If you’re a soon-to-be parent you’ve likely already heard about Sophie La Giraffe. It’s the Hermes of newborn/baby toys. In fact, the French teether/play toy has been around since the early 60s and there have been over 50 million sold – which is interesting because you see it everywhere (even when I’m in Israel I see it all over) and yet it still has an exclusive aura to it mainly, I assume, because it’s relatively expensive (around $20).
The price is also why it’s often a shower gift and a popular first toy (parents are usually more eager to spend money the first few months!) and so it is often the first thing a baby will actively play with. But does it live up to the hype and its price point? Actually, yes!
For starters, babies three and under put everything and anything in their mouth, so it’s great to know that Sophie is not only non-toxic (made of 100% natural rubber), but she smells (so I assume tastes!?) amazing. She is vanilla scented! But even more than that, Sophie is genuinely loved by every baby I’ve seen play with her. There’s no music to a parent’s ear like independent play, and Sophie will often provide that. She’s also easy to grip even if your baby is just a few weeks old he or she will likely be able to grip Sophie by the neck or legs.
Plus, the giraffe can be used as a teething toy (though I prefer cold things for baby to bite on when teething) and she squeaks when squeezed. On that note when washing Sophie make sure to do it with a wet wipe and not submerge her under water as water will get stuck inside that doll and can cause the sound effect to stop working/mold potentially to grow.
I also highly recommend the above touch and feel book. It was my son’s favorite book and we read it every single day for months.
