Trice the Baby Triceratops rubber toy from the My First Dino Collection is beautifully decorated and is perfect for toddlers, both as a toy and as a teether. Age Recommendation:...
These swim goggles are unique, fun, and perfect for those days out in the water. Bling2O Swim Goggles Carnivore Brown Details: Adjustable strap Antifog polycarbonate lenses with UV protection Silicone....
Carved out of solid beechwood with a real metal roof rack, The Big Sur is our clearest nod yet at the bygone era of big, clumsy, and extremely charming vintage...
These kids' bike helmets are lightweight, stylish, and provide safety through design and tested materials. They are the perfect accomplice to any child’s adventure, designed in carefully selected colors with...
Your mini me cyclist is in for a ‘wheelie’ good time with the Banwood Classic. Inspired by vintage bicycles for adults and influenced by Scandinavian design, the Banwood Classic features...
The Rubbabu Dump Truck is a colorful, soft and safe truck made from our signature natural rubber foam with a soft velvet-like flocked finish. It has a body that lifts...
Scoot & Ride HighwayKick 1 is a 2-in-1 kickboard that provides a seat for its littlest riders. When your child is ready, the seat easily folds into the handlebar converting the...
Scoot & Ride HighwayKick 1 is a 2-in-1 kickboard that provides a seat for its littlest riders. When your child is ready, the seat easily folds into the handlebar converting the...
The Scoot & Ride Highwaykick 3 LED provides the ultimate safety, stability, and fun with its two-front and one-wheel design. Its safety pad keeps the scooter upright and steady when...
Holztiger’s DrakeSwimming is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions: 2.6 ×...
Holztiger’s green dragon is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions: 19...
Holztiger’s Spinosaurus is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Suitable for children 3 Years+ Made of hardwood Colored with water-based...
Jellycat Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears mean that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Most dinosaurs were scaly and tough, but Bashful Dino is the softest stegosaurus we’ve ever snuggled! He likes to stomp around so his squishy spines wobble, and practice his adorable...
Floppy and mossy, with grassy green fur, Huggady Dino is a gentle giant. We love those kindly oval eyes! With a chunky muzzle, squidgy-soft paws, snuggly spines, and a perky...
The Scoot & Ride Kids Helmet comes in a beautiful array of colors to perfectly match your child’s Scoot & Ride kickboard! The innovative magnetic lock system keeps the helmet...
The Banwood Trike for kids is minimalistic and timeless and fits the youngest family member perfectly. An outdoor adventure with the smallest one on a kid's trike awaits! This Tricycle for Kids is suitable for...
These 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. ...
Can't go for a swim without Dad Beach Mouse! Matching his checkered green shorts is a hat to keep him protected from the sun. His green cabin is also always ready when...
Look 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...
This wardrobe will make sure your Maileg friends have a place to put their clothes and accessories. The back wall inside is covered with a beautiful Maileg fabric. Maileg Large...
Gantosaurus collection will ensure a lot of playful hours. All dinos are made of the softest fabric and come with their own natural-looking Gantosaurus egg. Please note that the elastic...
Gantosaurus collection will ensure a lot of playful hours. All dinos are made of the softest fabric and come with their own natural-looking Gantosaurus egg. Please note that the elastic...
A lovely sleigh with a soft mattress to keep the passengers warm and comfortable during the ride. This sleigh fits the climbing and mini pixies perfectly. It has beautiful handpainted...
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.