Play Time
Sophie La Giraffe Shake Shake Rattle
$42.00The Sophie La Girafe Shake Shake Rattle is an innovative and electronic rattle with a motion detector to awake baby and develop his curiosity! 2 choices of playing mode: Awaking...
Manhattan Toy Manhattan Toy Put and Peek Birdhouse
$42.00The Put & Peek Birdhouse offers fill-and-spill play for young toddlers. The set includes four colorful rattle birds all featuring a variety of fabric textures, and an easy-open roof and door perfect for tiny...
Jellycat Bashful Beige Bunny Star Musical Pull
$40.00Playing 'Rock a Bye Baby' when Bashful Bunny is pulled, this musical pull's star has risen high to become a firm favourite for bedtime. The musical box is tucked amongst...
Jellycat Jellycat Odette Ostrich
$40.00Jellycat Odette Ostrich is the perfect special companion for your little one anywhere, with her silky feathers in a unique dusty pink, and her long fluffy legs, whether it is...
Jellycat Jellycat Amore Cat
$40.00Jellycat Amore Cat is a great snuggle in cat form. This sleepy silly is perfectly podgy in textured fur. With waggly whiskers, dreamy eyes, a swooshy tail, and teeny paws,...
Madame Alexander My First Powder Pink Dark Skin Doll
$40.00Dressed in pink plush, this baby is the perfect first doll for any little one. Cute and cuddly, this 12"newborn baby doll with a soft fabric body is ready to...
Madame Alexander My First Powder Pink Light Skin Doll
$40.00Dressed in pink plush, this baby is the perfect first doll for any little one. Cute and cuddly, this 12"newborn baby doll with a soft fabric body is ready to...
Corolle Corolle Babipouce Doll Sweet Dreams
$38.00Corolle Babipouce Sweet Dreams Doll is super soft and cuddly And has a charming, realistic vinyl face that charms and comforts baby and that is delicately scented with vanilla --...
Maileg Maileg Polly Pork Plush Toy Medium
$38.00Oink Oink! Make room for one of the cutest pigs of all time. Polly Pork is very soft and is always ready to cuddle with a friend! Suitable for all...
Maileg Maileg Best Friends Doll Bunny
$38.00Every bunny needs a best friend. This friend will hop out of the beautiful gift box to greet you. They arrive wearing a stripped frosted orange top but you can...
Jellycat Jellycat Theodore Bear
$37.50A curly, burly bear for bedtime. Theodore Bear is irresistibly soft and a cuddling expert! The perfect first teddy for a little boy or girl, this loveable bear is such a...
Maileg Maileg My First Teddy
$36.00The perfect gift for any newborn baby. The fabric is very exclusive and gives the small teddy bear a sweet classic vintage look. Ready to be loved for many years....
Maileg Maileg Safari Friends Panda Toy
$36.00 – $80.00This sweet panda is made of cotton and corduroy. It is a dear friend to all the other animals in the popular Maileg Safari friends category. Maileg Safari Friends Panda...
Knitted World Rattle Susie the Seahorse 6"
$36.00Susie and her friends take the seashells and make obstacle courses. They love to swim in and out, over and under the shells as they race to the finish. Handmade using all...
Jellycat Jellycat Smudge Rabbit
$35.00 – $75.00Smudge Rabbit is such a sleepy sweetie - always sprawling out, lazing on the bed or rug! Scrumptiously soft in oatmeal fur, this lop-eared laser just captures the heart. An...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Savannah An...
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Savannah Animals! Come and explore the Holdie™ Savannah, where you will meet its resident wildlife - Lion, Hippo and Giraffe. Handmade from a soft wool blend with...
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...
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.