The Ultimate Guide to Chinese Baby Gifts

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A new baby is cause for celebration in every culture, but especially so among the Chinese for whom family plays such an important role in the social fabric. Here in the United States, new Chinese American parents, along with their relatives and friends, face the unique challenge of choosing which Chinese traditions to preserve while living in this country.

A great Chinese baby gift combines the contemporary with the traditional, the practical with the aspirational. Diapers, board books and swaddle blankets meet tiger shoes, pieces of jade and red envelopes. This is the great opportunity for gift givers — to beautifully balance the Chinese and the American in a gift’s design, materials or sensibility.

Here are our best Chinese baby gift ideas, along with etiquette tips for navigating the most common baby gift giving situations.


Red Envelopes

Lucky money in a Chinese red envelope is the easiest, most traditional gift when meeting a baby for the first time, whether at home or at a red egg and ginger party. Pick a design below that conveys the sentiment you wish to send.

Good Fortune

Good Fortune

These premium red envelopes feature the Chinese character for blessings (福) to wish the baby a life filled with abundance and prosperity. Blooming flowers and brilliant hot foil stamping in red and gold complete the auspicious motif.

» Buy from our Chinese American Family Shop

Happiness

Happiness

These premium red envelopes feature the Chinese character for fullness (满) to wish the baby a life filled with satisfaction and joy. Blooming flowers and brilliant hot foil stamping in red and gold complete the auspicious motif.

» Buy from our Chinese American Family Shop

Luck

Luck

These premium red envelopes feature the Chinese character for luck (祥) to wish the baby a life filled with success and achievement. Blooming flowers and brilliant hot foil stamping in red and gold complete the auspicious motif.

» Buy from our Chinese American Family Shop


Nursery Essentials

All parents need baby gear from swaddling blankets to bibs, table utensils to nursery decorations. Choosing the right items can add a distinctly Chinese touch to the baby’s nursery.

Luck & Prosperity Fleece Baby Blanket

Wrap the baby in warm wishes for luck and prosperity with this ultra-soft fleece blanket featuring traditional Chinese gold ingots on a vibrant red background. The perfect gift for new parents.

» Buy from our Chinese American Family Shop

2022 Year of the Tiger Tote Bag

An ideal bag for running errands around town, this sturdy tote stylishly celebrates the 2022 Year of the Tiger. It’s decorated on both sides with a festive red zodiac tiger and the Chinese American Family letter logo on a natural background. At only $20, it’s also a great deal.

» Buy from our Chinese American Family Shop

Abundant Joy Nursery Collection

Lucky swimming fish decorate this collection of baby blankets, crib sheets, lovies and changing pad covers. These playful golden carp on a baby blue background fill any nursery with good fortune, abundance and strength.

» Buy from the Chinese American Family Shop

Shine Brightly! ABC Nursery Print

Brighten a baby’s nursery with this colorful ABC print featuring hand-drawn red and gold Chinese lanterns for good luck. A whimsical, light-hearted design sure to add a playful touch to any child’s bedroom wall.

» Buy from our Chinese American Family Shop

Tiger WubbaNub

Every baby needs a WubbaNub, the combination pacifier and stuffed companion. And in Chinese mythology, a tiger is believed to protect babies and keep them from harm, making this gift another wonderful blend of old and new.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Chinese Numbers Wall Cards

Adorable woodland and nature-themed counting wall cards that include the numbers 1-10 in Chinese. A great gift for eco-conscious parents — printed on recycled card stock with Earth-friendly inks.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com


Baby Clothing

Baby clothing can be dressed up in a Chinese style by choosing designs incorporating the color red for good luck, tigers for protection from harm and zodiac animals for their mythical powers. You can choose clothes in the traditional Chinese style or common Western baby clothes like onesies, shirts and pajamas.

Cute Year of the Tiger Onesie

Cute, fun and contemporary — this adorable onesie is a slam dunk gift for a baby born during the 2022 Year of the Tiger. Easy to wear for any occasion, this onesie features an adorable illustrated tiger gazing up lovingly at the baby. Available in lucky red, blue and pink.

» Buy from the Chinese American Family Shop

Little Egg Tart Onesie

Boston-based designer Lillian Lee, creator of the Empty Bamboo Girl comic, authors love letters to her American born Chinese life. Is your little one a silly egg tart? This delightful onesie features a Chinese bakery and dim sum staple that comes with a sweet smile…and filling!

» Buy from our Chinese American Family Shop

Tiger and Rose Onesie

Dingding Hu’s delightful illustrations appear everywhere from the New York Times to the Museum of Chinese in America. This updated Chinese motif wraps a baby in the best of both worlds — bravery and power, tenderness and sweetness.

» Buy from our Chinese American Family Shop

Little Lion Dancer Onesie

This cute onesie is a “like” magnet on Facebook (just wait until the living room blanket lion dances start around age 2!). Grandma and grandpa will love the illustrated child-sized lion dancer, a traditional symbol of good luck and prosperity during Chinese celebrations. Available in key lime, blue and pink.

» Buy from our Chinese American Family Shop

Cheongsam Onesies

These adorable baby cheongsams for little girls are decorated with lotus flowers, roses and lilies symbolizing beauty, elegance and innocence. A surefire hit.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com


Toys & Games

These toys help kids build Chinese culture into playtime in fun and engaging ways. From bilingual building blocks to Chinese cooking sets, you can help the parents naturally and positively incorporate Chinese culture into their child’s everyday routines.

Chinese Character Blocks

This 32 block set features Mandarin simplified Chinese characters, their English equivalents, a stroke grid, numbers and a puzzle featuring a map of China, the Chinese flag and yellow dragon.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Stuffed Tiger Plush Toy

This playful 6″ tiger plush toy is is perfect for playtime, bedtime snuggles or as a fun nursery decoration. It’s sure to become an adorable keepsake for babies born in the 2022 Year of the Tiger.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Lucky Stickers

Kids love stickers! Help bring a young child’s ideas to life with a full collection of Chinese good luck symbols including red envelopes, lanterns, auspicious foods, firecrackers and gold ingots. Available in packs of 100, 200 and 500 stickers.

» Buy from the Chinese American Family Shop

Bilingual Domino Set

This 100 piece domino play set provides a wonderful way for children to learn a basic Chinese vocabulary. Each domino contains a picture of a familiar object like a fruit, animal or household item with its English name, Chinese character and phonetic pronunciation.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Adorable Tiger Bank

This cute tiger bank provides a fun way to recognize the value placed on thrift and savings in Chinese culture. Perfect for a baby born in the 2022 Year of the Tiger and available in a classic orange and white motif.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

The Buddha Board

The perfect paint set for toddlers. Young artists use a calligraphy brush to paint on the Buddha Board with water and then the images fades as the water evaporates, setting the stage for a new creative effort.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com


Children’s Books

This wonderful collection of children’s picture books is perfect for Chinese American kids. They feature universal storytelling that anyone can access, meaningful themes that will resonate with parents and children and inspiring characters. Include a note about story times to come and you have a terrific gift.

Chu’s Day

This charming board book from Newbery Medal winning author Neil Gaiman is about a panda named Chu who learns that even young children are capable of big things. Bundle this book up with other bedtime favorites like Goodnight Moon and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? for a great multicultural gift.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Dim Sum for Everyone!

Using beautiful illustrations and an economy of words, this book shares the spirit and energy of a dim sum meal. On a visit to a bustling dim sum restaurant, a family picks their favorite little dishes from the steaming trolleys filled with dumplings, cakes, buns and tarts.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Summertime Rainbow

Many early children’s books deal with the basics of colors, shapes and sounds. In English and Mandarin Chinese, Belle Yang’s bilingual book of colors celebrates the natural world with simple concepts and beautiful, bold illustrations.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Chinese and English Nursery Rhymes

This lovely multicultural book for kids pairs classic English-language nursery rhymes, stories and songs with their counterparts from China, organized into themes like Inside, Outside, Party and Play.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas

In this clever retelling of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” a careless Goldy Luck wreaks havoc on the home of a family of panda bears. When Goldy takes responsibility for her actions, she makes a new friend just in time for Chinese New Year. Totally adorable.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com


Silver, Gold and Jade Jewelry

Silver, gold and jade jewelry, typically in the form of bracelets or pendants are a popular gift from immediate family or close friends. The jewelry commonly features good luck characters and charms that jingle pleasantly to keep bad spirits away.

Jade Teardrop Necklace

A simple and elegant jade pendant hung from a yellow gold chain. It’s made with a small, thin pendant that’s perfectly-sized for a child.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Jade Good Fortune Pendant Necklace

A stunning necklace featuring a carved green jade pendant encircling a yellow gold Chinese good fortune character.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Pewter Tiger Character Necklace

A beautiful take on a classic zodiac jewelry gift. Celebrate a baby born in 2022 with an elegant pewter pendant of the Chinese character for tiger.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Jade Coin Pendant Necklace

A light green jade coin, symbolizing perfection and nobility, hung from a cotton cord. It’s a necklace with a simple design that focuses attention on the beautiful peace of jade at its center.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Enamel Tiger Pin

A playful, contemporary tiger pin sure to become an instant keepsake that can be worn for years to come. The delightful tiger strikes a confident pose, eyes up and ready for an adventure.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com


Baby Shower Gifts for Moms

It’s believed that whatever the mother experiences during pregnancy is passed on directly to the child. As a result, it’s most appropriate to choose a baby shower gift that bestows good luck on the mother, rather than the baby. These baby shower gift ideas are meant to improve the mother’s surroundings and bring her good luck.

Book of Poetry

Books of poetry that provide a mental escape or bring up fond memories, such as this collection from Edward Thomas, are a favorite Chinese gift for expecting mothers.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Soothing Music

Soothing music, such as this album of piano pieces by classical composer Johannes Brahms, can create a calming environment for mother and baby.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com

Sweetly-Scented Candles

Pleasing fragrances, such as this d’anjou lychee soy candle from Kobo, can help create a welcoming, intimate atmosphere around the house.

» Read Reviews and Buy at Amazon.com


Gift Giving Etiquette Tips

Baby Shower Gifts

Traditionally, it would be considered bad luck to hold a shower before the baby’s birth, a natural response to high infant mortality rates in the past. These days, however, baby showers are increasingly common among contemporary mothers, so don’t be surprised if you find an invitation in your mailbox.

Bear in mind that a Chinese family’s focus during pregnancy is on caring for the mother, to ensure a healthy birth. While any of the baby essentials above are appropriate gifts, in the spirit of a Western baby shower, consider instead to choose a baby shower gift that bestows good luck on the mother, rather than the baby. Soothing music, comforting books or sweetly-scented candles would reflect this sensibility.

Red Egg and Ginger Party Gifts

According to custom, mother and baby spend the first month following birth at home to rest and recuperate. It’s after these 30 days are up that you may be invited to meet the new baby along with other family and friends at a traditional celebration called a red egg and ginger party.

Guests receive red eggs, representing luck and unity, and pickled ginger, which rebalances the body after childbirth. In return, the most appropriate gift to bring is a Chinese red envelope filled with lucky money that bestows prosperity on the new baby. Most guests combine a red envelope with a physical baby item to make their gift feel more fun and substantial.

Meet the Baby Gifts

You know this get together, right? Good friends invite you over to meet the 6 week old baby and the door opens to reveal two exhausted parents with tales of late night feedings and spit ups. This is “meeting the baby” in the era of harried dual income families and minimal parental leave.

As a gesture of support to the new parents, it’s still appropriate to bring a Chinese red envelope filled with lucky money, along with a physical baby gift. As is the custom here in the United States, a frozen casserole to save the couple from cooking is also welcome.

Your turn! Do you have a favorite baby gift? Please let me know in the comments section below!

6 Responses

    • Wes Radez

      Thanks for stopping by, Adrienne. Looks like a really nice doll!

  1. Rita

    Thank you for a thorough and very helpful guide! I plan I use this to help me shop for a friend who is new to the US and very traditional 🙂

    • Wes Radez

      Thanks for your kind comment, Rita! I’m very glad you found the guide useful. Let me know if there’s a specific occasion you’re shopping for and I’d be happy to try to help.

  2. Shawn

    I learned so much reading this article! I planned to knit the new baby a nice blanket, and I still will, but I will change the presentation to include one of the traditional suggestions you’ve made. Thank you, again for being so informative.

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