Play Time
Fat Brain Toys Stacking Suction Kupz
$22.00Stack, roll, stick, and sip! Each of these six colorful, squishy cups features a suction cup on the bottom, a suctioning brim at the top, plus endless creative-play possibilities all...
Tegu Magnetic Shape Train 9 Pieces
$55.00Tegu Baby & Toddler toys are the perfect entry-point to the wondrous world of Tegu. Specifically designed for the little hands and budding imaginations of children between the ages 6...
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...
Hape Fantasia Block Train
$36.00Hape’s Fantasia Blocks Train is the perfect toy for your growing child, ensured to make their imaginations run wild with all the different combinations that can be made with the...
Fat Brain Toys Activity OombeeCube
$24.00Fun to feel, beautiful to admire, and amazingly durable so you never lose a single shape, the Fat Brain Toys OombeeCube truly is early tactile learning perfected. Fat Brain Toys...
PlanToys PlanToys Fruit and Vegetable Play Set
$30.00PlanToys Fruit & Vegetable Play Set is the perfect toy for your growing little chef! Let them explore the world of cooking with 5 colorful fruits and veggies! PlanToys Fruit...
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....
Hape Toddler Beat Box Musical toy Set
$49.00Everything needed for an afternoon Jam session! this music set of 4 different instruments is perfect for young musicians to explore and discover their talents. Ages 12+ months
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Stacking Tower Boat
$79.00Grimm’s Stacking Tower Boat is the perfect stacking toy for your little one! Your toddler can have endless fun stacking the boat to create different forms and lovely colorful structures...
Maileg Maileg Best Friends Doll Bunny
$38.00Every bunny needs a best friend. This friend will hop out of the beautiful gift box to greet you. They arrive wearing a stripped frosted orange top but you can...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Fire Flames
$32.00Grimm’s Fire 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 can use...
Hape Shape Sorter Xylophone Musical Toy
$34.00Is it a piano or a puzzle? Well, the multifunctional Shape Sorter Xylophone is a piano, xylophone and shape sorting game all rolled into one! Product size L: 11.81, W:...
Hape Mighty Echo Microphone Toy
$14.00Do you dream of being a famous singer? With the high-quality, battery-free Mighty Echo Microphone, everyone can sing like a pop-star! Age:12+ Months
PlanToys PlanToys Oval Xylophone Musical Toy
$30.00PlanToys Oval Xylophone features five colorful panels that help with hand-eye coordination. Please note this xylophone is made for fun and may not be musically accurate. PlanToys Oval Xylophone Details: Age: 12...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Rainbow House
$33.00A five-piece nesting house by Grimm's in rainbow colors. Stagger the pieces to create a deep chamber, or use them separately to create a house and outbuildings. Authentic Grimm's Rainbow...
Fat Brain Toys Stacking SpinAgain
$38.00It's a stacking toy with a spin—literally!Drop the vibrant discs onto the threaded corkscrew pole and go ooooh as they spin fast and smooth to settle onto the reversible base....
Hape Walk A Long Pepe The Puppy Pully Toy
$28.00Hape’s Walk-A-Long Puppy is the perfect adorable toy for your little walking explorer, with a pull-string so that he/she can take a friend for play on-the-go! Suitable for children 12m+...
Hape Rotating Music Box
$22.00The Hape Rotating Music Box is a soothing and gentle toy that will encourage baby to experience music in a unique and interactive way. It plays delightful musical notes as...
PlanToys PlanToys Hammer Balls
$50.00PlanToys Hammer Balls is a toy specifically designed for your baby’s small hands. It can help develop hand-eye coordination, improve dexterity and build physical strength. PlanToys Hammer Balls Details: Age: 12 months+...
Sophie La Giraffe Sophie Bath Book
$18.00The Sophie Bath Book by Calisson is the perfect addition to the tub to make bath time fun! Features: Book consists of 8 pages filled with different kinds of...
PlanToys PlanToys Dancing Alligator
$30.00PlanToys Dancing Alligator is a great push & pull toy for your active little one! When pulled along, the alligator moves his head and tail up and down making a click-clack...
Hape Pyramid of Play Blocks Toy
$35.00Hape’s Pyramid of Play is the ideal toy to get your little one to start practicing matching shapes and colors! Suitable for children 18m+ Includes five nesting blocks, each with...
Jellycat Jellycat Harry Panda Cub
$35.00Tubby and ticklish, Harry Panda Cub is such a cuddly chap. His charcoal-grey and creamy fur is velvety-soft and so beary snuggly. Harry's beany feet help him sit up, and...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's House Monochrome
$34.00Grimm’s Monochrome House is the perfect versatile toy for your little one! Your toddler can have endless fun stacking the house, and as they grow your children can use the...
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.