Play Time
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 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 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...
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...
Wee Gallery Wee Galley Art Cards For Baby Jungle ...
$16.00Babies are fascinated with black-and-white designs. Right from the start, these art cards begin developing a baby’s visual perception. Printed on sturdy board, these cards will stand up to baby’s...
Manhattan Toy Travel Toy Mini Apple Farm Avocado
$12.00Fruity fun for little ones on the go! This avocado travel toy has a variety of soft textured fabrics, crinkle leaf, embedded chime and embroidered facial features. The pit features...
Maileg Maileg Bunny Size 4 Plush Toy Night Suit
$68.00This lovely bunny will be sure to make any child extremely happy! She gets cozy for the night her red and white striped night suit that is as soft as...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Double Feature Mirror
$50.00One side features a mirror for self discovery, while the other side has high-contrast black & white graphics that help baby with visual & multi-sensory development. This toy has ribbon...
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...
Wee Gallery Woodland Alphabet Cards
$20.00Wee Gallery Woodland Alphabet Cards are the perfect gift for newborn baby, toddler, or any age in between. The high-contrast animal and jungle illustrations create a mesmerizing display for babies, while...
Maileg Maileg Rabbit Size 4 Plush Toy Overalls
$68.00The bunny & rabbit collection is made of soft natural linen & cotton fabric - which gives a lovely hand feel and look. This rabbit is ready for summer...
Maileg Maileg Rabbit Size 4 Plush Toy Sailor
$68.00All hands on deck! This intricately crafted size 4 Sailor Rabbit doesn't sacrifice his sea legs for style as he demonstrates how important it is to look good out on 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.