Welcome to the World: Mighty Girl Baby Shower Gifts!

By Lili Sandler, A Mighty Girl Senior Research Intern

If you’ve ever attended a baby shower for the mama-to-be of a baby girl, you’ve probably witnessed the overwhelmingly pink and princess-themed gifts that are, well, showered upon the guest of honor. In this day and age, the majority of women know the sex of their baby before she or he is born, and thus the heavily gendered gift-giving begins before the baby takes her or his first breath.

If you're looking for alternatives to stereotypical baby shower gifts — ones that celebrate the whole girl, even as they recognize and celebrate the joyous fact that she is, indeed, a girl — you'll find them in this selection of baby gifts perfect for any new mom or dad to share with their baby girl!

For more recommendations beyond those included in this post, you'll find many girl-empowering baby toys and gifts in A Mighty Girl's For Baby section.

Building Baby’s Library

A book is a perfect gift for a baby on the way, and luckily, there are so many delightful books to choose from! Here are some of our favorite books to share with new parents and their babies:

Neil Gaiman’s Blueberry Girl is a beautiful ode that perfectly describes what every new parent or parent-to-be dreams of for her daughter, what every girl dreams of for herself. Heartwarming, funny, poignant, and absolutely honest, this lovely book is beautifully illustrated by Charles Vess. A perfect book to inspire any girl, from infancy to adulthood.

Though it is difficult for any parent-to-be to fully comprehend the magnitude of feelings they will have for their child, Janet Lawler’s If Kisses Were Colors expresses the love in a way that will resonate with anyone. Perfectly complimented with whimsical illustrations by Allison Jay, this book will hold a treasured spot on baby’s bookshelf.

To introduce a brand new baby girl to the global sisterhood of which she is a part, there is no better book than Global Baby Girls. Developed by The Global Fund for Children, a nonprofit organization committed to advancing the dignity of young people around the world, this sturdy board book is full of beautiful photographs of baby girls from around the world. Babies love looking at other babies, and with this book they can do just that, while the purchase of this book supports organizations providing opportunities for girls to grow, thrive, and be strong.

Alison McGhee’s ode to the potential of love and the potential in life, Someday is a perfect book to share with a new Mighty Mama and her Mighty Baby Girl. Through this book, any mother can share the hopes and dreams she has for her children, complete with simple text and lovely illustrations.

A poetic description of just how special and unique each and every child is, On the Night You Were Born is a perfect choice for any new baby. With text that has a lyrical, musical quality to it, this book assures every child: “You are the one and only ever you.” A wonderful story to share with a new baby, this is an especially good find for those whose children are adopted.

For more books for the littlest of readers, browse our full of books for babies and young toddlers.

Baby’s First Toys

Every baby girl has one thing in common: an insatiable curiosity about the world around her. Satisfy some of her curiosities by providing her with toys that honor her enormous potential!

The quintessential toy for a girl — a doll — is a perfect gift for any baby, girl or boy. The Nicki Baby Doll by Kathe Kruse is the perfect size for small hands, and is soft and cuddly to boot. Babies will delight in chewing on and grasping their own Nicki Baby, and adults will love the simplistic beauty of this first doll.

miYim's cuddly organic stuffed animals include a blue elephant, pink rabbit, and green frog -- all are made with organic fibers and dyed using plants and minerals. Each are a lovely first friend for a new baby.

Encourage a love of healthy food from birth with this adorable gift set of plush fruit from Under The Nile, a company known for their dedication to fair trade practices and organic materials. The banana, grapes, and watermelon — each with a sweet embroidered face — all come in a striped fruit basket, perfect for gifting.

Perfect for encouraging her hand-eye coordination and muscle development, the My First Gym from HaPe is a lovely way to stimulate — but not over-stimulate — a newborn. Made of wood from an FSC-managed forest and accented with water-based paint, this toy is both safe and appealing.

Hoping to give a gift that is both decorative and useful? Consider the Dragons Wooden Mobile, from Goki! Eight little dragons in eight different colors sway in the breeze as they are suspended above baby’s changing table or bassinet. A lovely addition to any nursery!

For a diverse selection of nearly 350 toys for the littlest Mighty Girl, visit our baby toy section.

Empowering Baby Clothes

A baby shower offers a a great opportunity to add a little diversity to a Mighty Girl's first wardrobe. There are so many wonderful alternatives to the pink and princess-themed clothes that are bursting from every big box store’s racks. Check out some of our favorites!

This bib is sure to be the source of many chuckles with its hilarious message of “These Fools Put My Cape On Backwards”! Even superhero babies need help reminding everyone of their super status!

Wonder Women fans everywhere will love this Wonder Woman onesie! With the simple Wonder Woman logo on her chest, a baby girl can remind people that if she’s any kind of princess, it’s a strong and independent Amazon princess!

A perfect onesie for families who love to ride bikes, this onesie is a bright, all cotton onesie with an image of a bike on it and the simple message “I Like My Bike”.

Made of eco-friendly bamboo and organic cotton, this series of adorable sleepers from Babysoy offers you the choice between four endangered animal species to feature on baby’s tummy, including chimp, wallaby, marmot, and rabbit, each with their own color trim. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these sleepers goes to the Jane Goodall Institute.

A newborn baby has nothing but opportunity in front of her, and what better way to showcase that than to give her her very own Baby M.D. Outfit. Complete with surgical cap, booties, a stethoscope graphic, and even an embroidered pen in the little pocket, she’ll be ready for med school in no time! The Baby Aspen collection includes numerous career onesies, including, in addition to doctor, fire fighter, chef, artist and others.

For more girl-empowering clothes for the youngest Mighty Girl, visit our selection of clothing that is available in baby sizes.

Additional Recommended Resources

• For more book ideas, check out our selection of books for girls aged 0 - 2.
• Our baby toy section has nearly 350 ideas for kids aged 0 - 2, and including Movement Toys, Learning Toys, and Soft Toys.
• Instead of ordinary children's music, you can introduce baby Mighty Girls to girl-empowering songs! Our music section includes many songs suitable for all ages.
• For empowering clothing for the new little one, check out our full selection of baby clothing.
• For books for the parents-to-be, our new parenting section includes selections on a wide variety of themes from Parent & Child Relationships to Physical & Emotional Development.