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 21st, 2010
As a godmother or godfather, you want to do the best you can for the little one whose happiness and wellbeing has been entrusted to you by their parents. It’s an amazing statement of love and friendship, and we at Born Gifted understand that your relationship with your godchild will be special from the start.
We know you’ll want gifts for a godchild to stand out at birthdays and on special occasions. A little bit of the responsibility for the way the godchild grows up and who they become belongs to you, so the baby and toddler toys you select as gifts should take some thought.
One of the ways you can do something positive for your godchild right from the start is to pick Fair Trade baby gifts. These are made by craftsmen and women working their way out of poverty in some of the most desperate places in the world. Through the Fair Trade scheme, they are paid a fair price for the baby and toddler toys or other wares that they make. It’s a small contribution towards a better, fairer world for your godchild to grow up in, and it shows the baby’s mum and dad how seriously you are going to take the responsibility of being a godparent.
Some of the best Fair Trade gifts for a godchild can be found in our wooden toys section. They are usually brightly coloured with a lovely smooth feel and texture ideal for young children to enjoy, and often have an educational component too.
Tags: Baby Gifts, gifts for a godchild, Godparent 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 17th, 2010
The arrival of a new sibling means big changes in the life of any young child. Especially if they had been the sole focus of both parents’ attention, a new baby in the family can be a bit of a shock and sometimes big brothers and sisters aren’t too happy with the new situation.
There are probably a lot of new baby gifts arriving, but a little present for a boy or a girl who finds themself sharing the limelight with a new baby can smooth the road to enjoying the changed family dynamic. It makes life a little easier on the busy parents, too. A new baby is always exhausting, but even more so when they have a grumpy toddler to deal with.
A clever way of dealing with the problem is to show the new sibling as something that is exciting. One of the best presents for a boy or a girl with a baby sibling is a framed photo of the two together, so they get to see their baby brother or sister as something to be proud of.
Another strategy is to choose a toddler toy that is a little more grown up. Pick something they haven’t been allowed before, like a money box or a backpack of their very own. The aim is to make them feel grown up and show how impressed you are with the way they are coping with the change. They should be pleased to become a big brother or sister.
Tags: Baby Gifts, presents for boys, presents for girls, toddler toys
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May 11th, 2010
Baby gifts, especially for newborns, are often more a present for the parents than the little one. Choosing useful items like clothing and blankets is a sound strategy because we all know new mums and dads can use all the help they can get, but there are plenty of baby boy and baby girl gifts that will bring a smile to the parents as well as being a lovely present for the child.
Some of the best received baby gifts are those with a theme the new parents will remember from their own childhood. They are fun to give too, bringing back happy memories for everyone involved. And there is no reason why your favourite toddler toy (or a new version of it) can’t become a new arrival’s favourite too.
For example, take Paddington Bear. He’s been around for decades and is still popular with kids and the adults who grew up with him. Paddington is a charming character with a very sweet story to tell children. You can find him in our Baby Shower section.
Other much loved characters, including Peter Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh, have their very own sections on our website. Both of those are excellent choices for baby gifts, because you can add story books and other plush characters to the collection as the child grows into a toddler and upwards.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar has his own section too. Eric Carle’s book is an enduring favourite and something many of us remember with delight. We have the book, including versions for the very young, hand puppets and educational toys, and of course, the caterpillar himself.
Tags: baby boy gifts, Baby Gifts, baby girl gifts, themed baby toys, toddler toys
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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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March 11th, 2010
A baby is a gift unwrapped, which should only be opened with love. But when we buy baby gifts out of love, especially in the form of clothing, why do we buy baby grows in blue for a boy and pink for a girl?
Even the paper we choose to wrap our baby gifts is selected by gender. Are we driven by evolutionary instinct? Theorists believe that females prefer reds and pinks as they are associated with their hunter gatherer days. Whilst men hunted, women gathered fruits and vegetables; therefore, females became attuned to the blush of ripe fruits. They were also aware of their children’s ruddy faces which were associated with illness. Men prefer blues as they signified good weather and a good water source. This provided information on feeding and watering grounds where animals could be hunted.
So, the next time you look for newborn baby gifts, will you be influenced by your evolutionary instincts? Or will you opt out of the great colour divide and buy clothes in greens or yellows?
Whenever we choose to buy childrens toys or clothing, it is easy to spot the gender difference. Are we boxing our children into set standards? Research shows that colours are important for youngsters as it helps them to establish their sex. As they become older, freedom of choice releases the constraints of the pink/blue barrier and does not cause any long term gender issues in later life.
Tags: Baby Gifts, childrens toys, newborn baby gifts, toddler toys
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March 10th, 2010
A brother or sister shares the memories of childhood and grown-up dreams, but how do we teach our toddler to accept a new baby into the fold?
Whilst it may be easy for parents to adjust to the role change, your toddler may have some serious difficulties coping with someone new stealing the limelight when you bring your baby home.
Include your child in as many of the preparations as possible. One good way to do this is to encourage him/her to buy some baby gifts for their little brother or sister. This is a great way to help your youngster form a mental bond with baby.
There are many wonderful ideas on the market right now. Let your child hand pick baby gifts that they would personally like to give. They do not have to be elaborate, just simple things such as small teddies or rattles.
Whilst your little one is pondering over which gift to lavish upon baby, it may even be a nice gesture to look at baby toys. Whenever you buy something for the pending arrival, you should always remember to buy a little something for your other child, too. One good idea is a book which could gently explain how things will be when baby arrives home. The range is vast and toddler toys fluctuate from puzzle games through to riding on playthings.
Children learn by example. By highlighting all of the good reasons to having a new addition in the family, your child will gently adapt to sharing life with another and equally enjoy the benefits.
Tags: baby and toddler toys, Baby Gifts, newborn baby gifts, toddler toys
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March 9th, 2010
Your child’s first birthday party is a special occasion, and definitely one that should be captured on camera and cherished forever.
Make the day happy and fun and hold it in a place where your little one feels comfortable. The same goes for guests; invite familiar faces that your son or daughter is used to seeing. These are the people who have got to know your toddler throughout the past twelve months and will provide baby gifts which suit your baby’s personality.
Grandparents, Godparents, Aunties and Uncles usually ponder for weeks on end, trying to come up with innovative first birthday gift ideas. They will be waiting to see how your toddler reacts.
Play it safe and ensure that your gift will be an instant success and not one which will go down in history as the present that ruined a little boy or girl’s day because they were so scared of the bouncing clown!
Toddler toys need to be sturdy and secure as one year olds tend to put everything into their mouths. Also, look for toys which will help with development or are soft and cuddly. Look for plush toys which look strong enough to cope with being chewed, loved to pieces and dragged around the floor.
Every child loves a rocking horse as it emanates feelings of how they were gently rocked whilst in the womb.
By following some of the tips above you can provide toddler toys which are more fun to play with than the wrapping paper they came in. Plus you keep little one in your good books for a long, long time.
Tags: Baby Gifts, first birthday gift ideas, plush toys, toddler toys
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