12 Fun Gender-Neutral Gifts for Babies Whose Parents Want to Be Surprised
With these gender-neutral gifts, you never have to ask, "Does this come in green?"
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These days, it’s getting more and more common to find parents who don’t know (or won’t reveal) the baby’s sex before birth. For every big gender reveal out there, there's another set of parents staying mum. And, while it might be hard to avoid the sea of pink and blue baby gifts out there, when it comes time for the baby shower, it’s still possible to find an awesome gender-neutral gift. It’s even a little freeing, since you don’t have to default to your normal baby gifts for boys or baby gifts for girls. (No pink tutus necessary!)
Luckily, loads of brands have stepped up to offer great gifts in cool patterns and in a rainbow of colors, from bright-colored clothes to gender-neutral toys. But, with such options available, which ones to get? Parents, editors and the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute have weighed in on their go-to gifts for baby showers, sip-and-sees and baby birthdays. These are the baby gifts that new parents will actually use — and can withstand the “love” that newborns give them. From essential gear for Mom and Dad to baby’s first lovey, add these to your cart the next time you want to delight a new — but secretive — parent.
Wee Gallery Touch and Feel: Wings
Good Housekeeping Institute testers reported that their babies were mesmerized by the different textures of the touchable wings in this book, which ranged from bumpy to feathery. It's a great way to start off a baby's home library. Ages 0+
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Grey Bunny Lovey
This super-soft security blanket come with a bunny friend attached. If you don't like the gray, Jellycat has a lot of other ultra-soft stuffed animals in lots of colors. (Just remember loveys don't meet safe sleep guidelines and are for awake snuggling only.)
Baby Björn Baby Björn Bouncer
The best gift for a new parent? A moment of peace and quiet. This bouncer soothes babies with a rocking motion that's derived from the baby's own movements (no motor required). Bonus: It's easy to clean, and stores flat, too. It also comes in beige, black, gray, khaki and silver.
Cuddle Bunnie Rainbow Baby Sweatshirt Set Gift Box
Gender-neutral doesn't have to mean boring, and this cute rainbow sweatshirt set is anything but. Each set comes with a sweatshirt and bloomers in the color ivory, a rainbow teether and unique magnetic ultrasound frame. With this outfit, baby will be the most stylish kid on the block.
Need to throw a blanket on the floor for tummy time? Grab one of these swaddles. Spit up? Use them as a burp cloth. The baby's ready for a nap? Swaddle the arms in with these wraps. Aden and Anais swaddle blankets have a million uses — and come in so many patterns — that parents will always have a need for them.
Burt's Bees Baby makes all of its clothing from 100% organic cotton that's so, so soft — and almost everything comes in a nice and neutral gray. Bodysuits also come in long sleeves.
Halo's sleepsack is one of the safest wearable blankets you can put a baby to sleep in. It's warm, and comes in a variety of fun patterns.
RELATED: The Best Sleep Sacks to Keep Your Baby Comfy and Safe
After a while, parents give up on baby shoes. They look cute, but they're hard to put on, babies pull them right off, and they serve virtually no function. Instead, these booties — which come in tons of colors — keep feet warm, slip right on and snap closed so they're harder for babies to take off.
Tummy time can be hard, but it gets a little easier if there's an adorable baby staring back from inside the mirror. There's soft padding covering the edges, and the ladybug has a high-contrast black-and-white ball for babies to spin.
There's a reason this gym is a huge best-seller on Amazon: It's meant to grow with your child. Babies can kick at the piano while lying at their back, and older ones can use it more like a real piano when they can sit up.
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Babies can swivel the blocks in this wooden toy for endless amusement. The pieces are also held together with magnets, so babes can pull apart the pieces and feel them try to snap back together. It's lots of stimulation in one little package!
Here's a trick: Instead of asking, "What are you having?" you can say, "What color will the baby's room be?" Then you can get one of these adorable kids' chairs to match. (And, if you can wrangle out the baby's name, too, you can get it personalized, too.) The slipcover zips off for easy cleaning.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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