A teddy for a toddler

Between one and three a teddy is not a toy so much as a companion, and it goes everywhere: the pushchair, the sandpit, the back seat of the car, and quite often the floor of a shop. The teddies here are chosen for exactly that. They are soft, light enough for small arms, and most of them wash.

This is the birthday list for a first, second or third birthday. The age marking on each one is from birth or from eighteen months, which is the maker's word that it is made for exactly this stage.

This is also the age at which teddies get lost, in shops, on buses and in other people's houses. If a particular one becomes the favourite, it can be worth buying a second identical one while it is still in stock; a toddler tends to notice the difference, but usually only for a day.