Play Time
Penguin Who's Hiding on the Savanna Book
$9.99There are lots of animals on the savanna. Where are they hiding and what are they doing? In this innovative lift-the-flap book, little ones can pore over the beautiful collaged...
Penguin Who's Hiding on the River Book
$9.99There are lots of creatures by the river. Where are they hiding and what are they doing? In this innovative lift-the-flap book, little ones can pore over the beautiful collaged...
Penguin Who's Hiding in the Rain Forest Book
$9.99There are lots of animals in the rain forest. Where are they hiding and what are they doing? In this innovative lift-the-flap book, little ones can pore over the beautiful...
Penguin Who's Hiding at the Beach Book
$9.99There are lots of creatures at the beach. Where are they hiding and what are they doing? In this innovative lift-the-flap book, little ones can pore over the beautiful collaged...
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...
Wee Gallery Wee Galley Art Cards For Baby Jungle ...
$16.00Babies are fascinated with black-and-white designs. Right from the start, these art cards begin developing a baby’s visual perception. Printed on sturdy board, these cards will stand up to baby’s...
Hape Walk A Long Snail Pull Toy
$34.00Hape’s Walk-A-Long is the perfect toy for your little walking explorer, with a pull-string so that he/she can take a friend for play on-the-go! Suitable for children 12m+ Includes snail...
Hape Walk A Long Pepe The Puppy Pully Toy
$28.00Hape’s Walk-A-Long Puppy is the perfect adorable toy for your little walking explorer, with a pull-string so that he/she can take a friend for play on-the-go! Suitable for children 12m+...
Uncle Goose Uncle Goose ABC Blocks Classic with W...
$59.00This Michigan basswood wagon provides sturdy storage and transportation for 28 ABC blocks. Tote, sort, and store your blocks in this clever little wagon. Includes four full alphabets, colorful numbers,...
Kiko+ & gg* UFO Wooden Balance Game
$48.00Kiko+ & gg* UFO Wooden Balance Game is an intergalactic game for little outer space fans. Can you help the aliens board their wobbly UFO and get back to their galaxy far far...
Halilit Twirly Whirly Rainmaker Toy
$25.00The Twirly Whirly Rainbomaker is a delightful real musical instrument which creates a captivating combination of sound and colour. By turning the Rainbomaker, baby will be able to watch as...
Fat Brain Toys Tugl Cube
$16.00Pull, pop, and discover!Built into each side of this sturdy, rounded cube is a soft silicone bubble with a tab to grab and pull. Fingers can't help but push them,...
Manhattan Toy Tree Top Adventures Activity Center
$137.00This wood activity center is packed full of exciting features! Includes 4 quadrants in the shape of a tree with a variety of activities for baby: 6 tracks with animal-themed...
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...
Hape Toddler Beat Box Musical toy Set
$49.00Everything needed for an afternoon Jam session! this music set of 4 different instruments is perfect for young musicians to explore and discover their talents. Ages 12+ months
Hape Tap Along Tambourine Musical Toy
$16.00Let the good times shake, rattle and roll! Tap your hand on the wooden play surface or rattle in one hand to make a sound like rain with the multi-colored...
Guidecraft Tactile Search and Match
$56.00Curious toddlers flip sensory puzzle pieces over to feel and identify them from their bumpy ridges, smooth surfaces, soft plush and more with Tactile Search and Match. Nine different textures...
Madame Alexander Sweet Smiles Kitty Light Skin Doll
$40.00This adorable 14” baby is just the right size for your child to snuggle! The baby has a soft body, a weighted bottom, and molded head, legs, and arms so...
Bunnies By The Bay Sweet Nibble Bananas The Monkey Plush...
$38.00Bananas the Monkey is as much fun as, well, a barrel of monkeys! This 16-inch monkey stuffed animal is adorable in super soft brown Nibble Fur, and has a friendly...
Janod Sweet Cocoon Xylo Roller 2 in 1 Toy
$54.00Young musicians will love this wooden xylophone! 2 in 1 toy, it is also a pull-out toy they can take everywhere from their first steps. Thanks to a rubber part,...
Janod Sweet Cocoon Stacking Stones
$42.00By using these 20 natural wood stones, your child will discover construction and balance. This wooden toy is part of the Sweet Cocoon collection, a delicate colors range, inspired by...
Janod Sweet Cocoon Shapes and Colors Wooden...
$34.00Your child will learn shapes and colors through 2 levels of play with this adorable wooden dog. The objective is to turn the wheels to align identical shapes or those...
Janod Sweet Cocoon Alphabet Puzzle
$32.00It's time to get to grips with the alphabet! Introducing a toy that will amuse your child whilst prompting them to discover the letters of the alphabet! These include placing 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.