Your baby’s first Christmas is a special milestone, whether they’re a few days old or approaching their first birthday.
They may not understand Christmas yet, but they can still enjoy familiar faces, festive sounds, colourful decorations and plenty of cuddles. For parents, it’s also a chance to create memories and start traditions that can continue as your family grows.
This guide covers the key things you need to plan a relaxed and memorable first Christmas with your baby.
What do babies understand at Christmas?
Babies obviously don’t understand presents, Father Christmas or family traditions, but they will notice the sights, sounds and activity around them.
Younger babies may respond to familiar voices, music, lights and cuddles, while older babies may enjoy touching wrapping paper, looking at decorations and opening presents with help.
Every baby is different. Some will enjoy being surrounded by family, while others may become tired or overwhelmed by the noise and attention.
Planning baby’s first Christmas
It can be tempting to fill the day with visits, presents and photographs, but your baby will still need their usual feeds, naps and quiet time.
Choose two or three moments that matter most, such as:
- Opening presents together
- Taking a family photograph
- Visiting grandparents
- Sharing Christmas dinner
- Going for a festive walk
- Reading a Christmas story
Try not to plan too many visits in one day. Celebrating with different relatives across several days can make Christmas feel much more manageable.
It also helps to create a quiet space where you can feed, change or settle your baby away from the main gathering.
Baby’s first Christmas traditions
Simple traditions are often the easiest to continue every year.
Choose a Christmas bauble
A personalised bauble featuring your baby’s name, birth date or photograph can be brought out every Christmas and kept as a lasting reminder of their first festive season. You could also choose from a wider range of Christmas decorations and stockings to begin building your family’s festive collection.
Give a Christmas book
Choose a festive story and write a message inside the cover. You can read the same book together every Christmas Eve or build a collection as your child grows.
Take the same photograph each year
Photograph your child beside the tree, in the same chair or holding the same soft toy each Christmas. Over time, the photographs will show how much they’ve grown.
Write your baby a letter
Record where you spent Christmas, who was there, your baby’s latest milestones and your favourite memories from the day. Store the letter in a memory box for them to read when they’re older.
Go for a Christmas walk
A gentle walk to see festive lights or enjoy some fresh air can become a welcome family tradition and provide a break from a busy house.
Baby’s first Christmas gift ideas
Babies don’t need lots of presents. A few carefully chosen Christmas gifts for little ones that suit their age or hold sentimental value are often more meaningful.
Gifts for newborn babies
Suitable ideas include:
- Soft playmats
- High-contrast books
- Rattles
- Sensory toys
- Hooded towels
- Sleepsuits
- Personalised blankets
- Memory books
- Keepsake boxes
Our wider collection of baby gifts can also help you find practical and sentimental presents for a newborn’s first Christmas.
Gifts for babies aged three to six months
Look for toys that encourage reaching, looking, listening and grasping, such as:
- Tummy-time toys
- Play gyms
- Teething toys
- Soft books
- Baby-safe mirrors
- Lightweight rattles
- Textured sensory toys
Gifts for babies aged six to twelve months
Older babies may enjoy:
- Stacking cups
- Shape sorters
- Activity cubes
- Board books
- Musical toys
- Push-along toys
- Nesting toys
- Large building blocks
You can browse toys by age to find developmentally appropriate options for younger and older babies.
Always check the recommended age and ensure toys do not contain small or detachable parts.
Meaningful first Christmas keepsakes include:
- A personalised bauble
- A photo frame
- A handprint or footprint kit
- A named stocking
- A first Christmas book
- An engraved keepsake box
- A personalised blanket
For an especially meaningful present, consider a personalised baby gift featuring their name or birth details.
Choosing baby’s Christmas outfit
Choose an outfit that looks festive but is still comfortable for feeding, sleeping and nappy changes.
Look for soft fabrics, easy fastenings and lightweight layers that can be removed if the house becomes warm. The baby Christmas outfits collection includes festive clothing designed with little ones in mind.
Bring at least one complete spare outfit in case of spills or nappy accidents. You may also prefer to take photographs early before changing your baby into something more practical.
For quieter parts of the day, comfortable baby pyjamas and sleepsuits can help your little one stay cosy without restricting movement.
Baby’s first Christmas photo ideas
You do not need an elaborate backdrop to take meaningful photographs.
Try capturing:
- Baby beside the Christmas tree
- Baby wearing festive pyjamas
- Baby opening their first present
- Baby with parents, siblings or grandparents
- Tiny hands or feet beside a bauble
- Baby looking at a Christmas book
- A cuddle before bedtime
- A family photograph outdoors
Take photographs when your baby is fed and rested, use natural light where possible and keep each photo session short.
Remember to ask someone else to take photographs so that parents and carers appear in the memories too.
Managing naps and routines
Christmas does not need to follow your normal timetable perfectly, but familiar feeds, naps and bedtime routines can help your baby stay settled.
If staying away, take things that normally help them sleep, such as:
- Their usual sleep bag
- A familiar bedtime book
- A fitted sheet
- A travel cot
- White noise
- A baby monitor
Your baby should sleep on their back on a clear, firm, flat surface, without pillows, loose bedding, cot bumpers, or soft toys.
If your baby falls asleep in their car seat during a journey, move them to a suitable flat sleep space when you reach your destination.
Managing visitors at Christmas
It’s fine to set boundaries around holding, kissing and visiting your baby.
Ask visitors to wash their hands and postpone their visit if they are unwell. Anyone with a cold sore should not kiss your baby.
You also do not need to pass your baby around the room. If they become tired or unsettled, take them somewhere quiet or keep them close to you.
Loved ones looking for suitable presents can find practical ideas in our collection of gifts for new parents, as well as presents chosen specifically for babies.
Travelling with a baby at Christmas
Pack essential items separately so they are easy to reach.
Your Christmas travel bag and must-haves may include:
- Nappies and wipes
- Spare clothes
- Feeding equipment
- Bibs and muslins
- Medicines
- Baby food
- A favourite toy
- A sleep bag
- A travel cot
-
A pushchair or carrier
Before visiting, check where your baby will sleep and whether the house has open fires, stairs, pets or decorations within reach.
Making Christmas decorations baby-safe
Babies may be fascinated by lights, baubles and wrapping, so keep decorations out of reach.
Secure the Christmas tree and avoid placing glass ornaments, small decorations, ribbons or tinsel on lower branches.
Also keep cables, button batteries, magnets, hot drinks, candles and small toy parts away from your baby.
Clear away wrapping paper, plastic packaging and gift ties as presents are opened.
Baby’s first Christmas checklist
Before Christmas
- Decide where you will spend the day
- Limit the number of visits
- Choose a simple family tradition
- Buy age-appropriate gifts
- Prepare a keepsake or memory box
- Check travel and sleep arrangements
- Plan suitable food if your baby is weaning
Our complete Christmas collection brings together festive outfits, decorations, gifts and toys to help you prepare.
On Christmas Day
- Keep feeds and naps flexible
- Take photographs while your baby is rested
- Open presents slowly
- Give your baby quiet breaks
- Supervise food and play
- Keep decorations and packaging out of reach
- Do not worry if plans change
Frequently asked question
What should I do for my baby’s first Christmas?
Focus on a few meaningful moments, such as opening a special present, taking photographs, reading a festive story or visiting close relatives.
How many presents should I buy my baby?
There is no correct number. One suitable toy, one practical gift and one keepsake can be more than enough. For smaller present ideas, browse our Christmas stocking fillers.
Will my baby remember their first Christmas?
Your baby is unlikely to remember the day, but photographs, letters and keepsakes will allow you to share the memories with them later.
What is a good first Christmas tradition?
A personalised bauble, Christmas book, annual photograph or letter to your baby can all become meaningful traditions.
Should I wake my baby to open presents?
There is no need to wake them. Let your baby sleep and open presents once they are rested.
How can I keep my baby calm at Christmas?
Protect feeds and naps where possible, limit visits and create a quiet space where your baby can take a break from noise and attention.
Enjoying baby’s first Christmas
Your baby’s first Christmas does not need to be perfectly planned to be special.
There may be missed naps, changed outfits and photographs where nobody looks at the camera. These small, imperfect moments are often the ones you remember most.
Keep plans flexible, choose traditions that feel right for your family and enjoy the simple moments you are sharing together.
Did you know?
You don’t have to navigate all the options alone. Our free Buying for Baby service – available online and in-store – gives you the chance to get personal guidance from our friendly experts. They’ll talk through your needs, answer your questions, and help you find the right options for your baby, nursery, and budget.
