Best Stuffed Animals for Babies

stuffed animals

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What’s the only thing that’s cuter than sleeping newborn babies? How about sleeping newborn babies that are snuggling with their very first stuffed animals?

If you’ve had a baby, there’s a menagerie of stuffed animals out there available for purchase. Choosing which cute stuffed animals will become your baby’s first best friend can be a hard decision!

What factors should you keep in mind when you are considering introducing stuffed toys to your little one? Read on to learn some tips that can help you decide which baby stuffed animals might be right for your family!

What Stuffed Animals Are Baby-Safe?

When you are considering giving your baby stuffed toys, the most important consideration should be safety. Many common features of stuffed animals make them unsafe baby toys. When shopping for stuffed animals, thinking about safety can make your decision easier!

Buttons, Beads, and Buckles – Oh My!

The first thing that you will want to notice is whether or not your baby’s toy has any small, removable parts. Eyeballs and noises are often the culprits, but doll clothes can also have small parts. Whether manufacturers attach them with glue or thread, they are choking hazards and you should not give them to your child.

Instead, consider stuffed animals with embroidered features. Consider saving the doll clothes for when your baby is old enough to dress his or her own toys. When children are young, it’s better to avoid small parts altogether!

Long Hair? You Should Care!

Some stuffed animals have hair or manes made of yarn, string, or other fibers. When dealing with infants, it’s best to stay away from these features. A piece of fiber can wrap around a baby’s little hands, feet, or other body parts and cut off circulation.

If removed, these strands can also become choking hazards. As a general rule, any toy or doll with strands longer than six inches are generally not baby-safe.

Keep the Guts on the Inside!

You may want to share some of your favorite toys from your own childhood. Feel free to shop beanie baby! Before handing them off, however, you will want to check all of the seams.

Toys like beanie babies are high quality. Even so, beans become choking hazards once they’re no longer on the inside. You may want to supervise your little one during play.

Even plush toys can be poorly made, and soft stuffing might come bursting out when babies chew on them.  Higher quality toys are always safer options when you are giving them to babies.

Make Sure It’s Washable!

Babies are both adorable and very gross. You will want to avoid giving a toy to your baby if it isn’t washable. As a busy parent to an infant, you will probably want to double-check that you can clean it quickly and easily!

The ideal stuffed animal for a baby will be machine washable. Consider purchasing two or more of the same toy so that you can keep toys clean and babies happy!

The Best Stuffed Animals Are Safe Stuffed Animals

When shopping for stuffed animals for your child, always keep safety at the forefront. Luckily, there are plenty of baby-safe stuffed animals out there waiting to become your baby’s best friend!

If you enjoyed these tips, you’ll love the other parenting posts on the blog! Keep reading for more advice for new parents!