Holiday Gift GuideNo need to sharpen those elbows and brave a busy mall this holiday season. We’ve done all the legwork for you and have compiled a list of our favourite treasures from Santa’s workshop. Whether you’re new parents preparing for your baby’s first Christmas, or seasoned grandparents with an entire brood to buy for, look no further for inspired gift ideas. At Baby On The Way, we value quality over quantity, and hope that even through uncertain economic times, you’ll choose to invest in high quality toys made with safe materials for the health of your family and the planet—even if it means buying fewer!
Soft Toys
You can’t go wrong with any of the colourful and engaging soft toys from Lamaze. With the award-winning Octivity Time octopus, each tentacle gives baby a new colour, texture and surprise to discover!
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Organic Cloth Ball
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These soft cloth balls are beautiful one-of-a-kind works of art, and are perfect for quiet playtime with baby. The balls are hand screen-printed with water based inks, and are stuffed with Eco-Lamb’s wool, which is naturally anti-bacterial and sustainable.
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This soft toy with a friendly face has won multiple awards and is a sure hit for babies. Perfect for clutching, baby will enjoy the bright colours, crinkly textures, and surprising squeaks and jingles. There is also a hidden peek-a-boo mirror under the nose!
Teething and Rattles
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Sophie, La Giraffe and her fun(gi) friends from Vulli
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Made in the French Alps with all natural, phthalate-free rubber and non-toxic paint, Sophie the Giraffe has been safely cuddled and chewed for almost 50 years! Now, check out the latest from Vulli—Chan, Pie, and Gnon , the cute-as-a button mushroom trio!
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Soft, knit, and naturally crafted, these organic baby rattles from Miyim have been made with certified organic cotton fabric and use natural dyes from plants and minerals. The rattle comes in three models to choose from--bear, rabbit, and elephant, whose soft cloth ears are ideal for little chewers!
Wooden teethers are a great alternative to plastics, which can leach harmful toxins. The German company Haba makes a bright and attractive wooden teething rattle that’s perfect for grasping. The colourful baubles swing and rotate, encouraging tactile development. The Salto teething ring was a winner of the German Good Toy Award, and is a durable toy that can be passed down.
Imaginative Play
Now that my son imitates everything I do, I had to get him his very own cooking set to make his own meals (early prep for when he goes off to University!) Many of the dining sets out there look kind of cheap and plasticky, but we discovered this wonderful set by Green Toys. It’s made from recycled milk jugs and is made in the good old USA!
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Play Food from Erzi, Haba, and Plan Toys
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German company Erzi makes the most realistic looking food I’ve ever seen, from cloth lettuce to fresh cut fries. And of course, don’t forget to eat your broccoli! You’ll also love Haba’s cushy loaf of biofino fabric toast. Make your own cheese and meat slices from felt and you’ve got all the ingredients for a delicious sandwich! To complete your kitchen, check out the food and beverage set from Plan Toys.
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The Earth Friends doll
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These days, it’s hard to come across dolls that aren’t based on animated characters, but look hard enough, and you’ll discover some wonderful creations. The Earth Friends doll is one such example, made from organic cotton, hemp, and reclaimed fabrics. These down-to-earth dolls come with a tree-planting kit in their little backpacks—a doll after my own heart!
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If the Earth friends are a tad too granola for your tastes, check out the cute and cuddly knit Boogaloo dolls from Blabla. This fresh and colourful fair trade collection is handmade by Peruvian artisans. Perfect for all ages.
For more realistic looking dolls, Corolle has beautiful dolls for every age group. For the under ones, we recommend soft huggables that feel big but are lightweight. Toddlers will enjoy dolls from the Tidoo collection, sweet 12" tubbable/floatable bald-headed dolls with beanbag bodies.
Newborns will love the award-winning Cuddly Kids AJ and Lexi from Alex Jr. These adorable and soft huggable dolls have friendly and colourful embroidered faces and contrasting textures (check out the crazy hair!) for added play. Baby’s can also develop their finger dexterity by pinching or poking the loops and knots.
Build, Stack, and Pound
We love minimalist toys that stimulate the imagination, and blocks are a great toy to develop fine motor skills, spatial concepts, and hand-eye coordination. There are many wonderful wooden blocks on the market, but Ukoonto blocks take the cake. These blocks are made from the highest quality maple wood that has been 100% recycled from local sources in Ontario’s Niagara region. The company also uses alternative energy sources to produce their toys, and makes a huge effort to employ sustainable practices. Bravo!
This is a lot of bang for your buck and your child will love to wield the tiny wooden mallet and make these colourful balls drop. The holes are lined with rubber to create a little resistance. Your child will have to work for it!
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Stacking and Nesting Bowls from Spiel and Holz
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Stacking toys really work a young mind, and help to develop fine motor skills, as well as awareness of size, shape, and colour. These German made wooden stacking bowls are durable, and coated with non-toxic water based dyes. Check out their other funky designs! |
Going Places
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Baby Sled from Home Hardware
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This winter, don’t let the snow keep you holed up indoors. Kids love to get out for some fresh air and will delight in a refreshing walk through the woods after a fresh snowfall. Check out this wonderful wooden baby sled from Home Hardware. Can’t you just picture it under the tree wrapped in a big red bow!
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-- Sarah Simpson
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