Play Time
Moulin Roty Moulin Roty Plush Toy Bibiscus The Gi...
$48.00From Under my Baobab Tree collection, Moulin Roty Bibiscus the Giraffe comes in an ideal medium size cuddle plush toy allowing the baby to grasp its long legs. It features...
Moulin Roty Moulin Roty Plush Toy Bergamote The ...
$48.00From Under my Baobab Tree collection, Moulin Roty Bergamote the Elephant comes in an ideal medium size cuddle plush toy allowing the baby to grasp its long legs and two...
Maileg Maileg Gantosaurus Large
$80.00Look at this funny friend! A Large Gantosaurus with big teeth has arrived and is ready to play with all of us. It is made in a soft mix of...
Maileg Maileg Teddy Baby
$22.00A baby has arrived at the teddy family. It is made in the same soft linen fabric as the rest of the teddies, it comes dressed in a small suit...
Maileg Maileg My First Teddy
$36.00The perfect gift for any newborn baby. The fabric is very exclusive and gives the small teddy bear a sweet classic vintage look. Ready to be loved for many years....
Jellycat Jellycat Amuseable Candy Cane
$18.50Peeping out of a festive stocking, it's Jellycat Amuseable Candy Cane! Stripey-silly in scarlet and cream, with cordy brown boots and a friendly grin, this soft little scamp can't wait...
Bunnies By The Bay Holiday Sweets Ginger Plush Toy
$20.00What could be sweeter than the new Holiday Sweets plush friends? The perfect size for loving, and a dose of holiday cheer. Ginger is the cutest little gingerbread man stuffed...
Jellycat Jellycat Amore Cat
$40.00Jellycat Amore Cat is a great snuggle in cat form. This sleepy silly is perfectly podgy in textured fur. With waggly whiskers, dreamy eyes, a swooshy tail, and teeny paws,...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Doll Mousy Pickle
$55.00Meet the newest and most snuggly collectible Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Mousy Pickle! Mousy Pickle, so cuddly and cute, loves to doze in its soft fluffy suit. Made for snuggles and...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Doll Lamby Pip
$55.00Meet the newest and most snuggly collectible Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Lamby Pip! Lamby Pip, so cuddly and cute, loves to doze in its soft fluffy suit. Made for snuggles and...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Doll Bunny Moppet
$55.00Meet the newest and most snuggly collectible Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Bunny Moppet! Bunny Moppet, so cuddly and cute, loves to doze in its soft fluffy suit. Made for snuggles...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Savannah An...
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Savannah Animals! Come and explore the Holdie™ Savannah, where you will meet its resident wildlife - Lion, Hippo and Giraffe. Handmade from a soft wool blend with...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Safari Animals
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Safari Animals! Join us on a Safari adventure where we tag along with our friends Zebra, Rhino and Elephant! Handmade from a soft wool blend...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Ocean Animals
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Ocean Animals! Dive deep into the Holdie™ Ocean as wonder awaits you. Whale, Dolphin and Stingray will be your underwater guides. Handmade from a soft wool...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Marine Animals
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Marine Animals! The Marine Wildlife of Holdie™ World is wonderful and diverse. These three friends are all very different, but that doesn't stop them from having...
Maileg Maileg Safari Friends Panda Toy
$36.00 – $80.00This sweet panda is made of cotton and corduroy. It is a dear friend to all the other animals in the popular Maileg Safari friends category. Maileg Safari Friends Panda...
Dena Silicone Kids Houses & Trees 6 Pack N...
$70.00Dena Silicone Kids Houses & Trees are manufactured with platinum silicone, which is BPA free; PVC Free; Latex Free; Phthalate Free and 100% safe. Platinum silicone is a soft material that feels...
Chronicle Books Hooray for Little Fingers!
$14.991, 2, 3, 4, 5! What can 5 little fingers do? Tickle, wiggle, dance—and much more!In this lively and irresistible board book, young readers learn to count and explore just...
Miniland Baby Doll Black Curly Hair Caucasian ...
$56.00Miniland Caucasian Black Curly Hair Girl 15" Doll is anatomically correct, which means that they show the physical differences between boys and girls in a realistic way. They are made of soft...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Small Donkey
$15.00Time for a trot with this fuzzy, squashy donkey! Hee-haw! That’s Bashful Donkey chuckling. He’s a practical joker who loves to play pranks! He’s a softy though, in squashy...
Dena Silicone Kids Houses & Trees 6 Pack P...
$70.00Dena Silicone Kids Houses & Trees are manufactured with platinum silicone, which is BPA free; PVC Free; Latex Free; Phthalate Free and 100% safe. Platinum silicone is a soft material...
Maileg Maileg Lullaby Friends Bunny Yellow
$58.00Lullaby friends is a collection of beautiful items for babies. This bunny has a soft cuddle cloth and will play a calm lullaby when you pull the tail. Age: 0+...
Maileg Maileg Lullaby Friends Pig
$58.00Lullaby friends is a collection of beautiful items for babies. This pig has a soft cuddle cloth and will play a calm lullaby when you pull the tail. Age: 0+...
Maileg Maileg Lullaby Friends Elephant Grey
$58.00Lullaby friends is a collection of beautiful items for babies. This elephant has a soft cuddle cloth and will play a calm lullaby when you pull the tail. Age: 0+...
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.