Christenings & Naming Day gifts

Stuck for inspiration? Look no further -- we’ve come up with a great range of ideas for the perfect gift...

Buying a gift for a child can be really good fun -- particularly if you don't have one of your own! Let your imagination run wild, and don't just think of the here and now, but the future too. A gift that they can enjoy or benefit from when they're older is always a good idea, such as jewellery, premium bonds or commemorative glasses.

Don’t forget mum and dad

You might also like to think of the parents. With all the attention focused on their new addition, sometimes it's nice to receive a gift just for them to mark the arrival of their new child -- a voucher for a restaurant, for example, to give them a precious evening to themselves.

Strapped for cash?

If money’s a bit tight, there are many other ways you can show your affection. Of course, you could get out the knitting needles and rustle up a few baby outfits, but if that's not really you, how about offering to do a week's shopping to give the new mum a helping hand?

Our favourite ideas

From the cute to the financially astute, here’s a host of suggestions you might like to consider:

• Arrange for the baby to have a hand or footprints cast.
• A special-edition toy (to be kept in the box)
• Open a first bank account for the baby
• Make a voucher offering your services for a weekend's babysitting
• Name a star after the baby
• Treat the parents to a nice bottle of wine or a relaxation kit, including bath bombs, soaps, massage oils etc
• A month's supply of nappies
• A teddy bear (maybe with a personalised message)
• A hand-made photo album to capture those first few moments
• Fish for the child's bedroom - it'll keep them quiet for ages!
• Cook and freeze a week's worth of dinners that you know the new parents like. They can defrost these whilst trying to get back on their feet
• A bottle of bubbly and two engraved mum and dad glasses
• A baby sleep monitor
• A hand-made patchwork quilt for the baby. (If you can't afford to buy lots of different materials why not use old clothes?)
• The complete works of Winnie the Pooh/Peter Rabbit/Alice in Wonderland etc.
• A hand-made mobile
• A china money box
• A Saint Christopher
• Plant a tree
• A new baby kit with nappies, vests, a baby grow, soft toy, book and mobile hanging
• Personalised photo frames