Play Time
Rubbabu Bouncy Ball Toy Golf Blue
$6.00 – $10.00A 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...
Innobaby Teethin' Smart Birthstone Ring December
Celebrate your baby’s birthday with Innobaby’s Birthstone Ring Teethers! Teething can be such a pain, and when a baby is in pain, so are you. Made with 100% silicone, this...
Itzy Ritzy Silicone Teething Mitts Whale
$9.99Itzy Ritzy Teething Mitts are safe on baby’s gums, and the glove design keeps the baby from getting scratches on his or her face. It's also ideal for babies who can’t...
Candylab Candylab Blue Racer #8 Toy Car
$10.00Part of the Candylab new Candycar line, a cute 3 inches long. One of two of our racers, who said speed comes with size? Materials: Solid Beech Wood, water-based paint, and...
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 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. ...
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...
Zoli Chubby Gummy Teethers Mist Blue and A...
$14.00The 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...
Malarkey Malarkey Chew Cube
$14.00The Malarkey Chew Cube is the mom-created modern rattle and teether. It provides four-way sensory stimulation, including soft, textured teething edges for tender gums; large flexible holes to help baby...
Cucu Silicone Teether Succulent
$14.95This cute baby silicone teether is the right size for little hands, featuring a soft and textured surface that will help soothe your little one's gums. A toy that will keep your little...
Cucu Silicone Teether Turtle
$14.95This cute baby silicone teether is the right size for little hands, featuring a soft and textured surface that will help soothe your little one's gums. A toy that will keep your little...
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. ...
Angel Dear Angel Dear Security Blankie Blanket B...
$16.00A perfect little security blankie and tagalong for your child. The delicious cashmere-like material is perfect for babies and toddlers to snuggle. Each blankie features a sweet animal head that’s...
Rubbabu Mascot Toy Car
$16.00The Rubbabu Mascot Car is an easy-to-hold, easy-to-roll car. With a cute rounded design, in bright colors, this 5" high car is available in many colors and is popular in toy,...
Maileg Maileg Wooden Car Toy Light Blue
$16.00The design of this little wooden car is simple and clean. The car is in solid wood and has a pull back function Product Details: 1 wooden car Washing...
Maileg Maileg Micro Wooden Wagon Toy
$16.00A small wagon is always needed - either to carry your best friend or the groceries. This little wagon is made of wood and painted in a soft rose color....
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...
Angel Dear Angel Dear Security Blankie Blanket B...
$16.00A perfect little security blankie and tagalong for your child. The delicious cashmere-like material is perfect for babies and toddlers to snuggle. Each blankie features a sweet animal head that’s...
Sophie La Giraffe Bath Sophie Blue
$16.99The 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...
Bibs Bibs Loops Linking Toy 12 Pieces
$16.99The 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...
Jellycat Jellycat Fishiful
$17.50This 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...
Matchstick Monkey Teething Toy Blue
$18.00Ideal 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. ...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Blue Whale wi...
$18.00Holztiger’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...
Matchstick Monkey Teething Toy Light Blue
$18.00Ideal 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. ...
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.