TalkToddler Course, because investing in your knowledge as a parent is priceless.
If you’re looking for something educational for your toddler, we recommend our Songs+Stories membership (it’s honestly great for all kids!). It’s intentional, slow-paced content that engages kids without overstimulating them. PLUS, you’ll get access to our podcast for toddlers + preschoolers. It’s perfect for parents who are intentional about what their kids learn, listen to, and watch.
All that said, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite items for babies, toddlers, preschoolers and mamas (+grandmas) too. Enjoy!
Gifts for babies
A sweet set your little one will grow with. Perfect for pretend play, naming, and nurturing (and just the right size for tiny hands)!
We love a gift that encourages more time outside. This swing is a classic and will last for years.
Our favorite first utensil for starting solids! The clever design helps food stay put while babies practice self-feeding—a practical win for everyone.
A playtime staple that’s fun for stacking, exploring, and even playing peek-a-boo through the rings! Plus, it looks super cute on a shelf.
A great way to prevent slipping while practicing pulling to stand and taking first steps! Super cozy and we love this brand.
Warm, cozy, and practical for winter adventures. We love the foldover hand and foot flaps for easy outings in chilly weather.
Well-made, adorable, and designed for little hands learning to sip from a straw. The silicone sleeve keeps it protected and easy to grip.
TalkBaby by Wee Talkers
This fun and doable course is packed with simple strategies to support your baby’s early communication. Plus, enjoy 15 engaging songs and rhymes to sing together, making learning fun and memorable. Gift certificates available!
A cute and colorful toy that’s also amazing for fine motor skills! Sort, count, and put in/take out the spikes on this sweet little hedgehog.
Perfect for tossing in a diaper bag! Soft and easy for little hands to flip through.
These products look and smell amazing, and they’re a huge help for babies with sensitive skin. Once you’ve tried this brand, it’s hard to use anything else!
We love this set of books for little hands! Plus, the author is a fellow SLP, so you know it’s good for early language.
We love this sweet, hooded rabbit towel in particular because it’s a great size—they can grow into it as they reach toddlerhood. Plus, nothing is cuter than a freshly bathed babe! 😭😍
A meaningful keepsake that features your baby’s favorite people and moments. The quality is so good. Use code WEETALKERS for 30% off your board book purchase this holiday season.
This cute little bear is just the right size for tiny hands to shake and explore cause-and-effect play.
Thick, organic cotton jammies that are definitely hand me down quality. They have the 2 way zipper (IYKYK!) and wash so well.
STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS FOR BABIES:
For stocking stuffers for babies, we’re big fans of gifting practical items—the things you probably need to buy anyway, but aren’t as boring as diapers. This is the best teether that doesn’t fall out of their hands. We love these light-weight books that babies can’t rip. This is go-to lotion for little ones (it’s magic ✨). You’ll be so happy to have a reusable pouch that’s easy to clean. And this sweet lovie will make their stocking even cuter.
GIFTS FOR TODDLERS
We love the bigger blocks that are a little easier for little hands to manipulate before they’re quite ready for smaller lego! A gift that’s easy to add to a collection, too.
Songs + Stories
Taking something off your plate and finding high-quality, engaging screen time for when you need a few minutes to yourself is TRULY the gift that will keep on giving! With a Songs + Stories membership, your family can access a huge library of storytimes and songs and rhymes classes every month, all led by speech therapists. It’s something they will love, and you can feel really good about. Gift cards here.The perfect size for dolls and stuffies, your little one will love pushing this all around the house.
Balance Bike
Katie's kids all rode this one (like literally passed it down through 4 kids and it’s still in great shape). Balance bikes are a great way to help your little one be a successful, early bike rider! You can start around 18 months.Tonie Box
A fantastic screen-free gift for toddlers! The Tonie Box is an audio player that uses small, figurine-like characters to connect to the top of the device. It’s incredibly simple to use, with no buttons or screens. You just place a “Tonie” on the box and the magic happens.Service Station Parking Garage
The kind of toy that will pull even the biggest of kids into play. Use it with the cars it comes with or other small cars you already have on hand. Melissa and Doug toys are SUCH good quality!
Sarah’s Silks Capes
Our kids have have all loved dress-up clothes, and we feel like it’s something they come back to again and again for years. We also love the rainbow playsilk for open ended play. They can be anything from a super hero to a queen. Use the link above to get a discount on these super high quality, heirloom pieces.Rain Boots
Whether you live in a rainy climate or just need a quick pair of boots to throw on for the backyard, we really like these for little feet!Love to encourage creativity but not a huge fan of mess? First of all, same. And second of all, you’ll love these! These are super fast-drying paint sticks with vibrant colors little ones love. They’re easily one of the most used items in our craft closet! We love to use them on cardboard boxes (upcycling win!) or roll out a big sheet of paper and let our toddlers go.
The chunky figures are easy to manipulate and play with! The little people stage is always such a sweet one for our kids and we love how easily you can mix and match sets to expand play.
The perfect amount of weight and can be heated up to stay warm for hours, our kids have loved these for years!
Crazy Shape Magnetic Building Set
Katie’s had magnet blocks in her home since her oldest was 18 months old (he turns 12 soon!). They’ve held up SO well and are often in the toy rotation. This set of magnetic building blocks come in tons of different shapes, but they all stick together really well, so kids can build allll kinds of things—and practise their constructive play skills.
A toy with so much longevity! If you have space for this outside, it makes a wonderful toy to grow with your child. It comes with a foot plate to close off the bottom if your little one isn’t quite big enough to use their feet to get around!
Endless racing fun! This flexible track twists, loops, and rolls out anywhere—and when playtime’s over, it rolls right up for easy storage.
Ahh, the play kitchen. Our #1 go-to toy for speech therapy and our own kids! In short: we’re here for all of it! We love this one because it’s super simple. No buttons to push to make noise or unnecessary bells and whistles. Your toddler gets to do the talking and exploring AND it’s super cute.
Doctor Kit
Such a fun way to encourage pretend play for little ones. It’s perfect for teaching body parts and playful expressions like 'yay!', 'ow!', and 'ahhh' (when you stick your tongue out). Plus—a little parent hack—it’s one of our favorites for low-energy days. Just lie back and let your toddler take the lead as the doctor while you play the patient!
STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS FOR TODDLERS:
If you’re in need of some stocking stuffer inspo, here’s a few things we love to gift. A darling little wooden cars or kid safe nail polish for when they’re feeling fancy. These make bath time way more fun, a tonie box figure or yoto card, or a flashlight that makes everything more exciting. Little wooden people or animals to mix and match with Magna-tiles or blocks.
GIFTS FOR PRESCHOOLERS
Cozy Robe - Our kids want to be cozy as much as we do and what better way than with the softest robe? Perfect for the bathtime routine!
Rainbow Blocks Set - This wooden block and gem set is gorgeous and easily mixes in with other building toys. We love open ended toys that are also beautiful! Use code WEETALKERS for 10% off.
Modeling Clay
You might wonder if your child is old enough for something like this, but we totally think they’ll love it and that you’ll be surprised at how capable they are!! Plus, it’s a fun thing to do together. It’s not super messy, comes with lots of color options, googly eyes, and sculpting tools.Such a great bedtime routine! Katie’s kids have been warming up these sweet stuffed animals and sleeping with them for years.
Yoto Player
A wonderful screen free entertainment option, the Yoto Player is an audio device that plays content from physical cards. With its pixelated display (a bit of a retro vibe!), and simple button interface, Yoto allows kids to rather independently explore a library of content. We love both the mini and the full size! If you’re a songs and stories member you also have access to our podcast where files can be downloaded to create make your own yoto cards!Songs + Stories
Taking something off your plate and finding high-quality, engaging screen time (+ kids podcast episodes) for when you need a few minutes to yourself is TRULY the gift that will keep on giving! With a Songs + Stories membership, your family can access a huge library of storytimes and songs and rhymes, all led by speech therapists. It’s something they will love (and you’ll feel really good about). Gift cards here.Sarah’s Silks Dress Up
These are simply magical ✨ We love a toy that supports imaginative play! Dress up as a fairy, a bug, a dragon, and more! This rainbow rocket set is the sweetest. Their big play silks are also amazing for open ended play. Use the link above to get a discount!Cash Register
Such a great toy for pretend play! But watch out, preschoolers tend to overcharge you 🤪 We love this particular cash register because it’s simple and not super noisy.These provide actual hours of entertainment and the best part is that they can be reused over and over for new creations!
This is the perfect addition to a scooter or bike as it’s big enough to hold a water bottle or stuffies and whatever other treasures might be found!
A fun way to see things from their perspective. Pair it with a photo album for the sweetest memory keeping!
Calico Critters
Carly’s girls have been obsessed with these for years. They allow for a lot of open ended play and mix well with other toys. And we find them so adorable that we don’t mind them spread all over the floor 🤪Perfect for getting a closer look at rocks (or leaves or bugs!) with a handle to carry it around too.
Water Bottle
Our go-to for kids water bottles. It has a COVERED straw! Or you can choose not to drink from the straw and drink out of the spout. The world is your oyster.Train Set
Your preschooler will have so much fun with this timeless toy. All aboard! 🚂This is a great “collection” gift - friends and family can contribute sets over time to further play and build more epic tracks.Magna-Tiles
These are not cheap, but we are not lying when we say they are SO WORTH it. Katie has had the same set of Magna-Tiles for 10 years and they’re stillllll going! And they grow with your child. When they’re 12 months, they can just explore how they stick together, and by three years old, they’re building magnificent creations! We love adding to the collection for holidays and birthdays.
STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS FOR PRESCHOOLERS:
There are so many fun stocking stuffers for preschoolers! Here are a few things we include year after year with our own kids: This drawing tablet is so nice to have at home or on-the-go. Our kids love using this to look at little bugs and things they find outside. These blow up wubble balls, are not quite balloons, but not quite balls—see for yourself! Wikki stix are a go to for creative little minds. If you’re looking for something practical, we’re pretty obsessed with these water bottles for kids. Or these mini magna-tiles for something to do while waiting at a restaurant or doctor’s appointment. And throw in this little counter clicker thing—kids LOVE pushing the counter to see how many red things they can find, how many toys they cleaned up, or how many cars they have in their basket. This skytail is also really fun and will get a lot of play!
Gifts for moms
Or the special woman in your life — grandmas, aunts, friends, teachers, etc. — all who care for kids. Hiii dads, we love you too, but you’re not as easy to shop for! (although, these slippers might be nice?). If you have some good suggestions though, drop them in the comments below.
Travel Mug
The to-go mug of our dreams! The Carter Move Mug has all the practicality and reliability we’re looking for in a travel tumbler, without all the fuss. It’s durable, well insulated (hellooo hot coffee, even after hours on the go), leak-proof, and ready for all of your adventures. And an added bonus? There are sooo many fun colors to choose from!New Balance Sneakers
Cute tennis shoes are basically essential. These are fun and SO incredibly comfortable.Hatch Clock
Do your kids wake you up in the morning, or do you use an alarm clock? We’ve been through both phases, but on the rare days we can get up a bit before they do, it makes a world of difference (if the stars align 🤣). This clock is perfect for winding down at night and waking up gently in the morning—a truly lovely start to the day! We love the one for kids, too.OSEA Body Scrub + Body Oil
Unlock a spa-level glow at home. Your winter skin will be so thankful!Kindle Case (and Kindle)
Game changer! And a colorful, functional case is an upgrade for any mom who loves to read!
Parachute Robe
So cozy and the colors are 👌. Treat yourself!Bombas Gripper Slippers
Katie got these for around the house last year and didn’t take them off all winter. So cozy! Carly loves this pair.The perfect piece that’s simple but beautiful and goes with everything!
Make it easier to find (and keep up) with your airpods with this pretty case you can throw on your key ring.
Wear it cross-over style or on your waist. A splurge but such good quality!
SO good. A simple makeup routine is our jam. We love how user-friendly these products are!
Nothing better than getting into bed with a super nice pair of pjs!
If you’ve been wanting to try a new hobby, we love how approachable this kit makes learning needlepoint! Winter is the perfect time to cozy up with something new and bonus points that it keeps us off our phones!
Love this beaded bag charm. Add some fun to your bag OR attach it to your keys and make finding your keys that much easier!
We love a good cozy sweatshirt!
STOCKING STUFFER IDEAS FOR MOMS:
Whether you fill your own stocking or want to pass on a little list of ideas, here are some things we love. We’re paper and pen girls, and these pens are our very favorite. This is Carly’s go to afternoon pick me up on cold winter days. We love this for a little face glow oh and this for sunscreen. We also love this for lips!
We put this list together just for fun. There are a some affiliate links in this post, which means that we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you in advance should you wish to use them!