Hellobee

Before Fiona turned one, I got a lot of questions from friends and family about what to get her for her birthday. In truth we have almost every baby toy under the sun, and so many toys these days are just updated versions of older ones Drake and Juliet have already had. So I spent some time researching toys that were different, would appeal to Fiona, and as a added incentive engage all my children in playing with one another.

1) Fisher Price Garden– I loved this little garden as soon as I saw it with the little watering can, vegetables and flowers. It seemed like a great toy to transition into imaginative play as Fiona grows (and the stage Juliet is in right now). It fit perfectly with our toy kitchen and Fisher Price house set up too.

2) Water Pipes – Bath time is one of Fiona’s favorite things to do right now. I have started to place her in the big tub with Drake and Juliet and wash them all together since it’s just easier, and they do such a good job entertaining themselves while together.  I saw these water pipes and thought how much fun it would be for Fiona to engage with the different spout options. Drake and Juliet would have a field day with it too since they do a modified version of this already with their bath letters. Since it has been such a success, I have been wondering about this other bath spout toy that comes with a submarine sprayer for Christmas possibly.

3) Stacking Teethers – I found this stacking teether set and immediately loved the versatility of it. Stacking toys are one of Fiona’s favorite things right now but Juliet is a bit possessive of hers. As a bonus each ring is an actual teether which can be put in the freezer as well. Fiona, surprisingly, of all my kids is the least interested in putting objects in her mouth but she has gnawed on these rings. I like that they can serve a fun purpose as well as a practical one and I got 5 teethers of varying shapes and appeal.

4) Sound Blocks – I have been pondering these sound blocks for some time now. I liked the multi-purpose use of them as both blocks as well as creating music. Mr. Chocolate and I both want to make a light table for Drake some time soon, and toys like these blocks are the perfect manipulative. I started off with this small set to see if it would appeal to Fiona and it has, and now I’m eyeing this larger set for Christmas that has more variety in the form of sand, water, and sounds.

5) Twinkle the Unicorn – One of my friends gave me a gift card for Fiona so I took her down the toy aisle to see what she would gravitate toward. When I pushed the heart button and the unicorn started to move and talk, she seemed so happy we decided this was the one. Juliet took to it right away as well and both of them love following the unicorn as it walks around the house. Juliet is fond of feeding it its special carrot and I think it’s a nice toy for both girls to play with together.

6) Remote – Fiona really liked this old toy of Drake’s, a toy phone, and it’s small enough to grab and stick in my diaper bag or in the car seat to entertain her when we are out. It’s getting a little beat up and since she loves playing with our actual TV remote, I thought this might be another toy that would be great on the go. I like that it’s a single piece toy as well. So far she loves it.

7) Build a Beat – Like most babies, Fiona loves music. We got Beatbo last Christmas for Juliet but all three kids really like playing with him. I saw this in Target one day and found it adorable. After reading how you can stack the little robot monster guys to create different sounds, I thought Fiona would like it since stacking and music are two of her favorite things right now.