Play Time
Hape Art Paper Roll
$10.00Perfectly sized for Hape art easels. Perfect for drawing, painting, and other creative expressions.
Kid O Wooden Book Things That Go
$10.00Kids on the go learn to identify their favorite modes of transportation on land, sea, and air - from a helicopter to a baby carriage. Made from wood from sustainable...
Gibbs Smith Moby Dick A BabyLit Ocean Primer
$10.00Little Master Melville teaches little ones the language of the sea in Moby-Dick: An Ocean Primer. From ships and sailors to squawking gulls and moody good captains, Alison Oliver’s brilliant...
Candylab Candylab Dart Wagon Toy Car
$10.00Peachy and pink, The Dart a sweet little addition to our Candycar line. Everything is just peachy keen with The Dart. Materials: Solid Beech Wood, water-based paint and clear urethane coat. ...
Candylab Candylab B Berry Toy Car
$10.00Get berry excited for our little Candycar. This lilac Candycar, is the berry best addition to your Candycar collection. Materials: Solid Beech Wood, water-based paint and clear urethane coat. ABS...
Candylab Candylab B Nana Toy Car
$10.00Our most appealing Candycar yet, meet B.Nana! This cute Banana colored Candycar will have you craving some Banana Bread, a Banana Split maybe even Banana pudding? Materials: Solid Beech Wood,...
Penguin Where's the Dog Book
$10.00Five beautifully illustrated spreads show a series of friendly animals hiding behind bright felt flaps. A mirror on the final spread makes for a satisfying ending to the book’s search-and-find...
Penguin Where's the Bear Book
$10.00Five beautifully illustrated spreads show a series of friendly animals hiding behind bright felt flaps. A mirror on the final spread makes for a satisfying ending to the book’s search-and-find...
Rubbabu Little Vehicle Toy Car Fuchsia
$10.00The Rubbabu Fuchsia Car - is simple, safe and fun. With soft rubber foam wheels and a tactile fuzzy body this toy soon becomes a favorite. Easy to roll, safe...
Rubbabu Little Vehicle FireTruck Toy Red
$10.00The Rubbabu Fire Truck in red and black is a unique toy truck for ages 0+. Soft, simple and safe, it's perfect for long hours of pretend play. A handmade...
Rubbabu Little Vehicle Dump Truck Toy Orange
$10.00The little Rubbabu Little Vehicle Dumptruck, in bright orange, is a 4" soft toy car great for any age. It can be a nursery accessory for a newborn, a party...
Rubbabu Little Vehicle Toy Bus Green
$10.00The Rubbabu Little Vehicle Green Bus - is simple, safe, and fun. With soft rubber foam wheels and a tactile fuzzy body this toy soon becomes a favorite. Easy to roll, safe...
Rubbabu Choo Choo Train
$10.00The Rubbabu Choo Choo Train is the smallest sized train and some say the cutest. Made from soft rubber foam with rubber wheels. Size: 3.5" Length Safe for ages: 0+...
Rubbabu Little Plane Rubber Toy
$10.00These Rubbabu Little Planes come in bright appealing colors with soft wheels that will delight little ones. These airplanes are sized for little hands and safe for babies and toddlers. ...
Maileg Maileg MY Babysitter Toy Polka Dots
$10.00With this babysitter it is easy to bring your little friends to sleep. The base is made of metal and covered by the most lovely dotted fabric. It fits the...
Gibbs Smith Book El Chapulin Colorado: Sounds/Son...
$10.00Latin America’s beloved superhero El Chapulin Colorado introduces your baby to the natural sounds around them in both English and Spanish. For many years, children all over Latin America have...
Gibbs Smith Book Un Elefante: Numbers/Numeros
$10.00A Lil' Libros Bilingual Counting Book Inspired by one of the most beloved nursery rhymes in Latin America, “Un Elefante se Balanceaba,” is a traditional children's song in Spanish that...
Gibbs Smith Book Black and White/Blanco y Negro
$10.00The colors black and white paint a fun story in this bilingual Spanish/English board book. Did you know that colors can tell stories? The illustrations in this charming board book...
Gibbs Smith Book Christmas Carol: A BabyLit Color...
$10.00This series celebrates the tradition of literary naturalists—writers who embrace the natural world as the setting for some of our most euphoric and serious experiences. These books map the intimate...
Gibbs Smith Book Vamonos a Bogota
$10.00Teach your little reader about the magical capital of Columbia through illustrations and words that will teach them about the world in English and Spanish. Introduce your little readers to...
Gibbs Smith Book Vamonos a Lima
$10.00Teach your baby about Lima in the country of Peru, one of the largest cities in South America, through illustrations and words that will teach them about the world in...
Gibbs Smith Book Vamonos a Antigua
$10.00Teach your baby about a small city surrounded by big forested hills and volcanoes through illustrations and words that will teach them about the world in English and Spanish. Introduce...
Gibbs Smith Book Vamonos a Panama City
$10.00Teach your little reader about the captivating capital of Panama through illustrations and words that will teach them about the world in English and Spanish. Introduce your little readers to...
Gibbs Smith Book Where is?/Dónde Está? El Chavo
$10.00Inspired by the internationally acclaimed sitcom "El Chavo Del Ocho," this book will introduce little ones to their first English and Spanish words as they explore La Vecindad in search of 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.