For over 60 years, Lamaze Toys® has been dedicated to creating developmental infant toys that provide babies with stimulating and engaging play experiences. Our founder, Hollister Incorporated, revolutionized the infant toy industry in 1960 by introducing the first collection of Lamaze toys based on child development research.

Back then, playtime for babies was viewed primarily as “practice” for life skills they would need later. But our founder envisioned a new purpose for baby toys beyond preparation for the future—he believed play could be beneficial to babies in the present moment. This belief that babies thrive when engaged through play became the guiding principle behind Lamaze toys.

Informed by child development experts, our founder ensured Lamaze toys were designed to nurture babies’ senses, build neural connections in the brain, and foster emerging skills through active play. The first collection focused on visual stimulation through high-contrast graphics and colors. As the brand evolved, textures, sounds, grip shapes, and graspable features were added to engage the senses of touch and hearing.

Today, open-ended play is at the core of all Lamaze toys, offering babies opportunities to actively control and explore their environments. Our toys are thoughtfully designed to captivate babies’ attention, stimulate curiosity, develop fine motor skills, and encourage imaginative play.

As pioneers in developmental infant toys 60 years ago, the Lamaze brand continues to lead the way in quality, safety, and innovative design. We collaborate with child development specialists, pediatricians, neuroscientists, and experienced parents to create toys that promote each child’s unique development and bring joy to their world of discovery.

Our Commitment to Babies

The most important commitment we make is to support babies in reaching their full human potential. This guides every aspect of how we operate—from product design and safety to corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

Developmental Design

Open-ended play allows babies to actively explore toys based on their current skills, preferences, and interests. For this reason, promoting self-directed play through thoughtful design is foundational to our developmental approach.

Lamaze toys are created by observing how babies interact with objects and designing features that respond to their behaviors. Instead of imposing prescribed ways to play, our toys empower babies to play freely as they discover their own capabilities.

Key characteristics that facilitate open-ended play in our toy design:

• Sensory stimulation – Tactile surfaces, high-contrast colors, sounds, and textures invite exploration through multiple senses.
• Graspable parts – Size, shape, and texture are optimized for little hands to easily grasp and manipulate parts.
• Cause & effect – Clear reactions and responses to babies’ actions nurture a sense of competence and empowerment.
• Appropriate challenges – Toys adapt to emerging skills and engage without overwhelming babies’ capabilities.

By allowing babies to actively control play, Lamaze toys help build their problem-solving skills, creativity, and confidence. Our design approach respects each child’s individuality and paces play to match their development.

Rigorous Safety Standards

Safety is an unconditional priority for us. Our safety standards start with strict compliance with all government toy regulations. We go above and beyond these requirements with our own rigorous internal safety program.

Every Lamaze toy undergoes extensive safety testing including:

• Materials analysis – Ensuring toys are made from non-toxic materials safe for babies to mouth.
• Hazard assessment – Identifying and eliminating any potential safety hazards.
• Quality assurance – Inspecting all parts from manufacturing through distribution for quality and safety.

We are continually evaluating the latest research and updating our safety protocols. Safety test results are carefully evaluated by our Child Development Advisory Board and a third-party toxicologist to provide multiple levels of safety verification on all toys before they reach store shelves.

Social Responsibility

As a company dedicated to nurturing all babies’ well-being, we take seriously our responsibility to protect the world they will inherit. We strive to implement socially and environmentally responsible practices at all levels of our organization.

Our manufacturer code of conduct holds all factories to strict standards for:

• Safe working conditions
• Fair wages and work hours
• No child or forced labor
• Ethical recruitment and hiring

We partner with suppliers committed to reducing their environmental impact. Our toys are produced using:

• Sustainable materials
• Eco-friendly manufacturing
• Recyclable packaging

Corporate policies promote sustainability with green business operations, and we proudly donate a portion of profits to support children in need locally and globally.

By caring for communities worldwide, we hope babies grow up in a safer, kinder world where all children have the opportunity to learn and reach their full potential. The smiles of happy babies keep us focused on this mission.

Our Baby-Guided Design Process

Creating developmental toys babies love isn’t just our passion—it’s a science. Our human-centered design process is rooted in research to ensure our toys promote each child’s learning and growth through play.

Observing Real Babies

Designing toys babies want to play with starts by observing real babies! Before any sketches are made, our team spends hours watching how babies explore objects. This helps us deeply understand the behaviors and skills of babies at different ages.

Key insights we gather from baby observation:

• Natural play behaviors
• Visual focus
• Grasp patterns
• Ability to understand cause & effect
• Changing developmental needs

Seeing what captivates babies’ attention and how they interact with the world informs the initial toy design parameters. This baby-centered data keeps the play experience we design tailored to infants’ true needs and interests.

Prototypes Tested with Babies

Once early versions of a toy concept are created, we bring in babies for hands-on testing. We watch how babies respond to the new toy prototypes and make on-the-spot adjustments in real time.

Testing directly with babies helps us answer important design questions like:

• Does the toy engage their interest and attention?
• Are the grips and grasp points sized right for little hands?
• Are the play features intuitive based on their developing skills?
• Is the toy challenging but not frustrating?

Seeing where real babies light up, get confused, or lose interest exposes areas for design improvements. This feedback straight from the source results in toys engineered for babies’ delightful play experiences.

Review by Child Development Experts

Next our Child Development Advisory Board reviews the toy prototypes and provides expert guidance on age-appropriateness. They evaluate safety, developmental benefits, ease of play, and potential for sustained interest and play value.

Our esteemed board includes:

• Pediatricians
• Child psychologists
• Infant development specialists
• Early education professors

Their experience-based input helps fine-tune the toy’s developmental impact to best promote each child’s growth. Combining their high-level expertise with direct baby testing and observation results in thoughtfully designed toys that babies inherently love.

Final Safety Reviews

Before any new toy goes to market, it undergoes rigorous safety reviews by:

• Government regulators
• Third-party labs
• Our internal safety team
• An independent toxicologist

Multiple checkpoints validate that all safety standards are met so babies can enjoy delightful play experiences without risk of harm. No toy receives final approval until all safety criteria are satisfied by consensus of these experts.

This exhaustive design and review process is why babies and parents can feel complete confidence in the safety and play value of all Lamaze toys. Our whole company is dedicated to creating toys that provide babies with joyful opportunities to explore their worlds and develop to their fullest potential.

Our Popular Toy Collections

We love hearing little giggles and seeing babies light up when engaging with our toys! Here are a few of our most popular collections that stimulate babies’ development:

Clip & Go Toys

Our adorable Clip & Go collection features plush characters with colorful patterns and interesting textures to explore. These fabric toys attach to strollers, carriers, and more for on-the-go play. Multiple textures and crinkle sounds keep babies engaged. These soft developmental toys stimulate tactile discovery, sound awareness, visual tracking, grasp, and fine motor skills.

Our unique Clip & Go collection includes:

• Muffin the MooseTM – With knotted antlers and crinkle hooves, this teether toy engages touch and sound.
• PupsqueakTM – When baby squeezes his tummy, this plush puppy squeaks to introduce cause & effect.
• Alise the AxolotlTM – Vibrant colors and satin ribbons delight sight and touch senses.
• Lovey the PugTM – An adorable pug with a knotted tail and polka dot accents promotes sensory development.

Rattles & Teethers

Rattles and teethers are classics that babies naturally love! Our assortment combines safety, unique textures, and graspable shapes to provide stimulating play. Designed to support oral-motor development, they soothe sore gums and allow babies to freely explore sounds, colors, and interesting touch sensations. This strengthens fine motor control and hand-eye coordination.

Top rattles & teethers include:

• Bitty Bite Bug – A charming bug-shaped teether with easy-grasp wings, swirling center, and vibrant colors.
• Tummy Time Turtle – This turtle teether toy has a hard plastic shell and soft plush body with crinkle accents.
• Star Power Massaging Teether – With soft star arms and vibrant colors, this teether provides soothing vibrations during play.
• Shaky Shark – An adorable shark-themed rattle engages multiple senses through its unique textures and fun rattle sound.

Developmental Books

Our fabric developmental books introduce babies to bright simple imagery, contrasting patterns, and unique touch materials to see and feel. Pages crinkle, rattle, and squeak to captivate young minds. Books strengthen visual focusing skills, sound connections, hand-eye coordination, and turning pages develops fine motor control.

Fun developmental book toys include:

• Peek-a-Boo Book – Surprise flaps and embedded rattles help tell an interactive story.
• Touch & Tickle Book – Vibrant colors and varying textures on pages invite sensory exploration.
• Accordion Bus Playmat – Fold-out playmat transforms into a fun plush bus!
• Grandma & Me Feelings Discovery Book – Engaging photos and touch elements foster emotional connections.

Open-ended play allows babies to develop naturally at their own pace. We love creating toys that nurture this self-directed learning to help all babies thrive!

Tested and Approved by Parents Like You

The look of wonder on a baby’s face always makes our hearts melt. That pure joy reminds us why we create toys that enrich each child’s development and spark their imaginations. Hearing from parents validates that our toys engage babies’ minds and bring delightful play into their homes.

“These Lamaze toys are perfect for my granddaughter! She laughs and smiles whenever we play with them together. I can tell they help her learn by watching how she reacts to the colors, sounds, and textures.”

Knowing our toys connect families through play and nurture bonding moments makes our efforts all worthwhile. We love hearing the human stories behind the baby giggles.

“The Lamaze Peek-a-Boo Book quickly became my son’s favorite! He gets so excited turning each page and lifting the flaps to find Elmo. It captures his attention and stimulates his development better than any other book we own.”

All babies develop on their own schedule and in their own way. We take pride in parents finding our toys appropriately support their child’s unique growth.

“These developmental toys adapt so well to my daughter’s abilities. As she learns new skills, she discovers how to play with her Lamaze toys in new ways! I appreciate how they grow with her.”

Of course, the pure enjoyment babies get from play matters most. The best endorsement is seeing babies choo-chooing Plush Buggy toys across the room, shaking Clip & Go characters with excitement, and mouthing soft plush books with wide grins. Their joy confirms our toys fulfill their purpose to stimulate babies’ bodies and minds while bringing fun into their important early years.

Looking Ahead

Lamaze was founded on the belief that babies thrive when engaged through developmentally appropriate play. This purpose still guides us today. Looking ahead, we remain committed to nurturing babies by promoting open-ended play that supports each child’s unique development.

We will continue innovating to bring babies new ways to explore their senses, build skills, and connect with their loved ones through joyful play. Our child development experts and unparalleled toy safety protocols will ensure all new additions uphold the quality parents trust from the Lamaze brand.

Most of all, making sure playtime nurtures growth, sparks wonder, and brings smiles to babies will always be our number one goal. We feel privileged to enrich babies’ lives and thank you for allowing Lamaze toys to contribute to your child’s special journey.