Play Time
Jellycat Jellycat Huddles Duck
$45.00It's bathtime for Huddles Duck – this little flapper can't wait to splash down but loves to be cared for and held. Lower that baby in, gently now! With scruffled...
Cuddle + Kind Cuddle + Kind Hand Knit Doll Claire t...
$72.00 – $92.00I live in a beautiful treehouse perched high in the sky. Won’t you come to visit me? We can go on adventures in the magical treetops, take long, delicious naps,...
Wee Gallery Wee Galley Art Cards For Baby Jungle ...
$16.00Babies 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...
Maileg Maileg Set of 3 Micro Rabbit Doll
$78.00This sweet rabbit in micro size is dressed in a striped suit knitted in a soft linen/cotton blend. It fits all the micro size furniture and will secure many hours...
Maileg Maileg Set of 3 Micro Bunny Doll
$78.00This sweet bunny in micro size is dressed in a striped suit knitted in a soft linen/cotton blend. It fits all the micro size furniture and will secure many hours...
Sabo Concept Wooden Castle Building Blocks Light Pink
$125.00Let your child's imagination run wild with this beautiful Castle Building Blocks Set that features all the shapes needed to build their own castle, city, race track, or whatever their creative minds...
Sabo Concept Wooden Rainbow Toy Mustard
$58.00This set of 7 gorgeous rainbow stacking elements come nested inside each other. Let the creativity of your child grow as they can building mazes and tunnels for cars, making mountains and...
Sabo Concept Wooden Rainbow Toy Marsala
$58.00This set of 7 gorgeous rainbow stacking elements come nested inside each other. Let the creativity of your child grow as they can building mazes and tunnels for cars, making mountains and...
Maileg Maileg Bunny Size 4 Plush Toy Night Suit
$68.00This lovely bunny will be sure to make any child extremely happy! She gets cozy for the night her red and white striped night suit that is as soft as...
Maileg Maileg Best Friends Doll Kitten
$38.00Best Friend Kitten is the "Purrfect" companion. You can find this friend playing Peek a Boo from inside the beautiful gift box. Kitty will arrive wearing a pomegranate stripe top...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Double Feature Mirror
$50.00One side features a mirror for self discovery, while the other side has high-contrast black & white graphics that help baby with visual & multi-sensory development. This toy has ribbon...
Manhattan Toy Classic Baby Beads Natural
$20.00Manhattan Toys Classic Baby Beads go natural. The wood beads are strung together with an elastic cord and can be manipulated into an endless number of configurations making it a...
Manhattan Toy My Rocket
$20.00Blast off into space with My Rocket! Let your young one become an astronaut and pilot this colorful rocket for many missions to come. Featuring an internal rattle for simple...
Wee Gallery Woodland Alphabet Cards
$20.00Wee Gallery Woodland Alphabet Cards are the perfect gift for newborn baby, toddler, or any age in between. The high-contrast animal and jungle illustrations create a mesmerizing display for babies, while...
Maileg Maileg Rabbit Size 4 Plush Toy Overalls
$68.00The bunny & rabbit collection is made of soft natural linen & cotton fabric - which gives a lovely hand feel and look. This rabbit is ready for summer...
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...
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.