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
Katie's 3 year old rides this one—it has been in the family for over 9 years 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.
Chunky puzzle pieces are perfect for little hands. These are great for introducing your toddler to puzzles.
At Katie’s house, this rocketship has been through four kids (and survived)! It’s so good for developing pretend play + so many language opportunities!
We LOVE toddler standers for helping little ones participate in the day-to-day tasks in the kitchen. This stander is aesthetically pleasing, so well made, and even folds up when you want to tuck it away. It’s a beauty.
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.
Crazy Shape Magnetic Building Set
Katie’s had magnet blocks in her home since her oldest was 18 months old (he turns 8 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.
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.
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!
There is something about taking a toy or material and putting it in a sensory table, that makes kids gravitate to it! We love that this one can be “closed” and doubles as a little table for them to sit or stand.
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.
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—just place a Tonie on the box and the magic happens.
These Play Kits make the perfect gift! A+ all around! Opening them is just a delight and you and your child will both be thrilled to have this gorgeous box of developmentally appropriate toys. Use code WEEGIFT for $12 off! We’ve never seen a code this good!!
Love to encourage creativity but not a huge fan of mess? First of all, same. And second of all, you’ll love these! Kwik Stix 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.
Whether you live in rain or just need a quick pair of boots to throw on for the backyard, we really like these for little feet!
Need a super intentional gift?! This Pinhole Press book is perfect and the quality is amazing. What toddler wouldn’t love seeing photos of themselves and people they love in a durable book?! Use code WEETALKERS to get 25% off your board book purchase.
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 are nice to pull out when you need to make bath time 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
These are just the cutest! They are a staple in our home. Use code WEETALKERS20 for 20% off.
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 🤪
These are simply magical ✨ We love a toy that supports imaginative play! Dress up as a fairy, a bug, a dragon, and more! Their big playsilks are also amazing for open ended play. Use the link above to get a discount! A bunch of their items are on major sale right now for Black Friday!!
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.
Maybe it’s just us, but we wish the world looked a little more like the Happy Folk Hotel. Toddlers LOVE putting things in and taking them out. The play opportunities with these adorable wooden people are endless.
These are not cheap, but we are not lying when we say it is SO WORTH it. Katie has had the same set of Magna-Tiles for nine 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!
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.
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.
These giant floor puzzles are a preschooler’s dream! We love that they don’t use standard straight borders.
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!
We love this game because you play as a family and all work together to accomplish the same goal. It’s always a hit!
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.
There’s something irresistible about a toddler-sized backpack! This one is ready to be stuffed with all the ‘essentials’—like a random rock, a craft box pipe cleaner, that piece of trash you wish they hadn’t picked up, and, of course, a bouncy ball.
Your preschooler will have so much fun with this timeless toy. All aboard! 🚂
We are obsessed with this brand new product that makes helping build your toddlers early literacy skills a breeze! Learning through play for the win! Use code WEEREADING for 10% off.
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 these—minimal mess, lots of fun! 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.
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.
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!
Cute tennis shoes are basically essential. These are fun!
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. The are on major sale for Black Friday right now!
The cactus fruit scent is heavenly. It’s a great styling cream!
Unlock a spa-level glow at home. Your winter skin will be so thankful!
So cozy and the colors are 👌. Treat yourself!
This is one of our most used items. They are just so handy and nice! We love being able to pop them in to listen to an audio book or podcast.
Such a treat if you’re a reader!
The most beautiful, intentional memory book we’ve ever laid eyes on 😍 Even if you didn’t start from the beginning, Kept makes it super doable.
Katie got these for around the house last year and didn’t take them off all winter. So cozy! Carly is eyeing this pair.
The most perfect mug. This lovely company was affected by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, so they could use even more support this season!
We love anything made by Walker Goods, and this toiletry bag is no exception. Plus, the color selection is just perfect.
The sweetest, personalized gift to adorn your fridge! We are big fans.
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. A milk frother adds a little delight to your morning coffee. We’re paper and pen girls, and these pens are our very favorite. This little envelope wallet is so nice to throw in your bag for keeping together all the passes, memberships, and important receipts. Relax and enjoy this matcha coconut blend. We love this for a little face glow. And our winter chapped lips really love this lip mask. 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!