Who doesn’t like to have a peak at new products before they hit the store shelves?  Living close to New York City, I recently attended the New York Gift Show and spent my time in the Baby and Child Hall visiting the booths of innovative, well-designed, fun and “fun-ctional” products for babies and toddlers.   Having attended this show in years past, it is exciting to see how this category has grown especially in the area of organic products.  Many of these exhibitors were first-timers and reported having very successful shows, that’s always good to hear these days!  I’d like to share some of what I saw with our Babyville Boutique friends, so here’s a quick overview of some of those I visited with at the show. I’ve included their web address should you be interested in finding out where and when you can buy their products near you.

Worry Woo Monsters™– soft plush dolls with companion books that help promote emotional wellness through play, reading and discussion.  Look for Fuddle, the Monster of Confusion, Rue, the Monster of Insecurity, just to name a few of these quirky and lovable characters.  (www.worrywoos.com)

little merry fellows – soft and cuddly natural, organic, and recycled products, apparel and blankets, all Made in the USA. (www.littlemerryfellows.com)

Apple Park – organic, sustainable toy company featuring adorable plush toys, “blankies”, apparel, and gift sets made with eco-friendly materials. Loved their Organic Farm Buddies,  soft teething toys, dolls and blankies. (www.applepark.com)

Sea Urchin Studio – posters, art prints, card sets, growth charts featuring playful ocean creatures, woodland and jungle friends. (www.seaurchinstudio.com)

Milk Moon kids – really eye-catching and joyful products that celebrate childhood with boldly colored and adorable characters in growth charts and wall art. (www.milkmoonkids.com)

Brinware™ - Fantastic product line! – durable and colorful dishware and placemat collections for kids.  The tempered glass dish sets in fun, animal motif designs come with removable, interchangeable silicone covers that are slip resistant and provide a great alternative to plastic. (www.brinware.com)

Handstand Kids Cookbook Company – teaching kids about food and recipes from other cultures with cookbook kits and baking accessories. (www.handstandkids.com)

Anamalz, environmentally friendly toy animals made from a sustainable wood known as “needlewood”. In addition to the animals, kids can become part of the anamalz online community for further play and interaction. (www.anamalz.com)

Little Twig® - Baby wash, shampoo, lotions, sunscreen products and more made from natural and botanical ingredients, “making our world a healthier, happier place one tub at a time”. (www.littletwig.com)

Home Grown Books – another first time exhibitor, this company was founded by an early childhood reading specialist and a co-founder of a home school collective who created books that are visually stimulating for the earliest readers. (www.homegrownbooks.org)

Keepsake Threads – Can’t part with your precious baby’s clothes?  This company custom designs quilts incorporating your baby’s outgrown items into quilt blocks which then are assembled into memory quilts. (www.keepsakethreads.com)

In quickly walking through some of the other halls, some of the trends I spotted were:

Color – Brights, Grey (not quite 50 Shades, but many shades in all product categories), White grounds with Color
Print themes – Ikats, Geometrics, Chevrons, Travel Motifs (Paris)
Organics and Made in the USA
Pet products – another category that is getting stronger in the gift market.