A soft, velvety ball that bounces well on floors and carpets. Made from foamed natural rubber it's squishy and safe for babies and toddlers. The tactile texture makes it fun...
A great accent to your Maileg friend's houses which matches the vintage vibe of any miniature furniture. Age: 3 yeras+ Material:Polyester / Cotton Size: H 5.98" x W 3.54"
Is your grandma more fabulous than a flock of flamingos?More magical than a million mermaids?More adventurous than a pack of pirates? Celebrate all the things that make Grandma great with...
Is your grandpa more fun than a ton of treehouses?More adventurous than a sea of sailors?Smarter than a school of fish? Celebrate all the things that make Grandpa grand with...
From the superstar creators of My Mom Is Magical! and My Dad Is Amazing! comes this vibrant, humor-filled board book—the perfect way to tell your loved ones you're bananas for them. Do you...
The basket can be used everywhere in the miniature home for storage. The design is fashionable and fits the rest of the Maileg interior articles perfectly. Age: 3 years+ Material:...
This adorable finger puppet brings the much-loved story to life. The puppet is beautifully designed with wooden head and bright fabric bodies and skilfully hand made to bring the favorite...
This adorable finger puppet brings the much loved story to life. The puppet is beautifully designed with wooden head and bright fabric bodies and skilfully hand made to bring the...
Celebrate Hanukkah with the Llama family in this joyful, rhyming picture book Follow along with the Llama family’s Hanukkah traditions as they light their menorah, spin the dreidel, fry latkes,...
Featuring 18 trailblazing black women in American history, Dream Big, Little One is the irresistible board book adaptation of Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History.Among these women, you’ll find heroes, role models,...
This beautifully illustrated board book highlights true stories of black men in history. The exceptional men featured include artist Aaron Douglas, civil rights leader John Lewis, dancer Alvin Ailey, lawman...
Mudpuppy's Andy Warhol Coloring Book features the iconic pop artist's greatest hits ready to be colored in and customized by young artists. Introduce well-known classics like Andy's Campbell's Soup Cans...
Part of the Let's Look at... series of board books from bestselling author and illustrator Marion Deuchars, this book is the perfect introduction to the wonders of nature.From green grass and fluffy...
Part of the Let's Look at... series of board books from bestselling author and illustrator Marion Deuchars, this book is the perfect introduction to the world of opposites.From up and down penguins...
From Jo Witek and Christine Roussey, the team behind In My Heart and the Growing Hearts series comes this soothing bedtime board book, In Your Cozy Bed. Told from the point of view...
Perfectly sized for Hape art easels. Perfect for drawing, painting, and other creative expressions.
Kids on the go learn to identify their favorite modes of transportation on land, sea, and air - from a helicopter to a baby carriage. Made from wood from sustainable...
Peachy and pink, The Dart a sweet little addition to our Candycar line. Everything is just peachy keen with The Dart. Materials: Solid Beech Wood, water-based paint and clear urethane coat. ...
Get berry excited for our little Candycar. This lilac Candycar, is the berry best addition to your Candycar collection. Materials: Solid Beech Wood, water-based paint and clear urethane coat. ABS...
Our most appealing Candycar yet, meet B.Nana! This cute Banana colored Candycar will have you craving some Banana Bread, a Banana Split maybe even Banana pudding? Materials: Solid Beech Wood,...
Five beautifully illustrated spreads show a series of friendly animals hiding behind bright felt flaps. A mirror on the final spread makes for a satisfying ending to the book’s search-and-find...
Five beautifully illustrated spreads show a series of friendly animals hiding behind bright felt flaps. A mirror on the final spread makes for a satisfying ending to the book’s search-and-find...
These Rubbabu Little Planes come in bright appealing colors with soft wheels that will delight little ones. These airplanes are sized for little hands and safe for babies and toddlers. ...
With this babysitter it is easy to bring your little friends to sleep. The base is made of metal and covered by the most lovely dotted fabric. It fits 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.