The best French gifts for kids, from babies to four

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For a baby

A doudou first: a soft comforter that becomes the most important object in the house. Moulin Roty’s Pablo the elephant is a classic. Buy two and hide one. Then Sophie la girafe, the rubber teether French babies have chewed since 1961. More in the French baby registry.

For a two-year-old

Music and building. Moulin Roty’s tongue drum makes it hard to play a wrong note. Magna-Tiles are not French, but they are the toy that gets played with the longest in our house’s age group. And a Toniebox, a soft speaker that plays stories when a figure is set on top, no screen.

This or that

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For a four-year-old

Making and moving. Djeco’s wooden tool kit, FSC-certified wood, for the child who wants to fix everything. Janod’s balance bike, the French way to learn to ride without training wheels. For quiet time, Janod’s Magneti’book and Moulin Roty’s musical jewelry box.

The French way to give

Fewer, better and not all at once. Many French families give one real present from Père Noël and keep the rest for the grandparents, birthdays and the goûter table. The toys that last are the ones children come back to without a screen.

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