Play Time
Tegu Pocket Pouch Prism Magnetic Wooden Bl...
$30.00Tegu’s Pocket Pouch Prism is the perfect travel toy for your little builder to create any structure by magnetically connecting the colorful blocks, the ideal set for imaginative play! Dimensions:...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's 3 in 1 Boat Toy Mon...
$32.00Grimm’s Monochrome 3 in a Boat is the perfect versatile toy for your little one! Authentic Grimm's 3-in-1 Boat Toy Monochrome Details: Perfect in combination with Grimm’s Rolling Boats...
Baghera Baghera Ride On Toy Car Speedster Pla...
$210.00The Baghera Speedster Plane in Silver is perfect for the future pilot in your life. This ride-on toy is built to last for your little aviator with a sturdy metal...
Sophie La Giraffe So'Pure Bath Toy
$24.00A fun Sophie La Girafe takes on the traditional rubber duck! Fun bath toy made with the same all-natural rubber as the original Sophie teether. Made with 100% natural rubber from...
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...
Baghera Baghera Ride On Twister Toy Black
$150.00A Multi-directional ride-on toy, fun and easy to use. Compact, robust, and quiet, this ride-on is constructed from durable and heavy plastic. The black twister ride-on is perfect for your...
Baghera Baghera Ride On Toy Rider Car Red
$230.00The Riders, the new XL ride-on from Baghera!With its 90cm length and large wheels, this supercar is for seasoned pilots only! Strong, silent, and very maneuverable, this large Red ride-on...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Pebbles Blocks River
$23.00These pebble blocks are perfect for balance and stacking challenges, decorating scenic play, making a stony puppet show landscape, and building cairns. This four-piece set is painted in gorgeous graduated...
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 Pebbles Blocks Fire
$23.00These pebble blocks are perfect for balance and stacking challenges, decorating scenic play, making a stony puppet show landscape, and building cairns. This four-piece set is painted in gorgeous graduated...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's First Thread Game
$59.00First threading game with discs and with a wooden needle for small hands. Your child can sew together six colorful circles and make pretty patterns and pieces of art on the...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Rainbow Stacking To...
$40.00This tall and colorful stacking toy features 10 brightly colored rings on a blue base with a natural wooden dowel at its center. A classic wooden toy that grows with the child,...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Seven Wooden Friend...
$58.00These 7 little rainbow friends in 7 matching bowls are a wonderful Waldorf toy for any kiddo! These friends have simple forms to allow little ones' creative spark. Play with...
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...
Baghera Baghera Ride On Toy Car Speedster Pink
$190.00Let your child experience driving something special, with this great ride-on speedster! It is built to last with a padded seat, sturdy metal body, and rubber tires. Some simple self-assembly...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Rainbow Bowls Sorti...
$100.00This open-ended game is a fun challenge for young children! The Rainbow Bowls Sorting Game comes with six colored bowls, each of which has three matching wooden pieces in the shape of...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Rainbow Friends Toy
$48.00This set of Rainbow Wooden Peg Dolls includes 12 peg people in a variety of rainbow hues. Authentic Grimm's Rainbow Friends Toy Details: Includes: 12 peg dolls Size: Figures - 2.5...
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:...
Baghera Baghera Rider On Toy Car Black
$230.00The Riders, the new XL ride-on from Baghera!With its 90cm length and large wheels, this supercar is for seasoned pilots only! Strong, silent, and very maneuverable, this large Red ride-on...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Little Land Yachts ...
$100.00Your child is the captain of these vessels, as they sail the Seven Seas -- rolling along on any smooth surface! Included on board each is a captain of the...
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.