Play Time
Hape All in 1 Easel
$90.00Paint, 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....
Le Toy Van Alex's Work Bench
$160.00Let'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...
Tender Leaf Toys Afternoon Tea Stand
$40.00A 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:...
Fat Brain Toys Activity Dimpl Digits
$22.00Touch, 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...
Kid O a to z Lowercase Magnatab Toy
$38.00Help 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...
Moon Picnic A Dozen Bird Eggs in a Box Toy
$56.00This 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...
Fat Brain Toys 24 Piece Squigz Starter Building Set
$30.00Fat 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...
Hape 2 in 1 Kitchen and Grill Toy Set
$46.00Role-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...
Omy Design 12 Piece Neon and Metallic Art Pastels
$22.00Let your creativity express itself with this palette of 12 oil pastels in bright, fluorescent, and metallic colors.This new Beaux-Arts quality graphic tool completes our writing range and promises you drawings in...
Mudpuppy 1000 Piece Puzzle Cool Cats A Z
$16.99Put together this 1000 piece family puzzle to reveal a series of "Cool Cats" that represent letters of the alphabet. This fun and eye-catching puzzle feature art by Carolyn Gavin....
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.