Recommendations for some of the safest and best soft toys for babies.
Traditionally, soft baby toys have meant stuffed animals. Stuffed animals are still popular, but in recent years manufacturers have gotten increasingly creative and have released a number of innovative, fun and safe toys for baby.
Safety first
Soft toys have the safety advantages of being lightweight with no hard edges or corners. Since infants have limited coordination, they are likely to fall on tops, drop toys on themselves and otherwise bump themselves. Soft toys minimize the damage! However, it is important to note that not all soft toys are safe for infants. Make sure to check all soft toys for the following:
- A certification that it is safe for your baby's age or "all ages"
- Features should be sewn directly onto the toy and there should be no small parts that could fall off or be pulled off. In other words, there should not be any buttons, bows, pom-poms or other potentially detachable objects that are small enough to constitute a choking hazard.
- Do not give babies toys that have "bean bag" type filling. If the toy is punctured, the pellet type filling can be dangerous for babies. Instead select plush toys that have fiberfill or batting.
- Make sure the toys do not have cords, strings or ribbons of more than four inches hanging off of them. Cords can become strangulation hazards.
Soft books
It is never too early to promote an interest in reading and soft books can help you do exactly that. Soft books are great for babies because they serve the dual purposes of book and toy. Your baby will be able to easily turn the pages. In addition, the best soft books are ones with items that can be manipulated. For example, look for pages with crinkly filling or embedded squeakers, textured areas or parts that can move.
Recommendations for excellent soft books include:
The classic "Pat the Bunny" is available from Golden Books in a soft version called "Sleepy Bunny."
"Soft shapes: Big and Little" by Bob Filpowich is crafted from foam and includes pop-out pieces.
"Little Kitty: Cuddly Cuffs" by Rebecca Finn can be clipped to stroller or car seat, so it is perfect for the baby on the go.
Soft manipulative toys
The best soft toys are things that baby can do something with. Whether the toy makes soft sounds, has different textures or parts that open and close, baby will love to experiment with it. Baby will develop hand eye coordination, learn about cause and effect and get skills for exploring the world with great manipulative toys.
Some recommendations for manipulative toys:
The Multi-sensory clutch cube by Lamaze has peek-a-boo flaps, rings to play with and jangling chimes. It is safe to touch, toss and chew.
My first fish bowl by Lamaze is a clear soft sided vinyl and fabric bowl with a set of stuffed sea creatures. The walls of the bowl have water filling them for the illusion of a real aquarium. Baby will have fun playing with the crinkling, rattling and jingling sea creatures alone or learning about in and out by placing them in the soft fish bowl where they can be easily seen.
The Musical Stack and Play by Tiny Love takes the traditional stacking rings and pole toy and makes it soft, safe and fun. When baby stacks the rings and places balls in the cone he will get a musical reward from this multi-faceted toy.
