Play Time
Scoot and Ride Kids Helmet
$60.00The Scoot & Ride Kids Helmet comes in a beautiful array of colors to perfectly match your child’s Scoot & Ride kickboard! The innovative magnetic lock system keeps the helmet...
Tonies Toniebox Starter Set
$99.99Your lovable little storytime friend Meet the Toniebox - a new audio system designed for little listeners. Turn it on, pop a Tonie on top and let the audio...
Maileg Maileg MY Cradle with Sleeping Bag
$38.00A beautifully designed cradle in metal with a soft sleeping bag and mattress inside. The cradle has rounded feet, so you can easily rock your, small soft friends, into sleep....
Maileg Maileg Micro Metal Cot Bed
$32.00A cozy cot bed made of metal, it comes with a mattress, blanket, and pillow. You can tuck in your micro-sized friends as well as the small mice. Age: 3...
N&L Find Bunny Plush Toy Blue with Gray Ears
$33.00 – $106.00Bunny 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....
Playforever Playforever Bruno Race Car Toy Blue
$75.00Bruno is a Playforever original. Born from a childhood fascination with tin cars and inspired by the beauty of classic cigar racers, founder Julian Meagher set out to create a...
Scoot and Ride Highwaykick 1 Convertible Scooter Steel
$130.00Scoot & Ride HighwayKick 1 is a 2-in-1 kickboard that provides a seat for its littlest riders. When your child is ready, the seat easily folds into the handlebar converting the...
Scoot and Ride Highwaykick 1 Convertible Scooter Blu...
$130.00Scoot & Ride HighwayKick 1 is a 2-in-1 kickboard that provides a seat for its littlest riders. When your child is ready, the seat easily folds into the handlebar converting the...
Tender Leaf Toys Blue Water
$28.00Perfect for displaying your sea creatures, three blue solid wood waves can be used as part of open-ended play. Including a little sailboat. Age range: 3 Years And Older Product...
Candylab Candylab Mississippi Mule Toy Car
$12.00Can you say Mule Mississippi 5 times fast? This Royal Blue Mule Mississippi is not only a tongue twister but it is a jaw-dropper. Materials & Info: Solid Beech Wood, water-based...
Maileg Maileg Tooth Fairy Mouse in Matchbox ...
$34.00At night the tooth fairy spreads fairy dust, collects baby teeth, brings treats and always makes sure you have sweet dreams. Dressed magically in a blue starred top, a magic wand,...
Rubbabu Little Plane Rubber Toy
$10.00These 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. ...
Tikiri Baby Brachiosaurus Natural Rubber Toy
$20.00Brachi the Baby Brachiosaurus rubber toy from the My First Dino Collection is beautifully decorated and is perfect for toddlers, both as a toy and as a teether. Age Recommendation: 12+...
Rubbabu Choo Choo Train
$10.00The Rubbabu Choo Choo Train is the smallest sized train and some say the cutest. Made from soft rubber foam with rubber wheels. Size: 3.5" Length Safe for ages: 0+...
Rubbabu Cleanupper the Dump Truck Toy
$29.00The Rubbabu Dump Truck is a colorful, soft and safe truck made from our signature natural rubber foam with a soft velvet-like flocked finish. It has a body that lifts...
Hansa Creation Realistic Plush Animal Hyacinth Blue ...
$78.00Hansa Portraits in Nature is a hand-crafted collection of realistic plush animals. Artists working in a socially responsible and environmentally responsible studio create each Hansa animal from portraits of the...
Hansa Creation Realistic Plush Animal Parrot Blue Ye...
$33.00Hansa Portraits in Nature is a hand-crafted collection of realistic plush animals. Artists working in a socially responsible and environmentally responsible studio create each Hansa animal from portraits of the...
Hansa Creation Realistic Plush Animal Parrot Green Blue
$33.00Hansa Portraits in Nature is a hand-crafted collection of realistic plush animals. Artists working in a socially responsible and environmentally responsible studio create each Hansa animal from portraits of the...
Playforever Playforever Turbo Race Car Toy Miami
$40.00Turbo captures the spirit and magic of the most infectious decade ever. Part of the Verve collection, Playforever's Turbo Miami is inspired by the F1 cars of the 80's. With unapologetic clashing...
Maileg Maileg Blouse and Pants for Teddy Dad
$20.00A beautiful set of clothes that fits the Teddy dad perfectly. This set includes a pair of pants and a soft-knitted sweater. Maileg Blouse and Pants for Teddy Dad Details:...
Lubulona Wooden Bus with Figures Blue
$16.00Ready to get on the bus and go for a ride around town? The Lubu buses offer space for one driver and two passengers and come with three wooden figures. The...
Lubulona Lubu Town Summerville Maxi Stacking Toy
$60.00The Lubu Town Pack Summerville is a great, educational and creative construction toy set for boys and girls. This unique toy with a modern design in red and turquoise allows...
Maileg Maileg Mini Wooden Bed Toy Mint Blue
$40.00A wooden bed that fits bunnies and rabbits in size 1 and 2 perfectly. Beautiful handpainted details on the bed - variation may occur. Soft bed linen, made in unique...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Large Convertible C...
$28.00Grimm's Large Convertible Car and the two Rainbow Friends will become loyal companions of your child and over time inspire many adventures both big and small, going beyond the boundaries of...
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.