Role-play cooking a delicious meal together with your child with this realistic 2-in-1 Kitchen & Grill Set that includes metal accessories, clicking, turnable knobs, and an adjustable clock. Product size...
Fat Brain Toys 24 Piece Squigz Starter Set is the perfect toy to give to your little one to use in any environment, to stick on everything from walls, to...
The 56pc magnetic building tiles feature 56 unique educational and fun creative design graphics from 28 click-in cards to teach about Alphabet reading or writing, Animals, Fruits, Numbers, Number matching...
Picasso’s 60-Piece Tiles Glow in the Dark is the perfect toy for your little innovative builder! This set is an easy construct, and also features simple storage. Suitable for children...
One of the greatest Christmas classics of all time comes to the Toniebox... and brings a few other favorites. These timeless stories written by world-renowned writers such as Charles Dickens,...
This beautiful toy set is perfect for little hands to hold to feel the warmth of the wood, different sizes and curves, to roll, sort and count. Observe the lovely...
Help your little one learn to write the curves of the lowercase alphabet with the sensory-reinforced Kid O’s a to z Lower Case Magnatab! Included: Magnatab board, & the magnetic...
From letters to colors to animal names to storytelling, BeginAgain Animal Parade A-Z Puzzle game for toddlers is a wooden puzzle with a world of possibilities. Age: 2 years+ Measures...
The Space A to Z Puzzle is an out-of-this-world science adventure. The chunky durable pieces teach the alphabet through space-related objects, from A is for Astronaut Armstrong to Z is...
Let’s learn our letters! With easy-to-follow arrows, playful colors, and multi-sensory engagement, The Original Magnatab makes learning a fun and satisfying experience. Practice over and over with the magnetic stylus...
ABC What Can He Be? presents a wonderful world full of possibilities—from Astronaut to Zoo Veterinarian and everything in between. Whether they're fascinated by construction sites, vehicles, teaching, dancing, music,...
ABC What Can She Be? presents a world of possibilities—from astronaut to zoologist and everything in between—for all little girls with big dreams. ABC What Can She Be? explores 26 different career...
Touch, push, pop, and learn! Squishy, silicone bubbles captivate the fingers in a way that's impossible to put down while simultaneously opening a unique new avenue for learning. On one...
Textures, colors, shapes, and words!On one side, each silicone button is embossed with a different shape and labeled with its matching word in English and in Braille. Flip the whole...
A two tier stand full of delicious treats ready to serve! 4 cup cakes, 1 jam tart and 1 biscuit to serve to your friends with their afternoon tea. Age range:...
Mythical Creatures feature some fantasy-filled friends looking for a companion to frollick around the forest with Agaric the Shroom Fairy is filled with enchantment, featuring a bright red mushroom cap...
Let's fix it! Alex's Work Bench is a sturdy workbench. The base is equipped with a flatbed circular saw, a measuring gauge and a vice. The back wall features...
Paint, write, or draw with chalk. This adjustable-height double-sided wooden easel has a place for everything. Includes 3 paint pots, double-sided easel with blackboard and magnetic whiteboard and paper roll....
This all-in-one dollhouse contains all the basics you need to set up house for your dolls: chairs, tables, benches and other individual pieces that may be used the young interior...
Hape’s Alphabet Abacus is the ideal toy to give to your developing toddler! This toy gives the ABC’S a playful twist to make learning fun! Suitable for children 3 years+...
Amechan: Sweet bubbles. Make magic eco-friendly bubble for a fun summer!! A welcome alternative to plastic bubble wands and a lovely little sweet-shape dish. Includes 3 x handcrafted wooden wands...
A is for Ability, B is for Belief, C is for Class. The best-selling book An ABC of Equality introduces complicated concepts surrounding social justice to the youngest of children. Each...
Wee gallery animal alphabet cards are the perfect gift for newborn baby, toddler, or any age in between. The high-contrast animal illustrations create a mesmerizing display for babies, while the...
The 30-piece Animal Farm Set is ready to bring you back to nature with a peaceful farm setting. The battery-powered Cargo Engine is on the route and ready to collect...
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.