greenbaby

For really little babies - that is, babies that are not yet creeping or crawling and are only just beginning to take an interest in things other than sleeping, nursing and cuddling - it can be difficult to find toys. I went out one day looking for toys for Sweet Pea, convinced that she was bored and that a toy of some sort would help stimulate her and allow me to get dinner made with a minimum of interruptions. I found one toy that seemed appropriate and bought it. It was a plastic disk with little colorful plastic pieces in it. You filled it with water and put it on the floor in front of the baby. The idea was that even a very small baby would be able to hit it with her hands and watch the little plastic pieces floating around in the water. (The box even purported that the toy would help infants learn about cause and effect.) I got home and proudly showed my purchase to Pookie. But the moment I opened the box and took the toy out I was overwhelmed with a strong plastic-y smell. Any plastic product that has a noticeable smell (that “new car” smell) is leaching chemicals that can be breathed in and absorbed by delicate baby skin (or grown up skin for that matter). Disappointed, I stuffed the toy back in the box and returned it the next day. My search for a baby toy appropriate for Sweet Pea continued.
Then, in a lovely little boutique in Milwaukee’s Third Ward called Freckle Face (www.frecklefaceboutique.com) I found a sweet faced little giraffe named Sophie. Sophie is made of latex, a natural rubber. She has a little scent to her, but it’s not that dangerous plastic smell that so many toys have. According to Sophie’s box, she was first invented in France in the 1960s, when children’s toys depicting exotic animals were rare. Sophie has a squeaker, but other than that she doesn’t do much. Sweet Pea loves her. Sophie has long legs and a long neck that are easy for S.P. to grasp and her ears and horns are perfect for chewing on and exploring with a little tongue. (Put her in the fridge and she’s great for teething.) In short, Sophie is a simple toy that’s been around for decades and is a perfect first toy for a baby!

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