Baby's First Christmas: Holiday Safety Tips and Gift Ideas (2026)

A baby's first Christmas is mostly for the adults. The baby won't remember the gifts, but they will reach for every light, bauble and ribbon within range. So the most useful thing you can do before the holidays is make the tree and the living room safe, then choose a few gifts that match the baby's age.

This guide covers both. The safety tips come from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Most of the gifts come from our gifts for babies under 1 guide, where each was chosen because its listing covers the first year. We added a holiday book and two keepsakes for the parents. We did not test any of them. Prices are the regular list price, and every pick is sold by Amazon.com.

First-Christmas Gifts at a Glance

Key point: buy for the age on the listing, not the age the baby will be next year. Our toy safety guide by age explains why a "3+" label on a toy usually means small parts.

Holiday Safety: Trees, Lights and Candles

The AAP's holiday decoration safety tips and the CPSC's holiday safety page cover the same ground. Here is what they say about the tree, lights and candles.

• A live tree: the AAP says to check it for freshness; the needles should be hard to pull off. Trim the trunk and keep the stand filled with water. The CPSC says to water live Christmas trees.
• An artificial tree: both say to look for a "fire resistant" label.
• Placement: the AAP says to place the tree away from fireplaces, radiators or portable heaters.
• Lights: the AAP says to check all lights before hanging them for burned-out bulbs, frayed wires, broken sockets and loose connections. The CPSC says never to string together more than three sets of incandescent lights, and never to overload outlets. For outdoor lights, the AAP says to check that they are certified for outdoor use.
• Candles: the CPSC says never to leave candles unattended, to keep them away from flammable items and put them out before leaving the room, and to use flameless candles whenever possible.
• After the gifts: the AAP says to remove all wrapping paper, bags, ribbons and bows from the tree and fireplace areas once gifts are opened.

Pro tip: a crawling or cruising baby can pull a tree over. The simplest fix is to keep the tree in a room you can close off with a gate at the doorway. Our baby gates guide compares hardware-mounted and pressure gates for doorways.

Ornaments, Tinsel and Button Batteries

This is where a baby is most at risk, because everything on a low branch goes into the mouth.

The AAP says that in homes with small children, you should avoid decorations that are sharp or breakable, and keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children. It also says to choose tinsel or artificial icicles of plastic or nonleaded materials.

The AAP's decoration tips also warn about button batteries. It says to keep children away from button batteries and lithium coin batteries. Secure the battery compartments on electronic toys, string lights, flameless candles, light-up necklaces, and musical ornaments and books, and wrap used batteries before you throw them away.

Key point: a practical rule for the first Christmas is to put nothing on the bottom third of the tree. Unbreakable, baby-safe ornaments are still small enough to choke on. The finished Pearhead handprint ornament in this guide is a keepsake for the parents, and it belongs on a high branch.

Holiday Plants and Holiday Food

The AAP says to place potentially poisonous holiday plant decorations out of reach, and to call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if you think a child has eaten something harmful. Keep that number in your phone before the guests arrive.

Holiday gatherings also mean nuts, hard candy and small foods on low tables. The CDC's guide to choking hazards for young children lists whole or chopped nuts and seeds, and round or hard candy, among the foods to avoid for young children. Keep bowls on high surfaces, and ask guests not to feed the baby.

Keep the Sleep Space Bare

The holidays bring plush gifts, stockings and garlands, and none of them belong in or over a crib. The AAP's safe sleep guide for parents says there should be no blankets, pillows, stuffed toys or bumper pads in a baby's bed. Don't hang a stocking or garland on the crib, and keep a holiday blanket for the adults. Travelling to family? Our play yards guide covers a safe sleep space away from home.

Gifts for a Baby's First Christmas

These gifts come from our under-1 guide, and each listing covers the age given. Check the baby's age before choosing between the first two groups.

Under 6 months. The Sassy Tummy Time Floor Mirror ($14.99) is listed for 0+ months and stands on the floor for tummy time. The Bright Starts Oball Easy-Grasp Rattle ($5.99) is listed for newborns and up and is easy for small hands to grip. For a stocking, Indestructibles: Jingle Baby ($5.99) is a holiday book that its listing calls chew-proof, rip-proof and washable.

6 to 12 months. The Lamaze Peek-A-Boo Forest Soft Book ($14.99) and the B. toys Soft Blocks ($14.13) are both listed for 6 months and up, and both are soft enough to throw and chew. The Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack & Blocks ($18.64) is a classic stacking and sorting pair. For a bigger gift, the Hape Baby Drum ($26.99) plays when tapped or rolled; its listing doesn't name the battery type, so check the compartment is screwed shut.

For more options, see gifts for babies under 1, gifts for 1-year-olds for a baby who turns one over the holidays, and our baby and toddler gifts under $50.

Keepsakes for the Parents

Two gifts are for the adults, since they will remember this Christmas and the baby won't.

The Pearhead Hello Baby First 5 Years Memory Book ($19.99) has prompted pages for milestones and yearly highlights from birth to age 5, per the listing. The Pearhead Babyprints Ornament Kit ($10.99) makes a handprint or footprint ornament about 5 in across, with clay, a shaping ring and a ribbon. The clay dries in 24 to 48 hours, so make it early and hang it high.

Pearhead recalled a different product in 2025: the CPSC's recall of Pearhead infant learning toy sets covered a wooden egg-shaped rattle that could lodge in a child's throat. Neither Pearhead item here is a toy for the baby. Before buying any baby toy, search it on our baby and toy recalls page.

Bottom line: make the tree safe first. Keep breakables, tinsel and small parts high, secure battery compartments, water the tree and never leave candles burning. Then give one or two gifts whose listing covers the baby's age, and a keepsake for the parents. To time bigger purchases, compare prices in our Black Friday baby gear guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you get a baby for their first Christmas?

A toy whose listing covers the baby's age, plus a keepsake for the parents. Under 6 months, a Sassy tummy-time mirror ($14.99) or Oball rattle ($5.99). From 6 months, B. toys soft blocks ($14.13) or a Lamaze cloth book ($14.99). For the parents, a memory book ($19.99) or handprint ornament kit ($10.99).

How do I baby-proof a Christmas tree?

The AAP says to avoid sharp or breakable decorations in homes with small children, keep trimmings with small parts out of reach, and use plastic or nonleaded tinsel. Keep the bottom of the tree bare, secure battery compartments on lights and musical ornaments, and consider gating the room.

Are button batteries in holiday decorations dangerous?

Yes. The AAP says to keep children away from button and lithium coin batteries, to secure battery compartments on string lights, flameless candles and musical ornaments and books, and to wrap batteries before disposal.

Are Christmas plants poisonous to babies?

The AAP says to place potentially poisonous holiday plant decorations out of reach, and to call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 if you're worried. Keep every holiday plant off the floor and low tables.

Can I put a Christmas stocking or blanket in my baby's crib?

No. The AAP says there should be no blankets, pillows, stuffed toys or bumper pads in a baby's bed. Keep stockings, garlands and plush gifts out of and away from the crib.