Best Gifts for Baby Showers: Stress Free Gifts for the New Addition

Baby showers are a time for joy, excitement and… stress? Stress for the gift givers that is! Knowing what to bring for the new addition can be daunting; the baby business is a booming billion dollar industry that offers everything from “pee-pee tee-pees” to outfits that look like they should be on a runway to pure gold baby spoons. With choices that diverse, how is an average shower guest to pick an item that is not only useful, but doesn’t break the bank? Here are a few of the best gifts to choose from that will have not only the baby, but also the parents tickled pink (or blue)!

Board Books: You can find them in a wide variety of titles these days: from “Goodnight Moon” to “Peter Rabbit”. These sturdy and entertaining books are perfect for learning, coordination and chewing! Parents can read their little one a bedtime story and not worry about little fingers ripping pages or staining the books. The best part is they’re very affordable; wrap up a couple and you’re good to go.

CDs & DVDs for Baby: Does playing music for baby make him smarter? Some people answer with a resounding “YES!” Whether true or not, singing and dancing with baby in your arms is just plain fun.  You can choose from:

• Baby’s 1^st: ABCs, animals, 123s, words, etc. These use repetition and familiar objects to encourage speech development, communication skills and recognition.
• Popular children’s songs
• Lullabies to help tots fall asleep (a new Mom favourite!)
• Invigorating rhythm that encourages dance, play and sing-along type behavior

Bath Toys: These items are not a usual gift at baby showers but they sure make bath-time much more fun! Helping a child maximize quality bath time is a snap with colourful bath books, bubbles and bath squirters. There are also toys that double as thermometers and other safety necessities. Stackable toys like boats help with motor skills too; kids can learn to love bath time with these fun accessories.

Baby Plush Toys:  Including popular brands like Taggies, Infantino, Brainy Baby and Alex Jr., these toys are the go-to items on every baby’s toy list. Little ones are fascinated with the soft textures and sounds that these toys produce and are very happy to bounce, chew, pull lift and poke every surface, flap and orifice these toys have. They are great for enticing kids to start exploring sight, sound and touch from as young  as three months old. 

Gift Cards: Who doesn’t like gift cards? Though not directly responsible for thrilling playtime activity (and not as exciting as a flashing, beeping rattle), new parents can easily go out and do some shopping of their own at educational toy stores and department stores when loaded down with Gift Cards (or cash!) To personalize it a bit more, why not pick up a popular children’s book, write a short but sweet message on the inside cover and slip a gift card inside? Gift cards are definitely not frowned upon in this new age of online shopping and convenience.

So, the next baby shower you’re invited to, make shopping for the gift easy, quick and productive with these simple hints. They’re simple to find, useful and educational toys that will delight new parents and babies alike.

Lilly Gordon is a freelance writer and web publisher. She is a Mom of two and loves shopping for educational toys in Edmonton, where she currently resides.