content: <PAGE>   1
  
        As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 28, 2000
  
                                           REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-
  ================================================================================
  
  
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
  
                              -------------------------
  
                                      FORM S-8
                               REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                        UNDER
                             THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
  
                              -------------------------
  
                                THE FIRST YEARS INC.
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
             MASSACHUSETTS                                     04-2149581
    (State or other jurisdiction                            (I.R.S. Employer
  of incorporation or organization)                        Identification No.)
  
                                  ONE KIDDIE DRIVE
                              AVON, MASSACHUSETTS 02322
                                   (508) 588-1220
            (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
               area code, of Registrant's principal executive offices)
  
  
                        1993 STOCK OPTION PLAN FOR DIRECTORS
                              (Full Title of the Plan)
  
                           -------------------------------
  
                                    JOHN R. BEALS
                               CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
                                THE FIRST YEARS INC.
                                  ONE KIDDIE DRIVE
                              AVON, MASSACHUSETTS 02322
                                   (508) 588-1220
  
              (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
              including area code, of Registrant's agent for service)
  
                                   With a copy to:
  
                               H. DAVID HENKEN, P.C.
                             GOODWIN, PROCTER & HOAR LLP
                                   Exchange Place
                          Boston, Massachusetts 02109-2881
                                   (617) 570-1000
  
                                --------------------
  
                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
  
  
  <TABLE>
  <CAPTION>
  ==================================================================================================================================
                                                         PROPOSED MAXIMUM       PROPOSED MAXIMUM
  TITLE OF SECURITIES TO BE      AMOUNT TO BE             OFFERING PRICE       AGGREGATE OFFERING            AMOUNT OF
         REGISTERED              REGISTERED(1)             PER SHARE(2)              PRICE               REGISTRATION FEE
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  <S>                            <C>                     <C>                   <C>                       <C>
  Common Stock, par value
  $0.10 (the "Common Stock")     300,000 shares              $10.91               $3,273,000                   $864
  ==================================================================================================================================
  </TABLE>
  
  (1)     Plus such additional number of shares as may be required pursuant to the
          1993 Stock Option Plan for Directors (the "Plan") in the event of a
          stock dividend, reverse stock split, split-up, recapitalization,
          forfeiture of stock under the Plan or other similar event.
  (2)     This estimate is made pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) under the
          Securities Act of 1933, as amended, solely for the purposes of
          determining the registration fee and is based upon the average of the
          high and low sales prices of the Common Stock reported on the NASDAQ
          National Market on July 25, 2000
  
  ================================================================================
  
  <PAGE>   2
  
  
                                       PART II
  
                 INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
  
  INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
  --------------------------
  
       Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, the contents of the
  Registrant's earlier Registration Statement on Form S-8 (No. 033-67880) are
  hereby incorporated by reference thereto.
  
  ITEM 8. EXHIBITS.
  
  Exhibit
  -------
  
    4.1    1993 Stock Option Plan for Directors, as amended (incorporated by
           reference to Exhibit 10(f) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form
           10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999).
  
    5.1    Opinion of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP.
  
   23.1    Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
  
   23.2    Consent of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1).
  
   24.1    Powers of attorney (included on signature page).
  
  
  
  <PAGE>   3
  
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
  certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
  requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
  statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
  authorized, in Avon, Massachusetts, on July 28, 2000.
  
                                         THE FIRST YEARS INC.
  
  
                                         By: /s/ John R. Beals
                                             ------------------------------
                                             John R. Beals
                                             Chief Financial Officer
  
  
                                  POWER OF ATTORNEY
  
       Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Ronald
  J. Sidman and John R. Beals, and each of them, as his true and lawful
  attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution, for him and in his
  name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any or all amendments
  or post-effective amendments to this registration statement (or any registration
  statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to
  Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) and to file the same, with all exhibits
  thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
  Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power
  and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
  necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
  purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
  that said attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute may lawfully do or cause
  to be done by virtue hereof.
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
  registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
  capacities and on the date indicated.
  
  <TABLE>
  <CAPTION>
                Signature                                     Title                                    Date
                ---------                                     -----                                    ----
  <S>                                         <C>                                                  <C>
  /s/ Ronald J. Sidman                        Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive,              July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------    Officer, President and Director (Principal
  RONALD J. SIDMAN                            Executive Officer)
  
  
  /s/ John R. Beals                           Senior Vice President, Treasurer and                 July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------    Chief Financial Officer
  JOHN R. BEALS                               (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
  
  
  /s/ Jerome M. Karp                          Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  JEROME M. KARP
  
  
  /s/ Evelyn Sidman                           Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  EVELYN SIDMAN
  
  
  /s/ Benjamin Peltz                          Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  BENJAMIN PELTZ
  
  
  /s/ Fred T. Page                            Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  FRED T. PAGE
  </TABLE>
  
  
  <PAGE>   4
  <TABLE>
  <CAPTION>
                Signature                                     Title                                    Date
                ---------                                     -----                                    ----
  <S>                                         <C>                                                  <C>
  
  /s/ Kenneth R. Sidman                       Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  KENNETH R. SIDMAN
  
  /s/ Lewis M. Weston                         Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  LEWIS M. WESTON
  
  
  /s/ Walker J. Wallace                       Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  WALKER J. WALLACE
  
  </TABLE>
  
  
  <PAGE>   5
  
  
                                    EXHIBIT INDEX
  
    EXHIBIT
    NUMBER        DESCRIPTION
    -------       -----------
  
      4.1       1993 Stock Option Plan for Directors, as amended (incorporated
                by reference to Exhibit 10(f) to the Registrant's Annual Report
                on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999).
  
      5.1       Opinion of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP .
  
     23.1       Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
  
     23.2       Consent of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1).
  
     24.1       Powers of attorney (included on signature page).
metadata_documents: [{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "filename": "s-8.txt", "description": "THE FIRST YEARS, INC.", "secsgml_size_bytes": 9933}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "FIRST YEARS INC", "cik": "0000055698", "assigned-sic": "3080", "irs-number": "042149581", "state-of-incorporation": "MA", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-42466", "film-number": "681058"}, "business-address": {"street1": "ONE KIDDIE DR", "city": "AVON", "state": "MA", "zip": "02322-1171", "phone": "5085881220"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "ONE KIDDIE DR", "city": "AVON", "state": "MA", "zip": "02322-1171"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "KIDDIE PRODUCTS INC", "date-changed": "19920703"}}
text: 1
  
        As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 28, 2000
  
                                           REGISTRATION STATEMENT NO. 333-
  ================================================================================
  
                         SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
  
                              -------------------------
  
                                      FORM S-8
                               REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                        UNDER
                             THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
  
                              -------------------------
  
                                THE FIRST YEARS INC.
               (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
  
             MASSACHUSETTS                                     04-2149581
    (State or other jurisdiction                            (I.R.S. Employer
  of incorporation or organization)                        Identification No.)
  
                                  ONE KIDDIE DRIVE
                              AVON, MASSACHUSETTS 02322
                                   (508) 588-1220
            (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
               area code, of Registrant's principal executive offices)
  
                        1993 STOCK OPTION PLAN FOR DIRECTORS
                              (Full Title of the Plan)
  
                           -------------------------------
  
                                    JOHN R. BEALS
                               CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
                                THE FIRST YEARS INC.
                                  ONE KIDDIE DRIVE
                              AVON, MASSACHUSETTS 02322
                                   (508) 588-1220
  
              (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,
              including area code, of Registrant's agent for service)
  
                                   With a copy to:
  
                               H. DAVID HENKEN, P.C.
                             GOODWIN, PROCTER & HOAR LLP
                                   Exchange Place
                          Boston, Massachusetts 02109-2881
                                   (617) 570-1000
  
                                --------------------
  
                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
  ==================================================================================================================================
                                                         PROPOSED MAXIMUM       PROPOSED MAXIMUM
  TITLE OF SECURITIES TO BE      AMOUNT TO BE             OFFERING PRICE       AGGREGATE OFFERING            AMOUNT OF
         REGISTERED              REGISTERED(1)             PER SHARE(2)              PRICE               REGISTRATION FEE
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common Stock, par value
  $0.10 (the "Common Stock")     300,000 shares              $10.91               $3,273,000                   $864
  ==================================================================================================================================
  (1)     Plus such additional number of shares as may be required pursuant to the
          1993 Stock Option Plan for Directors (the "Plan") in the event of a
          stock dividend, reverse stock split, split-up, recapitalization,
          forfeiture of stock under the Plan or other similar event.
  (2)     This estimate is made pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h) under the
          Securities Act of 1933, as amended, solely for the purposes of
          determining the registration fee and is based upon the average of the
          high and low sales prices of the Common Stock reported on the NASDAQ
          National Market on July 25, 2000
  
  ================================================================================
  2
  
                                       PART II
  
                 INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
  
  INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
  --------------------------
  
       Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, the contents of the
  Registrant's earlier Registration Statement on Form S-8 (No. 033-67880) are
  hereby incorporated by reference thereto.
  
  ITEM 8. EXHIBITS.
  
  Exhibit
  -------
  
    4.1    1993 Stock Option Plan for Directors, as amended (incorporated by
           reference to Exhibit 10(f) to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form
           10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999).
  
    5.1    Opinion of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP.
  
   23.1    Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
  
   23.2    Consent of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1).
  
   24.1    Powers of attorney (included on signature page).
  3
  
                                     SIGNATURES
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
  certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
  requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
  statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
  authorized, in Avon, Massachusetts, on July 28, 2000.
  
                                         THE FIRST YEARS INC.
  
                                         By: /s/ John R. Beals
                                             ------------------------------
                                             John R. Beals
                                             Chief Financial Officer
  
                                  POWER OF ATTORNEY
  
       Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Ronald
  J. Sidman and John R. Beals, and each of them, as his true and lawful
  attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution, for him and in his
  name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to sign any or all amendments
  or post-effective amendments to this registration statement (or any registration
  statement for the same offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to
  Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act) and to file the same, with all exhibits
  thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
  Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power
  and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and
  necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and
  purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all
  that said attorney-in-fact and agent or his substitute may lawfully do or cause
  to be done by virtue hereof.
  
       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
  registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
  capacities and on the date indicated.
  Signature                                     Title                                    Date
                ---------                                     -----                                    ----
  /s/ Ronald J. Sidman                        Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive,              July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------    Officer, President and Director (Principal
  RONALD J. SIDMAN                            Executive Officer)
  
  /s/ John R. Beals                           Senior Vice President, Treasurer and                 July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------    Chief Financial Officer
  JOHN R. BEALS                               (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
  
  /s/ Jerome M. Karp                          Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  JEROME M. KARP
  
  /s/ Evelyn Sidman                           Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  EVELYN SIDMAN
  
  /s/ Benjamin Peltz                          Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  BENJAMIN PELTZ
  
  /s/ Fred T. Page                            Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  FRED T. PAGE
  4
  Signature                                     Title                                    Date
                ---------                                     -----                                    ----
  /s/ Kenneth R. Sidman                       Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  KENNETH R. SIDMAN
  
  /s/ Lewis M. Weston                         Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  LEWIS M. WESTON
  
  /s/ Walker J. Wallace                       Director                                             July 28, 2000
  ----------------------------------------
  WALKER J. WALLACE
  5
  
                                    EXHIBIT INDEX
  
    EXHIBIT
    NUMBER        DESCRIPTION
    -------       -----------
  
      4.1       1993 Stock Option Plan for Directors, as amended (incorporated
                by reference to Exhibit 10(f) to the Registrant's Annual Report
                on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999).
  
      5.1       Opinion of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP .
  
     23.1       Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.
  
     23.2       Consent of Goodwin, Procter & Hoar LLP (contained in Exhibit 5.1).
  
     24.1       Powers of attorney (included on signature page).