4 Quick Ways to Choose the Perfect Baby Boy Gift

Everybody loves news of a new baby boy being welcomed into a family, and it's tempting to buy something for the little guy and his parents to show how much we care. But shopping for the new baby boy can be pretty tricky – what gift item can you possibly give that other friends of the parents can't? Of course, you'd want your first gift to be extra special – and you can say it with s great new baby gift basket.

Gift baskets are baskets containing closely-related gift items, meant to convey a message more genially than any single gift item can. New baby gift baskets may be collections, sets, and other combinations of gift items meant for babies. When it comes to baby boy gifts, there's no better way to welcome him to the world with a thoughtful, well-prepared gift basket just for him. Here are some ideas to help you decide what to put into your basket.

#1 – Sleepwear. Give him a few years, and the little guy will probably be a bundle of bottomless energy, a veritable handful for his parents to handle. But for now, he's going to spend much of his day in his crib, dozing. You could help make his sleeping time a bit more comfy with a gift basket filled with sleepwear, pillows, baby blankets, a stuffed bear, and maybe a musical toy to help lull him to sleep.

#2 – Clothes and toys. He's going to be pretty fussy whenever he's awake, though, so he (and his parents) will appreciate a stock of toys to keep him occupied, as well as some comfortable baby clothes to keep him warm. Many pre-made gift baskets contain certain combinations of clothes and toys and are generally well-received, but remember it's always more thoughtful to come up with a customized, personalized gift basket.

A good idea for a “toys” gift basket would be to fill the basket with colorful toys, especially those with numbers, letters, animals, and other figures interesting to look at. These kinds of gift baskets are sometimes called “little Einstein” gift baskets, and may contain storybooks and musical toys that he'll enjoy more and more as he grows older. His parents will also appreciate the gesture – after all, everyone would like him to grow up to be pretty smart.

In addition to wanting him to grow up smart, his parents would also want him to grow up strong – especially his dad! That's why gift baskets themed after sports – with stuffed toy footballs, jersey-themed shirts, and gridiron-marked growth charts, are very much appreciated as well. It's a good idea to pattern such a gift basket after a sport that one or both parents love – that would make the gift basket more meaningful.

#3 – Bathtime playmates. Little boys love kicking and splashing in the water, so a basket of bathtime playmates would be a pretty good gift. Rubber duckies, soft scrubbing towels, baby shampoo, and talcum powder would be great choices. Some tiny pails for tiny hands would be fun to have in the tub, too.

#4 – A “welcome wagon” containing everything listed above is one of the best kinds of gift baskets you can give the little guy's parents. Take a fair-sized kid's wagon and fill it up with clothes, toys, bath implements, and anything else you can think of that the new baby would love having as he grows up. This is probably also one of the most expensive kinds of gift baskets to give, but what little boy doesn't deserve the best head-start he can get in life?

Here's an idea. Let's say the parents are avid fans of the Yankees. You can fill the welcome wagon with Yankee-themed gift items, and even have a personalized Yankee jersey with the little guy's name on the back. Include a “Go Yankees!” banner on the wagon, and you got yourself a winner. You can do this kind of personalization with other themes of welcome wagons.

Appropriate baby boy gifts as he grows older

As the baby boy grows up, they'll soon lean towards toys that help them learn new things. This is where picture books, coloring books, and story books come in. Boys love doing things with their hands, so these activity books are sure to keep them busy. Plus, they'll be learning new skills as well. You can fill a book basket with some of the classics, such as titles from Dr Seuss, so that the little guy's parents are prepared when the first request for a bedtime story comes their way.

When it comes to toys, you can't go wrong with sports and board games. Board games are always fun to play with friends, and sport sets such as tennis, ping pong, basketball, and football can help develop physical coordination early on. Even gift baskets filled with action figures are okay – despite what paranoid “child experts” say, you can't really take guns and swords from a little boy's toy stock. They'd munch their graham crackers into guns if they had to, and for some boys, finding a simple stick in the yard is an invitation to play Star Wars.

Gift baskets are often well-received no matter how old the boy gets, so it's always a viable gift choice when shopping for birthday and Christmas gifts. It's easy to fill the basket with items that are appropriate for his age, and it's not even a bad idea to put in some items that are meant for older boys. Kids these days develop faster than kids 30 years ago for some reason, and your gift baskets can be one way to make sure they stay on the right track.

It's best to start thinking of your gift basket a few months before the baby boy is due to arrive. You might spend some time with the parents, noticing the things they like and the things they expect the baby boy to be like. Would they like the boy to grow up to be a doctor? A lawyer? A general? These should give you enough ideas to prepare a thoughtful, beautiful gift basket that they'll remember you for many, many years.