Play Time
Fat Brain Toys Activity Sensory Rollers
$22.00Fat Brain Toys Sensory Rollers are the perfect toys for your little one to fascinate their senses! Hands of all ages reflexively reach, grab, and explore their fascinating, rubbery...
Jellycat Jellycat Amuseable Avocado
$20.00 – $60.00Get 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...
Jellycat Jellycat Smudge Puppy
$35.00Snoozy, yawny Smudge Puppy loves to flump on the floor and nod right off. A super cute pup in warm grey and cream, Smudge has delightful floppy ears, a waggy...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Dino
$18.00 – $28.00Most dinosaurs were scaly and tough, but Bashful Dino is the softest stegosaurus we’ve ever snuggled! He likes to stomp around so his squishy spines wobble, and practice his adorable...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Blush Poodle
$28.00Bashful Poodle comes from fabulous France, and has sugar-pink fur that you can’t help but cuddle. She skips down the avenue, fluffy ears flapping, and snaffles a croissant - what...
Fat Brain Toys Teeting PipSquigz Loops Orange
$14.00Little explorers can’t help but get sucked into the sensory excitement of these bendy, rattly, chewy, suction-cup creations!Their vivid textures instantly inspire little fingers to grab and feel while their...
Jellycat Jellycat Smudge Large Elephant
$75.00Smudge Elephant loves naptime, and keeps falling asleep on the march! Flop this supersoft silly down to sit on those squishable trumpet paws. With warm grey-brown fur, bright black eyes...
Jellycat Jellycat Amuseable Cloud
$29.00Lost in a daydream? Let Amuseable Cloud be your dreamy companion. This cumulus cutie is tufty and tussled in scrumptious cream fur, with cordy grey feet for running across the...
Jellycat Jellycat Book If I were a Puppy Black...
$13.50If you were a dog for a day, would you chase rabbits or roll around in the garden? Would you have long ears or pointy ones? So many questions! Looks...
Matchstick Monkey Teething Toy Grey
$18.00Ideal to develop your baby's motor skills and provide a safe soothing relief for aching gums. Made from BPA free, FDA and CE certified food grade silicone. ...
BlaBla BlaBla Original Bunny Rattle
$29.00Handmade baby rattle made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 7" long Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
Maileg Maileg Rabbit Size 4 Plush Toy Sailor
$68.00All hands on deck! This intricately crafted size 4 Sailor Rabbit doesn't sacrifice his sea legs for style as he demonstrates how important it is to look good out on the...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Rainbow Set o...
$90.00Toddlers 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...
Jellycat Jellycat Book If I were a Lamb
$13.50If I Were a Lamb' is a leaping, springing, joyful ride through the imagination. Little lamb fans can picture being a lamb with this fun and funky board book. They...
Jellycat Jellycat Ring Rattle Lamb
$15.00Soft 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%...
Maileg Maileg Dance in Matchbox Little Broth...
$28.00Maileg Little Brother Dance Mouse is a new friend to the collection. He is dressed in a cute vest and comes in a beautiful matchbox. Maileg Little Brother Dance Mouse Details:...
Jellycat Jellycat Ring Rattle Bunny Beige
$15.00Soft 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%...
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,...
Jellycat Jellycat Fuddlewuddle Lion
$30.00 – $50.00Jellycat’s Fuddlewuddle Lion 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 Fuddlewuddle Medium Puppy
$30.00Jellycat’s Fuddlewuddle Puppy 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 Fuddlewuddle Medium Elephant
$30.00Jellycat’s Fuddlewuddle Elephant 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 Benji Koala
$30.00Crikey, what a cutie! Benji Koala is adorably soft, with silvery fur and a big liquorice nose. This fuzzy Aussie has silky white ear tufts and a tubby tummy from...
Sophie La Giraffe Senso' Ball Toy
$28.00This senso ball A sensorial ball made from 100% natural rubber. Bright colours to stimulate baby 8 small holes to develop baby's curiosity and fine motor skills Multiple textures for...
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.