Your N°1 Birthday Party Resource

With more children’s toys being made in countries that do not have strict rules, it’s hard to know what toys are safe for a baby or toddler. Many toys were recalled last year. They somehow were imported and only later found to have toxic paints, toxic metals, or other poisons, after they had been purchased and given to children.

When choosing baby birthday gifts, remember that babies and toddlers are going to be putting everything into their mouth. For this reason it is very important that the toys do not have any small pieces that the child could choke on.

To help you determine if a gift is safe for the age of the child you are buying for, all toys are supposed to be labeled with the ages that may safely play with them. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. Children die each year from choking on toys.

Here are some old fashioned, tried and true gifts that are always welcomed with bright eyes and huge smiles, no matter which child receives them.

Teddy Bears - An Old Favorite

The original baby birthday gifts are the never failing teddy bears. Named for President Theodore Roosevelt, these cuddly friends have provided years of comfort and love to children world wide.

Choosing the right teddy bear for a baby is relatively easy. Look for bears that have painted, or printed, eyes, instead of buttons or other doll eyes. Button eyes can be bitten off and choked on, whereas painted eyes can not.

When choosing teddy bears as baby birthday gifts, it is important to take the size of the bears, and the babies, into account. Never choose a bear that is close to the same size of the baby, especially if the child is under two. A large bear could cause suffocation if the child is allowed to sleep with it.

Building Blocks and Duplo Blocks

Building blocks make great baby birthday gifts. For younger babies, choose softer blocks that will not hurt the child if he or she falls on them, or gets hit by one.

Building blocks are a great way for children to build their dexterity, and also a great way to expand their imaginations. Who doesn’t remember building castles and forts as children?

My children especially enjoyed stacking toys that also fit inside each other. We also spent hours together playing with duplo blocks.

Books Make Great Gifts

Most babies and toddlers love to look at books. Books encourage parents to spend time with their child, and it’s also a great way to start developing a love of reading.

There are some great plastic books and board books. Some of my children’s favorites were books such as “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See” (and any other books by Eric Carle), and “Goodnight Moon” and “The Runaway Bunny” by Margaret Wise Brown. My children also enjoyed the Marc Brown board books about Arthur and D.W.
If you want to get hardcover or softcover books for parents to read to their children, young children especially enjoy books by Virginia Lee Burton (such as “Katy and the Big Snow”), any of the Laura Joffe Numeroff books such as “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” and the book series by Cynthia Rylant about Mudge and the series about Mr. Putter and Tabby.

When buying books as baby birthday gifts, be sure to select books with lots of pictures and bright colors and few words. My one daughter especially enjoyed “Katy and the Big Snow” because the author included a map of the town.

All children love to receive gifts. They don’t have to be expensive and elaborate. Simple and inexpensive gifts are often much better, such as those mentioned above.