Want to bring a toy to a baby shower? This article offers some excellent ideas.
If you want to go the more playful route and get a toy to start filling up that new toy chest, however, this article is for you.
Of course, safety is an important factor. Before purchasing a toy for that baby shower, check the manufacturer's guidelines. A toy that is labeled appropriate for children "age 3 and up" is not a good gift for a newborn. Many experts recommend giving suspicious toys the toilet paper roll test. If a toy fits through a toilet papers roll, it's too small for the baby. Give a thought for hygiene, too, and make sure the toy can be easily washed or cleaned. Yes, the fluffy white stuffed bunny looks absolutely adorable now, but how cute will he be with four months' worth of drool or saliva plastered over his artificial fur?
Still want to go the toy route? Great. Here are some of my favorite toy ideas.
STUFFED ANIMALS
Stuffed animals are often considered perfect baby presents simply because they are so cuddly and soothing and seem so perfect for an innocent little baby. This gift serves a double purpose, too. In a few months, when baby is crawling and teething and tearing the house apart, the parents can also clutch the soft, soothing stuffed animal for comfort.
There's nothing complex about choosing a stuffed animal. Simply follow the safety guidelines and you can't go wrong.
MOBILES
Baby mobiles come to suit every taste and interest, from football fans, to Beatrix Potter readers, to lovers of all things Disney. When buying a mobile you may want to consider the parents' tastes and how the nursery is decorated.
My favorite mobiles are red, white, and black, playing to the baby's love of contrasting colors.
RATTLES AND OTHER NOISEMAKERS
One of the most important discoveries that a baby makes about the world is that he or she can actually control parts of it. Noisemakers offer perfect reinforcement for this amazing idea. "I shake this, and it makes a noise--every time!" thinks baby. And he or she tests that theory day in and day out (or at least until Mom or Dad puts the toy back in the toy chest). There are a variety of noisemaking gifts you can give a baby, from rattles, to miniature band instruments, to musical stuffed animals, to toy phones, to talking books, to just about anything you can imagine.
TEETHING TOYS
Teething babies--like teething puppies or kittens--like to chew and are not in the least discriminate about what they put into their mouths. Fingers, animal tails, and Mom's favorite leather purse are all fair game. Fortunately, the toy market has come up with some more palatable choices including plastic keys, rag dolls, and teething rings. Most teething rings can be placed briefly in the refrigerator to provide a cool, soothing sensation to the baby's sore gums.
BLOCKS AND STACKING TOYS
Babies have many developmental tasks to master during their first year. One of the most important is to begin to develop hand-eye coordination. Blocks, stacking toys, and "find the shape" toys can help teach this lesson in a fun way. Remember to give blocks and puzzle pieces the toilet paper roll test. Anything that fits through the roll doesn't belong around a baby. Many blocks and sorting toys for infants are made of fabrics rather than hard plastics.
BOOKS
Of course, no one expects a newborn infant to be able to read, but being read to, while snuggling up with Mom or Dad is a soothing, enlightening experience that can lead to a lifelong love of books.
Baby books, ideally, should be durable, since favorites will almost certainly make it into baby's mouth a few times. Books printed on board or plastic are ideal.
Concepts can be as easy as a few captioned pictures. Babies almost universally are fascinated by other babies, and also enjoy looking at families, animals, everyday objects, and body parts (especially facial body parts such as ears, noses, eyes, etc).
A word to the wise: if the gift you choose happens to become the baby's favorite book, don't necessarily expect to be thanked by his or her parents, as they'll probably be required to read it aloud upwards of a million times.
Toys are my all-time favorite gifts to bring to a baby shower. After all, diapers get discarded and banks tarnish but there's always a chance, that eighteen years later, the now collegiate baby will be saying to her roommate, "Him? That's Blue Bunny. He always stays on my bed. My Aunt Debra gave him to me before I was even born."
