They?re soft, cuddly, cute, warm and woolly. Soft toys, or stuffed toys, come in all shapes and sizes, animals and aliens, life-size and just big enough to wrap tiny arms around (picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya).

Teddy bears, of course, are the eternal favourites, as are dogs. But even giraffes and kangaroos can be seen on the shelves.

Soft toys are not teaching tools or educational items. They are just comfort creatures, to hug and squeeze when you?re happy or sad, whether you?re five years old or 50.

But while you as a parent might be a little embarrassed to cuddle up to a toy, your toddler will certainly not have any such qualms.

There are plenty of new, sometimes improved, soft toys in stores around town. Take your tiny tot shopping for one and see the smile light up his or her face.

Animal appeal

There are red dogs and green tigers, yellow horses and polka-dotted teddy bears. Mix and match favourite colours with animals.

But then explain to your child that red blue cats don?t really exist, advises Gautam Jatia, CEO, Landmark. ?We don?t keep all those combinations, because it sometimes misleads the child. But there are a lot of varieties,? he says.

At Landmark, for instance, an entire floor is dedicated to kids. And a large part of it is full of soft toys, staring out from the shelves with soulful eyes.

Some are anytime picks, mainly from the animal kingdom, and the good ol? Disney characters, from Mickey Mouse to Donald Duck. Cartoon characters, in fact, are some of the most popular soft toys, like Tweety Bird and Bugs Bunny.

?These we keep all year round. But some change over time, as new ones come in,? says Jatia.

?In the West, they are far more fluid, changing every season. They don?t do that well here. But these toys are quite affordable, starting at around Rs 500. The average price is Rs 2,000, and it can go up to Rs 7,000 for the big ones.?

Film favourites

A large part of the market is driven by merchandising, from festive flavours to film favourites.

Spiderman was a best-seller as the movie swung to box-office success. There were small ones and giant sizes, which were hits with the kids. So was Garfield, when the movie came to town, although the fat cat has always found a soft spot in fans? hearts.

On the seasonal side, no one can miss the roly poly Santas decking up stores. Reindeer, too, flood the market, some with Rudolph-like red noses, others the more normal kind.

Spongy ducks and furry pups, squeezy teddies and smiling tigers. Buy your kid one and watch him or her make a friend for life.

And if the toys are exact replicas of the originals, then there?s a lesson in it for the little ones, too.