Play Time
Olli Ella Olli Ella Dozy Dinkum Doll Pickle
$50.00Say hello to Pickle! Your baby’s first baby and lifelong friend with the perfect amount of squish for cuddles and play. Like all the Olli Ella Dozy Dinkums, Pickle is...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Dozy Dinkum Doll Moppet
$50.00Say hello to Moppet! Your baby’s first baby and lifelong friend with the perfect amount of squish for cuddles and play. Like all the Olli Ella Dozy Dinkums, Moppet is...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Dozy Dinkum Doll Mini
$50.00Say hello to Mini! Your baby’s first baby and lifelong friend with the perfect amount of squish for cuddles and play. Like all the Olli Ella Dozy Dinkums, Mini is...
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 Leo Baby
$69.00Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Lullaby Dozy Dinkums, here you are. With the same huggable, soft, comforting design as the most-loved Dozy Dinkums, Lullaby Leo comes with a little pompom on the...
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 Muffin
$55.00Meet our newest (and most snuggly) collectible Cozy Dinkum Bunny Muffin! Bunny Muffin, so cuddly and cute, loves to doze in its soft fluffy suit. Made for snuggles and snoozy...
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 Cozy Dinkum Doll Bunny Flopsy
$55.00Here for a hoppin’ good time, meet Cozy Dinkum Bunny Flopsy - the ultimate cuddle buddy! Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Details: Cozy Dinkum Dolls can be posed in multiple sleeping...
Tikiri Octopus Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00This 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...
Wee Gallery Nature Number Cards
$20.00These beautifully illustrated nature-inspired cards are designed to teach numbers in a fun and logical way. Use as flash cards, as well as a matching game that matches the number...
Manhattan Toy My UFO
$16.00My UFO will instantly abduct baby's attention, with bright colors and a rotating bottom half that clicks. The internal rattle ball will keep your young one occupied for hours. This...
Manhattan Toy My Rocket
$20.00Blast off into space with My Rocket! Let your young one become an astronaut and pilot this colorful rocket for many missions to come. Featuring an internal rattle for simple...
Madame Alexander My First Powder Pink Medium Skin Doll
$40.00Dressed in pink plush, this baby is the perfect first doll for any little one. Cute and cuddly, this 12"newborn baby doll with a soft fabric body is ready to...
Manhattan Toy Musical Pull Toy Cherry Blossom Rainbow
$26.00Pull the cloud down from the rainbow to hear "Fur Elise" as it slowly moves back up. Fosters cause and effect learning. Attaches with fabric loop to most carriers and...
Chronicle Books Mr. Bear's ABC Board Book
$19.99Learning the alphabet is a critical part of early childhood education. What better way to do this than with an oversize volume that stretches the boundaries of what an ABC...
Moulin Roty Moulin Roty Plush Toy Paprika The Lion
$48.00From Under my Baobab Tree collection, Moulin Roty Plush Toy Paprika The Lion comes in an ideal medium size cuddle plush toy allowing the baby to grasp its long legs....
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 Hanging Activity Toy Leav...
$30.00A hanging activity toy that will help stimulate your little one's senses. Features colorful jumble of animals, a mirror at the center, and multiple sensory activities. Size: 13.5 inches Age:...
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...
Manhattan Toy Mind Cubes
$28.00This set of 4 soft cubes feature ribbons, numbers, letters, shapes and patterns in research proven high-contrast graphics. Stilumate baby's visual development with the Wimmer-Ferguson Mind Cubes. Ages 0 months+...
Maileg Maileg Truffle The Pig
$22.00 – $33.00Oink Oink! Make room for the cutest pig of all time! Truffles is an adorably ‚ pudgy pig who can sit straight up because of the beans in its bottom. Truffles...
Maileg Maileg Teddy Mum Doll
$24.00The Teddy bear family is a sweet collection of 3 different sizes of Teddy bears. They are made of soft linen and have a vintage look that will make the...
Maileg Maileg Teddy Junior Doll
$20.00The Teddy bear family is a sweet collection of 3 different sizes of Teddy bears. They are made of soft linen and have a vintage look that will make 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.