Play Time
Brio Remote Control Race Car Toy
$70.00Ready, steady, go! The BRIO Remote Control Race Car will give children hours of racing fun with its bright red chassis and classic BRIO looks. The aim is to...
Glueckskaefer All In One Stacking House Red
$67.00This all-in-one dollhouse contains all the basics you need to set up house for your dolls: chairs, tables, benches and other individual pieces that may be used the young interior...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Rattan Mushroom Basket
$60.00Meet the Olli Ella Mushroom Basket - a magical home for forest-dwelling creatures, little animals, fairies, gnomes – and so much more. With a generous size, adjustable handle, and a little door (which opens and shuts), kids can open the Mushroom top and carry teeny treasures with...
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...
Playforever Playforever Midi Bonnie Race Car Toy ...
$55.00From Wedges to Mary Janes; vivid colour blocking to bright two tones, just like the rest of our Midi range, Bonnie’s design is inspired by the bold colour and shape...
Playforever Playforever Midi Buck Race Car Toy Red
$55.00Part of the Midi Collection, Buck's design is inspired by the bold color and shape of 1960s fashion and footwear. Resembling a shoe wedge but being an iconic toy car,...
Maileg Maileg Bunny Size 3 Doll Red Dress
$54.00The bunny & rabbit collection is made of soft natural linen & cotton fabric - which gives a lovely hand feel and look. This bunny wears a red dress -...
Banwood Classic Helmet Matte Red
$49.00These kids' bike helmets are lightweight, stylish, and provide safety through design and tested materials. They are the perfect accomplice to any child’s adventure, designed in carefully selected colors with...
Bajo Wooden Formula 1 Racing Toy Car
$45.00These beautifully painted racing cars will bring any child joy and keep them well entertained. The vibrant paint will keep anyone's attention and the colorful rubber ring around the wheels...
Playforever Playforever Mini Speedy Le Mans Toy C...
$45.00Mini Speedy Le Mans is a toy car in its simplest, most organic form. Taking its smooth, curved shape – a shape that conveys movement and fluidity even when parked...
Bajo Wooden LR Racing Toy Car
$42.00Young motoring fans will love going for a drive with Bajo's LR Racing Car. Made from solid wood, this cool car can easily turn left and right and is ready...
Brio Play and Learn Action Racer Toy
$42.00Action Racer is at the line and ready to go. Press one of the four direction buttons on the car’s dashboard and then buckle up for a chase as...
Le Toy Van Red Wooden Tractor
$40.00Down on the farm discover this shiny red wooden tractor and detachable trailer. Perfectly scaled for popular brands of toy animals and farm characters. (not included) Encourages children to use their...
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...
Playforever Playforever Turbo Race Car Toy Lauper...
$40.00Turbo captures the spirit and magic of the most infectious decade ever. Part of the Verve collection, Playforever's Turbo Lauper is inspired by the F1 cars of the 80's. With unapologetic clashing...
Playforever Playforever Turbo Race Car Toy Laser ...
$40.00Turbo captures the spirit and magic of the most infectious decade ever. Part of the Verve collection, Playforever's Turbo Laser is inspired by the F1 cars of the 80's. With unapologetic clashing...
Playforever Playforever Leadbelly Toy Car Vincent...
$40.00An American muscle car, make it bigger, faster, stronger. Detroit carmakers saw what the hot rodders were doing in the late ’60s and started bringing these ideas to the workingman....
Playforever Playforever Velocita Race Car Toy Red
$39.00Back in the 70s, F1 racing was a dangerous, high-speed game. Cars were fast, drivers were furious and the competition was intense. The Velocita collection by Playforever was inspired by...
Bajo Wooden Toy Airplane
$38.00Little pilots will love making these wooden toy airplanes soar into the sky. A chunky wooden toy that's perfect for little ones to play. Sturdy enough to become a favored...
Maileg Maileg Mouse Abri a Tricycle Toy Red
$36.00These tricycles are made of metal and have wooden seats that are beautifully shaped. The bikes arrive in decorative boxes that can be used as bike sheds. Little mice friends...
Playforever Playforever Loretino Toy Car Red
$36.00We are excited to introduce Loretino Monaco racing car - a cute and playful scaled-down version of its big brother (and the very first car in the Playforever collection), Bruno. In...
Playforever Playforever Verve Malibu Toy Car Red
$35.00On your marks...get set... go! You can almost hear the roar of the engine as Malibu stands poised, ready for the race. Drawing inspiration from the early Maserati Formula 1...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Wooden Large Truck ...
$34.00These rugged vehicles are impressive, simple in design, and easy to load. They work quite well off-road and are suitable for rides in the countryside. Vehicles don’t need a full...
Hansa Creation Realistic Plush Animal Parrot Red Green
$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...
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.