May 27th, 2010
Organic cotton is an eco friendly choice because no chemical fertilisers or pesticides are used to grow the plants that ultimately provide the fibres that go into the materials used to make clothing and blankets. For the environment, the problems with non-organic agriculture start when it rains. Excess fertiliser and pesticides wash off the plants and soil and into streams, rivers, and water sources. The fertilisers can cause toxic algal blooms that poison water sources and pesticides are pretty nasty chemicals to begin with. Organic farmers use natural and eco-friendly methods to grow their cotton and protect it from insects.
Because organic cotton has never been exposed to harsh chemicals and poisons, it’s a great material for baby gifts. Babies have highly sensitive, soft skin that needs protecting. We think organic cotton is one of the best fabrics for newborn baby gifts and clothes for very young children for that reason.
Choosing an organic cotton baby gift also shows that you’ve put a little extra thought in. Not only does it say that you care about the environment this new human being will grow up into, but you have also chosen something that is the best possible choice for them and their comfort and wellbeing.
We have a range of other baby gifts that make an environmental statement with natural materials. Have a look at our wooden toys, for example, or choose a soft lamb’s wool blanket. There are also a wide variety of traditionally styled crochet blankets and toys.
Tags: Baby Gifts, baby toys, newborn baby gifts, organic cotton baby clothes
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May 25th, 2010
The birth of a new baby always makes us think about our own lives and about the world around us. What sort of world will this tiny new human being grow up in? What will it look like in 10 years, or 20, or even 50? How will what us grown-ups do right now make that world a better place, or a worse one?
One small step you can make towards a cleaner, safer world for the new arrival is to choose baby gifts with the environment in mind. It’s not difficult to do or expensive. We’ve got a wide range of choices with a little added eco friendliness thrown in.
Where possible, choose organic or natural materials. Organic cotton is great for baby gifts and clothes – good for the environment and good for highly sensitive delicate skin. Wool is a highly renewable resource. We have blankets in super soft lamb’s wool, for instance, that are very warm for the weight, comfortable and breathable.
Wood is also renewable and usually an environmentally sound option. Most of the wooden baby and toddler toys we stock are aimed at slightly older infants. They make great first birthday gift ideas, for example. Our range of wooden gifts is surprisingly diverse and contains rattles, dolls, trains, blocks, pull-along and ride on toys. There are puzzles and games with large baby-friendly pieces and xylophones for making music. Have a look and you’re sure to find something the little ones will love and the adults will appreciate.
Tags: Baby Gifts, baby toys, eco-friendly gifts, toddler toys
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May 19th, 2010
It can be quite hard to make a gift stand out from the crowd, especially when giving a newborn baby gift to the first born of a new generation. The little one is probably dwarfed by a huge pile of baby gifts from delighted grandparents alone. While that’s wonderful, at Born Gifted we like to sell baby and toddler toys that say something special.
One of the best ways to find a distinctive gift for a young child is to look at more traditionally styled toys. Often it is the old designs that last the longest. They’ve stood the test of time and you can be pretty sure you’re getting a good, useful item that kids will enjoy. Classic baby and toddler toys like wooden xylophones, blocks, and rag dolls are simple, but they are still as loved by small children as they were half a century ago, with good reason.
Wooden puzzles are some of the best educational toys for the very young. Fancy electronics and noisemakers have their place, but simple things can be very effective, and a cleverly made set of lettered blocks that fit together in the right order is still one of the best ways to introduce a toddler to the alphabet.
Parents can enjoy more traditional baby toys as well. We have a range of beautifully crafted crochet toy animals, for example, that kids will adore for the colours and textures of the wool and adults will appreciate for the traditional craft values they represent.
Tags: baby toys, educational toys, newborn baby gifts, toddler toys
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May 13th, 2010
At Born Gifted, we believe that the best educational baby toys are sometimes the simplest. There is no doubt that they last longer than expensive electronic baby and toddler toys, too.
Newborn baby gifts aren’t usually chosen with an educational eye, and nor should they be, but even something as basic as a rattle will encourage babies to pick things up, move them around, and acquire motor skills as they get a little older. Anything is brightly coloured and easy to grasp is an educational baby toy and will encourage development.
As the baby grows into a toddler, the range of educational toys gets much greater. Movement is still something to consider, but you can introduce sit on toys and pull-along animals to help them start to walk and get from place to place.
You can also start to give puzzles with big, infant-friendly pieces. They may not fit them together straight away, but gradually they’ll learn about shapes and will discover the fine motor skills needed to place things exactly where they should be and mesh the pieces together. We have a terrific range of simple wooden educational toys designed to introduce numbers and letters to older toddlers too.
As toddlers grow, there are other baby toys that teach valuable skills. A plush character backpack, for example, will help them learn to keep their things tidy. Once they grow into more active children, it’s well worth laying the groundwork and get them looking after their own toys and books using fun tools like that.
Tags: Baby Gifts, baby toys, educational toys, newborn baby gifts
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May 7th, 2010
By the time any baby becomes a toddler, they probably have quite a lot of toys. But now, just like when we were all kids, there will be one or two favourites that are adored above all others and must be taken everywhere from car trips to the dinner table. Obviously you’d love one of the toddler or baby gifts you’re about to buy to become one of those very special toys, but it’s hard to say in advance which ones those will be. Here are just a couple of tips to help you pick winning toddler toys:
Colour is important. Smaller children will like bright, multicoloured baby toys best, but two and three year old children are probably developing a favourite colour for the first time. Think about the toys and blankets they like best and you may find one colour dominates, even if the child hasn’t thought much about it. Pick a toy in the right colour and it stands a very good chance of being really loved.
Little hands find it hard to grasp large objects, even if they are light and soft. On of the reasons teddy bears make such classic baby and toddler toys is that the arms and legs and even the ears stick out and are just the right size for children to manipulate and use as carry handles. There should be a part of the toy that’s easy to grab but not so small or flimsy it will tear or break with time and use.
Tags: Baby Gifts, baby toys, educational toys, toddler toys
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May 5th, 2010
We all know that kids really love anything that makes a sound. Whistles, bangs, beeps – anything noisy will do. We have a broad range of musical toys that are sure-fire hits with children of all ages. From battery-powered toy telephones to scaled down simple musical concertinas, there are plenty of sound-producing baby and toddler toys to choose from. There is a whole musical toys section to explore.
Unfortunately, adults often don’t find a lot of repetitive noise much fun, and while loud toys make great presents for a boy or a little girl, the rest of the family might not be so thrilled with your gift. There are, however, quite a few musical toddler and baby toys that will please everyone.
The best may be the wooden xylophone. Not only is this a really fun and educational toy that teaches kids about sound and music as well as motor skills, but the noises it produces are very easy on adult ears. It’s a gentle and variable sound that doesn’t grate, and can even be quite pleasant to listen to – much more so than electronic beeps and chirping.
Another classic and adult-friendly baby and toddler toy is the music box. As they play a tune rather than an assortment of sounds and the volume is usually quite low, they won’t irritate those with sensitive ears . Music boxes are often constructed to high standards and can be quite beautiful. They make ideal Christening gifts for that reason, and we stock a range from Royal Selangor that are particularly lovely.
Tags: baby toys, Christening Gifts, presents for a girl or boy, toddler toys
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April 28th, 2010
Buying toys for children can be a tricky business. Do you choose presents for a boy or girl that are simply a basic plush toy, or do you go for something which will both entertain the child while at the same time giving them some kind of mental stimulation? Whatever it is you are looking for, you’ll find it on the Born Gifted website, along with thousands of ideas for gifts of all kinds for all occasions.
For the moment let’s imagine that you are looking for educational baby toys. These are the perfect gift, as they not only the keep the child entertained, but they help to stimulate their imagination at the same time.
Studies dating back to 1940 have shown that a child’s IQ can be increased by more than 50 points through the proper stimulation in the first six years of life. Your child already has certain natural skills, but you can help develop them through the power of play with the right educational baby toys. There are a variety of educational toys that are available for children as soon as they are able to hold things. An educational toy can be something as simple as a puppet, or matching shapes made from different textures.
Take a look at the Born Gifted website, and you are sure to find the perfect educational baby toys. Giving a gift that can prove to be of long-term benefit as well as a provider of entertainment isn’t something worth missing out on.
Tags: Baby Gifts, baby toys, educational baby toys, educational toys
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April 12th, 2010
If you are going to a Christening ceremony, you will have given a lot of thought to what kind of present you will choose. Born Gifted are here to help when it comes to choosing presents for all occasions, including Baby Shower gifts. You may not be familiar with the term baby shower, but over the last ten years it has crossed the Atlantic from America where it has long been used to describe a party where baby gifts are traditionally given before the child is born.
The baby shower is thought to have originated in the late 19th Century and received its name from the ‘showering’ of love and gifts for the mother-to-be from friends and family. The baby shower started as a tea party for women who would share the day with the expectant mum and her female relations, and the baby gifts given were always practical in nature and handmade.
A baby shower was originally given for the first baby of a couple but that tradition has changed over the years and now includes other children born into the family. So, now you know all there is to know about the origins of the Baby Shower, you are ready to look at the wide range of baby shower gifts on offer at the Born Gifted website. There are ideas for every occasion on the website as Born Gifted don’t just concentrate on Newborn Baby gifts. They can help you choose presents for Mother’s Day and Dad’s birthday with a range of personalized presents to suit everyone.
Tags: Baby Gifts, baby presents, baby shower gifts, baby toys
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March 25th, 2010
It is better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot, and children rely on us to provide the groundwork for their social development.
This can be implemented through the clever use of educational toys which are used in role play. Children love to play act, so encouraging this behaviour allows them to sample many of the emotions they will encounter when they start nursery or school.
Toys to nurture social development include dolls, puppets and teddy bears (stuffed animals are also known as plush toys). Play is one of the best ways for your child to rehearse the realities of life. It also provides the additional benefit of stimulating the imagination, nurturing skills and boosting self-esteem.
Presents for a boy which develop these core areas are action men or dolls, which build a sense of confidence through interactive ‘battles’ with other boy dolls. Dolls and teddy bears make great presents for a girl as young ladies often build up friendships with their favourite toys, a valuable resource when making friends in nursery.
Educational toys fulfil the needs of children by allowing them to escape from the ‘real’ world for a while and practise the art of giving rather than receiving. They also allow parents to bring out the best of their children’s natural skills. Books help develop concentration and stimulate the imagination. Introduce lots of song and dance into your child’s world to coax an affinity with music. Play cookers, hoovers and gardening tools encourage cooperation, sharing and responsibility.
Make it your aim to make your child’s life as fulfilling and rewarding as you possibly can and hone in on their natural creative and social skills. Baby toys are extremely effective tools in promoting social and educational development.
Tags: Baby Gifts, baby toys, educational toys, plush toys
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March 24th, 2010
You do not know the meaning of true love until you have a baby. When you look into the eyes of a newborn, you may be curious as to what they are feeling or thinking. Does crying mean that she is sad? Does smiling mean that he loves his baby toys?
There is a massive difference between baby and adult emotions. Although the expressions are familiar, the meanings throughout the first six months of life are significantly different. The seeds of emotion will grow with time.
What is a coo? Although many parents mistake this as a smile, during the first three months this is an involuntary neurological activity. From three months onwards, your baby will develop a social smile and react to certain stimuli, especially faces. If you are hoping to become godparents, one of the best godparent gifts you could give would be your face and a few kind, mooshy baby words. Watch little one react with a cheeky beam!
When your little bundle turns into a little devil with red-faced cheeks and a mighty wail, he may not be expressing his distaste for those stripy pink and purple mittens with matching bonnet that were given as hand knitted baby shower gifts. Instead, he may be expressing discomfort in the form of a soggy nappy or hunger. As time passes, baby will go through a building block process where he will experience frustration and anger. Educational baby toys such as balls which encourage baby’s motor skills can be great fun, but when mummy doesn’t roll the ball fast enough, baby may express his feelings via tears.
These are just a few ways to tap into your baby’s feelings and build up a rapport. Baby gifts are extremely ideal as ‘ice breakers’ for developing these social situations.
Tags: Baby Gifts, baby toys, educational baby toys, Godparent Gifts
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