Bunny in White with Dots Ears! Looking for tiny, loving person to cuddle and can be your child's best friend, or companion in sleep, on a journey, and in playing. Perfect as a gift...
This security blanket is ready to be on the go. With a handy loop on the back to attach to the car seat, stroller or crib you're sure to never...
Children go through their bedtime routine with the help of gentle classical music. Cali's Books Bedtime with Mozart Animal Sound Musical Book excerpts from six magical melodies accompanies text and illustrations...
Chester Chicken Plush Toy will brighten an Easter celebration with his fiery comb, two-tone faux fur-feathers and showstopping orange feet and beak. Quirky but cute, this fluffy fellow proves that...
Chewbeads’ Chew Pals Dinosaur Teether is perfect for distracting your little one anywhere and ideal for soothing their sore gums with its textured surface! The size of this teether is...
Chick: 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...
Keep baby stimulated and occupied with Classic Baby Beads. The wood beads are strung together with an elastic cord and can be manipulated into an endless number of configurations making...
Manhattan Toys Classic Baby Beads go natural. The wood beads are strung together with an elastic cord and can be manipulated into an endless number of configurations making it a...
The colorful Click Clack Ball features handles that click with every twist. Filled with tiny beads inside, this baby ball also rattles when shaken. Perfect for infant stimulation! Ages 0...
When it seems nothing less than pure magic will soothe your baby's sore gums...This friendly unicorn is not just adorable, it's made from all natural rubber and hand-painted using soy-based...
Cozy Lamby Pookie is all about that plush life with their soft curly and sheepish smile. Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Details: Cozy Dinkum Dolls can be posed in multiple sleeping...
This 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...
Crocodile: 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...
Lots 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...
I live in a beautiful treehouse perched high in the sky. Won’t you come to visit me? We can go on adventures in the magical treetops, take long, delicious naps,...
I live in a beautiful treehouse perched high in the sky. Won’t you come to visit me? We can go on adventures in the magical treetops, take long, delicious naps,...
Friends always call me a curious little kitten, because my mind is as quick as my paws trotting through the meadow to discover new things! I love admiring every flower...
I am an energetic kitten who loves to laugh, leap and chase sunbeams. Luckily, I’m very good at landing on my feet! Friends say I’m an optimist - if things...
Where I come from, the ice and snow are always sparkling. I love building snow forts, slurping marshmallows in hot chocolate, and most of all, helping people. I believe we...
I’m always hopping from one big dream to another. There’s so much I want to accomplish in this beautiful world, and I know I can do it if I don’t...
I‘m a carrot connoisseur and love munching on them wherever I go. Would you like to share? They’re super delicious! I love hopping as fast as I can and working...
I come from a deep green forest with tons of trees to climb and delicious bamboo to eat. I might look different than most bears, but I love that I’m...
I’m a playful little panda who loves to run, jump, and climb my way through the fresh bamboo grove where I live. Sometimes I take a tumble, but I just...
I love climbing trees everyday – that’s why I live way at the tippy top of the tallest one! I’m always climbing as high as I can to spots where...
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.