The 8 Most Unique Baby Shower Gifts of the Year
The Best Gifts for New (or newish) Parents
April showers bring May flowers. But April also brings with it something else — baby showers. You’ve come to the right place if you have a small stack of upcoming baby showers on your mantle but lack inspiration for a unique baby shower gift.
Whether you are seeking a unique baby shower gift for a first-time parent or a seasoned one, you’d undoubtedly like that gift to be amazing. Some of us like to give practical gifts, as we know that practicality trumps all when it comes to newborn upkeep. But some of us prefer to give gifts that a parent may never think about splurging on themselves. For instance, a beautiful baby blanket or the latest high-tech baby gadget.
Regardless of what gifts we choose for this life-changing moment, we’d like them to be personal, well-thought-out, and filled with love. Follow along for eight of the year’s most unique baby shower gifts, ranging from practical to luxurious.
1) BEABA BabyCook Solo 4-in-1 Baby Food Maker
What babies eat is a new parent's top priority. Period.
Gone are the days when making nutritious baby food was an hours-long chore. Parents are already strapped for time as it is. Enter the latest appliance that allows parents to make nourishing meals in record time. The BEABA BabyCook Food Maker is simultaneously a steamer, blender, warmer, and defroster. One convenient place to create well-balanced meals and is attractive enough to permanently sit on the kitchen counter.
The less time your new parent spends making food, the more they will have to spend cuddling. The best use of parent time, indeed.
2) Book Club Subscription
Reading to children (yes, even babies) every day is time well spent.
Think of it as educational cuddle time. It’s documented that the roots of language form long before a baby can speak. What better way to introduce a child to the literary world than a monthly book subscription? Allow the experts at Jambo or Little Feminists to curate a set of age-appropriate books that grow with the child. This way, your new parent will have a collection of reading inspiration within reach each day for years to come.
When that little tyke enters the writing program at Brown in 18 years, the parents will undoubtedly have you to thank.
3) Pop-Up Baby Beach Tent
It's like glamping. For babies.
Don’t let the new parents in your life give up beach holidays just because they have a baby in tow. Granted, a lot of gear goes along with having a newborn (and the beach), but one essential for families who crave the surf is a pop-up beach tent. A pop-up tent allows the baby to rest comfortably (and out of the sun’s harsh rays) while the parents sit nearby with the latest Kristin Hannah or Stephen King novels.
All new parents need time to rest and recharge outside of the home. A pop-up beach tent allows them to do so, knowing their baby is taking a break and powering back up beside them.
4) Personalized NBA Team Basket
The perfect baby (monitor) buzzer beater.
Ok, let’s get frivolous (or, dare I say, fanatical) for a quick minute. You and your new parent-to-be have the same music, art, and beer tastes. Most importantly, you both support the same basketball team. Go quirky for their new baby and create a personalized NBA team basket for the future (Laker, Knick, Bull, 76er) in their life.
Head to www.store.nba.com store and stock up on robes, hats, jerseys, socks, and fun baby fan merch. Then find a cute basket to organize like the Pinterest rockstar you strive to be. This gift takes more effort, but your future basketball lover will thank you for it during March Madness.
5) Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder
Let's get cheap, cheerful, and healthy.
Here's a unique gift that is a fabulous add-on to any baby shower gift you have in mind. The Munchkin Fresh Food feeder is a circular teether ring attached to a mesh bag. New parents can fill the mesh bag with fresh fruit, finger food, or veggies without fear of choking. Only digestible-sized pieces will be able to get through the mesh.
The baby will not only benefit from this pure dose of fresh, healthy food, but it will also be a way to keep them occupied on flights and long car rides. Introduce a baby to fresh foods and keep them entertained simultaneously? A winning baby shower gift if there ever was one.
6) Hatch Rest+ Dream Machine
Sleep is the best gift you can give a new parent.
Sleep is likely one of the most talked about topics among new parents, not only for their newborn but for themselves. The latest baby shower gift that can help you give the gift of sleep is the Hatch Rest+ Dream Machine. It’s a portable, Wi-Fi-enabled, app-based toddler sleep trainer and nightlight (among other fabulous attributes). It also has soothing noises to help babies fall asleep, like the ocean, heartbeat, rain, and lullabies.
Let’s face it, a rested baby is a happy baby. The same goes for parents, as any parent can attest. Hmmm, I wonder. Do they make an adult version?
7) Bearaby Velvet Weighted Blanket
Rest isn't just for babies.
Cuddling with a toddler or baby is one of the most rewarding parts of parenthood. The years parents have to do it are more fleeting than you’d think. A plush, weighted, velvet blanket that a new parent can wrap themselves up with their child is, in a word, dreamy. They can grab a book or a sippy cup and hunker down on the couch for a relaxing, velvety afternoon. One of the best ways to spend an hour with their growing bundle of joy.
8) Paperclip Diaper Bag
Last, but certainly not least: the best diaper bag in the baby business.
A durable and easy-to-use diaper bag is one of the most essential pieces of gear a new parent will need. Add eco-conscious and uber-stylish to the list, and you have Paperclip’s Willow and Jojo diaper bags. Their ground-breaking and luxury designs are a game-changer in the diaper bag business.
Paperclip’s products are thinking ahead for parent and child needs and considering the planet’s future. Shouldn’t we all be?
Find a Unique Baby Gift — or Two.
New parents have much to think about and do in the early days of parenthood. Finding the right baby gift might mean giving a luxurious blanket. Or a sleep machine that helps make the chaos of those early days less chaotic. Whichever direction you lean, there are gifts to please. The market is saturated. Hopefully, you found a unique baby shower gift, or two, for the upcoming new parent in your life.
Written by Jamie Edwards
Jamie is an avid traveler, travel writer, and photographer. She launched I am Lost and Found, her adventure/luxury travel website after 25 years of living and traveling around the globe. She has lived in both NYC and Tokyo. Today she resides in Washington DC with her husband, two kids, and two black labs. Jamie’s goal is simple: to inspire travel.