Play Time
Bear Company Belly Blanket Lil Alma Llama
$58.00The Lil Alma Llama Belly Blanket is great for playtime and tummy time providing a soft surface for your baby. Your little one will enjoy playing with the stuffed head and...
Jellycat Jellycat Smudge Rabbit
$35.00 – $75.00Smudge Rabbit is such a sleepy sweetie - always sprawling out, lazing on the bed or rug! Scrumptiously soft in oatmeal fur, this lop-eared laser just captures the heart. An...
alilo alilo Smart Bunny Baby Rattle Blue
$56.00Alilo Smart Bunny is a popular media companion especially designed for children aged 0-4 years. Due to its ease of use, robust material, and versatility, it encourages the kids’ creativity....
alilo alilo Smart Bunny Baby Rattle Pink
$56.00Alilo Smart Bunny is a popular media companion especially designed for children aged 0-4 years. Due to its ease of use, robust material, and versatility, it encourages the kids’ creativity....
Bunnies By The Bay Cubby Bear Plush Toy
$26.00Lots of pacifiers lost? Say no more, this cute silly buddy will be the solution to this problem. Floppy, sloppy, silly and soft, this playful pacifier holding silly buddies, tie...
Jellycat Jellycat Odette Ostrich
$40.00Jellycat Odette Ostrich is the perfect special companion for your little one anywhere, with her silky feathers in a unique dusty pink, and her long fluffy legs, whether it is...
Jellycat Jellycat Bashful Koala
$28.00All the way from sunny Australia, it's Jellycat Bashful Koala! This cuddler from Down Under has the softest grey fur and flopsy limbs for bonza cuddles. A big, squidgy nose in...
Bella Tunno Bella Tunno Happy Links Ombre
$15.00The Bella Tunno Happy Links set includes 5 links for teething playing and organizing. Attach them to the stroller, rocker, play gym, or carrier to bring the fun wherever you go. ...
Maileg Maileg Mini Dining Table Set Toy
$60.00Invite your friend for Sunday supper at the dining table. The set contains a round table and 2 metal chairs. Oval table measures 6.5" x 3.5" Chairs are 5" tall...
Jellycat Jellycat Fleury Petunia Soother
$25.00Jellycat Fleury Petunia Soother would like to invite you to a lazy garden party! Where? Right here on this fuzzy fur lawn! Jellycat Fleury Petunia Soother Details: Suitable from birth. 40 degree Celsius wash only;...
Jellycat Jellycat Fleury Daisy Soother
$25.00Jellycat Fleury Daisy Soother would like to invite you to a lazy garden party! Where? Right here on this fuzzy fur lawn! Jellycat Fleury Daisy Soother Details: Suitable from birth. 40 degree Celsius...
Jellycat Jellycat Blossom Bunny Dusky Blue
$18.00Jellycat Blossom Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Moulin Roty Rattle Comforter Sous Mon Baobab Elep...
$32.00From Under my Baobab Tree collection, this lovely and soft Moulin Roty Elephant Rattle Comforter Doll has long legs and arms for baby to grasp, a mane and whiskers to stroke and a...
Moulin Roty Rattle Comforter Sous Mon Baobab Giraffe
$32.00From Under my Baobab Tree collection, this lovely and soft Moulin Roty Giraffe Rattle Comforter Doll has long legs and arms for baby to grasp, long ears and a tail to...
Moulin Roty Rattle Comforter Sous Mon Baobab Lion
$32.00From Under my Baobab Tree collection, this lovely and soft Moulin Roty Lion Rattle Comforter Doll has long legs and arms for baby to grasp, a mane and whiskers to stroke and a...
Maileg Maileg Teddy Baby
$22.00A baby has arrived at the teddy family. It is made in the same soft linen fabric as the rest of the teddies, it comes dressed in a small suit...
Maileg Maileg My First Teddy
$36.00The perfect gift for any newborn baby. The fabric is very exclusive and gives the small teddy bear a sweet classic vintage look. Ready to be loved for many years....
Jellycat Jellycat Amore Cat
$40.00Jellycat Amore Cat is a great snuggle in cat form. This sleepy silly is perfectly podgy in textured fur. With waggly whiskers, dreamy eyes, a swooshy tail, and teeny paws,...
Sophie La Giraffe Multi-Support Activity Mirror
$46.00Sophie La Girafe Multi-Support Activity Mirror is ideal for entertaining your baby while on the move! Use the 2 rings to easily attach it to multiple supports (pushchair, bed, playpen,...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Doll Mousy Pickle
$55.00Meet the newest and most snuggly collectible Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Mousy Pickle! Mousy Pickle, so cuddly and cute, loves to doze in its soft fluffy suit. Made for snuggles and...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Doll Lamby Pip
$55.00Meet the newest and most snuggly collectible Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Lamby Pip! Lamby Pip, so cuddly and cute, loves to doze in its soft fluffy suit. Made for snuggles and...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Doll Bunny Moppet
$55.00Meet the newest and most snuggly collectible Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Bunny Moppet! Bunny Moppet, so cuddly and cute, loves to doze in its soft fluffy suit. Made for snuggles...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Savannah An...
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Savannah Animals! Come and explore the Holdie™ Savannah, where you will meet its resident wildlife - Lion, Hippo and Giraffe. Handmade from a soft wool blend with...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Safari Animals
$35.00Say hello to the Olli Ella Holdie Safari Animals! Join us on a Safari adventure where we tag along with our friends Zebra, Rhino and Elephant! Handmade from a soft wool blend...
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.