Play Time
Jellycat Jellycat Amuseable Heart
$15.00 – $25.00How about a heart-to-heart? Who wouldn't want to give Amuseable Heart a big squeeze? This fluffy, sentimental softy was just made for hugging, with cordy feet like plump little coals...
Ambosstoys Ambosstoys Primo Ride On Toy Rosso Red
$249.99Primo ride-on toys combine classic Italian design with the finest craftsmanship to create a timeless ride on the scooter for toddlers and design lovers. PRIMO is the ultimate toy,...
Bajo Wooden Classic Fire Engine
$30.00This wonderful wooden firetruck has a little ladder that goes up and down with a cute bell that jingles when it drives. The vibrant red color will be sure to...
Maileg Maileg Bunny Size 3 Doll Red Dress
$54.00The bunny & rabbit collection is made of soft natural linen & cotton fabric - which gives a lovely hand feel and look. This bunny wears a red dress -...
Bajo Wooden Formula 1 Racing Toy Car
$45.00These beautifully painted racing cars will bring any child joy and keep them well entertained. The vibrant paint will keep anyone's attention and the colorful rubber ring around the wheels...
Jellycat Jellycat Cosmopop Rocket
$23.00Cosmopop Rocket is getting ready to launch, and is making all the final checks! Squidgy metallic boosters, bright red fur, shimmery bands, and a big excited grin - all good...
Brio Play and Learn Action Racer Toy
$42.00Action Racer is at the line and ready to go. Press one of the four direction buttons on the car’s dashboard and then buckle up for a chase as...
Jellycat Jellycat Birdling Cardinal
$17.00Adorable little Birdling Cardinal has elegant red fluffy fur and a typical black face. They are aggressive when defending their territory but loves to sing different melodies. Suitable from birth. Hand wash only;...
Jellycat Jellycat Crimson Santa
$27.50 – $50.00Crimson Santa is very busy, packing his sleigh with toys and treats! This merry-berry pal has a silky-soft beard, tied with a sparkly bow! His scarlet hat has a pompom...
Rubbabu Little Plane Rubber Toy
$10.00These Rubbabu Little Planes come in bright appealing colors with soft wheels that will delight little ones. These airplanes are sized for little hands and safe for babies and toddlers. ...
Rubbabu Choo Choo Train
$10.00The Rubbabu Choo Choo Train is the smallest sized train and some say the cutest. Made from soft rubber foam with rubber wheels. Size: 3.5" Length Safe for ages: 0+...
Rubbabu Little Vehicle FireTruck Toy Red
$10.00The Rubbabu Fire Truck in red and black is a unique toy truck for ages 0+. Soft, simple and safe, it's perfect for long hours of pretend play. A handmade...
Rubbabu Fireman Rubba Engine Toy
$29.00The Rubbabu Fire Truck in red and black is a unique toy truck for ages 0+. Soft, simple, and safe, it's perfect for long hours of pretend play. Supports the...
Bajo Wooden Toy Car Camper with Surfboard
$30.00This camper with its little cute surfboard is ready to it the beach. For all those budding beach babes, this sweet little camper will bring hours of creative play, as...
Bajo Wooden English Double Decker Bus
$30.00This wonderful English Double Decker gives your children double the fun and and lets them work their imagination twice as hard! This sweet English car has twice the windows to support...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Wooden Large Truck ...
$34.00These rugged vehicles are impressive, simple in design, and easy to load. They work quite well off-road and are suitable for rides in the countryside. Vehicles don’t need a full...
Rubbabu Mascot Toy Car
$16.00The Rubbabu Mascot Car is an easy-to-hold, easy-to-roll car. With a cute rounded design, in bright colors, this 5" high car is available in many colors and is popular in toy,...
Playforever Playforever Leadbelly Toy Car Vincent...
$40.00An American muscle car, make it bigger, faster, stronger. Detroit carmakers saw what the hot rodders were doing in the late ’60s and started bringing these ideas to the workingman....
Posh Baby & Kids Posh Baby & Kids Bentley 6in1 Strolle...
$500.00The luxury stroller that grows with your child. Designed in collaboration with Bentley Motors and with your toddler’s needs in mind, the Posh Baby & Kids Bentley 6-in-1 Stroller /...
Bajo Wooden Toy Airplane
$38.00Little pilots will love making these wooden toy airplanes soar into the sky. A chunky wooden toy that's perfect for little ones to play. Sturdy enough to become a favored...
Bajo Wooden Toy Car with Blocks
$26.00This small yet fun wooden toy car with blocks is great for any child. The blocks can easily be removed and put back. This little car trucks along, moving swiftly...
PlanToys PlanToys Rabbit Racing Car
$30.00PlanToys Rabbit Racing Car is the perfect toy for your little racer for endless pretend play! Includes turning wheel that gives the same movement as a real race car when...
Jellycat Jellycat Dexter Dragon
$32.50 – $65.00Most dragons are fiery, but Dexter Dragon is flopsy! No scales for this scamp - just snuggle-soft fur in chalky blue and warm maroon red. Gorgeously detailed with soft horns,...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Pebbles Blocks Fire
$23.00These pebble blocks are perfect for balance and stacking challenges, decorating scenic play, making a stony puppet show landscape, and building cairns. This four-piece set is painted in gorgeous graduated...
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.