Gift ideas for baby's first Sinterklaas

A baby's first Sinterklaas is for the parents. The baby sleeps through the shoe being filled, chews the wrapping and has no idea who the man with the beard is. You are the one who will remember the day, which is why the list splits in two: things to keep, and things that are used up by February.

Things to keep

A baby book with a page for the first Sinterklaas lets you write down the date, who came and what was in the shoe, next to the photos. A wooden ornament with the baby's name and the year, hung on the Sinterklaas shelf or on the tree three weeks later, comes out every year after this one. By year six they hang it themselves.

A memory box does the same with less pressure to write anything. The first Sinterklaas card, the wristband from the maternity ward, one photo from the day. None of it is useful the way a romper is useful. In twenty years the romper is long gone and the box is on the table at the birthday.

Toys that match what the baby can do

Up to about three months, eyes are still learning to focus, so black-and-white board books and a high-contrast mobile are the toys that get looked at. Between four and six months, once grasping starts and everything goes in the mouth, a Sophie la girafe, a silicone teething ring or a crinkly cloth book earns its keep. From the moment a baby sits up, stacking cups, soft blocks and a small wooden rattle give them something to do on the floor.

Mind the age bracket on the box. A toy for a one-year-old given to a newborn spends most of a year in a cupboard and is forgotten by the time it is right.

Gifts that help at three in the morning

Clothes in sizes 74 and 80 (six to twelve months), because everybody gives newborn sizes and those are outgrown in six weeks. A baby sleeping bag in the right tog for the season, which is what Kind en Gezin recommends instead of loose blankets in the cot. A night light with a dim setting for feeds. Muslin cloths in packs of six, used for everything from burping to shading the pram.

A hooded towel, a bath thermometer, a large pot of unscented cream. Nothing here is exciting to unwrap, and every one of them gets used until it falls apart. Grandparents who want to give something bigger can put money towards a good baby carrier or the car seat for the next stage.

Start something that repeats

The first Sinterklaas is the natural moment to begin a habit you keep. One book from Sint every year, with the year written inside the cover, adds up to a shelf by the time the child leaves primary school. One ornament per year does the same job with less reading. Take the photos now, especially the boring ones: the baby asleep next to the shoe, the mess of wrapping paper. They matter more in ten years than they seem to on the day.

Let the family in on it

Grandparents, aunts, uncles and the friends who have visited since the birth all want to give something for this first one, and without coordination you end up with three of the same soft toy and no cream. A list fixes that. Put the bigger items on it (a pram upgrade, a high chair, the next car seat) and let a few people pay for one together, and leave room for the aunt who wants to give her own favourite childhood book.

You can create a baby registry that shows what is needed, lets relatives reserve an item so nobody doubles it, and lets several people contribute to the one item that costs a few hundred.