Play Time
Jellycat Jellycat Wally Whale
$23.50 – $32.50Fresh from the ocean and full of smiles, it's wonderful Wally Whale! He's a beautiful buddy with vibrant teal fur and the softest, most tickly underbelly. This quirky whale holds...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Medium Llama
$25.00Dreamy, dapper and delightful - that's Bashful Llama! This nuzzly-neutral long-necked lovely has a very fine ruff in biscuity fluff. With a punky-soft hairdo, snuffly snoot, squidgy hooves, and waggly...
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 Smudge Monkey
$32.50Snoozy, yawny Smudge Monkey loves to flump on the floor and nod right off. Divinely snuggly and full of love, this little friend is perfect to cuddle any day! Tested against and...
Jellycat Jellycat Perry Polar Bear
$23.50 – $48.50For the coziest cuddles in the whole North Pole, skate on over to Jellycat Perry Polar Bear! Unbelievably snuggly, this cloudy cream cub is as soft as freshly fallen snow....
Jellycat Jellycat Swellegant Kitty Cat
$25.00Swellegant Kitty Cat steps onstage and swishes that long, chunky tail! Oh-so-cool in charcoal grey, this cat wears a wild mane of cream and black fur to go with her...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Fox Cub
$28.00Cheeky little Bashful Fox is a jiffy ginger cub with fluffy white ears, feet, and tail-tip. He loves to play giggly games, but this wily fox is far from tricking...
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...
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...
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 Bailey Sloth
$28.00 – $35.00Bailey Sloth is so chilled out, he falls asleep here, there, and everywhere! This groovy guy has soothing mocha fur, with a cute creamy face and a neat eye mask....
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...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Beads Grasper Natural
$22.00A beautifully natural grasping toy to keep the baby's interest. The beads--held together by an elasticized string--can be safely moved about to provide a tactile experience. Feels so great to children...
Jellycat Jellycat Blossom Bunny Blush
$18.00 – $28.00Jellycat Blossom 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...
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 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....
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,...
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 Medium Penguin
$27.50A fuzzy, cuddly penguin makes a perfect playtime companion and bedtime buddy for your little one. Jellycat Bashful Medium Penguin Details: Hand wash cold, air dry Size 9" H
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...
Maileg Maileg Big Brother Prince Mouse Doll ...
$28.00A real prince mouse in a big brother size. He is dressed in his finest clothes with beautiful details and a golden crown. He fits perfectly into the Maileg castle....
Jellycat Jellycat Snugglet Brodie Monkey
$30.00Brodie Monkey is one funny fellow, with sticky-out ears and hands like feet! A cocoa-cream clambering kerfuffle, Brodie monkey is always in trouble! He's proud of his lovely rumbly long...
Jellycat Jellycat Snow Dragon
$32.50 – $120.00Lounging around like a creamy cloud, it's loveably lazy Snow Dragon! This marshmallow marvel shimmers with magic, from sparkling spines to ears, wings, and tail darts! This sumptuous softy loves...
Dena Silicone Small Rainbow Pastel
$27.00Dena Silicone Small Rainbow is manufactured with platinum silicone, which is BPA free, PVC Free, Latex Free, Phthalate Free, and 100% safe. Platinum silicone is a soft material that feels great...
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.