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The best newborn gifts tend to be sentimental, practical or a splurge for the new parents. If you’re looking for ideas for newborn gifts that’ll be appreciated and won’t break the bank, this guide is for you. We’ll be discussing all of the best newborn gifts they actually need, including outfits, personalised gifts, play mats and more.

There’s nothing worse than spending time and effort investing in a present only to realise the receiver’s already been given multiple others, so we’ve tried to focus on practical, outside-of-the-box gifts new parents will truly appreciate.

What are Good Gifts That a Newborn Needs?

If you choose to go the practical route, sticking with the essentials is always an appreciated approach. Newborns don’t need thousands of toys or sleepers, and chances are others have already surprised the new parents with these gifts. Instead, focus on giving gifts that cater to the newborn’s immediate needs or offer long-term practical or sentimental value.

Consumables like diapers, wipes and nappy creams will always be appreciated and make great hamper fillers. Feeding essentials like feeding kits, bottles and teats can be used for months to come and are often forgotten, last-minute purchases for first-time parents.

You also can’t go wrong with going out clothes, sensory toys and other items that are good for development, books and soothers. All of these are gifts that the new parents will appreciate for the baby to use and benefit from.

What are the Best Newborn Gifts for Parents?

If you’re in the mood to splurge, treating new parents to gift vouchers, spa days, date nights and weekends away will always go down well. If you’re looking to impress on a budget, you can never go wrong with thoughtful, personalised gifts. A personalised teddy, bespoke baby journal with keepsake cover, baby book with box or customised baby soother will all be memorable.

Best Newborn Gifts in 2024:

A Custom-Name Embroidered Jellycat Bunny

Jellycat toys are uber popular right now, and interest in the brand has grown by 59% over the last year. Jellycats are adorable soft toys that come in a range of cute designs, including bunnies, cats, food shapes and more.

On its own, Jellycat soft toys are fun newborn gifts. If you want to take it a step further, getting a custom-name embroidered Jellycat plush is a lifelong keepsake that parents will love.

The Bashful Bunny can be personalised on both ears up to 10 characters and is available in green, lilac, cottontail, hyacinth, lemon and other colours available. You can pick from six thread colours (black, white, pink, blue, beige and grey) to personalise with.

Here’s what personalised Jellycat embroidery looks like:

Shop high-quality Jellycat plush toys online now. Check out our Jellycat bunny personalisation service, with plenty of fun, exclusive shades to choose from and give the best newborn gifts for parents today.

Cinnamon Baby Outfit

This brand consistently offers affordable, trendy newborn outfits. We stock multiple collections, including the Coral, CinCin and Hoola ranges. Hooded towels, baby trunks, swim bottoms, rompers and other cute newborn clothes are available.

We recommend pairing an outfit and accessories to give your friend the full get-up. The Terry Chocolate Bucket Hat pairs well with the Chocolate Coral Romper for a cute summer set. You can add some matching socks to really tie it together.

Summer babies will love the CinCin romper, shorts and cap combo. Winter newborns would look great in a puffer jacket and tracksuit pants fit, and all newborns can enjoy a Cinnamon Baby Solar Sun Swaddle to sleep in ultimate comfort.

Soll The Label Outfit

SOLL The Label’s summer collection is perfect for dressing little ones in style during the hotter months. Cotton singlets, overalls, beach hats and skirts all make wonderful newborn gifts. Made from high-quality, natural materials,, this collection is soft on baby’s skin and breathable, so they don’t overheat in the summer months.

Check out:

• 100% Cotton Singlets
• Summer Bucket Hat
• Lilac Overalls
• Tee & Short Set

Snuggle Hunny Kids - Essential Silicone Meal Kit:

A lot of people give newborn gifts to first-time parents, but many forget the challenges and expenses quickly approaching down the line. When bub is ready to start eating, usually at around 5-6 months, many parents feel anxious and have to navigate new foods, meal prep and clean-up.

The Snuggle Hunny Essential Meal Set is a five-piece kit that has everything parents need to make mealtimes easier. Available in multiple colours, each kit has a suction plate, suction bowl, bib, cutlery set and sippy cup with straw. Made from premium LFGB silicone, these are easy to clean, dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe.

Want to give a smaller gift? Snuggle Hunny is a great choice:

• Bibs - dishwasher-safe, easy-clean silicone bibs that fit babies and toddlers.
• Bibs Cup Set - ergonomic, non-slip cups that are designed for on-the-go snacking, this cup set is perfect for food newbies.
• Small Snack Box - made from premium silicone, dishwasher-safe and leak-resistant, the small snack box is perfect for nappy bag snacking.
• Bibs Dinner Set - promote self-feeding and the development of fine motor skills with a safe, silicone dining set.
• Glass Bottles - made of durable and heat-resistant borosilicate glass, feature a natural rubber latex nipple with an anti-colic function, ensuring a safe and healthy feeding experience without the emission of microplastics

Done By Deer - Sensory Play & Activity Sets:

This Danish brand is highly innovative and offers bespoke play solutions including activity gyms and sensory play mats. A Done By Deer gift is a fun newborn gift that will be well-appreciated. Finding high-quality toys that’ll keep newborns entertained often falls to the back of new parents' minds, and leads to panic-buying low-quality Amazon purchases.

The sensory play mat features different sounds and textures, including crinkles and rattles, to keep babies entertained for hours. This padded play mat is perfect for tummy time and is made from soft polyester, creating a comfortable, safe play area for baby.

Done By Deer Play Mat:

The soft quilted mat provides a secure and warm play area. Each mat has five adorable toys with stimulating features that can be easily moved around on the arches. With 13 spots on the arches, this play mat encourages your little one to grasp and interact with the toys and can be used for active tummy time.

Done By Deer Activity Gym:

This free-standing and flexible gym allows for easy adjustment of both width and height by changing the distance between the sand-filled feet, accommodating your growing baby's reach. Whether used on the floor, in bed, a playpen, over a cosy nest, or during changing time, the gym offers versatile play options

Bibs - Bibsworld Night Glow Pacifier:

High-quality, BPA-free pacifiers that glow in the dark so new parents can find them in a hitch? BIBS ‘Night Glow’ pacifiers are the perfect newborn gifts, featuring a glow-in-the-dark ring that stands out in the dark.

BIBS ‘De Lux’ Night Glow pacifiers have a round nipple and an elegant matte finish for a timeless look. Available in silicone and natural latex, De Lux pacifiers are designed to support breastfeeding and make great first dummies for babies.

OiOi - Baby Travel Bag Gifts for New Mums

A Faux Leather Pram Caddy makes a lovely gift for new mums. Detachable straps, water-resistant nylon lining and a multi-compartment, removable divider design make this a practical, lightweight addition to any pram! Fitting single and double prams alike, this stylish nappy bag is perfect for on-the-go mums who want a practical, secure pram caddy to use.

If you want to buy a really special newborn gift, an OiOi Signature Nappy Backpack is one of the best quality nappy bags on the market. It’s been consistently rated the best nappy bag in Australia for the past four years and for very good reason. Crafted from premium faux leather, each bag has eight pockets, with multiple internal pockets, two insulated bottle pockets and zipper pockets. There’s a laptop compartment in the main bag, and OiOi’s functional design can hold up to 20L of capacity. This nappy bag is one of the best newborn gifts if you’re looking to give something sentimental and practical.

Conclusion:

The best gifts for newborns are practical and sentimental. Anything new parents can get repeated use out of or are personalised to celebrate a special milestone is sure to be appreciated. This guide covered all of the gifts new parents will love in 2024, including personalised Jellycat soft toys, sensory play mats and more. If you’re ready to shop high-quality fun newborn gifts, shop online with Active Baby Co now.