5 ways to make Baby’s First Christmas extra special

Baby’s first Christmas has arrived, and although they probably won’t remember it in a few years’ time, that doesn’t mean you can’t make it magical! One day, you’ll look back at photos of the festivities with your little one and reminisce about that most special of Christmases. So what can you do to really add the sparkle? Well, here are just a few ideas:

1. Baby’s First Christmas Ornament

There are lots of different options for this one! You can go for the obvious: a “Baby’s First Christmas” bauble, or perhaps something more personalised. I love these gold baubles from Not on the High Street. Or of course you could go for a photo bauble, with images of your special little one! These have been really popular at this years’ Christmas mini shoots.

2. Go to see some Christmas lights

It doesn’t matter how old your little one is, babies of all ages can be mesmerised by twinkling Christmas lights! My youngest son was only two months old at his first Christmas, but his gaze kept falling upon our Christmas tree in the corner of the room.

His older brother is now obsessed by seeing the reindeer, snowmen and santas out on our evening walking route, but that first year it’s all about sweet simplicity.

Why not take your baby out for a stroll in the pram or pushchair and see what your local neighbourhood has to offer – it’s great opportunity to tell them about what they’re seeing too and engage in conversation!

It will all shake out. Meanwhile, I’m putting up more twinkle lights.

Even better today is the Winter Solstice, which means you don’t even have to wait very late for it to get dark!

3. Read a Christmas story together

I love nothing better than reading a story with my boys – it’s the last thing we do before bed every night which helps to calm them down, but also provides some lovely close bonding time.

There are some amazing Christmas themed books for babies, with different approaches depending on their age.

For tiny babies, I love musical books such as Listen to the Christmas Songs or Baby’s Very First Noisy Book Christmas. These are great for bringing a little bit of Christmas spirit to bedtimes, and have the added benefit of also being great for the next year when your little one is ready to press the buttons with their own tiny fingers.

The “That’s not my…” series is brilliant for babies of around 6 months and up, and they have several Christmas versions which I can highly recommend, including That’s not my elf, That’s not my reindeer and That’s not my snowman.

There are also several multi-book sets you can buy such as here and here. And if you would prefer books which can plausibly last the whole winter, instead of just the Christmas period, there’s also the That’s not my polar bear and That’s not my penguin versions.

For slightly older babies, I also love the baby version of Twas the Night Before Christmas, complete with interactive sliders and moving parts, or Dear Santa or Spot’s First Christmas, which are both classic ‘lift the flap’ books. But the books listed above for younger babies are also highly suitable as your little one will be able to enjoy them in a more interactive way, pushing buttons or interacting with textures themselves.

4. Serve up Baby’s First Christmas Dinner

Countless articles have been written on the importance of trying your baby with a wide variety of foods. So what better opportunity than Christmas dinner itself!

Whether your little munchkin is a puree devotee or a more hands-on diner, your annual Christmas feast has many options!

How about a carrot and swede puree? Baby good guru Annabel Karmel has a classic First Turkey Dinner recipe you could try too. Or for the baby-led weaners, strips of turkey and carrot batons are great finger foods, while peas are always great for developing that pincer grip.

And for some extra festivity, you could even buy your baby a plate for the occasion or a seasonal bib!

Obviously this one is a little tricky if your baby hasn’t started solids yet, but for breast-fed babies they do of course get a bonus helping of whatever you’ve eaten!

5. Take lots of photographs

I know, I’m a photographer – I had to say it!

The reality is: your baby is unlikely to physically remember their first Christmas in years to come. But that doesn’t mean they won’t love to hear all about it! It’s so important to take lots of photographs of the milestones in our lives, so that we can revisit and enjoy them all over again, and baby’s first Christmas is an important one!

By next year, and for years to come, your little one will love to look back at photographs of themselves as a tiny baby. Which brings me to my next point:

Be in the photographs yourself.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel your best, or you’ve been running around trying to get dinner ready or you’ve still got sellotape stuck to your shirt after some last minute present wrapping. Please, get in front of the camera and have photographs with your baby and your family.

You are responsible for writing your baby’s biography, so make sure you feature!

This year, more than ever, has shown us you never know what is around the corner – Christmas might be a little different but that doesn’t mean your baby’s first Christmas can’t be special, magical and full of wonder.

Make beautiful memories, and treasure what you have.

Merry Christmas!