Play Time
Gibbs Smith Book El Chapulin Colorado: Sounds/Son...
$10.00Latin America’s beloved superhero El Chapulin Colorado introduces your baby to the natural sounds around them in both English and Spanish. For many years, children all over Latin America have...
Gibbs Smith Big Friends, Little Book
$10.00Teach the concepts of opposites and friendship in a colorful way. Paula Vásquez’s charming illustrations of best friends, Bird and Alligator, help teach opposite concepts of up and down, little...
Land of Dough Natural Dough Glitter Cup Space Galaxy
$10.00These cups feature multilayered dough colors, fun surprises, and charming patterns that are sure to delight. Let them hold the galaxy in the palm of their little hands. A backdrop...
Land of Dough Natural Dough Glitter Cup Mermaid Lagoon
$10.00On an enchanted island in the sparkling sea, there’s a mystical lagoon where the mermaids swim. Shimmering purple tails sparkle through the aqua water, while pink sand shimmers all around....
Land of Dough Natural Dough Glitter Cup Princess Pink
$10.00Pretty in pink. Shades of blush, rose, and magenta topped with sparkling pixie dust create a fairytale world where any little dreamer can be a princess for a day. Product...
Land of Dough Natural Dough Glitter Cup Unicorn Dream
$10.00These cups feature multilayered dough colors, fun surprises, and charming patterns that are sure to delight. Make unicorn dreams come true! Perfect for imaginative play, mythical magic comes alive in...
Gibbs Smith Book Little Poet William Shakespeare:...
$10.00Introduce clever babies to classic poets with Gibbs Smith’s new Little Poet series. “I do love nothing in the world so well as you.” Little Poet William Shakespeare: I Love You pairs...
Penguin Welcome to Florida Book
$10.99Welcome to Florida! We’re glad you’re here! Introducing a new series of picture books about each US state.Children from Florida and those who’d like to visit Florida one day will...
Laurence King Publishing Stickyscapes Superheroes Sticker Book
$10.99Try out your superpowers with this superhero sticker book! This astonishing double-sided panoramic play scene folds out to a length of four feet and contains a superheroes' cityscape on one...
Laurence King Publishing Stickyscapes at the Museum Sticker Book
$10.99Take a sticky trip to the museum! Stickyscapes at the Museum includes an 8-page sticker booklet, brimming with over 100 stickers; and a huge, double-sided fold-out panoramic scene for you...
Maileg Maileg Miniature Wooden Shelf
$11.00Complete the look of your little bunnies and mice house with this little wooden shelf that can be placed wherever you like in your Maileg Dollhouse. Material: Wood
Maileg Maileg Bath Mat Toy
$11.00This beautiful piece is handmade and it will complete the decoration of your Maileg Miniature Bathroom. Maileg Bath Mat Toy Details: Material: Cotton
Maileg Maileg Mouse High Chair
$11.00This Mouse High Chair fits baby mice. It's a must for any little family with babies, so the baby can be a part of family meals. A classic Maileg accessory...
Maileg Maileg Micro Potty Light Peach
$11.00A classic Maileg accessory. This potty is a must-have for all families with babies. These darling potties fit the micro-size babies. Age: 3 years+ Material: ABS Washing Instruction: Surface Wash Size: H...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Flamingo
$12.00Holztiger’s flamingo is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play. Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions: 7.3 x...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Small Goose
$12.00Holztiger’s small goose is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions: 5.6...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Swan Swimming
$12.00Holztiger’s Swan Swimming is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions: 10.5 x 2.3...
PlanToys PlanToys Tie Up Shoe
$12.00Learn how to tie your shoes! The laces on this wooden shoe can help little ones develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills so they can tie their shoes...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Dalmatian
$12.00Holztiger’s Dalmatian is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions: 11.5 x...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Small Running...
$12.00Holztiger’s Small Running Tiger is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions:...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Seal Head For...
$12.00Holztiger’s seal head forward is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions: 14...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Small Brown Bear
$12.00Holztiger’s small brown bear is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions:...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Calf Black
$12.00Holztiger’s calf black is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Dimensions: 2.36...
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.