Play Time
Plushies Slushy Plush Toy 28 Inch
$98.00The majestic Slushy Polar Bear lives in the arctic, sporting heavy fur and even being an excellent swimmer! Made in a simple yet elegant way with quality, care, and a...
18-G Paint Plush Toy 27 Inch
$98.00A beautiful chocolate brown stuffed horse is available in a super size now. High quality materials make for a soft, fluffy touch Super Flopsies lay in a resting position for...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Paste...
$96.00Grimm’s 12 Piece Rainbow Pastel 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...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Natur...
$96.00Grimm’s 12 Piece Rainbow Natural 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...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Monoc...
$96.00Grimm’s 12 Piece Rainbow Monochrome 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...
Brio Parking Garage
$96.00Parking Garage is the perfect addition to any BRIO World, connecting the railway and roadways together in a single destination. Each of the three levels of the Parking Garage...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Toy
$96.00Grimm’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...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Stacking Boxe...
$90.00These unique variations and markings are proof of quality, not defects. Enjoy the markings that make your Grimm’s toy unique! Toddlers will love stacking and nesting the six colorful boxes,...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Set o...
$90.00Toddlers will love stacking and nesting the six colorful boxes, which fit perfectly inside one another, all while developing color recognition and hand-eye coordination. As kids grow older, these boxes will...
Maileg Maileg Rabbit Size 5 Doll Sweater and...
$85.00This classic rabbit is made of soft natural linen and cotton fabric that gives a lovely hand feel and look. This Maileg Rabbit Size 5 Doll is dressed in a very beautiful...
Jellycat Jellycat Gilbert The Great Blue Whale
$85.00Curvy and cheery with the biggest balleen grin, it's Jellycat Gilbert the Great Blue Whale! Beautifully blue, with a combed grey belly, half-moon tail, and flappy fins, Gilbert's a jolly...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Color Charts Rally
$85.00Limitless designs! The 29 color chart pairs open up a world of creativity and help children develop a new appreciation for color. The children can test the domino effect, match...
Maileg Maileg Rabbit Size 5 Plush Toy in Pan...
$84.00This rabbit is dressed in a beautiful striped knitted sweater and soft pants made of soft natural linen & cotton fabric - which gives a lovely hand feel and look. Material:...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Natural Wooden Cars
$82.00This Cars work quite well off-road and are suitable for rides in the countryside. Vehicles don’t need a full car wash after that, but can easily be cleaned with a...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Colored Wooden Cars
$82.00This Cars work quite well off-road and are suitable for rides in the countryside. Vehicles don’t need a full car wash after that, but can easily be cleaned with a...
Maileg Maileg Gantosaurus Large
$80.00Look at this funny friend! A Large Gantosaurus with big teeth has arrived and is ready to play with all of us. It is made in a soft mix of...
Bear Company Cuddly Spot Puppy Dog Plush Toy
$80.00A magical gift for little girls, tweens, teens, kids, and of all ages. This soft plush provides comfort and play activity for your little ones. Measures 30 inches
Bear Company Cuddly Dreamer Unicorn Plush Toy
$80.00A magical gift for little girls, tweens, teens, kids, and unicorn lovers of all ages. This soft plush Dreamer provides comfort and play activity for your little ones. Measures 30...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's 60 Colored Geo Blocks
$80.00From easy to challenging, these building block sets are a constant companion throughout childhood! Due to the non-varnished surface, young children are able to stack the blocks easily and the...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Stacking Tower Boat
$79.00Grimm’s Stacking Tower Boat is the perfect stacking toy for your little one! Your toddler can have endless fun stacking the boat to create different forms and lovely colorful structures...
Maileg Maileg Set of 3 Micro Rabbit Doll
$78.00This sweet rabbit in micro size is dressed in a striped suit knitted in a soft linen/cotton blend. It fits all the micro size furniture and will secure many hours...
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Balthazar The Bunny
$78.00Handmade doll made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 18"in Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to dry.
Maileg Maileg Bunny Doll Size 4 Checkered Dress
$75.00This Maileg Bunny Size 4 wears a beautiful dress and underwear. To keep her warm she wears a soft wool cardigan with a beautiful knit pattern. Maileg Bunny Size 4...
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks Tints 24 Piece...
$75.00Tegu’s Magnetic Wooden Blocks 24pc are the perfect toys for your little builder to create any structure by connecting the colorful blocks, the ideal set for imaginative play! Dimensions: 14.2...
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.