This collection of unique, open-ended toys will last well beyond babyhood. Whether you’re searching for musical gifts to inspire family dance parties or active toys for your busy babe, these play materials serve as an introduction to sensory play. Here’s to gifts that help stimulate baby’s developing senses while bringing out that irresistible smile!
We’re swooning for this gorgeous play mat by mom-founded brand, Toki Mats. The Lunar Phases mat allows you to create a safe, engaging play space for your little one. It will quickly become your go-to spot, from tummy time to storytime! Toki Mats are unique because they’re soft enough to catch tumbles, yet firm enough to support standing. They’re also easy to clean, portable and storable. With a removable organic cotton cover, side zipper closures, and natural rubber inserts, the Lunar phases mat will be a part of your family’s playtime for years to come. Just imagine the memories you’ll make in the space you create.
A Thank You Walk: A Story About Gratitude
Part of the Bright Start series by Quarto Publishing, A Thank You Walk illustrates the concept of gratitude for toddlers. This board book explores different ways of saying “thank you”, from a dog’s wagging tail to a child’s smile. With simple stories and engaging illustrations, the Bright Start series opens conversations about emotions and mental well-being, providing you with the tools and language needed to develop and nurture emotional intelligence in your child.
Lullaby Friends Bunny Gift Set
This beautiful baby gift is a Rose & Rex exclusive that has found a new home with our partners at Oompa! Holding a removable cuddly blanket, this soft linen and cotton bunny plays a calming lullaby when you gently pull its tail. The included baby bunny is also a plush rattle, perfect for tiny hands to hold and shake to engage in sensory play. Packaged in a beautiful gift box, this bunny and rattle bundle is perfect for all ages and will be cherished for many years to come!
Wee Gallery is one of our go-to brands for newborns. All of their items are made of high quality materials in high contrast colors that engage the littlest ones in meaningful play. The Wee Gallery Gift Set is beautifully presented in a gift-ready box and includes a thoughtfully curated collection of new baby essentials like art cards and a panda teether.
This toy box is a classic gift that will be a staple in your home for many years to come! Personalized with your child’s name, each box is generously sized toy and will easily hold toys, books, dress-up costumes, and more! This stunning handmade piece by Hollow Woodworks arrives fully assembled and has safety hinges to keep little fingers safe!
This cheery, super giftable set is filled with newborn essentials for baby’s first months. All of the pieces are made from 100{4f792f363afed9c900b534cfe6697e8ab2a0aadebc794c4863eaec3a4d1e325b} organic cotton and the gift comes packaged in a multi-purpose felt basket, which doubles as a great storage solution.
Gommu, which means rubber in Japanese, is a line of toys made from hevea tree white sap. Each doll is 100{4f792f363afed9c900b534cfe6697e8ab2a0aadebc794c4863eaec3a4d1e325b} biodegradable and hand-painted with food grade paint. In addition to being eco-friendly, Gommu Dolls have an open-ended expression, which allows children to personalize their play. As an added bonus, Gommu dolls can be played with in the water so they can really accompany your little one on any adventure!
Pehr Designs Counting Sheep Mobile
Hang this colorful felt mobile from Pehr Designs in baby’s nursery for a double-win of beauty and developmental support. With its gentle movement and bright colors, the Counting Sheep Mobile helps encourage a babies’ visual skills, like tracking, and helps them learn to self-soothe. With five sheep and a sweet hanging star detail, all made of felted wool, this mobile is carefully crafted by hand and designed to bring a calming and happy ambience while your baby sleeps. As little ones grow, make sure to adjust the height of your mobile so it’s always out of reach. And consider switching it up — hang your mobile over a changing pad or reading nook to refresh the space.
Whether your little one is a sitter, squatter, stander or walker, they will love this wooden Activity Walker by Wonder & Wise. From sorting shapes to carting around beloved toys, this wooden toy offers countless hours of fun. You’ll love this chic alternative to a battery-operated walker just as much as your baby does!
Cuddle + Kind Benedict the Bunny
Benedict Bunny has been lovingly handcrafted by female artisans in Peru and Nepal, providing them with sustainable, fair trade income. Made of premium cotton, this plush friend is safety certified for newborns and up! For each toy sold, Cuddle + Kind gives 10 meals to children in need.
The perfect combination of a soft lovey and an engaging sensory toy! Tikiri Toys creates heirloom quality toys that open a world of self-discovery to young children. Alving the Elephant is handcrafted using ethical practices and sustainable, natural materials.
This beautiful playsilk from Sarah’s Silks turns a simple game of peek-a-boo into a magical sensory experience for a baby. The material feels soft and cool on their delicate skin and with multiple color options, the abstract designs will delight and dazzle. Playsilks are one of our favorite open-ended toys for children of all ages. The watercolor playsilk is a baby gift that will keep on giving!
Make bath time more playful with this whimsical panda hooded towel and bath mitt set from Baby Mori. The towel and mitt are made from supersoft organic micro cotton. Mori not only creates the softest baby clothes and towels but they are committed to sustainable sourcing and ethical manufacturing.
Mini Flip 2-in-1 Wooden Ride-On and Rocking Toy
As a team of New Yorkers living in cozy (read tiny) apartments, we are always on the lookout for toys that have multiple uses and work for multiple stages of development. This clever wooden toy, created by Wishbone Design, can be used as a walker by babies on the move and then as a ride-on or rocker throughout the toddler stage. The conversion takes minutes with no tools are required!
Grimms Rainbow Wooden Grasping Toy
An heirloom grasping toy created by expert wooden toys makers Grimm’s Spiel & Holz of Germany. Stained with natural dyes in Grimms signature vibrant hues, this is a gift that will nurture a baby’s senses as it is manipulated into an infinite number of shapes. Better yet, this classic toy doubles as a teether!
Maileg Noah’s Ark with 3 Plush Pals
Ahoy, baby! This four piece plush set introduces your little one to his or her first type of play – sensory play, which helps cultivate cognitive development and physical growth. Made of soft pure cotton, this set includes a truly fun cast of characters – a lion, pig and rhino all contained in their own ship – that baby will enjoy long after maturing past his or her rattle days. When baby grows into a tot, these plush pals transform into inspiring, imaginary props for storytelling and dramatic play adventures!
Sometimes the best gifts for new parents are the most practical ones! No ordinary shelf, the Babyletto shelf has been thoughtfully designed to grow with a child. It also help parents keep a child’s play space fresh and uncluttered. Made with sustainable, renewable materials like eco-performing FSC-certified wood, its innovative design is made durable to withstand toy rotations for years to come!