Play Time
Maileg Maileg Mini Dining Table Set Toy
$60.00Invite your friend for Sunday supper at the dining table. The set contains a round table and 2 metal chairs. Oval table measures 6.5" x 3.5" Chairs are 5" tall...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Natural Bridge
$60.00An open-ended and versatile toy, this Wooden Nesting Bridge set can be used as a stacking and nesting toy, or as bridges for toy cars and scenic play. Each set...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Rainbow Bridge
$60.00An open-ended and versatile toy, this Wooden Nesting Bridge set can be used as a stacking and nesting toy, or as bridges for toy cars and scenic play. Each set...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Small Stacking Boxe...
$60.00This Set of Boxes is a versatile toy for children: they can stack and sort the boxes by size and color, build with them, use it as dollhouses or carports,...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Small Stacking Boxe...
$60.00This Set of Boxes is a versatile toy for children: they can stack and sort the boxes by size and color, build with them, use it as dollhouses or carports,...
Sabo Concept Wooden Rainbow Toy Mustard
$58.00This set of 7 gorgeous rainbow stacking elements come nested inside each other. Let the creativity of your child grow as they can building mazes and tunnels for cars, making mountains and...
Sabo Concept Wooden Rainbow Toy Marsala
$58.00This set of 7 gorgeous rainbow stacking elements come nested inside each other. Let the creativity of your child grow as they can building mazes and tunnels for cars, making mountains and...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Dozy Dinkum Doll Mini
$50.00Say hello to Mini! Your baby’s first baby and lifelong friend with the perfect amount of squish for cuddles and play. Like all the Olli Ella Dozy Dinkums, Mini is...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Double Feature Mirror
$50.00One side features a mirror for self discovery, while the other side has high-contrast black & white graphics that help baby with visual & multi-sensory development. This toy has ribbon...
Plushies Asha White Leopard Plush Toy 20 Inch
$48.00This Asha White Leopard is a spotted feline made with amazingly soft fur that is in a resting position. Its understuffed body gives an extra comforting feel in your arms....
Plushies Raven Panther Plush Toy 20 Inch
$48.00This Raven Panther is a jet black feline made with amazingly soft fur that is in a resting position. Its understuffed body gives an extra comforting feel in your arms....
Plushies Luxe Boutique Jira Jaguar Plush Toy 2...
$48.00This Jira Jaguar is a spotted feline made with amazingly soft fur that is in a resting position. Its understuffed body gives an extra comforting feel in your arms. Suitable...
Jellycat Jellycat Odette Ostrich
$40.00Jellycat Odette Ostrich is the perfect special companion for your little one anywhere, with her silky feathers in a unique dusty pink, and her long fluffy legs, whether it is...
Maileg Maileg Dog Plush Toy
$40.00If the dream about a dog is far away, it can come true now with this sweet puppy. It is made in exclusive materials that give the dog a beautiful...
Maileg Maileg Rabbit Doll Size 2 Checkered P...
$38.00The bunny & rabbit collection is made of soft natural linen & cotton fabric - which gives a lovely hand feel and look. This rabbit is dressed in soft blue...
Maileg Maileg Best Friends Doll Kitten
$38.00Best Friend Kitten is the "Purrfect" companion. You can find this friend playing Peek a Boo from inside the beautiful gift box. Kitty will arrive wearing a pomegranate stripe top...
Maileg Maileg Polly Pork Plush Toy Medium
$38.00Oink Oink! Make room for one of the cutest pigs of all time. Polly Pork is very soft and is always ready to cuddle with a friend! Suitable for all...
Maileg Maileg Best Friends Doll Bunny
$38.00Every bunny needs a best friend. This friend will hop out of the beautiful gift box to greet you. They arrive wearing a stripped frosted orange top but you can...
Jellycat Jellycat Theodore Bear
$37.50A curly, burly bear for bedtime. Theodore Bear is irresistibly soft and a cuddling expert! The perfect first teddy for a little boy or girl, this loveable bear is such a...
Maileg Maileg Safari Friends Panda Toy
$36.00 – $80.00This sweet panda is made of cotton and corduroy. It is a dear friend to all the other animals in the popular Maileg Safari friends category. Maileg Safari Friends Panda...
Maileg Maileg Big Brother Beach Mouse in Cab...
$36.00Big Brother Mouse is ready to swim! Matches his cute swim shorts a goggle and a pair of fins. His cozy cabin is also always ready when it's time to...
Jellycat Jellycat Smudge Rabbit
$35.00 – $75.00Smudge Rabbit is such a sleepy sweetie - always sprawling out, lazing on the bed or rug! Scrumptiously soft in oatmeal fur, this lop-eared laser just captures the heart. An...
Jellycat Jellycat Rolbie Sheep Cream
$35.00Jellycat Rolbie Sheep is gorgeously round, with a fluffy cream fleece and gentle beigey face. Friendly and fluffy, this sheep may be tubby but can leap over any stile or...
Jellycat Jellycat Cyril Sloth
$35.00We can’t get over how gorgeous Cyril Sloth is. No wonder this little guy moves so slowly - everyone should see his scrummy tawny fur and snuggle that feathery softness....
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.