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Home › Articles › Baby Gear › Baby Rattles

Baby Rattles

Make Sure Baby's First Toy Is Safe and Fun

By Jacqueline Bodnar

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Whether you're setting up a nursery for your own child or purchasing a welcome gift for a special baby in your life, it's important to make sure your selections are safe, fun and stimulating. When it comes to baby rattles, there are some key factors that can make the difference between a smart buy and a potentially dangerous first toy.

Safety First

As with everything that Baby comes into contact with, the primary purchasing consideration should be safety. In years past, rattles were typically made of metal or plastic, but rattle choices have expanded as parents have demanded safe, quality materials for their babies. Today, you can buy an organic cotton or wooden rattle, as well as traditional products.

Sheri Novak, owner of Hazelnut Kids, a baby and toy store in Traverse City, Mich., says natural is the way to go. "Rattles made of wood or organic cotton are ideal for babies, and the dyes and coatings that are used should be as natural as possible," she says. "Quality wooden rattles use vegetable-based stains, which are absorbed into the wood – unlike plastic toys, which are usually colored by adding paint to the plastic."

Lead paint scares from toys and other products produced overseas have been all over the news lately, so it's critical that parents ensure that their baby's rattles don't contain lead paint. Another important safety concern is the potential for small parts or pieces of the rattle to break off, creating a choking hazard. If you choose a rattle with dangling parts, check the toy periodically to be sure everything is secure.

Sharlene Crull, a mom from Clarkston, Mich., especially pays attention to the composition of the rattle before it goes near her baby. "I've seen some that feel like they could easily come apart," she says. "I don't want to have to worry when he's playing with a rattle, so any rattle I buy has to feel secure and of good quality."


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