JEANNE AND NINA GO FOR A SWIM

All aboard.

Jeanne and Nina each have their own little boat, and the characters lift out and slot back in again. For a child around a year old that removing and replacing is the whole attraction, and it quietly builds the pincer grip at the same time.

Everything is soft neoprene, so the boats float properly, wipe clean and have no hard edges. They are small enough to throw in a swim bag, which means they work in the paddling pool and at the beach as well as in the tub.

Rinse in clean water and dry thoroughly after each use.

Lilliputiens is a Belgian brand, founded in 1995 and designed by a team largely made up of parents working alongside early-childhood specialists. Tested to EN71 and ASTM standards and screened for AZO dyes, cadmium and phthalates.

TWO BOATS, TWO CHARACTERS - Jeanne and Nina each get their own little boat. The characters lift out and drop back in, which is most of the game for a one-year-old.

THEY ACTUALLY FLOAT - Made from soft neoprene, so they sit on the surface and stay there. A bath toy that sinks is a bath toy that gets abandoned.

BATH, POOL, PADDLING POOL, SEA - Small enough to pack in a swim bag, which is what makes these travel well beyond the bathroom. They earn their place all summer.

SOFT AND SAFE IN THE WATER - No hard edges, nothing rigid to knock against a tooth, and neoprene wipes clean easily rather than trapping water inside like squeezy toys.

FIRST STORIES ON THE WATER - Characters hop aboard, fall overboard and get rescued. This is where pretend play starts, and the bath is a surprisingly good place for it.

6 months and above

Neoprene