droolicious : rattles

Skip Hop's Funky Farmyard Toy Collection (and Giveaway!)

elizabeth leach — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Skip Hop's new collection of infant toys, the Funky Farmyard Toy Collection, is modern, whimsical and beautifully designed. Each developmental toy is brightly colored with contemporary graphics and soft shapes. Skip Hop is giving away the above Activity Gym to one lucky Babble reader. Details after the jump...

Skip Hop's Funky Farmyard Toy Collection consists of an Activity Gym, Animal Ball Trio, Build-A-Barn Blocks, Roll Around Balls, Funny Face Mirrors and Farmhouse Activity Mirror.

The Activity Gym (above photo) would complement any decor with animal and farm graphics, tummy time pillow and five dangling multi-sensory toys with fun textures and squeaking sounds. ($60) (Details on giveaway at the end of this review.)

The Farmyard Animal Ball Trio is a set of three balls with animal faces that ring, squeak and rattle. Hang the cow, duck and pig from your car seat, stroller, or anywhere you want. ($15)

The Farmhouse Activity Mirror is a baby safe mirror designed to look like a farmhouse. It can attach to anything or stand up by itself. This is, without a doubt, the cutest baby mirror I've seen! ($15)

Build-A-Barn Blocks (below photo) consist of four soft blocks with rattles, chimes, crinkles and textures to discover. They are bright and fun to look at, too, with animals and barn graphics.($15)

Animal Chime Balls look like the Animal Ball Trio animals, but are big enough to snuggle. Animals chime, crinkle and are fun to roll. Choose a pig, cow or duck. Balls are 6" around. ($13 each)

Funny Face Mirrors (below photo) are soft, modern stuffed animals with a mirror face. Baby will have fun looking at himself and squeaking the cute bunny or cow. Loop at the back enables the toy to attach to car seats, strollers, or wherever you want. I love the bold color combinations! ($9 each)

Shop the Skip Hop's Funky Farmyard Toy Collection.

To win a Funky Farmyard Activity Gym send me an e-mail at babbledesign@gmail.com with "Skip Hop" in the subject and tell me which Skip Hop product, on their website, is your favorite and why. Also, please give me your name and address. I will choose a random winner next Friday, May 29. Good luck!

Organic Rattles with Some Color

Lisa Mulcahy — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:30:00 GMT

I love organic baby products, especially the ones that will inevitably end up in the mouth. The only problem is that although I like the natural look, neutral browns and cream colors can be a bit boring. These brightly colored ring rattles prove that organic doesn’t have to be beige.

From Mary Meyer Stuffed Toys, these multi-colored rattles, $12, with an elephant, frog or monkey on top are made with 100% certified organic cotton fabric and contain no harmful pesticides, toxic chemicals or dyes.

Clutch And Jingle Toy

Lisa Estall — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:19:00 GMT

For babies who are learning to touch and feel, this Sonajero Rojo Clutching Toy from Kathe Kruse looks fun to play with.

Babies can squeeze the center handle and crinkle the orange heart. There are also beads in the pink heart for...

jingling. The ring is for teething and there’s a loop for attaching a pacifier.

This toy is made in Germany and sold at Oompa for $24.99. A little pricey but hey, it's different.

Rattle On Baby!

Lisa Estall — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:41:00 GMT

What I like about this wooden rattle is that it is looks different and is safe for babies to chew on.

Called Selecta Grasping Toy Tulpino, this rattle is made out of beech wood and polished with beeswax. It is also painted with non-toxic water-based paints.

The price is $14.95 which is high for a rattle but it is described as being made of high quality wood. Selecta toys are made in Germany.

Sold at Child Trek.

Bunny Baby Rattle For Little Hands

Lisa Estall — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:51:00 GMT

Celebrate Easter a little early by giving this Crochet Stuffed Animal Bunny Baby Rattle as a sweet gift.

Made by the local artisans of Peru, the rattle is hand-crocheted of soft...

Peruvian cotton.

The price is affordable for $14.00 and sold at estella-nyc.com.

Meet Trompet By Blabla

SunnyChanel — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

A little birdy told me about these adorable new rattles. Okay, strike that. A little website told me about the adorable new rattles, but really who’s keeping track. Meet Trompet one of the new avian pals created by knit happy toy company Blabla.

This soft rattle, part of a whole slew of feather friends, is knitted by hand by Peruvian artists. The rattles are sized just for little fingers and digits and did I mention Trompet is adorable? Yes, yes I did. You can pick one up here for $28.99.

Gnaw on this Fish

Lisa Mulcahy — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:28:00 GMT

Despite the fact that we started off with only organic baby food, one of the first snacks my son had was Goldfish. He still loves those cheesy salty fish and I bet he would have really liked this German rattle in their likeness.

Hand-carved from cherry wood and treated with a non-toxic oil, this fish rattle, $22, is just the right shape for little hands to grasp and budding teeth to gnaw. It’s filled with tiny semi-precious stones so when they give it a shake it’ll rattle and roll.

Bookworm Series: For Brainy Babies

Cathy Hale — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:00:00 GMT

Wondering what kind of book to read to your newborn? Take a look at some simply precious faces in the "Begin Smart Series" book, Faces. Boo-hoo, nite-nite, ha-ha, yummy - your baby will love these funny faces. The book has a rattle attached to keep baby amused and engaged. What fun! Great gift idea too. Barnes & Noble.

Green Baby: Yellow Label Ice Cream Rattles are Deliciously Fair Trade

Mir — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 18:00:00 GMT

Mmmm... it's a trio of perfect ice cream cones for baby; no empty calories, preservatives, or lead paint! Yellow Label designs these rattles in California and then they're made by artisans in Bangladesh (under Fair Trade practices). The result is a perfect addition to baby's toybox, worry- and guilt-free. $26.99 for the set from Oompah.

Get Back to Basics with Sassy Earth Brights

Mir — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:02:00 GMT

When my kids were babies, Sassy was a purveyor of all things plastic. But with new awareness of plastic sometimes being less than fantastic, many of the big companies are getting back to basics. This lil twig rattle ($5.99 at Amazon) is just one example from Sassy's Earth Brights line. Hardwoods and soft fabrics combine in delightful toys that are toxin-free. Hallelujah!

Droolworthy: Tiffany Man in the Moon Silver Rattle

Mir — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:05:00 GMT

If you must do the silver keepsake thing, here's a great way to get both chic and adorable in one fell sweep: The Tiffany Man in the Moon Rattle is utter perfection. $150 gets you the sweet rattle, the Tiffany packaging, and the joy of watching baby slobber on something that cost more than a couple of months worth of diapers.

Manhattan Toy Makes Big Baby Fun with Twisterella

Mir — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:06:00 GMT

I've yet to find the item by Manhattan Toy item that didn't look like an ideal baby gift -- their fun, noisy, cheerful toys are always winners -- but Twisterella here ($28 at Amazon) just makes me laugh. Stack it, sort it, pretend it's an 80s hair band that spent the day getting a makeover from some Oompa Loompas. The possibilities are nearly endless!

Green Baby: Ogunquit Wooden Rattles

Mir — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 11:05:00 GMT

The array of rattles at Ogunquit Wooden Toy is staggering, and the above photo is but a small sampling of what's available. Artist William John Woods fashions them from a variety of naturally beautiful woods, and walnut oil and beeswax take the place of any stains or dyes. The results are gorgeous and unique. $20 apiece seems like a bargain for this sort of craftsmanship (not to mention the virtual guarantee that you won't be giving the same thing as everyone else at the baby shower).

Hand Made: Birthstone Rattles for Form and Function

Mir — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:03:00 GMT

Need a unique gift for that special new baby? Consider these wooden birthstone rattles from The Play Cottage ($18.50 apiece). Each one is hand made from alder, treated with linseed oil and features a semi-precious birthstone corresponding to the signs of the zodiac. The shape is ideal for tiny hands and mouth, plus the stone will be smooth and cool on sore gums.

I've included a picture of the the jasper rattle, above (that's Leo), but they're all gorgeous and sure to be elevated to keepsake status after baby's done gnawing on 'em.

Spit Up: Bling for your Aristabrat

Mir — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:05:00 GMT

Good news! I know exactly what you can get for Paris Hilton once she finally pops out that first baby she's been talking about lately: This lovely matching set from Aristabrat (their tagline: "For the haves and have mores") consisting of rattle, nail clippers, and pacifier. All three are encrusted with Swarovski crystals, proving that you can never be too rich or too over-the-top. And at just $299 for the trio, you'll have plenty of money left over for that gold tooth the baby needs, too.

Hand-Made: Knit Fruit Rattles Are Apples and Oranges

Kelly Mills — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 20:21:00 GMT

Give babies a fistful of fruit with these soft cotton rattles shaped like yummy pears, strawberries, apples, and so on. From Blabla, these shakers are hand-knit by Peruvian artists and only $39.99 for five. You can't do better at the Farmer's Market.

Droolworthy: Rock, Rattle and Roll with the Naef Dolio

Mir — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:04:00 GMT

Designed for Naef by Peer Clahsen, this Dolio rattle is baby nirvana on a stick. Bright colors, natural hardwoods, lots of balls to pull and chew on and to make a satisfying racket when the rattle is, um, rattled. At $39 (from Kido) I might staple it to the kid's sleeve rather than risk it going missing at the supermarket, but whatever. Details.

Shock the Monkey

Kelly Mills — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:31:00 GMT

The Alimrose Designs Monkey Rattle has the kind of navy and white stripey print and friendly face babies just like. Get this 11-inch primate at Cute-ture for $29.95. Thanks, Clever Parents for the tip.