Baby's First Christmas: Keepsakes and Gifts Worth Buying
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Scout gifts for your person →A baby's first Christmas gift tends to fall into one of three lanes: the keepsake that gets treasured for decades, the outfit built for one great photo, or the practical item that actually earns its keep through daily use. All three are worth giving, and the strongest approach usually combines at least two of them rather than leaning entirely on one.
The two ornaments at the top of this list are both genuine keepsakes, just with a different level of involvement. The handprint version takes an actual impression of the baby and becomes the kind of thing a family pulls out and looks at every single Christmas for years — genuinely more meaningful than a ready-made version, though it does take a few extra minutes of setup. The ceramic ornament covers the same milestone with zero effort required, which matters if you're buying this as a gift for someone else's baby rather than doing the keepsake yourself.
The ugly sweater outfit and the reindeer bathrobe both serve the "wearable" category, but for different reasons — one is built for a single memorable photo or party, the other is built for months of actual daily use after every bath. Neither replaces the other; they answer different questions about what you want the gift to do.
Worth being upfront about the three GUND sensory playsets: they're the same toy format in three different themes, and giving a baby more than one is redundant rather than additive. Pick whichever theme fits the family best — the gingerbread house if you want it to read unmistakably as a Christmas gift, sports or artist if a different theme fits their taste better. And the sippy cup closes the list as the small, practical, inexpensive addition that pairs well with whatever bigger gift you land on.
Pearhead Babyprints handprint and footprint keepsake ornament
The strongest keepsake on this list — a double-sided ornament that actually captures a baby's real handprint and footprint using a clean-touch ink pad, rather than just labeling the year. This is the one that turns into a genuine family heirloom, pulled out and looked at every Christmas for years afterward. Skip if you'd rather have a simpler, ready-made ornament with no assembly required; the ceramic option below covers that.
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Ceramic Baby's First Christmas ornament, 2026
A simple, ready-to-hang ceramic ornament with no ink or assembly required — the easier, faster option if you want a first-Christmas keepsake without the handprint process. Comes with ribbon and a box, so it's gift-ready straight out of the package. Skip if you'd rather have the more personal, hands-on keepsake the Pearhead ornament above provides; the two solve the same need in different ways.
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Baby's first Christmas knit ugly sweater outfit
A photo-ready outfit that leans into the ugly-sweater trend at infant size — genuinely funny and adorable in equal measure, and a great fit if the rest of the family is doing an ugly sweater photo or party this year. Works as both a keepsake and a costume for the day itself. Skip if your family's Christmas photos lean more classic and coordinated than funny and casual.
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Reindeer plush animal face bathrobe
A genuinely practical, wearable gift rather than a single-use photo outfit — a soft plush bathrobe with a reindeer hood that gets used after every bath through the whole winter, not just on Christmas Day itself. A good pick if you'd rather give something with real everyday use built in. Skip if the family already has a bathrobe or towel setup they're happy with.
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GUND My First Sports Bag sensory plush playset
A soft, sensory-focused plush playset built for a baby's first Christmas specifically — rattles, squeakers, and crinkle textures packed into a sports-themed set that's genuinely engaging for a newborn rather than decorative. A good pick if the family has a sports-loving household. Skip if you'd rather choose one of the other GUND playset themes below instead of this one; there's no need to give more than one similar plush set.
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GUND My Little Artist sensory plush playset
The same sensory-toy format as the sports playset above, themed around art and creativity instead — rattle, squeaker, and crinkle textures in a design that appeals to a different taste than the sports theme. Worth choosing based on which theme fits the family better rather than giving both. Skip if you've already chosen a different GUND playset theme on this list.
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GUND My First Gingerbread House sensory plush playset
The most explicitly Christmas-themed of the three GUND sensory sets, built around a gingerbread house design that ties directly into the holiday rather than a general theme. The strongest pick of the three specifically if you want the gift to read as "Christmas" rather than just "baby's first toy." Skip if you'd rather choose the sports or artist theme instead; one sensory playset covers the need nicely.
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Infantino My 1st Tumbler silicone sippy cup
A small, practical closer — a Christmas-tree-printed silicone sippy cup sized for a baby's first sips, useful well beyond the holiday season itself. Inexpensive enough to pair with a bigger gift from this list rather than stand alone. No real skip conditions; every baby graduating to sipping needs a cup eventually, and this one just happens to be festive.
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Scout picks tailored to this guide →Frequently asked questions
What's the best keepsake for a baby's first Christmas?
A handprint or footprint ornament, like the Pearhead Babyprints version, makes the most lasting keepsake since it captures an actual physical record of the baby at that age. A ready-made ceramic ornament is the easier, faster alternative if you'd rather skip the ink and assembly.
Do I need to buy more than one GUND sensory playset?
No — the sports, artist, and gingerbread house playsets all offer the same sensory play format with a different theme. Pick whichever design appeals most to the family, or leans most explicitly Christmas if that's the goal, rather than giving more than one.
What's a practical gift for a baby's first Christmas, not just a keepsake?
The plush bathrobe and the silicone sippy cup are both genuinely useful beyond the holiday itself, unlike a photo outfit or ornament that serves a single purpose. Pairing one practical item with one keepsake item covers both bases well.
Should I get a baby an ugly Christmas sweater outfit?
It's a great pick if the rest of the family is participating in an ugly sweater tradition or photo this year, since it lets the baby match the theme. If your family's Christmas photos lean more classic, a simpler outfit fits better.
What's the difference between the two Baby's First Christmas ornaments?
The handprint ornament is a hands-on keepsake that captures an actual physical impression, while the ceramic ornament is ready-made with no process required. Both mark the same milestone; the choice comes down to whether you want the more personal, involved keepsake or the simpler, faster one.
Is it worth buying decorative baby items that won't get much use?
A first Christmas is one of the occasions where a purely photo-and-keepsake item, like an ornament or a themed outfit, genuinely earns its cost even without daily practical use — the sentimental value tends to outweigh how often it's actually worn or handled.
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