The Lil' Willow Fawn 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...
A curly, burly bear for bedtime. Theodore Bear is irresistibly soft and a cuddling expert! The perfect first teddy for a little boy or girl, this loveable bear is such a...
This adorable and squishy brown bunny has a brown ribbon on his neck that adds cuteness to it. Your little ones will surely fall in love and will make playtime and...
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...
Fuddlewuddle Cat is a cocoa cutie, with scrumple-soft fur in warm mocha brown. With a long, lazy tail, squashy trumpet paws and double-cream ears and muzzle, this ruffly truffle will...
Soft and soothing this doughnut-shaped rattle has a gently jingling tum! Take this poppet along for buggy adventures! Suitable from birth Hand-wash only; do not tumble dry, dry clean or...
Bashful Monkey clutches to this silky soft soother, it's just too irresistible to let go of! The soother is rolled up tight and presented with a ribbon, but once undone...
A home that travels with you wherever you go, the Olli Ella Casa Clutch is the perfect toy house/ basket. With a generous size, sturdy wicker handle, and opening at...
Lil' Snugs is a great cuddle companion. An adorable brown bear wearing a deep red ribbon bow. Perfect lil' guy for anyone who loves teddy bears. Size: Small: H10"...
How to Ride PonyCycle Toy?Kids operated! Easy to steer left and right with the handlebars. Sit on the saddle, step pedals down with feet. The saddle rises and falls to...
Holztiger’s brown bear 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:14.5 x...
So, so soft and ever so pretty, Bashful Raccoon is a brilliant soft toy buddy for bedtime. This cuddly raccoon, with her cloudy-soft fur and fuzzy brown nose, is the...
Made of beautiful silky smooth Bashful fur in a scrummy creamy chocolatey color, this monkey swings through the trees as fast as can be, becoming a number one playmate- understandably!!...
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.