Play Time
Maileg Maileg Big Sister Princess Mouse Doll...
$28.00The little princess is dressed in her finest dress, shawl, and golden-grown. This royal mouse can be paired with Big Brother Prince Mouse. Maileg Big Sister Princess Mouse Doll Dusty...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Turtle
$18.00 – $28.00Splash! Bashful Turtle is here and flipping gorgeous! This gentle turtle has a soft grey-beigey shell and flopsy, minty, chunky flippers! A perfect companion for trips to the seaside, this...
Jellycat Jellycat Birdling Cardinal
$17.00Adorable little Birdling Cardinal has elegant red fluffy fur and a typical black face. They are aggressive when defending their territory but loves to sing different melodies. Suitable from birth. Hand wash only;...
Maileg Maileg Little Brother Beach Mouse in ...
$34.00Little Brother Mouse is ready to join Big Brother Mouse to swim! Matches his striped swim shorts is a yellow beach towel and floaters. His cozy cabin is also always ready when...
Jellycat Jellycat Fuddlewuddle Medium Dragon
$30.00Jellycat’s Fuddlewuddle Dragon is the perfect cuddly companion for your little one anywhere, whether it is snuggling in bed at night or during a nice stroll in the park. Product...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Unicorn
$25.00 – $67.50Sugar-sweet in pink and white, Bashful Unicorn is such a delight. Full of magic and moonlight, she loves the forest, so be sure to take her on any picnic. So...
Jellycat Jellycat Louie Lion
$32.50 – $120.00Louie Lion is a glamorous fellow, with a silky mane, soft honey fur and a milk-white muzzle. Loveably lazy, this royal rascal has a long tassel tail and soft, squishy...
Jellycat Jellycat Fuddlewuddle Cat Medium
$30.00Fuddlewuddle Cat is a cocoa cutie, with scrumple-soft fur in warm mocha brown. With a long, lazy tail, squashy trumpet paws and double-cream ears and muzzle, this ruffly truffle will...
Jellycat Jellycat Bartholomew Bear
$25.00 – $50.00Tawny-tousled and full of softness, Jellycat Bartholomew Bear is the perfect bedtime buddy. Read him a story, sing him a teddy bear lullaby, or maybe just rest on his fluffy...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Hippo Lilac
$28.00This quirkly cute critter from Jellycat is perfect for an abundance of affection! Super soft to touch and weighed down with beans in it's bottom, it's hard to ever put...
Maileg Maileg Iron and Ironing Board Toy
$22.00The new iron and ironing board are sized just right for the dollhouse and just the right height for our Mini friends, including Size 1 Bunnies and Rabbits. Includes bright...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Puppy Toffee
$18.00 – $28.00Jellycat Bashful Puppy Toffee is a gorgeous retriever, but he’s still learning how to spell that! This supercute, soft little pup wants to be a guide dog when he grows...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Bunny Beau
$25.00Jellycat 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...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Waterwaves St...
$34.00Large Water Waves Stacker is a unique, clever, and versatile Waldorf-inspired stacking and nesting puzzle/toy, hand carved from a single piece of wood. These nesting waves represent the element of...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Bunny Lilac
$28.00Jellycat 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...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Giraffe
$18.00 – $28.00The perfect present for a caring keeper, Jellycat Bashful Giraffe is loving and loyal, if a little shy! His toffee and white fur is as velvety as can be, and...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Grey Elephant
$25.00Bashful Elephant has an amazing sense of smell, thanks to that tremendous trunk! If you’re doing some baking, don’t be surprised if you feel a supersoft nudge and find a...
Jellycat Jellycat Storm Octopus
$16.50 – $53.00Storm Octopus is a bubbly sort, and you would be too, with eight amazing tentacles! Squishy and cheery in terrific teal, this softy is scrummy to curl up with. Shake...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Bunny Petal
$18.00 – $37.50Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Jellycat Jellycat Hudson Husky
$32.50 – $70.00Loyal, loving and a little bit lazy, Hudson Husky is taking a break! Silvery-grey and creamy-white, with a waggy tail and tufty ears, this snowy sweetie has sky-blue eyes. Flopsy...
Jellycat Jellycat Milo Shiba Inu Medium
$32.50Milo Shiba Inu comes from Japan, and says Konnichiwa to all new pals! A perky pup with toffee-cream fur, he's one kawaii banoffee pie! With a waggy tail and perky...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Letters Flash Cards...
$20.00Which sound belongs to which letter? With the endearing animal drawings on our ABC cards, children connect pictures, words, and sounds. These colorful cards invite word-building and fun games, making...
Jellycat Jellycat Luis Llama
$32.50Luis Llama is loveably lazy, and an effortlessly elegant fellow. A sandy lad, this warm, woolly pal has long, silky fur and squashy chocolate hooves. He sits so neatly on...
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.