The Miniland Sensory Balls are 100% made of natural rubber from hevea trees. Their especially soft natural material makes them very easy to grip and suitable for handling and biting by...
This hanging activity toy features Pakou a colorful toucan that will surely delight and stimulate your little one's senses. Size: 11.5 inches Age: 0+
The Put & Peek Birdhouse offers fill-and-spill play for young toddlers. The set includes four colorful rattle birds all featuring a variety of fabric textures, and an easy-open roof and door perfect for tiny...
On the go play! The Take Along Play Activity Spiral includes a mirror, teethers and crinkle paper. Hanging attachments encourage reaching and grasping to foster fine motor skills. Teaches cause...
This hanging activity toy Zimba is made of bright blue plush and comes with different types of sensory activities to keep your little ones occupied. Size: 6.5 inches Age: 0+...
These vibrant shapes encourage babies to look, touch, and listen. Each easy-to-carry shape has a noisemaker and a medley of research-correct graphics and textures. Mind-shapes have won the hearts of...
This multi-colored rainbow boat grasping toy is perfect for little hands and helps enhance their sensory experiences. Authentic Grimm's Grasping Toy Rainbow Boat Details: Age: 0 months+ Materials: Made from...
The award winning Skwish fascinates babies with its twisted web of rods, strings, and beads. Skwishes and returns to its original shape, with beads that slide and rattle. Skwish natural...
The award-winning Skwish fascinates babies with its twisted web of rods, strings, and beads. Skwishes and returns to its original shape, with beads that slide and rattle. Skwish natural is...
This Classic Skwish goes natural. The award winning Skwish fascinates babies with its twisted web of rods, strings, and beads. Skwishes and returns to its original shape, with beads that...
100% silicone baby car seat toy and stroller toy attachment. The soft and flexible design adds a great distraction for curious babies who like to touch, tug, and chew on...
100% silicone baby car seat toy and stroller toy attachment. The soft and flexible design adds a great distraction for curious babies who like to touch, tug, and chew 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.