Give the big white pull a tug and Blossom will play Brahm's Lullaby. She's all pink in contrasting textures of silky plush. She has satin lined floppy ears and all stitched features. A good choice for multiple kinds of sensory feedback. The music does not play for an extended period. Spot clean.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Easy for little hands to grasp, this colorful toy can be used for tracking games with newborns and will be perfect as baby begins to reach out and take hold of things. It is easy to clean, light-weight and fun for passing back and forth when baby gets to that stage, as well. Newborn and up

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

A three-piece fabric play set with lots of textures, patterns and colors to explore. Squeeze the ball and it squeaks, shake the triangle and it jingles, press the a cube and it crinkles. Light enough for baby to hold and pass from one hand to another as he explores the fussy, silky, and bumpy sides of these first soft toys with bits of ribbons and colorful bumps. Use them for little hide and seek games to engage baby's growing awareness of object permanence. Roll the ball for a little game of roly-poly.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2013. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

One of the larger non-sters, from a new collection of huggables. This one has a yellow knit body with long patterned arms. There are four colorful dots on the body of the doll but only one makes a noise, a quick but funny sort of sound, like water gurgling. This is really a little lesson in cause and effect, remembering which dot to press to get the sound. Like all the dolls in the line, this has stitched features. Newborns and up.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2013.

Attach this jolly yellow non-ster to infant carrier or stroller and it will make a quiet chiming sound as it moves. Little La-lee has patterned fabric arms that dangle and a tiny mirror on its belly. Older babies will eventually like chomping on the dotted teether that dangles from its legs.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2013.

One of the smaller non-sters, from a new line of silly cuddly toys. Ba-bee is wedge shaped owl, with stitched features with a soft squeezy body all done up in an interesting velvety teal blue cord fabric. It has a small high-contrast black and white pocket, cut out fringe on top and sides and a quiet rattle inside. Ba-bee comes packages with Sassy's two teething keys on a bright yellow ring. The keys have bumpy and smooth surfaces and are chunky and easy to hold.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2013.

One of the non-sters line, this silly cuddly toy has a shaggy texture, is soft to the touch and push its belly and it giggles. Like all the huggables in this collection it is anything but a monster. It has stitched features, patterns to gaze at and contrasting textures on hands and feet.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2013.

With all fabric features (including her eyes) and soft plush body, the Babicorolle makes an ideal first huggable. We loved the bright, cheerful colors of Cherry's outfit.  As you would expect from a little French doll, she is very stylish.  For older babies and toddlers, this vanilla-scented armful will be a favorite.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

We don't usually suggest monsters for babies, but this is one sweet square-ish blue plush toy that is silky to the touch and not in the least monster-ish. He sports a mirror on his belly, stitched features, a striped tail and some very small discreet horns. The dangly striped arms have chewy textured hands and the hot pink. The body has a crisp crinkle sound to attract baby's attention. There is nothing scary about this very friendly so-called monster. It resembles some of the Ugly dolls more than any monster we have seen. Newborn & up.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2012.

Choose a predominantly hot pink or blue set of ring or dumbbell rattles. These are classic rattles that have been updated many times, but the basic shapes are exactly on the mark for baby. There are patterns for visual stimulation, textures to interest little hands, and quiet rattle sounds that are not too loud. In other words, this is just right.

SNAP: Use these colorful rattles for tracking games and early interactions. At first you will do all the actions to get a reaction. These are easy to grab and fit well in little hands when your child is ready to reach out and take hold of things.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.