Play Time
Janod Candy Chick Big Cooker Wood
$186.00An adorable kitchen display crafted from durable wood is touched up with bright colors. Enter the culinary world with this fantastic Candy Chic kitchen! including induction hotplate with noises and...
Ooh Noo Wheelbarrow Toy
$180.00Made in Europe, entirely out of wood from European forests, the ooh noo Toy Wheelbarrow helps kids develop important gross-motor skills in a complex process that requires strength, coordination, balance,...
Ooh Noo Toy Pram White
$180.00This toy pram is just too cute for words. It is made entirely of wood, with the exception of the tiny tires on the wheels. It is extremely appropriate for...
Tender Leaf Toys Wooden Mini Chef Home Kitchen
$180.00A stylish and contemporary looking kitchen with an oven, 2 hobs, a butler’s sink with double taps, and an integral cupboard with doors. Included in this set are a solid...
Moover Traditional Dolls Stroller Toy
$176.00Simple and stylish, the traditional Danish-designed Dolls Pram (or Stroller is more commonly known in North America) is sturdy and dependable to keep your baby moving after taking their first...
Hansa Creation Realistic Plush Animal Standing Lion ...
$174.00Hansa Creation brand is internationally recognized for its handcrafted, true-to-life collection of realistic stuffed animals, plush toys, and puppets. The Hansa collection is created by skilled artisans working within Hansa's...
Tender Leaf Toys General Stores
$170.00A magnificent market stall with shelves and 2 inter-changeable mini platforms so that it can be adapted to any kind of store. A pretty striped canopy can be lowered to...
Le Toy Van Fairy Belle Palace
$170.00Once Upon A Time… A beautiful painted wooden fairy castle with highly detailed floral artwork. The special features include a high tower with flag, a princess balcony, a lifting drawbridge...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Creative Puzzle Spa...
$170.00Imaginative young builders can make dimensional graphic patterns and images, and build up or decorate three-dimensional castles and palaces with this Creative Puzzle. By building and playing with the...
Brio Travel Switching Set
$160.00Jump on board the blue line’s battery-powered train and ride the rails over the bridge and onwards to the modern Brio's Travel Switching Station. Take the lift between platforms by...
Tender Leaf Toys Tool Bench
$160.00This tool bench is perfect for any budding carpenter and is made of 19 pieces. The back panel holds a removable drill, and a circular saw as well as a...
Le Toy Van Alex's Work Bench
$160.00Let's fix it! Alex's Work Bench is a sturdy workbench. The base is equipped with a flatbed circular saw, a measuring gauge and a vice. The back wall features...
Hape Wooden Gourmet Grill with Food Toy
$160.00Double-sided grates, a collapsible side table, moveable wheels, and an open-and-close hood make this grill a gourmet's dream. Watch out for the hot coals! Food and accessories included. ShishKabob Basics...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Strolley Chalk
$159.00Meet Olli Ella Strolley, a revolutionary design in imaginative play. This hand-woven rattan basket on wheels switches from a stroller to a shopping cart, by just lowering the hood. A new...
Wonder & Wise Submarine Playhome
$159.00Where’s the best place to be? In a submarine under the sea, of course. Kids will love the sub with its mesh windows realistic printed details and plush propeller. And who...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Rattan Wonder Wagon
$159.00Introducing the Olli Ella Wonder Wagon - a timeless toy for collecting memories and treasures. The Wonder Wagon is sure to spark hours of creative play, fun, and wonder, as your intrepid little ones cart anything and everything. The Wonder Wagon is perfect for any task,...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Strolley Rose
$159.00Meet Olli Ella Strolley, a revolutionary design in imaginative play. This hand-woven rattan basket on wheels switches from a stroller to a shopping cart, by just lowering the hood. A new kind...
Wobbel Waldorf Balance Board Natural
$159.00What is WOBBEL? It is a sturdy, beautifully crafted beechwood rocking balance board, a seat, a safe haven, a bridge, a house, a step, a slide, a yoga aid, a...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Strolley Natural
$159.00Meet Olli Ella Strolley, a revolutionary design in imaginative play. This hand-woven rattan basket on wheels switches from a stroller to a shopping cart, by just lowering the hood. A new kind...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Building Blocks Set...
$152.00Even little master builders realize the fascination of architecture Romanesque with its self-supporting round arcs and the bulky stonework of great churches, castles, or city walls. This can be used...
Hansa Creation Realistic Plush Animal Peacock
$152.00Hansa Creation brand is internationally recognized for its handcrafted, true-to-life collection of realistic stuffed animals, plush toys, and puppets. The Hansa collection is created by skilled artisans working within Hansa's...
Jellycat Harvey Bear Plush Toy
$150.00Harvey Bear is the king of naptime. Golden-brown and wonderfully lazy, Harvey will flop at the drop of a hat. With a rumpled tummy, huge weighted paws, a bobble tail...
PlanToys PlanToys Fire Station Toy
$150.00Get ready and prepare for an emergency! Kids will enjoy pretending to be firefighters and creating a story. Age: 3 years+ This set consists of a fire station with 15...
Le Toy Van Sky Doll House
$150.00Sky Doll House has two storeys plus an attic room that is found in the opening roof. The gender-neutral design features natural wood, beautiful blues, and unique artwork throughout. Plant...
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.