Archive for the 'Wooden Baby Toys and Rattles' Category


Can You Play with Your Baby Too Much?

posted by gbowen
August 5, 2010

Babies are fun.  They are warm and cuddly and you just can’t get enough time with them.

You miss your baby whenever you have to be away from him and love playing with him and giving him all your attention.  But, are you playing with your baby too much?  Is there such a thing as too much attention?

Your baby is fed and dressed and laying on his back on a soft blanket.  Your husband is home and both of you are giving him attention and providing a rattle or clutching toy for him to play with. But, are you over stimulating your baby?

Although over stimulation probably won’t lead to the same problems as lack of stimulation, it may be unpleasant for your baby and can lead to emotional difficulties if it becomes a regular routine.

If your baby is being over stimulated he will “tell” you it’s time to stop by looking the other way.  He may also begin to cry or simply frown. 

Provide your child a safe, handcrafted clutching toy and sit by and watch him play.  You can still enjoy his company without being involved in his play time.  A wood baby toy will have a good feel for your baby and is safe for him to put in his mouth.

A unique line of natural wooden baby rattles and clutching toys are manufactured by ImagiPLAY.  Their rattles are made from all-natural Beechwood.  These baby rattles are sanded baby smooth, boiled in beeswax (a natural antiseptic).  Their whimsical shapes are easy for little fingers to grasp and have a nice soft sound when rattled.

ImagiPLAY’s clutching toys are made from plantation grown Rubberwood (an earth friendly hardwood).  They are splinter-proof and will provide your baby a toy you can confidently let him play with from 6 months and up.


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One Clutch and You Are Hooked!

posted by gbowen
April 13, 2010

As you are holding your newborn baby he reaches to your finger and tightly clutches it.  He clutches so tightly you may not even be able to release his grasp.

You are holding your baby daughter and she is the most beautiful baby in the world and if you are the dad you know you will work to give her whatever she wants and needs.  No boy will ever be good enough for her.  You will love her mother so much that your baby girl will see how a man should love a woman.

If you are holding your son and he has hold of your finger you know that none of your buddies will ever have such a smart son!  Your son will be the next president or famous brain surgeon.  You probably have already bought him his first baseball and glove, or perhaps his first fishing pole. 

With just one clutch you are hooked; but why do babies clutch?  Babies are born with the grasping reflex — touch your baby’s palm and he’ll curl his tiny fingers around yours. Your baby’s hands will mostly be clenched in a fist, but soon he will begin grasping objects such as wooden baby toys.

When your baby is about three months old he won’t be able to grab onto what he wants but he will be able to bat at his baby toys.  He will also be developing hand-eye coordination and begin to take notice of items he wants to grasp.

At four to eight months your baby will be able to pick up larger object like blocks, wooden baby rattles and other clutching toys. Even before he gets his first tooth (usually between three and twelve months) your baby will be picking up and putting whatever he can into his mouth. He will begin moving objects  from one hand to another and this is a good time to begin getting valuables and unsafe objects out of his reach.

As soon as possible, after your baby is born, you will begin researching and purchasing safe wooden baby toys for your son or daughter.  ImagiPLAY products are a good starting point.  There are four rattles (hedgehog, elephant, fish and bird) made from all-natural Beechwood, sanded baby smooth and boiled in beeswax – a natural antiseptic.

And for clutching you will love our eco-adorable wooden toys.  Flexible, cute worms made from plantation grown Rubberwood (an earth friendly hardwood).  These cute baby toys encourage grasping and will help your baby increase his hand strength.

Once he grips these wooden baby toys he will be hooked, just as you were when you first held you new baby!


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Be Careful What You Choose!

posted by gbowen
March 29, 2010

Are you about to become a grandmother?  The name you pick will stick, so be careful how you choose your new name. Here are some common names you might select from:

  • Big Mom
  • Gram
  • Gramma
  • Grammy
  • Grams
  • Grandma
  • Grandmama
  • Grandmom

When your grandchild becomes old enough to talk, they themselves may christen you with a name of their own. Yet, many times women decide upon one of the traditional names in their own families.

Some grandchildren have more than one grandmother and some families choose to add the given name of the last name to the grandparent name. There is also a tendency among some modern grandparents to invent something that sounds perhaps younger or more hip than the traditional names.

Some more modern names for grandmothers are said to be:

  • G-Ma
  • G-Mom
  • Honey
  • Lovey
  • MayMay
  • Mia
  • Mim
  • Mimi

One thing for certain is that, as a grandparent,  you will begun buying your new grandbaby toys before the parents can begin picking a name for their new baby.  Be careful what you choose! 

Babies put everything in their mouths, so make sure the toys and rattles (wooden baby rattles are best), are made from splinter-proof wood and are coated with non-toxic coatings.  ImagiPLAY has a beautiful line of wooden baby toys including rattles made from all-natural Beechwood.  They are sanded baby smooth and finished with beeswax (a natural antiseptic).

See our Elephant, Bird, Fish and Hedgehog rattle on our website,  All I Can Imagine.  We also have clutching toys – Eco-adorable!


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Young children aged twelve up to twenty-four months are learning words and even short phrases even before they can begin speaking. Knowing this fact may encourage parents not to use “baby talk” when talking to their children.

Even when you child is in your womb you can begin talking to them and letting your child get to know your voice.   And because children will be gathering even more information from their environments playing classical music is a good idea.

After your child is born they will be gathering information using senses such as sight, touch, taste and hearing.  This is why the toys you select for them is so very important.  Choose baby and toddler toys that encourage your child’s development by stimulating the senses we just mentioned.

Wooden baby toys are an excellent choice to begin with.  Two examples are wooden baby rattles and wood clutching toys both manufactured by ImagiPLAY and are available online.  And always watch the manufacturers age recommendation’s that are listed on baby toys and toddler toys.


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What to Look for in a Wooden Toy

posted by gbowen
November 3, 2009

40502 Bird RattleChoosing natural wooden kids toys will help protect your children’s health.  When you keep your children away from toxics you may even be saving their lives.

If you have woodworking skills you could make your own toys from reclaimed materials; this is great for your wallet.  However, not all of us are talented in this area and will have to shop for store-bought wooden children’s toys.

When you purchase wooden baby rattles and wooden baby toys made from durable materials you will be purchasing kids toy that can be passed down from child to child. 

Purchase “good wood”.  Choose toys made from sustainably logged wood that is painted with vegetable, water-based, or beeswax finishes. You will be helping our Earth when you avoid toxic materials.

Natural wood toys are biodegradable, for one thing, so, unlike plastics, they won’t be sitting in our landfills for thousands of years.  The image with this article is a wood baby rattle by ImagiPLAY and is coated with beeswax.


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40501 Elephant RattleWhen you browse through the wooden children’s toys on the store shelves and you will find most toys are made with toxic materials. Natural toys, on the other hand, are made from materials that are safe for the child and the environment.

Children are known to put toys in their mouths yet manufactures continue saturating the marketplace with children’s toys made with toxic materials. It up to us to read the labels and do our research in order to provide our children safe wooden kids toys.

 Wooden baby toys can be one of your child’s first connections to nature. A wooden baby rattle in a child’s hand comes from a living tree and feels familiar and nurturing in a way that man-made materials can’t match.

As your child grows you will want to continue purchasing as many wooden kids toys as your budget will allow.  These natural toys will protect your child’s health as well as our environment.


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Keeping Your Baby Healthy This Winter

posted by gbowen
November 2, 2009

mom and babyIncorporate these germ-fighting strategies into your daily routine to fight off colds. These tips may help your baby and the whole family stay healthier.

According to Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, many common winter viruses are airborne, so if your baby takes a breath within, say, 4 to 6 feet of someone who’s sick, he can easily catch the bug himself. Most people stricken by winter viruses are contagious before they develop symptoms. So pulling your baby away from a sniffling, coughing, or sneezing pal doesn’t guarantee that he won’t come down with similar symptoms himself.

Neither will bundling him up: Studies have shown that exposure to cold or damp weather doesn’t increase a child’s likelihood of catching a cold, says Offit.

Wash your baby’s hands frequently, too — especially before eating (once he’s eating solids) and when he comes home from daycare or an outing.

Also be diligent about hand washing for siblings, especially if they’re sick as well. No need to pay extra for fancy antibacterial soaps — any soap will remove germs from the skin’s surface.

Make sure all of your baby’s caregivers are vigilant about hand washing, too. If your baby’s in daycare, ask what the official hand-washing policy is. If it’s less than satisfactory, don’t be shy about requesting a change and reminding caregivers that this protects their health as well.

Another tip is to keep your babies furniture and toys’ including his wooden baby rattles sanitized.  Wipe them as often as necessary.


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40503 Fish RattleWhen we were growing up baby toys consisted of a lot of plastic toys and rattles.  Nowadays parents are beginning to discover (and babies too), the wonderful world of natural wood teething rattles.

Even though wooden baby toys may be more expensive compared to mass-produced baby toys, it is important to minimize chemical exposure for babies and your children. This is especially important in the first year as babies are putting everything in their mouths.

Because babies can absorb large amounts of toxic chemicals with the toys and baby rattles they put in their mouths parents can easily find alternative materials for there baby rattles online. Look for solid wooden baby rattles made from Beechwood.  ImagiPLAY is a manufacturer of all-natural rattles that are hand-crafted and sanded baby smooth and are finished with beeswax which is a natural antiseptic.

Your baby will love the feel of the natural wood and the ease of grasping and teething with the whimsical shapes available for him and he will have the right type of rattle in his mouth.


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