What cuddly toy is/was your toddler really attached to ?

oystercatcher

I have two 'grandbumps ' due to be delivered at the end of the summer and I'm thinking of buying them each a cuddly toy that I hope will become the much loved, dragged around everywhere, can't sleep without it toy. I realise No one can predict or control what a small child can fall in love with but I'd be interested to know what other people's children loved , especially if it's available now. My children, No 1 loved a very basic hand made rabbit toy who wore a dress (boy child) . No 2 loved Larry the Lamb a tartan 'Blankie' toy which slowly fell apart and can't be bought now, this was 'given' to him by his older brother who kept dropping it into his cot after ignoring it when I bought it for him when he was tiny. No 3 just loved sucking the corner of his blanket and was like the character in the peanuts cartoon, wandering around dragging a blanket behind him !  

Let's make this a thread of happy memories as well as suggestions .

Savvy_Sue

Clownie was the only toy who might as well have been surgically attached to one of mine. No idea if it is still available, but it was a clown with a pointy hat on (that's important) and various different materials and ways of fastening about his person. So he had some velcro, a shoelace, a buckle, a button, a zip, some crinkly material and lots of different colours. His clothes didn't come off, everything firmly attached. Nice soft toy. 

One day, Clownie went on the school run (he wasn't usually allowed to leave the house!) and got left behind! And it was a Friday! Oh No! I expected tears, but having established that Clownie was having a Big Adventure, DS3 found Penguin and took him to bed. I didn't comment until Clownie was safely back home, then said how well he'd done making do with Penguin, and asked why he'd chosen Penguin. "He is the same shape." And indeed, with his beak pointing upwards, he was a very similar shape to Clownie with his hat. 

sheramber

A  little 6 inch plush bunny wearing a dress made by baby toy manufacturer Harrington.  Light enough for a  baby to handle from an  early age.
 She ended up threadbare  and her dress had been renewed several times.
A word of advice have two- one put away for emergencies in case one  gets lost 

oystercatcher

Larry the Lamb had multiple patches and was eventually completely recovered apart from his face. Rabbit also had various new dresses, I remember an adventure where she disappeared and was found sitting on a bush when we retraced our steps !!  Good plan to have two but I think the children notice unless they are swapped over regularly !

kingfisherblue

My daughter had Spot the dog, from the books by Eric Hill. On Brownie pack holiday, each girl (and adult!) takes a soft toy. My daughter has always taken Spot, both as a child and as an adult leader. Toys need to be labelled, and if you lift Spot's ear, you will find her name written there

She loved the books when she was very young too, and now reads them to her own children.

oystercatcher

Oooh I remember Spot the Dog, the books would be a brilliant gift too.

anmarj

My son got a soft monkey from a cousin as it was traditional in the family to get one,  he would not let go, we had to buy another one 18 months later so we could wash the first one, as the tears were real! He still loves both of them. 

Fireflyaway

My child must have about 50 cuddly toys from llamas to bears, unicorns, fish, dogs etc. The only one that she ever bonded with was a bunny that she picked off the shelf in co-op one Easter! For some reason she just gravitated towards it. All the ones chosen for her she never bothered with. I don't think you can go wrong with a bunny with nice floppy ears! Congratulations by the way, it's an exciting time!

Savvy_Sue

Fireflyaway said:

I don't think you can go wrong with a bunny with nice floppy ears! 

You can (go wrong) if the bunny is bigger than the child ... Intended to say that Floppy Bunny was the other 'favourite'. He was won at the school fete in a 'guess the name' competition. DS1 won him and didn't really care, but DS3 adored him. He was delightfully soft, and I confess I'll occasionally take him to bed with me when DH is away, but do NOT get something 4' tall for a baby ...

oystercatcher

Savvy_Sue said:

Fireflyaway said:

I don't think you can go wrong with a bunny with nice floppy ears! 

You can (go wrong) if the bunny is bigger than the child ... Intended to say that Floppy Bunny was the other 'favourite'. He was won at the school fete in a 'guess the name' competition. DS1 won him and didn't really care, but DS3 adored him. He was delightfully soft, and I confess I'll occasionally take him to bed with me when DH is away, but do NOT get something 4' tall for a baby ...

I was reading around a bit and they don't encourage any toys at all in cots in the first year now ! I remember that we used to prop our eldest son on his side with a huge fluffy bunny (which he ignored when he was older !!) so he didn't roll onto his back and potentially choke !! Now it's all sleeping on their back and never have them on front or side . It's amazing so many people survived !     Cot deaths have dropped quite dramatically since they changed the advice though so that has to make it worthwhile !
There's so many lovely cuddly toys available I was totally confused when I looked this morning, and that was just one brand !!

pattycake

My daughter loved a lion bought from Woolworths.  He’s named, imaginatively, Lion.  He’s still a treasured possession and she will be 40 this summer!