Get your five-a-day in an adorable way with Amuseable Avocado! Scrummily green and soft, our veggie chum has a natty two-tone jacket in speckled fur. We love that squashy, suedey...
I‘m a carrot connoisseur and love munching on them wherever I go. Would you like to share? They’re super delicious! I love hopping as fast as I can and working...
Grimm’s 12 Piece Rainbow Natural is a versatile toy perfect for your growing little one. Toddlers can use the rainbow for stacking and sorting, and as they get older your...
Soft and soothing in gentle sage, the texture treat! This doughnut-shaped rattle has a gently jingling tum! Take this poppet along for buggy adventures! Suitable from birth Made from 100%...
Swellegant Sheep is fabaalous and knows it. With a rich, creamy fleece made of silky-soft fur, long, loping biscuity legs and superlong lashes, this glamour-lamb is looking divine! An elegant...
Rolled up tight and presented with a ribbon round it, Bashful Bunny Soother is the perfect gift for any newborn arrival. When the soother is untied, Bashful Bunny won't let...
Bashful Monkey clutches to this silky soft soother, it's just too irresistible to let go of! The soother is rolled up tight and presented with a ribbon, but once undone...
Dena 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...
These 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,...
A 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...
Soft and soothing in gentle sage, the texture treat! This doughnut-shaped rattle has a gently jingling tum! Take this poppet along for buggy adventures! Suitable from birth Made from 100%...
Toddlers will love stacking and nesting the six colorful boxes, which fit perfectly inside one another, all while developing color recognition and hand-eye coordination. As kids grow older, these boxes will...
Where I come from, the ice and snow are always sparkling. I love building snow forts, slurping marshmallows in hot chocolate, and most of all, helping people. I believe we...
Help little ones recognize shapes and entertain them while they're on the go. In true Wimmer-Ferguson fashion, each shape has simpler black-and-white graphics on one side and more complex color...
Bashful 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...
Brodie 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...
Merry Mouse Present has a cute little red gift box wrapped in gold ribbon. An adorable gift idea for your little kids during the holiday. Suitable from birth. Hand wash...
The colorful Click Clack Ball features handles that click with every twist. Filled with tiny beads inside, this baby ball also rattles when shaken. Perfect for infant stimulation! Ages 0...
The Atom Teether Toy is out of this world! Twelve bendy arms perfect for teething, surround the colorful plastic ball center. Each arm features vibrantly colored plastic clacking rings that...
Jellycat’s Fuddlewuddle Lamb 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...
If children have learned to walk, they like to pull something behind them. The blue Elephant is a great companion! Materials: lime wood, non-toxic water based color stain. Authentic Grimm's...
All dressed up for a blustery walk, Riverside Ramblers Badger is a countryside dandy. Wearing a very smart grey linen jacket and a snug check scarf in autumn greens, this...
Babies 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...
Fluffkin Doll is so happy to meet you! This fuzzy-headed fairy has a cream fluffy body and lives in a cream rosebud that turns into a skirt or simply tuck this pal...
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.