Meet the newest and most snuggly collectible Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Lamby Pip! Lamby Pip, so cuddly and cute, loves to doze in its soft fluffy suit. Made for snuggles and...
Meet the newest and most snuggly collectible Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Bunny Moppet! Bunny Moppet, so cuddly and cute, loves to doze in its soft fluffy suit. Made for snuggles...
Say 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...
Say 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...
Say 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...
Say 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...
This 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...
Patricio the Pistachio is a teether, bath toy & sensory play toy for babies. Stimulate babies' senses and help them soothe teething gums with this pistachio-shaped natural toy! Its design...
Valery the Raspberry is a chewable baby toy for teething, bath time and sensory play inspired in raspberries. Its realistic textures help stimulate babies’ senses and relieve teething gums. Designed...
Jerry the Blueberry is a chewable baby toy for teething, bath time and sensory play. Little ones love its round & squishy shape to grasp and soothe teething gums. Its...
Sophie La Girafe Reverso Playmat has an elegant design and with light colors which can be easily integrated into a living room! Sophie La Girafe Reverso Playmat Details: 2-in-1 playmat A play...
Sophie La Girafe Sensory Cube has a multitude of activities to discover to stimulate the baby’s senses and develop his motor skills. Sophie La Girafe Sensory Cube Details: Hangs easily thanks...
A Lullaby to Go! Create calming vibes wherever you go with the Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Notes Musical Pull Toy. Made of soft natural cotton fabric, it easily attaches to your...
Travel’s Abound! Endless adventures await with your babe’s new travel tagalong, the Itzy Bitzy Spiral from the Bitzy Bespoke collection! Watch as your babe reaches for the dangling rings, smiles at their...
Dena Silicone Kids Houses & Trees are manufactured with platinum silicone, which is BPA free; PVC Free; Latex Free; Phthalate Free and 100% safe. Platinum silicone is a soft material that feels...
The Bibs Loops are meant to be both practical and great fun for your child. They are perfect in the stroller or bed for hanging toys, for playing, and even...
Miniland First Senses: 6 Cubes Set, chunky cubes of spongy texture that rattle when shaken. The cube design allows infants to exercise their hand grip and arm strength while shaking...
Sensory stimulation is one of the most important and fun things for your baby. They will have a great time looking, touching, biting, and listening with the Miniland Sensorial Reef. They...
Time for a trot with this fuzzy, squashy donkey! Hee-haw! That’s Bashful Donkey chuckling. He’s a practical joker who loves to play pranks! He’s a softy though, in squashy...
Natruba Natural Rubber Rattle Plumeria is particularly suited for your baby's small hands and the different textures will stimulate your baby's senses. Features textured leaf pattern on the bottom, stem and textured...
Natruba Natural Rubber Teether White Swan is particularly suited for your baby's small hands and the different textures will stimulate your baby's senses. Features textured feathers, air-filled body, solid beads, silk-like surface...
Natruba Natural Rubber Rattle Yellow Daisy is particularly suited for your baby's small hands and the different textures will stimulate your baby's senses. Features textured leaf pattern on the bottom, stem and...
Natruba Natural Rubber Teether Blue Elephant is particularly suited for your baby's small hands and the different textures will stimulate your baby's senses. Features textured trunk, air-filled head, solid beads, silk-like surface...
Natruba Natural Rubber Teether Pink Flamingo is particularly suited for your baby's small hands and the different textures will stimulate your baby's senses. Features textured wings, air-filled head & body, solid...
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.