Baby's first Christmas: safety, routine and visitors

Oct 12, 2026

Prvi božič z dojenčkom: varnost, rutina in obiski

In short: For a safe first Christmas with your baby, put the tree on a stable stand and hang glass baubles high. Keep button batteries and magnets locked away, and plants and candles out of reach. Even at relatives' homes, your baby should sleep on their back in a clear cot, without overheating. Limit visits, insist on clean hands and protect naps.

Author: Eva Birsa, mum and co-founder of Evitas · Updated: 12 October 2026

Home safety over the festive season

In their first year, babies quickly discover they can reach, grab and put everything in their mouths. Once they start crawling or pulling up on furniture, the tree, decorations and presents on the floor become the most exciting part of the house, from Advent to Christmas Eve and New Year. The UK Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend a few simple steps for the holidays.

Christmas tree and decorations

Stability: put the tree on a solid, heavy stand, ideally in a corner where your baby cannot pull it over. Keep a real tree away from fireplaces and radiators and keep the stand topped up with water (AAP).
Glass baubles up high: hang only shatterproof, soft decorations on the lower branches; glass, porcelain and decorations with small parts (hooks, glitter, beads) go higher up.
Tinsel and angel hair: babies can pull it off and put it in their mouths, so skip it this year or hang it out of reach.
Hooks and wires: pick up any that fall on the floor straight away.

Fairy lights, cables and candles

Check your lights before use; do not use frayed or loose cables and do not overload extension leads (CAPT).
Run cables behind furniture or secure them so your baby cannot pull them.
Keep candles, real or decorative, away from the tree; CAPT warns they can cause burns and fires. Never leave lit candles unattended.

Button batteries and magnets: emergency help

Button batteries are found in remote controls, musical cards, fairy lights, flameless candles and light-up toys. NHS England warns that a swallowed battery can cause severe burns in the food pipe within a short time, even when it is flat. Swallowed magnets can attract each other inside the gut and damage it.

Choose products with a battery compartment secured by a screw.
Store spare and used batteries locked away, out of children's reach.
When unwrapping presents, check that battery compartments are securely closed.

If you think your child has swallowed a button battery or magnet: go to the emergency department straight away or call 112 (999 in the UK). Do not wait for symptoms, and take the packaging or the same product with you.

Christmas plants

The French food and environmental safety agency ANSES states that holly, mistletoe and poinsettia can be toxic if eaten. With poinsettia, children mostly get mild stomach upset; mistletoe leaves are more toxic than the berries; with holly, one or two berries usually cause no or only mild symptoms, while larger amounts can be more serious. Keep plants out of reach and pick up fallen leaves and berries.

If your baby eats part of a plant, wipe their mouth with a damp cloth, do not give them anything to drink and call a doctor, your local poison centre or 112. Have the plant's name or a photo to hand.

Hot drinks, wrapping paper and older children's presents

Do not drink hot tea, coffee or mulled wine with a baby on your lap. Put mugs down well away from the edge of the table (AAP, CAPT).
Clear away wrapping paper, ribbons and bags straight away (AAP); plastic bags and cords are not toys.
Older siblings' and cousins' toys often have small parts. After the presents are opened, put them out of the baby's reach.
At relatives' homes, move medicines and cleaning products to high shelves (including bedside tables) and tie up blind cords (CAPT).

Table: hazard and what to do

Hazard	Why	What to do
Christmas tree	tipping over when baby pulls branches	heavy stand, corner of the room, a safety gate if needed
Glass baubles, decorations with small parts	cuts, choking	only soft, shatterproof decorations low down
Tinsel	baby puts it in their mouth	skip it this year or hang it high
Lights and cables	pulling, electric shock, burns	check them, cables behind furniture, no overloaded extension leads
Button batteries, magnets	serious internal injuries	secured compartments, spares locked away; if in doubt, A&E/112 straight away
Holly, mistletoe, poinsettia	poisoning	out of reach; if eaten, wipe mouth, call a doctor/112
Candles	burns, fire	away from the tree, never unattended
Hot drinks	scalds	never with baby on your lap, away from table edges
Wrapping paper, bags, ribbons	choking, suffocation	clear away immediately
Older children's toys	small parts	put away; for baby, only toys labelled 0+

Safe sleep over the holidays

The Lullaby Trust, the UK safer sleep charity, stresses that the advice applies to every sleep, day and night, including when you are visiting or travelling.

On their back, in a clear cot: no decorations, toys, soft toys, pillows, duvets or bumpers. Do not hang Christmas decorations on or above the cot.
Staying with family: agree in advance where your baby will sleep, or bring a travel cot. The mattress should be firm, flat and undamaged; do not put folded blankets or a quilt under your baby to make it softer.
No overheating: the recommended room temperature is 16–20 °C. Do not put the cot next to a radiator, heater or fireplace. Babies do not need hats indoors. Check their temperature on the chest or the back of the neck; if sweaty, remove a layer.
Sleeping bag instead of blankets: choose the TOG rating to match the room temperature (see Baby sleeping bag TOG chart and our sleeping bags).
Car seats are not for sleep: if your baby falls asleep in the car, move them to a flat surface when you arrive.
Alcohol, smoking and bed-sharing: do not share a bed with your baby if anyone in the bed has drunk alcohol, smokes or has taken medicines that make them drowsy. Never fall asleep with your baby on a sofa or armchair.

Ahead of Christmas, The Lullaby Trust has also warned about sleep products given as gifts that do not follow safer sleep advice: cot bumpers, sleep positioners, pods and furry blankets. It is fine to put a well-meant sleep gift aside.

For an older sibling sleeping over at grandma's, the KikkaBoo winter sleeping bag with legs is a practical choice: according to the manufacturer it is 2 TOG, suited to a room temperature of 18–20 °C and available for ages 2–5. It is not designed for babies.

Routine and visitors

Naps and overstimulation

Lights, music, loud conversations and being passed from person to person can be tiring for a baby. Signs of tiredness include rubbing eyes, turning their head away, fussing and crying. Try to keep roughly to the usual nap rhythm: take your baby to a quiet, darkened room and lay them in a cot or travel cot. Spread visits over several days rather than seeing everyone at once.

Passing the baby around, clean hands and kisses

Everyone who holds the baby should wash their hands first (AAP).
Kindly ask relatives with a cold, fever or diarrhoea to postpone their visit.
Ask people not to kiss the baby on the face or hands. The NHS warns that kissing a baby while you have a cold sore can cause a dangerous infection in newborns.
It is perfectly fine to say the baby is not being passed around today.

Breastfeeding and feeding while visiting

Feed your baby responsively, even if it means missing part of Christmas dinner. Arrange a quiet room for breastfeeding or bottle feeding with your hosts in advance. Pack enough feeding and changing supplies and spare clothes.

Travelling in the car seat

In the car seat your baby should wear thin layers, without a padded coat or thick snowsuit under the harness; put a blanket over the fastened harness. More in our article How to dress a baby in winter. You will find infant carriers in car seats 40–87 cm and all models in car seats.

Presents and first Christmas memories

Toys: choose age-appropriate toys with the CE mark. The symbol with a crossed-out child and "0–3" means the toy is not suitable for children under 3. Ideas by age are in Christmas gifts for toddlers.
Soft decorations: the Cam Cam Copenhagen Christmas ornaments set OCS Snowman contains three soft decorations made of organic cotton. The manufacturer notes they are not a toy and are for decoration only, so hang them on the tree, not in the cot. More in Cam Cam Copenhagen and our Christmas collection.
An Advent calendar for the whole family: fabric calendars such as Rockahula Jolly Christmas and Rockahula Christmas Dolls House have 24 reusable pockets. For Jolly Christmas, the manufacturer states it contains small parts, is not suitable for children under 36 months and, because of its long hanging cord, should be hung out of reach of little ones. Filling ideas: Advent calendar for toddlers.
Memories: mark the first Christmas with a photo, a handprint on paper or a dated decoration you hang on the tree every year.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Christmas tree dangerous for a baby?

The tree itself is not dangerous if it is stable and the decorations are adapted. Hang only soft, shatterproof decorations on the lower branches, skip the tinsel and hide the cables. Once your baby is crawling, a safety gate around the tree helps.

What should I do if my baby swallows a button battery?

Go to the emergency department straight away or call 112 (999 in the UK), even if your baby seems fine. A battery can cause severe burns in the food pipe within a short time. Take the packaging with you.

Is poinsettia poisonous to babies?

According to ANSES, poinsettia can cause mild stomach upset in children, while mistletoe and holly can be more dangerous in larger amounts. Keep all three out of reach; if eaten, call a doctor, your poison centre or 112.

Where should my baby sleep when we stay with family over Christmas?

On their back, in a travel cot or cot with a firm, flat mattress, without pillows, duvets or toys, in a room at 16–20 °C and away from radiators. Car seats and sofas are not places to sleep.

Should relatives kiss the baby?

Preferably not on the face or hands. People with a cold sore or a cold should keep their distance. Everyone should wash their hands before holding the baby.

How can I keep my baby's routine over the holidays?

Keep naps in a quiet room, spread visits over several days, watch for tired signs and feed responsively. A lighter schedule means a calmer evening for everyone.

Sources

Product details are taken from the product descriptions in our shop.

This content is for information only and does not replace advice from a paediatrician.