Play Time
Mudpuppy Magnetic Puzzle Mighty Dinosaurs
$12.99Mighty Dinosaurs Magnetic Puzzles provides children with a fun and easy way to puzzle on the go! The portable tri-fold portfolio package includes 2 puzzles, each with 20 magnetic puzzle...
Eco-Kids Hopscotch Chalk
$13.00Easy to wash from sidewalks and driveways, our eggstraordinary, simply superlative, top-notch hopscotch chalk encourages outdoor exercise and loads of laughter! Chalk is half egg-shaped to accommodate children's hands and...
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...
Abrams Appleseed Book Love is a Truck
$13.99Graphically appealing two-color illustrations pair perfectly with a spare, rhythmic ode to beloved trucks of all kinds - from fire trucks to dump trucks to ice cream trucks, the sweetest...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Lioness
$14.00Holztiger’s Lioness 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 Penguin
$14.00Holztiger’s penguin 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 x 2.3...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Fox Running
$14.00Holztiger’s Running Fox 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: 5.7...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Farm Dog
$14.00Holztiger’s farm dog 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...
Hape Mighty Echo Microphone Toy
$14.00Do you dream of being a famous singer? With the high-quality, battery-free Mighty Echo Microphone, everyone can sing like a pop-star! Age:12+ Months
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Pig
$14.00Holztiger’s Pig 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: 2.6 x...
Tender Leaf Toys Wooden Eggs
$14.006 cute little solid wood eggs in an authentic egg carton. Age range: 3 Years And Older Product size: 6.10 x 4.53 x 3.35” Weight: 0.35 lbs
Maileg Maileg Broom Set Toy
$14.00With this Miniature broom set, you are ready to clean up. The dustpan comes in a beautiful warm silver color together with the wooden broom. Fits best with micro...
Erzi Wooden Happy Birthday Muffins Toy
$14.00Three different muffins realistically lit with candles and flames. A smart idea for use as a toy or birthday table decoration. Age: 3 years+ 9 wooden pieces Made in Germany...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Dimetrodon
$14.00Holztiger’s Dimetrodon 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 x 2.3 x...
Maileg Maileg Wellness Set Toy
$14.00Your Maileg friends also deserve some relaxation and pamper time. This wellness set comes with a towel, a bathing hat and a bath mitten. The hat and glove fits the Maileg...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Standing Foal...
$14.00Holztiger’s Foal Standing Light Brown 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 Made...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Standing Foal...
$14.00Holztiger’s Foal Standing Dappled 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 Made in Europe...
Maileg Maileg MY Rabbit Rose
$14.00The smallest member of our rabbit family. This rabbit fits all accessories and furniture in MY size. Age: All ages Material: Cotton/Linen Size: H4 inches
Maileg Maileg MY Rabbit Green
$14.00The smallest member of our rabbit family. This rabbit fits all accessories and furniture in MY size. Age: All ages Material: Cotton/Linen Size: H4 inches
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Parasaurolophus
$14.00Holztiger’s Parasaurolophus 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: 4.7 x 0.9 x...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Ostrich
$14.00Holztiger’s Ostrich is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Suitable for children 3 Years+ Made of hardwood Colored with water-based...
Moulin Roty Moulin Roty Coloring and Sticker Book...
$14.00"Oui, oui, Mademoiselle!" Join the elegant and fashion-forward Les Parisiennes for an afternoon stroll! Madame Constance and her companions enjoy a day trip to the magical streets of Paris, joined...
Maileg Maileg Mouse Bench
$14.00Maileg Mouse Bench is perfect for your mice to relax and even have some fun! With its cozy cushioning, there are plenty of delightful times to be had with this...
Omy Design Omy Design Crazy Paint Dino
$14.00Discover the dinosaur universe with the ready-to-paint mini poster! Dip the included paintbrush in water and watch the magic happen, paint colors will mix and spread across the amazing scenery!...
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.