The Sophie Bath Toy by Calisson from the Sophie La Girafa is the perfect addition to the tub to make bath time fun! Floats When squeezed, the Sophie bath toy...
Ideal to develop your baby's motor skills and provide a safe soothing relief for aching gums. Made from BPA free, FDA and CE certified food grade silicone. ...
Most dragons are fiery, but Dexter Dragon is flopsy! No scales for this scamp - just snuggle-soft fur in chalky blue and warm maroon red. Gorgeously detailed with soft horns,...
Large Water Waves Stacker is a unique, clever, and versatile Waldorf-inspired stacking and nesting puzzle/toy, hand carved from a single piece of wood. These nesting waves represent the element of...
The Chubby Gummy is the ideal tool to soothe your baby when they are going through their teething phase, while also introducing dental hygiene. Suitable for infants 6m+ Includes two...
Ideal to develop your baby's motor skills and provide a safe soothing relief for aching gums. Made from BPA free, FDA and CE certified food grade silicone. ...
Lots 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 Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears mean that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute...
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...
The luxury stroller that grows with your child. Designed in collaboration with Bentley Motors and with your toddler’s needs in mind, the Posh Baby & Kids Bentley 6-in-1 Stroller / Tricycle is...
JellyCat’s Garden Tails Book enables your little one to play with a variety of soft and safe textures that have a variety of vibrant colors! This cuddly cloth book...
Little Brother Mouse is ready to join Big Brother Mouse to swim! Matches his striped swim shorts is a yellow beach towel and floaters. His cozy cabin is also always ready when...
This giraffe toy is a silicone baby teething rattle and sensory teether toy, easy to hold a rattle just the right size for your baby's little hands. Shaking the rattle bell...
Bunny in Blue with Gray Ears! Looking for a tiny, loving person to cuddle with and can be your child's best friend, or companion in sleep, on a journey, and in playing....
Bobtails, swishy tails, stripey tails, fishy tails - plenty to spot in the pages of Pets' Tails! This funky feely fabric book has colorful pictures, tickly textures, and a cute...
This delightful collection of your favorite animals, made from Natural rubber colored in soft pastel shades, each containing an enclosed rattle, will provide stimulation and comfort for any newborn. Includes: Pink...
The Silicone Happy Stacks are the new must-have Montessori toy. Classic stacking cups just got a massive upgrade. This set of 7 square silicone stackers teaches stacking, nesting, counting, and...
A gentle friend in soothing heather fur, Bashful Dusky Blue Bunny is here to hug. With squashable feet and long, snuggly ears, this sleepy sweetpea is dizzily dreamy. A soft-paw...
My first bunny in Light Blue is perfectly made for small hands. It is made in a soft plush quality and has a silver ribbon around the neck. It is packed...
Natruba Natural Rubber Teether Blue Elephant is particularly suited for your baby's small hands and the different textures will stimulate your baby's senses. Features textured trunk, air-filled head, solid beads, silk-like surface...
The Bibs Loops are meant to be both practical and great fun for your child. They are perfect in the stroller or bed for hanging toys, for playing, and even...
From Under my Baobab Tree collection, Moulin Roty Bergamote the Elephant comes in an ideal medium size cuddle plush toy allowing the baby to grasp its long legs and two...
Jellycat 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...
A sweet bunny who’s worth his weight in gold! Made of beautiful silky smooth Bashful fur. Jellycat Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely...
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.