Play Time
Fat Brain Toys Dimpl Billow & Bright
$20.00Today's forecast: cloudy with a chance of tactile fascination! Explore the four classic dimpl bubbles built into the rigid frame of the billow. They're endlessly fun to poke and pop...
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...
Hape Double Bubble Maze Toy
$26.00Hape’s Double Bubble toy is the perfect toy for your developing little one! This toy introduces problem solving to your baby; there’s always a new way to move around its...
Tikiri Elephant Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Elephant: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the fun elephant is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take him in the bath, or as a teething...
Bunnies By The Bay Fandango Flamingo Plush Toy
$26.00Straight from Miami beach the Good Friends by the Bay welcome this flamboyant bird to the neighborhood. Bubblegum pink soft squishy velour with dark gray feet and beak tip. Dangly legs in charcoal and cream pinstripe knit which also lines his wings. Hand-embroidered features...
Penguin Farm Animals Book
$7.99Calling little fans of farm animals—and design-loving parents! An oversize graphic showpiece has now been adapted as an accessible board book. This bucolic board book presents stylized animals in...
Chronicle Books Finger Puppet Book Baby Fish
$7.99With a plush finger puppet permanently attached to the book and peek-a-boo holes in every page, this charming board book is a fun way for parents and children to play...
Chronicle Books Finger Puppet Book Baby Koala
$7.99With a plush finger puppet permanently attached to the book and peek-a-boo holes in every page, this charming board book is a fun way for parents and children to play...
Chronicle Books Finger Puppet Book Baby Narwhal
$7.99Baby Narwhal swims, dives, meets new friends and drifts off to bedtime with his family. Featuring a plush finger puppet that peeks into each lovingly illustrated page, this entry in...
Chronicle Books Finger Puppet Book Baby T Rex
$7.99Newborns will love snuggling up with Baby T. Rex! Baby T. Rex learns to stomp, roar, and explore her world before drifting off to bedtime with her loving family. Featuring...
Chronicle Books Finger Puppet Book Hug Me Little Bear
$9.99Share your love with this huggable finger puppet book! The sweetly reassuring stories in this brand-new series celebrate all the things a parent's arms can do for their child, from...
Chronicle Books Finger Puppet Book Hug Me Little Bunny
$9.99Share your love with this huggable finger puppet book! The sweetly reassuring stories in this brand-new series celebrate all the things a parent's arms can do for their child, from...
Chronicle Books Finger Puppet Book Hug Me Little Puppy
$9.99Share your love with this huggable finger puppet book! The sweetly reassuring stories in the Hug Me series celebrate all the things a parent's arms can do for their child, from playing...
Chronicle Books Finger Puppet Book Little Love Bug
$7.99Little Love Bug Finger Puppet Book is a sweet, entertaining board book with a finger puppet built right in. In this feel-good finger puppet book, a parent and their little...
Chronicle Books Finger Puppet Book Little Moose
$7.99Tiny tots will enjoy going for a dip in a mountain lake with an adventurous calf in Little Moose. These simple, comforting stories feature a permanently attached plush finger puppet and...
Miniland First Senses: 6 Cubes Set
$32.00Miniland 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...
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...
Plushies Grand Flopsie Goldie Retriever Plush ...
$32.00Goldie Grand Flopsie is a large golden retriever that comes in a resting position. Suitable for all ages and personalities. High-Quality Materials make for a soft and fluffy touch. Quality...
Gund Gund Animated Alora The Unicorn Plush...
$45.00Gund Animated Alora The Unicorn is ready to sing and clap with babies as they learn their numbers and ABCs! Baby GUND is proud to present Alora, a whimsical...
Gund Gund Happy Birthday Puppy Animated Toy
$40.00Animated Birthday Puppy Sings Happy Birthday! Candle lights up. A perfect cuddle buddy for your little one. 3 AA replaceable batteries are included Size: 10in H x 7in W x...
Haba Haba Clutching Color Snake Toy
$20.00Haba Clutching Color Snake Rattle is the perfect toy to entertain your little ones as well as to help them work on their grasping skills. The Snake Rattle offers limitless...
Haba Haba Clutching Magica Toy
$20.00Haba Clutching Magica teether is the perfect toy to entertain your little one as well as to help them work on their grasping skills! Haba Clutching Magica Details: Suitable for...
Haba Haba Clutching Rainbow Ring Toy
$20.00Your little one will be delighted with the Haba Rainbow Ring Clutching Toy. This adorable clutching toy features brightly colored wooden pieces tightly and securely fastened together with a unique, tested...
Haba Haba Happy Quartett Block Set Toy
$26.00The Haba Happy Quartett Block Set is perfect for baby's first blocks! Not only does each vibrant and colorful block make a different sound but they are also super soft!...
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.