6 PLAYFUL GIFT IDEAS FOR BABIES AND OLDER KIDS

Many times, you pop into our mailbox or even Showroom, and ask us for ideas for last minute gifts. Whether it is a new arrival to your friends’ family or something to take with you on a birthday party, we know it is not easy to pick something for others! Especially if you are not so familiar with their child’s interest, or even sure whether the family appreciates our more off-the-high-street kind of toys!

So, I thought I would put together my favourite to-go gift ideas. These are not only popular with our customers but are toys which I personally take to our own friends as a little surprise whenever we visit them! I am sharing 6 ideas with you for newborns and babies, 6 for toddler – but you will also find recommendations for older children! (Which is probably the hardest task of all, isn’t it?)

They are also perfect ideas up in your sleeve for upcoming occasions for smaller treats for your own children, like Saint Nicholas.

6 gift ideas for babies (0-1 YEAR)

1. Black & White Baby Books. These are one of the most loved items by new parents in our shop, so it is a safe bet as a newborn gift! It is not only that books are always treasured by many families, but these ones are also made for babies even a few days old. Young babies still have a blurry vision, so high contrast images and patterns will catch their attention more than anything else. They will be working hard with those big, beautiful eyes trying to focus on the pages of their first book. We would recommend picking the leporello edition – this is very handy to stand up wherever baby is spending her alert time.

2. Wee Gallery Crinkle Panda. Now you might understand why we love this little panda, too, right? While it looks a bit simple to adult eyes, for its high-contrast design, it is really alluring to babies! It’s also a perfect first toy, as a light cloth is much easier to grab and hold. And of course, just the name suggests, it also has a surprise effect. It has a crinkling paper inside, which makes a gentle sound when played with.

3. Maileg Teddy Rattle. This beautiful organic cotton rattle from Maileg looks like a keepsake, surely making its way to memory boxes with the first little shoes or baby’s lock of hair. But of course, for us it is not enough reason to love it! We like it because, again, it is very light weight to hold, the size is perfect for small and and it’s very sensorial. It also makes a very gentle sound, nurturing baby’s senses (instead of startling him like other flashy rattles!)

4. Lanco Coco the Cat. Another favourite early toy of mine is this teething ring made of natural gum. The round shape makes it very easy for babies to grasp, hold on and turn around. The natural rubber is also a softer and warmer alternative to plastic toys. Again, from developmental perspective it is the most perfect toy for me, but if you think it might be a little too simple as a gift, you can also check our other favourites, such as the Lanco Panda, the Hedgehog, or the vibrant Oli&Carol Radish.

5. Petit Boum Sensory Bottle. This bottle filled with rainbow-coloured rice is a great sensory toy for older babies. What a joy it is to shake it, make curious sounds with or spy for the buttons hidden inside. Perfect gift to help baby spend more time on his tummy, or even to encourage crawling as it gently rolls around.

6. Mader Roly Poly Pear. Another favourite toy of mine – which I do not only love for its radiant rainbow colours, but also because it keeps little wigglers engaged for a long time. It moves interestingly to pick baby’s attention and again, it encourages gross motor development.

6 gift ideas for TODDLER (1-3 YEARS)

1. PlanToys Rainbow Baby Car. This baby car is the most popular PlanToys item in our shop – and for a reason! It has everything what a toddler can dream of: radiant colours, a shape that is easy to grasp with those chubby fingers, flexibility as well as an interesting move! The car is also available in toned down pastel colours or in a natural edition.

2. Grimm’s Stacking Cups. This set of stacking cups is the perfect entry toy to the rainbow-coloured world of Grimm’s. Toddlers will love stacking the cups, building their first towers out of them, maybe even match them with wooden balls. But the set will be loved later on, surely making its way to the imaginative play phase, too.  

3. PlanToys Camera. Toddlers love to imitate us! So if they see us taking pictures, they will love to have their own camera! It might not be able to make photos, but looking through the lens is a real sensory surprise! You can start discovering the world through a kaleidoscopic lens! The camera is designed with a comfortable grip, and made of PlanToys signature eco material, Planwood, making it a sturdy toy, too.  

4. Neogrün Finger Paint. As a family who love to create, the best gifts we are the happiest about are always art materials! They are safe bets as a gift to give, too – with toys you might not be able to avoid duplicates, but a tub of paint or play dough will always comes handy when the previous package runs out. For youngest children one of the best art materials we have is the neogrün fingerpaint sets! They are 100% safe for young babies to mess around and create their first art works!

5. Djeco Magnets. All toddler loves puzzles! But what can be even more exciting than a puzzle? Easy! A magnetic one! Djeco Mix & Match animal sets will make every child giggle, and it will be loved much longer than traditional puzzle sets. They are also amazing toys for fine motor skills!  

6. PlanToys Rocket. Children might already have different shape sorters – after all they are toddler classics. But this one comes with a twist, making it a really unique one! It is three-dimensional, so the shapes has to be placed inbetween the layers of the rocket to put it together – a task which is even challenging for a bit older kids. We would recommend this toy as a gift for children around 2 years – and yes, for girls, too! The world definitely need more female astronauts!

6 gift ideas for OLDER CHILDREN (3-6 YEARS)

1. Crayon Rocks. If neogrün fingerpaints are my to-go gift for toddlers, for older children I love to pick a Crayon Rocks. They look just like candies, but parents will appreciate receiving them much more than a pack of sweets! These crayons encourage the development of the perfect pencil gift, and of course they are loads of fun to use for colouring or any creative projects. They are also made of 100% natural soya way – so they are also a healthier and more sustainable alternative to mainstream crayons.

2. Djeco Creative Sets. If you are looking for something little which doesn’t cost much more than a bar of chocolate, we suggest looking into the creative sets by Djeco. You can find many different ones for different ages and interests – but probably we will tell no secret if we say the scratch art packs are the most popular ones! Little fairies tend to like this set, dinosaur lovers usually roar for this!

3. Mader Spinners. Spinners are also great little gifts regardless of age! Mader has a beautiful selection of colourful, handmade spinners – from easy to difficult ones! For younger children we recommend picking the Ralley or the Sprint, or if you are looking for something a bit more unique the Turn-Over Spinner won’t disappoint either!

4. Grapat Rainbow Tomtens. Grapat toys are a bit more unique, and if somebody are not familiar with them, it can be a hit or miss. Their Rainbow Tomten set is not only a more affordable than others from the Grapat range, but also a great introduction to the open-ended play promoted by this wonderful Spanish family workshop. Even traditional toy lover will love these cute elves!

5. Djeco Sheep Logic Game. If you are looking for something less open-ended, my favourite Djeco game is this sheepish brainteaser. It is a brilliant thinking game, and will try the logic of 5 and 99-year olds alike!

6. Maileg Mice. Maileg toys are a bit pricier (and tinier) than others – but if you decide to go for something more unique, they are real showstopper gifts! The birthday girl or boy will be even sleeping with them for months to come, we guarantee that! The cutest mouse of all (and the most popular among our customers) is this Ballerina mouse, but we love this tiny Superhero or Princess mice just as much!

Cover picture: Edina Mocz-Horvath (Hungary). All right reserved.