Play Time
Malarkey Malarkey Munch Mitt Constellation
$19.99The Malarkey Munch Mitt Teether is a “handy” textured teething solution that prevents your little one from dropping it. It provides easy access pain relief to sore gums for infants who...
Maileg Maileg Mini Dining Table Set Toy
$60.00Invite your friend for Sunday supper at the dining table. The set contains a round table and 2 metal chairs. Oval table measures 6.5" x 3.5" Chairs are 5" tall...
Cali's Book Cali's Book Bedtime with Mozart
$29.00Children go through their bedtime routine with the help of gentle classical music. Cali's Books Bedtime with Mozart Animal Sound Musical Book excerpts from six magical melodies accompanies text and illustrations...
Jellycat Jellycat Tumblie Pig
$30.00Flopsy, fuzzy and full of curiosity, Jellycat Tumblie Pig is daydreaming again! This milkshake-pink piglet has a suedey snout, foldy ears and a teeny tail, not to mention a perfect...
Jellycat Jellycat Gilbert The Great Blue Whale
$85.00Curvy and cheery with the biggest balleen grin, it's Jellycat Gilbert the Great Blue Whale! Beautifully blue, with a combed grey belly, half-moon tail, and flappy fins, Gilbert's a jolly...
Jellycat Jellycat Fleury Petunia Soother
$25.00Jellycat Fleury Petunia Soother would like to invite you to a lazy garden party! Where? Right here on this fuzzy fur lawn! Jellycat Fleury Petunia Soother Details: Suitable from birth. 40 degree Celsius wash only;...
Jellycat Jellycat Fleury Daisy Soother
$25.00Jellycat Fleury Daisy Soother would like to invite you to a lazy garden party! Where? Right here on this fuzzy fur lawn! Jellycat Fleury Daisy Soother Details: Suitable from birth. 40 degree Celsius...
Jellycat Jellycat Fishiful
$17.50This squishy sweetie Jellycat Fishiful is full of printed patterns, right down to those big, bold printed eyes. That mouth is perfectly poised for blowing bubbles, which is what this fishy...
Jellycat Jellycat Cozy Crew Lobster
$25.00Jellycat Cozy Crew Lobster is mellow in yellow, wearing a mustard rollneck jumper. Peachy-pink with squidgy segments, a soft split tail and boggly eyes, this loveable lobster is a great navigator!...
Jellycat Jellycat Cozy Crew Crab
$25.00Avast! Jellycat Cozy Crew Crab has hoisted the mainshell and is ready to set sail! Goofy and gorgeous with big bobble eyes, tangerine fur and a knitted navy jumper, this...
Jellycat Jellycat Cozy Crew Whale
$25.00Jellycat Cozy Crew Whale digs diving deep into the Arctic waters. But it gets awfully chilly down there! Luckily, this affable lavender lunkhead has a rust-red woolly turtleneck to warm them...
Jellycat Jellycat Jellycat Cozy Crew Octopus
$25.00Merry mariner Jellycat Cozy Crew Octopus looks so cool in a bottle-green jumper! With salmon-pink fur, a chipper grin and a brilliant squishy-soft head, this octopus gives such comforting hugs....
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Bunny Mineral Blue
$28.00A sweet bunny who’s worth his weight in gold! Made of beautiful silky smooth Bashful fur. Jellycat Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely...
Jellycat Jellycat Bartholomew Bear
$25.00 – $50.00Tawny-tousled and full of softness, Jellycat Bartholomew Bear is the perfect bedtime buddy. Read him a story, sing him a teddy bear lullaby, or maybe just rest on his fluffy...
Jellycat Jellycat Blossom Bunny Dusky Blue
$18.00Jellycat Blossom Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Cuddle + Kind Cuddle + Kind Hand Knit Doll Polly Th...
$70.00 – $92.00I’m a playful little panda who loves to run, jump, and climb my way through the fresh bamboo grove where I live. Sometimes I take a tumble, but I just...
Cuddle + Kind Cuddle + Kind Hand Knit Doll Paxton T...
$70.00 – $92.00I come from a deep green forest with tons of trees to climb and delicious bamboo to eat. I might look different than most bears, but I love that I’m...
Moulin Roty Rattle Comforter Sous Mon Baobab Elep...
$32.00From Under my Baobab Tree collection, this lovely and soft Moulin Roty Elephant Rattle Comforter Doll has long legs and arms for baby to grasp, a mane and whiskers to stroke and a...
Moulin Roty Rattle Comforter Sous Mon Baobab Giraffe
$32.00From Under my Baobab Tree collection, this lovely and soft Moulin Roty Giraffe Rattle Comforter Doll has long legs and arms for baby to grasp, long ears and a tail to...
Moulin Roty Rattle Comforter Sous Mon Baobab Lion
$32.00From Under my Baobab Tree collection, this lovely and soft Moulin Roty Lion Rattle Comforter Doll has long legs and arms for baby to grasp, a mane and whiskers to stroke and a...
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...
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.