Made-in-China Toy Ball Joins Finland’s Beloved Baby Box

Dragon Media Newsroom

A soft toy ball made in China has joined the clothes, blankets and everyday essentials in Finland’s popular baby box for newborns. The Finnish Social Insurance Institution, Kela, began distributing its 2026 maternity package on Wednesday.

The package contains 52 items, including baby clothes and bedding. It follows an increase in the maternity grant from 170 euros to 210 euros. Once emptied, the cardboard box can also serve as a baby’s first bed.

The colourful ball, measuring 10 centimetres in diameter, is made in China under licence from U.S. toy brand Fisher-Price and imported by Finland’s Toyrock Group. Selected through a public procurement process, it costs about two euros. Kela praised its clear, appealing designs and well-made seams.

The ball can serve different purposes as a child grows, said Heidi Virrasoja-Prami, Toyrock’s marketing and communications coordinator. Babies can look at its colourful patterns and practise grasping its soft surface. Older children can roll, throw and chase it.

Kela plans to buy balls for about 30,000 maternity packages.

Finland’s maternity package was introduced in 1938 to support mothers with low incomes. It became available to all mothers in 1949 and has since grown into a cherished national tradition. Families can choose between the package and a cash grant, but the box remains especially popular among first-time parents.

This year’s box features a peach-coloured, space-themed design inspired by the future. Other China-made items in the package include baby clothes, warm mittens and booties, and a snowsuit that can also be used as a sleeping bag.

Kela said the ball was included through the government’s “Finland on the Move” programme, which encourages physical activity among people of all ages. It is also intended to promote play and interaction between parents and babies.

The maternity package encourages families to reuse its contents. Once their babies have outgrown the items, parents can pass them on to other families. The small ball, having travelled thousands of kilometres from China to Finland, is expected to become both a playmate for children and a way for parents and babies to share moments of connection.