Fat Brain Toys Tobbles is the perfect toy for your creative & curious little one! Tobbles is multi-use a toy with limitless possibilities; this toy can stack, spin, wiggle, and...
Fat Brain Toys 24 Piece Squigz Starter Set is the perfect toy to give to your little one to use in any environment, to stick on everything from walls, to...
Every bunny needs a best friend. This friend will hop out of the beautiful gift box to greet you. They arrive wearing a stripped frosted orange top but you can...
Grimm’s Hand-painted Small Houses is the perfect toy set for your little builder to create cities or villages with houses, barns, towers, and more! Authentic Grimm's Handpainted Small Houses Toy...
Stack, roll, stick, and sip! Each of these six colorful, squishy cups features a suction cup on the bottom, a suctioning brim at the top, plus endless creative-play possibilities all...
The Sophie Bath Toy by Calisson from the Sophie La Girafa is the perfect addition to the tub to make bath time fun! Floats When squeezed, the Sophie bath toy...
It's a stacking toy with a spin—literally!Drop the vibrant discs onto the threaded corkscrew pole and go ooooh as they spin fast and smooth to settle onto the reversible base....
Aurelie is a super sophisticated cat dressed in a gorgeous tulle dress. A treasured keepsake. Linen & cotton outer with tulle dress Embroidered face Size: 48cm/18.90" (approx) Suitable from 3...
Fat Brain Toys Pip Squigz is the perfect toy to give to your little one to use in any environment, to stick on everything from walls, to bathtubs, to windows, and...
Textures, colors, shapes, and words!On one side, each silicone button is embossed with a different shape and labeled with its matching word in English and in Braille. Flip the whole...
Fat Brain Toys Squigz are fun little suckers! They are flexible fellows and committed joiners. Squigz and fellow Squigz have one chief enterprise - creating things. Willingly, they assemble...
Grimm’s 12 Piece Rainbow is a versatile toy perfect for your growing little one. Toddlers can use the rainbow for stacking and sorting, and as they get older your children...
Playforever draws inspiration from classic and iconic racing cars and racing planes from the 1920s, as well as in 1960s New York. Combining decades of research with technical car design...
The Riders, the new XL ride-on from Baghera!With its 90cm length and large wheels, this supercar is for seasoned pilots only! Strong, silent, and very maneuverable, this large Red ride-on...
Mini Speedy Le Mans is a toy car in its simplest, most organic form. Taking its smooth, curved shape – a shape that conveys movement and fluidity even when parked...
Let your child experience driving something special, with this great ride-on speedster! It is built to last with a padded seat, sturdy metal body, and rubber tires. Some simple self-assembly...
Straight out of 1960s New York, Playforever's Maverick Heat vehicles are a bold representation of the famous slab-sided vehicles of the era. With distinctive flat sides and super large surface...
From Wedges to Mary Janes; vivid colour blocking to bright two tones, just like the rest of our Midi range, Bonnie’s design is inspired by the bold colour and shape...
Embracing the era of 1950s rockabilly chic, Clyde is modern twist on the classic hot rod American cars. Rolled up capris and bright Mary Janes; halter necks and hair scarves...
A Multi-directional ride-on toy, fun and easy to use. Compact, robust, and quiet, this ride-on is constructed from durable and heavy plastic. The black twister ride-on is perfect for your...
A small favorite in a soft design for both adults and children. Made of solid wood with a high finish. Materials: Wood Product Dimension: 5” length Box Dimension: 5.75” length...
From Wedges to Mary Janes; vivid colour blocking to bright two tones, just like the rest of our Midi range, Bonnie’s design is inspired by the bold colour and shape...
A melodious tune from this box would soothe anyone including little babies! Let beautiful music be in your life anytime, anywhere! Made of walnut, beech, and leather. Music: Edelweiss "Little...
A melodious tune from this box would soothe anyone including little babies! No details spared to make this beautiful box of sound. Made of walnut, beech, and leather. Product Dimension:...
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.