Play Time
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Ocean Animals
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Ocean Animals! Dive deep into the Holdie™ Ocean as wonder awaits you. Whale, Dolphin and Stingray will be your underwater guides. Handmade from a soft wool...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Safari Animals
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Safari Animals! Join us on a Safari adventure where we tag along with our friends Zebra, Rhino and Elephant! Handmade from a soft wool blend...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Marine Animals
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Marine Animals! The Marine Wildlife of Holdie™ World is wonderful and diverse. These three friends are all very different, but that doesn't stop them from having...
Jellycat Jellycat Cyril Sloth
$35.00We can’t get over how gorgeous Cyril Sloth is. No wonder this little guy moves so slowly - everyone should see his scrummy tawny fur and snuggle that feathery softness....
Jellycat Jellycat Smudge Puppy
$35.00Snoozy, yawny Smudge Puppy loves to flump on the floor and nod right off. A super cute pup in warm grey and cream, Smudge has delightful floppy ears, a waggy...
Jellycat Jellycat Sacha Snow Tiger
$35.00 – $200.00Sacha Snow Tiger is romping across the ice to meet you! With warm grey and creamy stripes, this scamp is warm against the winter. Our sweet snow tiger is wonderfully...
Jellycat Jellycat Harry Panda Cub
$35.00Tubby and ticklish, Harry Panda Cub is such a cuddly chap. His charcoal-grey and creamy fur is velvety-soft and so beary snuggly. Harry's beany feet help him sit up, and...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Pastel Rainbow Toy ...
$34.00Grimm’s Pastel Rainbow is the perfect versatile toy for your little one! Your toddler can have endless fun stacking the rainbow, and as they grow your children can use the...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Waterwaves St...
$34.00Large Water Waves Stacker is a unique, clever, and versatile Waldorf-inspired stacking and nesting puzzle/toy, hand carved from a single piece of wood. These nesting waves represent the element of...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Rainbow Toy 6-Piece
$34.00Grimm’s 6 Piece Rainbow is a versatile toy perfect for your growing little one. Toddlers can use the rainbow for stacking and sorting, and as they get older your children...
Jellycat Jellycat Amuseable Rainbow
$33.00Amuseable Rainbow loves everybody, and welcomes one and all for big, colorful hugs! With pastel stripes in peach, yellow and turquoise, cordy arms, and a goofy smile, this squidgy rainbow...
Jellycat Jellycat Crispin Crab
$33.00Crispin Crab is the king of the beach, and loves to parade about - sideways, of course! This rusty rascal has big squidgy claws, bendy legs and a warm seaside...
Jellycat Jellycat Beatrice Butterfly
$33.00Fluttering in with a cheeky grin, it's beautiful Beatrice Butterfly! Rosy and cozy with a beany bottom, soft textured wings and suedey antennae, this bobbly buddy loves yummy nectar and...
Jellycat Amuseable Birthday Cake
$32.50Amuseable Birthday Cake is snuggly-scrumptious, with tussly fur so beautifully baked. This party poppet wears a squashy hat of heavenly splodgy buttercream, topped with velvety strawberries and a striped jersey...
Jellycat Bucky Bigfoot Plush Toy
$32.50Forget what you've heard: Bucky Bigfoot isn't shy! This buttercream character loves meeting new people! Wonderfully scruffy from rambles in the forest, Bucky's got big ears, a big fanged grin...
Jellycat Jellycat Milo Shiba Inu Medium
$32.50Milo Shiba Inu comes from Japan, and says Konnichiwa to all new pals! A perky pup with toffee-cream fur, he's one kawaii banoffee pie! With a waggy tail and perky...
Jellycat Jellycat Snow Dragon
$32.50 – $120.00Lounging around like a creamy cloud, it's loveably lazy Snow Dragon! This marshmallow marvel shimmers with magic, from sparkling spines to ears, wings, and tail darts! This sumptuous softy loves...
Jellycat Jellycat Luis Llama
$32.50Luis Llama is loveably lazy, and an effortlessly elegant fellow. A sandy lad, this warm, woolly pal has long, silky fur and squashy chocolate hooves. He sits so neatly on...
Jellycat Jellycat Smudge Monkey
$32.50Snoozy, yawny Smudge Monkey loves to flump on the floor and nod right off. Divinely snuggly and full of love, this little friend is perfect to cuddle any day! Tested against and...
Jellycat Jellycat Dexter Dragon
$32.50 – $65.00Most dragons are fiery, but Dexter Dragon is flopsy! No scales for this scamp - just snuggle-soft fur in chalky blue and warm maroon red. Gorgeously detailed with soft horns,...
Jellycat Jellycat Louie Lion
$32.50 – $120.00Louie Lion is a glamorous fellow, with a silky mane, soft honey fur and a milk-white muzzle. Loveably lazy, this royal rascal has a long tassel tail and soft, squishy...
Moulin Roty Activity Toy Crocodile Sous Mon Baobab
$32.00This activity toy features a crocodile with a little one hanging from his body and a bird on his back. He carries with him a mirror, a rattle, a bell...
Maileg Maileg Big Brother Mouse In Box Doll ...
$32.00There's no buddy like Big Brother. His bedding has beautiful blue and grey-toned stripes to keep him cozy in bed. He is wearing a long sleeve-striped shirt and removable linen...
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.