Product Showcase: Soft Baby Toys
By Karyn M. Peterson -- Gifts and Dec, March 10, 2009
This week’s Product Showcase features soft baby toys from All New Materials, Dandelion, International Playthings, Kids Preferred, Learning Curve and Mary Meyer.
In The Moo-d
The award-winning Deglingos collection of designer French plush crafted from multiple fabrics (10 characters in all) expands this year into four categories of infant products: plush rattles, Discovery Deglingos (developmental plush), Baby Deglingos (mini-blankets with a soft corduroy characters attached) and infant footwear. Show here is the Milkos the Cow Rattle ($17), which features an easy-to-grasp circular shape and amusing udder details.
All New Materials, Montclair, N.J.
www.allnewmaterials.com
Earth-friendly Fun
The 10-inch-high Organic Stacker—crafted from organic materials including velour, waffle, terry and canvas—offers a fresh, eco-friendly twist on a classic play pattern for baby. It includes five soft textured rings, each featuring an assortment of sounds (such as crinkles and rattles) designed to enchant babies and to develop their fine motor and sensory skills, plus a soft stand to stack them on. The company is also introducing an organic sorter and an activity ball.
Dandelion, Winter Park, Fla.
www.dandelionforbaby.com
Tech Time
The Taggies Ring Ring! Telephone is a soft, tactile toy for all ages—featuring lots of Taggies for baby to rub and enjoy—that plays four different ring tones, each of which are baby-activated by pressing the different buttons. It also includes a mirror. Also in the collection line this spring, the company will debut the Taggies Smile! Camera, the Taggies Go Go! Car for ages 3 months and up, plus Fishing for Taggies, for ages 6 months and up.
International Playthings, Parsippany, N.J.
www.intplay.com
Purr-fect Pal
The 9-inch Amazing Baby Developmental Sound Kitty ($16) for all ages meows when you press her belly, and features an attachable clip so she can be used in the crib and beyond. Kitty also features a soft teether for gums; tuggable, touchable ribbon tags, and additional crinkle and rattle noises. Additional items in the collection include the Developmental Sound Puppy, the Blanket Teether Bunny and the Pop-Up Activity Ball, each of which is appropriate for all ages.
Kids Preferred, East Windsor, N.J.
www.kidspreferred.com
Baby’s Own Band
New to Learning Curve’s Lamaze collection this spring for all ages is Lamaze Elephantunes ($24.99), a colorful, soft elephant with which baby can make merry music. When baby pushes each leg of the vanilla-scented toy, a different note is played; the pink pachyderm also comes packaged with a songbook. Additional expansions to the Lamaze collection this year include the Spin and Explore the Sea Gym; the Discovery Pyramid; the Stack, Roll & Crawl Ball; the Lights and Sounds Wrap and Go Flower and the Busy Bug.
Learning Curve (RC2), Oak Brook, Ill.
www.learningcurve.com
Cuddly Companions
The 8-inch plush Wooby Chew ($11) is a cuddly activity toy and security blanket all in one. It crinkles, teethers and rattles and is easy for baby to grasp onto, just like the end of a favorite blanket. It’s available in six themes: Cutsie Caterpillar, Mango Monkey (pictured), Charlie Choo Choo, Lucky Ducky, Little Ladybug and Precious Puppy. Mango Monkey also appears in several more new baby toys this year, including Fluff N’ Play, rattle and wind-up musical versions.
Mary Meyer, Townshend, Vt.
www.marymeyer.com
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