If you are looking for the ultimate gift for your kid, the one to rule them all, you've come to the right place. Our selection of seriously awesome electric ride on...
If you are looking for the ultimate gift for your kid, the one to rule them all, you've come to the right place. Our selection of seriously awesome electric ride on...
Whether your little one is whipping up an original recipe or taking first place in an imaginary cooking competition, our Essential Play Kitchen is the perfect canvas for imaginative play....
Family Felidae. Found mainly in Africa but with small populations in Iran. Fastest of all land mammals, sprinting at up to 95km/h. The head and body, without the tail, are...
Family Giraffidae. Tallest land mammal. Its long neck enables this unmistakable inhabitant of Africa"s savannah to browse on vegetation w/c is its primary food. Male ave. 5.3 m in height,...
Family Equidae. Few mountain zebras are left in the wildlife in the mountain grasslands of southwest Africa. The pattern of their stripes is unique to individual human fingerprints. Zebras "s...
Family Giraffidae. Tallest land mammal. Its long neck enables this unmistakable inhabitant of Africa"s savannah to browse on vegetation w/c is its primary food. Male ave. 5.3 m in height,...
Hansa Portraits in Nature is a hand-crafted collection of realistic plush animals. Artists working in a socially responsible and environmentally responsible studio create each Hansa animal from portraits of the...
Hansa Portraits in Nature is a hand-crafted collection of realistic plush animals. Artists working in a socially responsible and environmentally responsible studio create each Hansa animal from portraits of the creature in...
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.