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...
Scoot & 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 & 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...
The Scoot & Ride Highwaykick 3 LED provides the ultimate safety, stability, and fun with its two-front and one-wheel design. Its safety pad keeps the scooter upright and steady when...
Holztiger’s blue whale 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: 18...
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 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...
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...
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...
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,...
This squishy sweetie Jellycat Fishiful is full of printed patterns, right down to those big, bold printed eyes. That mouth is perfectly poised for blowing bubbles, which is what this fishy...
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...
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...
Talking of magnificent, Wiley Whale is a real sea celebrity! This aqua dandy has chunky cord fur and the fluffiest grey ombre underbelly! With a frill detail mouth and flappy...
The 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...
These 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. ...
The 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...
A beautifully designed cradle in wood comes with a mattress and a soft sleeping bag. The cradle has rounded feet, so you can easily rock your small soft friends into...
A 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:...
This adorable and soft Bunny Albin has a floral detail on his ears and a light blue ribbon on his neck. Washing instruction: 30 C Material: Linen Height: 8.27 inches...
This cute little bunny comes in a polka dots bag with a blue pouch in front where your little one can bring anywhere they go without leaving Bob Bunny behind or...
To fully equip the laundry room, you need an iron and ironing board. This set makes playing even more real and authentic. It is made of metal and the ironing board is...
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...
A 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...
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.