Play Time
Tikiri Turtle Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00This rubber rattle from the ocean buddies collection. Easy-grip for smaller hands. Each marine animal character has an enclosed rattle that creates a soft sound when shaken. Sound Toys, like...
Tikiri Dolphin Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00This rubber rattle from the ocean buddies collection. Easy-grip for smaller hands. Each marine animal character has an enclosed rattle that creates a soft sound when shaken. Sound Toys, like...
Tikiri Crab Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00This rubber rattle from the ocean buddies collection. Easy-grip for smaller hands. Each marine animal character has an enclosed rattle that creates a soft sound when shaken. Sound Toys, like...
Tikiri Giraffe Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Giraffe: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the great giraffe is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take him in the bath, or as a teething...
Tikiri Octopus Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00This rubber rattle from the ocean buddies collection. Easy-grip for smaller hands. Each marine animal character has an enclosed rattle that creates a soft sound when shaken. Sound Toys, like...
Tikiri Hippo Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Hippo: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the cute hippo is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take her in the bath, or as a teething...
Jellycat Jellycat Blossom Bunny Bea Beige
$18.00 – $28.00Playful and sweet, with flowery feet! Blossom Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears mean that with just one cuddle, you’ll never...
Tikiri Crocodile Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Crocodile: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the cute crocodile is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take him in the bath, or as a teething...
Tikiri Chick Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Chick: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the cute chick is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take him in the bath, or as a teething...
Tikiri Sea Horse Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Made from all-natural rubber, this playful little Sea Horse from our Ocean Buddies Collection is easy for tiny hands to grip. And when shaken, it responds with a gentle sound that is...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Lion
$18.00 – $67.50For the King of the Beasts, Bashful Lion is looking sweetly, well, bashful! He wants a caring companion to ruffle his luxurious caramel mane. Give this squeezy, butter-bellied big cat...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Bunny Woodland
$18.00 – $80.00Bashful Bunny is a huggable hopster. Soft and snuggly in warm terracotta, he's a lop-eared lovely, and loving pal. Expect cuteness, carrots and flopsy cuddles, and plenty of picnics out...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Bunny Beige
$18.00 – $275.00Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Bunny Petal
$18.00 – $37.50Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Jellycat Jellycat Blossom Bunny Sage
$18.00 – $28.00Playful and sweet, with flowery feet! Blossom BUnny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Bunny Grey
$18.00 – $28.00Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Jellycat Jellycat Blossom Bunny Dusky Blue
$18.00Jellycat Blossom Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Bunnies By the Bay Silly Buddy Plush Toy Bunny Blue
$19.00Lots of pacifiers lost? Say no more, this cute silly buddy will be the solution to this problem. Floppy, sloppy, silly and soft, this playful pacifier holding silly buddies, tie...
Bunnies By the Bay Silly Buddy Plush Toy Bunny White
$19.00Lots of pacifiers lost? Say no more, this cute silly buddy will be the solution to this problem. Floppy, sloppy, silly and soft, this playful pacifier holding silly buddies, tie...
Bunnies By the Bay Silly Buddy Plush Toy Bunny Pink
$19.00Lots of pacifiers lost? Say no more, this cute silly buddy will be the solution to this problem. Floppy, sloppy, silly and soft, this playful pacifier holding silly buddies, tie...
Bunnies By the Bay Silly Buddy Plush Toy Bunny Grey
$19.00Lots of pacifiers lost? Say no more, this cute silly buddy will be the solution to this problem. Floppy, sloppy, silly and soft, this playful pacifier holding silly buddies, tie...
Chronicle Books Mr. Bear's ABC Board Book
$19.99Learning the alphabet is a critical part of early childhood education. What better way to do this than with an oversize volume that stretches the boundaries of what an ABC...
Jellycat Jellycat Amuseable Avocado
$20.00 – $60.00Get your five-a-day in an adorable way with Amuseable Avocado! Scrummily green and soft, our veggie chum has a natty two-tone jacket in speckled fur. We love that squashy, suedey...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Letters Flash Cards...
$20.00Which sound belongs to which letter? With the endearing animal drawings on our ABC cards, children connect pictures, words, and sounds. These colorful cards invite word-building and fun games, making...
Play is essential for children because it contributes to their intellectual, physical, emotional and social development. When children play, they exercise their creativity, develop their imagination, master their dexterity, improve their cognitive ability and build physical strength. Experts agree that the best kinds of play allow kids to set their own goals, negotiate challenges, develop and share ideas, and make their own rules.
But how can we make sure our kids are getting enough healthy, unstructured play time when they’re growing up in an overscheduled and stressful environment, when parents are overly focused on producing high academic achievers, and safety concerns prevent us from letting our kids roam around freely and unsupervised? Perhaps the best thing we can do for our kids is to make sure they have the right kinds of toys at home to make play time most rewarding.
First and foremost is safety. Safe toys for young children are sturdy, without sharp parts or splinters, free of pinching hazards, and easy to clean. If the toy will be used by an infant, it’s important that parts aren’t small enough to become a choking hazard.
Toys must be made from non-toxic materials and coated with lead-free paints. You should steer clear of antique toys, second-hand toys and homemade toys that have not been tested and approved by a certified testing lab, or may have been produced before the current regulations governing toy manufacturing were in effect.
In addition to being safe, a good toy will match the child’s appropriate stage of development and abilities.
The best baby activity toys for infants between 0-6 months are things they can reach, grasp, suck on, shake, and make noise with. Some age-appropriate toys for little babies are squeeze toys, teething toys, soft dolls, textured balls, and board books.
Infants between 6-12 months are starting to crawl, sit up and pull themselves to a standing position. They are capable putting things in and out of containers and placing objects on top of each other. Some of the best baby activity toys for this age group are dolls, vehicles with wheels, bath toys, large beads, nesting toys, large soft blocks, wooden blocks, and push & pull toys.
As your child continues to grow, look for toys that will encourage them to explore, create, pretend, imagine, and learn from trial and error.