Holiday Gift Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

With the holidays rapidly approaching, everyone from mom and dad to aunts and uncles will soon be scouring the toy isles to find just the right toys and gifts to please the littlest ones on their lists. From old favorites to new ideas, here is a holiday shopping guide for babies and toddlers that won't disappoint the colicky critics. By checking out these holiday gift ideas for baby and buying tips, you are sure to pick a winner that mom and dad won't be exchanging later.

Playskool's classic Weebly Wobbly Tree House won big as the top infant/preschool Toy of the Year during the Toy Industry Association's annual awards. This year, the Weebles are making a comeback with all-new adventures and beloved nursery rhyme characters. The Weebles Storybook World has taken Goldilocks, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and Jill and many others to a new level of play by introducing them into the Weebles family. These entertaining playsets encourage play through imagination and story telling. Each playset comes with a weebles storybook, playset and characters. While mom or dad reads the classic tale, the child can act out the story or better yet, make up one of their own. Ages for the playsets are for children age 6 months and up and prices vary from $14.99 to $39.99.

If you haven't heard about Mattel's new Tickle Me Elmo (T.M.X) from Fisher Price, well then you don't know Elmo. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Tickle Me Elmo Fisher Price has created a new version of the old favorite. Elmo can now be tickled in 3 different places and each time he is tickled, he goes into a "giggle fit" more outrageous than the first one. At the end of Tickle Me Elmo's laughfest, he lets out a huge sigh. This entertaining display will be sure to keep parents and baby alike in high spirits. Fisher Price could struggle to keep this toy on the shelves so shopping early is key this season if you plan to grab the latest T.M.X in time for the holidays. Tickle Me Elmo is appropriate for babies age 18 months and up and retails for around $40.00.

For younger babies, The Ocean Wonders Aquarium from Fisher Price is a popular gift again this holiday season. The aquarium easily attaches to the side of a crib and soothes baby to sleep with water sounds ranging from a bubbling brook to sounds of calming ocean waves, along with a selection of 3 lullabies. By pushing a large button at the base of the aquarium, babies can turn the music, sound and lights on and off. The Ocean Wonders Aquarium has different settings so parents can give baby water sounds, music, lights or a combination of either. Inside the aquarium, fish "swim" and bubbles rise to the top, while a soft light moves across the bottom to replicate light reflecting off the ocean floor. Overall, this is a very entertaining toy for baby that can be used from birth on up and The Ocean Wonders Aquarium sells for around $30.

The innovative company, One Step Ahead, which brings parents useful, safety minded products, has come out with a new 3 in 1 stacker. The Jingle Jungle Stacking Toy allows baby to mix, match and stack different shapes, sizes and animals. Each piece has an entertaining sound so baby may be jingling, rattling, and squeaking as he/she stacks. The chiming, rocking base has 3 separate pieces for stacking so baby can pick and choose what to put where. Each stacking piece is brilliantly colored and patterned so it pleasing to baby's eye. Creatures can be mixed and matched to create different animal combinations as well. The Jingle Jungle Stacking Toy is exclusive to One Step Ahead and sells for $34.95

Some things to remember when holiday shopping for babies are safety, creativity, educational value, and the ability to grow with the baby. A toy for baby should not have small parts that can come off the toy. Small parts are not recommended for babies as they can cause a choking hazard. Baby's toys should be fun and allow for a baby to be creative and imaginative without being over stimulating. Choosing a toy that can teach babies basic skills as well as entertain also has staying power. Repetition is key to learning for baby just as playtime is also learning time for babies. If a toy can grow with baby, parents and gift givers will be sure to get their money's worth, as these types of toys will be played with long after the baby has outgrown all the others. Some great toys that grow with the baby are stacking toys, push toys that convert to riding toys, and activity centers. One last rule of thumb is to choose age-appropriate toys. That information is usually displayed on the outside of the package.

So bring on the long lines and piped in holiday music and get ready to make a baby's holiday a memorable one