Home
>
Blog
>
Gift Ideas

The 15 first bday gifts actress Becca Tobin gleefully recommends

A circular headshot of Becca Tobin with a border of different kids' toys.

There are a lot of special milestone birthdays, but a child’s 1st one is possibly the most precious for any parent to celebrate. Glee star and LadyGang™ podcast co-host Becca Tobin shared all the details about her son Ford’s wild animal-themed first birthday party, including her fave gifts for toddlers! From sensory games to adorable interactive musical toys, here’s what’s on her hit list.

Montessori Colorful Multi-Sensory Sorter Cube

Colorful multi-sensory Montessori sorting cubes.

Designed to help kids explore, experiment and discover, this BPA-free shape sorting cube features 6 different textile shapes and stretchy-soft elastic bands for hours of fun. 

Recommended age: 1 month & up

Price at time of publication: $15.99

Baby’s First Playtime Songs Interactive Sound Book

Baby's First Playtime Interactive Songs book.

Iconic childhood tunes (think “The Wheels on the Bus” and other classics) are paired alongside charming illustrations. Visually and aurally, your little one will have a blast learning these tunes.

Recommended age: 1–3 years

Price at time of publication: $11.69

Retrospec Cricken Baby Walker Balance Bike

Retrospec baby bike.

Baby’s first bike! This 4-wheel balance bike offers slip-resistant wheels, a comfy design, and limited steering to help your kiddo learn to ride safely. It’s also easy to assemble!

Recommended age: 12–24 months

Price at time of publication: $49.99

Bubble Lawn Mower

Bubble lawn mower.

Push toys and bubbles are two of the most loved toys for toddlers, and this “lawn mower” is both! While it won’t cut your grass, it will provide tons of fun in the sun.

Recommended age: 18 months & up

Price at time of publication: $27.99

Musical Crawling Crab Toy

Musical crawling crab toy.

This cute crustacean dances, walks, lights up and plays music, but more importantly, kids of all ages can enjoy it! Whether yours is learning to crawl or is starting to stand up and dance, this toy is shore to be a fave.

Recommended age: 0 months & up

Price at time of publication: $30.99

Interactive Animals Bath Toy

Interactive animals bath toy.

No toddler’s collection of toys is complete without a great bath toy or two! This one offers a plethora of interactive play options and can be suction-cupped to a variety of surfaces. 

Recommended age: 12 months & up

Price at time of publication: $16.99

"Baby Einstein - Rainbow Bath!" Waterproof Bath Book

Baby Einstein Rainbow Bath waterproof book.

More bathtime fun! This waterproof bath book is filled with beloved Baby Einstein characters and teaches little ones all about colors so they can learn while they scrub up.

Recommended age: 0–1 year

Price at time of publication: $5.99

“Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” Board Book

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book.

Regardless of their reading level, this book is a joy to experience. Bold graphics, a fun approach to learning the alphabet, and being able to shout “chicka chicka boom boom” throughout makes this a favorite for parents and kids.

Recommended age: 1–4 years

Price at time of publication: $4.59

Fat Brain Toys Dimpl Pops Sensory Toy

Dimple Pops sensory toy.

While the recommended age is 3+, parents of younger children still rave about this calming, colorful sensory toy. The buttons are even made from food-grade silicone!

Recommended age: 3 years & up

Price at time of publication: $14.95

John Deere Animal Sounds Hayride

John Deere tractor, farmer and animal toys.

Toy farm animals that you can take in and out of a tractor might not seem thrilling to us mere adults, but for toddlers, it’s everything. Plus, this John Deere tractor plays “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and barnyard animal noises! 

Recommended age: 12–36 months

Price at time of publication: $24.99

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Pounding Bench

Colorful wooden mallet toys.

Nobody does classic, affordable, wooden STEAM toys quite like Melissa & Doug! Crafted from colorful solid wood, the peek-a-boo pegs are non-removable and make practicing fine motor skills fun.

Recommended age: 2–4 years

Price at time of publication: $21.00

Pretend Play Kids’ Vacuum Cleaner

Kids' pretend vacuum cleaner.

As soon as most kids can stand, you can bet they will try to “help” you clean up. This toy vacuum lights up and makes realistic sounds (plus some bonus tunes), so they can practice their gross motor skills while enjoying a timeless pretend play activity. 

Recommended age: 3 years & up

Price at time of publication: $34.99

Toniebox Audio Player with Chase, Skye, Marshall & Playtime Puppy

Toniebox audio player featuring Paw Patrol characters.

This is super cool! It’s a screen-free audio system that lets kids place a “Tonie” on top of the device (aka a character figurine, in this case, some Paw Patrol faves) and it will start to play stories, music and more to keep children engaged. 

Recommended age: 3 years & up

Price at time of publication: $139.99

Natural Wooden Percussion Instruments

Wooden percussive instruments set.

This 16-piece percussion set features all of the basics kids love to play to help them develop their hand-eye coordination and musical creativity.

Recommended age: 3 years & up

Price at time of publication: $35.99

Montessori Fine Motor Skills Vehicles

Montessori fine motor skills vehicle toys featuring keys and car-shaped locks.

Last but not least, another everyday item kids LOVE playing with…keys! This toddler-friendly set features different movable BPA-free cars with number-coordinated keys to help build fine motor skills and teach number matching as they get older.

Recommended age: 6 months & up

Price at time of publication: $15.29

Planning to throw a 1st bday party of your own? Check out our adorable first birthday invitations (including the party animal one Becca chose for her celebration) to get the party started—you can even add a registry to yours and include some of Becca’s stellar picks if you want!

All of the products we feature are hand-selected by our editors! You see only what we love and what we think you'll love too. If you buy something through links on our site, Evite may earn a commission. Prices listed reflect the prices given at publication and are subject to change.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

No items found.

All of the products we feature are hand-selected by our editors! You see only what we love and what we think you'll love too. If you buy something through links on our site, Evite may earn a commission. Prices are subject to change.

No items found.

No items found.

What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from other signup tools?

Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than other signup tools:

  • 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
  • Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
  • No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
  • Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
  • Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
  • User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
  • Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.

Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!

What is a SignUp Sheet?

Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.

Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer! 

Long story short, SignUp Sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.

How do I create a SignUp Sheet?

Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:

  1. Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:
    • Signup sheets for one day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
    • Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers, parent-teacher conferences, meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
  1. After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
  1. Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
  1. After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
  1. Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!

What information should be included on a SignUp Sheet?

When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:

  1. A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
  1. When and where the event is taking place. 
  1. The organizer’s name and phone number.
  1. Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete. 

When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!

Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!

What are the benefits of using a SignUp Sheet template?

Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:

  • A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
  • Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
  • No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
  • The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
  • Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
  • An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
  • Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.

With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.

View More Articles

View All