Babies arrive on this planet with nothing but a great set of parents and a great set of lungs. But it doesnt stay that way for long. As soon as the birth announcements go out, the baby gifts start to pile in. And who doesnt want to distinguish themselves as a superior gift giver? Unique baby gifts last forever. They stay in a family for years, handed down to subsequent children and enjoyed for years to come. From child to child. From family to family. A perfect baby gift is worth its weight in gold. Thats why its so important to put a lot of thought into choosing new baby gifts.

Another baby gift idea is a great soft toys like "The Hungry Pelican from Ks Kids", a plush friend who attaches to a crib or play pen. Active babies love feeding fuzzy, rattling and crinkly sea critters to their web-footed friend. The Tiny Love Activity Gym provides a soft and safe place for baby to explore while the Tiny Love Symphony in Motion Mobile provides an enchanting parade of animals, marching to classical music. For very young babies , the Tender Tones Lamb Mat from Lamaze is a soothing, perfect plush blanket with a baby lamb that emits a calming heartbeat when held by little hands. And, of course there is also a cuddly army of great plush animals all ready to receive the tiniest hugs and kisses.

In todays wired world is it impossible to ignore electronic baby gifts high-tech gizmos with blips and zaps that teach babies about everything from numbers to letters to colours and everything in between. VTech has an ingenious line of electronic baby toys. Like the VTech Stack N Discover Rings classic stacking rings that play sounds, phrases and music. Or, the VTech Roly Poly Learning Tree that rocks and rolls and features interactive buttons that trigger lights and sounds. Theres also the VTech Move & Crawl Ball that will keep babies racing around the room. Leap Frog is another inspired brand that makes electronic baby toys. The Leap Frog Baby Counting Pal teaches numbers and colours through four fun and exciting modes of play. And the Leap Frog Hug and Learn Globe is a winning combination of a soft, squishy cloth globe and an exciting electronic teaching toy. Babies can hug the globe and learn about all the continents through enchanting songs. Electronic baby toys make great new baby gifts as they open up a whole new world of learning for newborns and older infants alike.

And, even though all baby toys have the potential to be educational, only some are true baby learning toys. Babies are on a learning curve that would bewilder most adults. They are exploring their senses, their environment and themselves. In short, they are learning about EVERYTHING from the ground up (literally!). That is why baby toys are so important . They are the stepping-stones at each stage of development.

There are many important types of baby toys that will encourage a childs well-rounded development. Each type of toy has omething new and wonderful to offer a child. Plush toys and soft toys, for example, are extremely important in the early months when babies tender little hands are just learning to reach out to new and interesting toys. A Manhattan Toy Mini-Whoozit is a classic idea for a baby shower gift that will be well-loved by both parents and babies alike. Indispensable in any new parents diaper bag, the Mini-Whoozit will entertain a baby for ages! With its fanciful bright colours, funny sounds that crinkle and squeak, and even a little mirror under its nose, the Mini-Whoozit will go everywhere with baby and keep them laughing and learning wherever they are. And a great thing about the Mini-Whoozit from Manhattan Toy is that it really is built to appeal to a baby right from the start the toy has a black and white side that will immediately intrigue a newborns desire for high-contrast visual stimulation.

When shopping for the ultimate, unique baby gift, a book is often a wonderful choice. Babies can enjoy books from the moment theyre born. In fact, many babies have been known to love hearing stories from within the womb, so books make excellent baby shower gifts, as well. When selecting books for a baby, its best to choose a variety of styles so that they can have a well-rounded library. Goodnight Moon is, of course, the book that parents know by heart before a childs first birthday, but its not the only book out there! For very tiny babies, there are black and white books like Black on White. Filled with wonderfully detailed silhouette images, a newborn will stare happily at the pages, even choosing a favourite image . And no baby library is complete without some books featuring photographs of other cute babies. The DK My First Word Board Book and Wow! Babies will fill this need perfectly . A compilation of nursery rhymes is an important first book, too (especially for new parents who have long forgotten all the classics!) and The Puffin Baby and Toddler Treasury is a mastermindtoys.com favourite. Lift-the-flap books, touch-and-feel books, Sandra Boynton, Eric Carle, and others are all wonderful options for a babys library and mastermindtoys.com is the perfect place to find every book for baby.

There is one more unique baby gift that must not be overlooked the most amazing baby shoes in the world! Robeez shoes are made of soft leather, are 100% washable, and they make an unbelievably cool baby gift. From newborn onwards, a child can sport brilliantly-coloured Robeez shoes featuring anything from teddy bears to flowers to bumblebees to helicopters. Perfect for boys or girls! Lightweight and safe for little feet. Robeez are a cant-miss baby gift!