Play Time
PlanToys PlanToys Baby Walker
$126.00Cruise through early developmental stages with the PlanToys Baby Walker! This toy can help develop fine and gross motor skills while encouraging children to walk on their own two feet....
Sabo Concept Wooden Castle Building Blocks Light Pink
$125.00Let your child's imagination run wild with this beautiful Castle Building Blocks Set that features all the shapes needed to build their own castle, city, race track, or whatever their creative minds...
Jellycat Jellycat Perry Polar Bear Lying
$110.00Feeling snoozy? Cuddle up close to scrummy Perry Lying. Our polar bear pal is loveably lazy and soft as a snowdrift. He's flumpy, flopsy and irresistibly soft in velvety vanilla...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Little Land Yachts ...
$100.00Your child is the captain of these vessels, as they sail the Seven Seas -- rolling along on any smooth surface! Included on board each is a captain of the...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Rainbow Bowls Sorti...
$100.00This open-ended game is a fun challenge for young children! The Rainbow Bowls Sorting Game comes with six colored bowls, each of which has three matching wooden pieces in the shape of...
Kinderfeets Kinderboard Waldorf Balance Board Sag...
$99.00Watch your child’s imagination take over as the Kinderboard becomes a seesaw, balancing toy, slide, stepping stool, boat, resting nook and so much more! Originally introduced in Waldorf Early Childhood...
Kinderfeets Kinderboard Waldorf Balance Board Cha...
$99.00Watch your child’s imagination take over as the Kinderboard becomes a seesaw, balancing toy, slide, stepping stool, boat, resting nook and so much more! Originally introduced in Waldorf Early Childhood...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Paste...
$96.00Grimm’s 12 Piece Rainbow Pastel 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...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Natur...
$96.00Grimm’s 12 Piece Rainbow Natural 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...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Monoc...
$96.00Grimm’s 12 Piece Rainbow Monochrome 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...
Brio Parking Garage
$96.00Parking Garage is the perfect addition to any BRIO World, connecting the railway and roadways together in a single destination. Each of the three levels of the Parking Garage...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Toy
$96.00Grimm’s 12 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...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Stacking Boxe...
$90.00These unique variations and markings are proof of quality, not defects. Enjoy the markings that make your Grimm’s toy unique! Toddlers will love stacking and nesting the six colorful boxes,...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Set o...
$90.00Toddlers will love stacking and nesting the six colorful boxes, which fit perfectly inside one another, all while developing color recognition and hand-eye coordination. As kids grow older, these boxes will...
Kinderfeets Kinderboard Waldorf Balance Board Nat...
$89.00Watch your child’s imagination take over as the Kinderboard becomes a seesaw, balancing toy, slide, stepping stool, boat, resting nook and so much more! Originally introduced in Waldorf Early Childhood...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Color Charts Rally
$85.00Limitless designs! The 29 color chart pairs open up a world of creativity and help children develop a new appreciation for color. The children can test the domino effect, match...
Maileg Maileg Rabbit Size 5 Plush Toy in Pan...
$84.00This rabbit is dressed in a beautiful striped knitted sweater and soft pants made of soft natural linen & cotton fabric - which gives a lovely hand feel and look. Material:...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Natural Wooden Cars
$82.00This Cars work quite well off-road and are suitable for rides in the countryside. Vehicles don’t need a full car wash after that, but can easily be cleaned with a...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Colored Wooden Cars
$82.00This Cars work quite well off-road and are suitable for rides in the countryside. Vehicles don’t need a full car wash after that, but can easily be cleaned with a...
Bear Company Cuddly Spot Puppy Dog Plush Toy
$80.00A magical gift for little girls, tweens, teens, kids, and of all ages. This soft plush provides comfort and play activity for your little ones. Measures 30 inches
Bear Company Cuddly Dreamer Unicorn Plush Toy
$80.00A magical gift for little girls, tweens, teens, kids, and unicorn lovers of all ages. This soft plush Dreamer provides comfort and play activity for your little ones. Measures 30...
Bajo Emergency Vehicle Set
$80.00The emergency vehicle set can make your toddler feel like a hero with having a bright red fire truck with a movable ladder and a bell silver police car tow...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's 60 Colored Geo Blocks
$80.00From easy to challenging, these building block sets are a constant companion throughout childhood! Due to the non-varnished surface, young children are able to stack the blocks easily and the...
Brio My First Railway Battery Operated Tra...
$80.00Start by building a track layout with the mountain blocks and the tunnel, and let your train go up and down and through the tunnel. Press the arrow button on...
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.