A 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...
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...
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...
Part 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...
The Rubbabu Fire Truck in red and black is a unique toy truck for ages 0+. Soft, simple and safe, it's perfect for long hours of pretend play. A handmade...
The 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+...
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. ...
We’ve got a mini medic here to lend a helping hand! This Red and White Candycar Ambulance is first on the scene. Suitable for 3 years+ Materials: Solid Beech Wood, water-based...
How about a heart-to-heart? Who wouldn't want to give Amuseable Heart a big squeeze? This fluffy, sentimental softy was just made for hugging, with cordy feet like plump little coals...
The 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,...
A 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....
Vacation time. A small boat made in coated fabric for an authentic look. It is not waterproof, so only play on dry ground… only in your imagination, it can float...
Adorable little Birdling Cardinal has elegant red fluffy fur and a typical black face. They are aggressive when defending their territory but loves to sing different melodies. Suitable from birth. Hand wash only;...
Add extra detail to your tricycle with the small hanger. It is easy to put the hanger on and it can store personal belongings or a smaller family member. Age:...
Pretend play housekeeping dustpan and brush are perfect for toddlers ready to help clean the house! Durably made with real bristles and real functionality. Kids can learn early how to...
This adorable soft toadstool rattle is lovingly hand-crocheted using luxuriously soft yarn derived from the pulp of the organically grown and sustainably harvested bamboo trees. Toys are tested for the...
This classic Maileg Wooden Firetruck is crafted with sustainable wood and is hand-painted so the painting style may vary. Perfect for little hands and their imaginary adventures. Pull these fun cars back, and...
A perfect place for your small Maileg friends to take a rest. This comfy chair fits nicely into the Maileg Gingerbread House with its red color tones. It is delivered...
These pebble blocks are perfect for balance and stacking challenges, decorating scenic play, making a stony puppet show landscape, and building cairns. This four-piece set is painted in gorgeous graduated...
Cosmopop Rocket is getting ready to launch, and is making all the final checks! Squidgy metallic boosters, bright red fur, shimmery bands, and a big excited grin - all good...
This small yet fun wooden toy car with blocks is great for any child. The blocks can easily be removed and put back. This little car trucks along, moving swiftly...
Crimson Santa is very busy, packing his sleigh with toys and treats! This merry-berry pal has a silky-soft beard, tied with a sparkly bow! His scarlet hat has a pompom...
A lovely sleigh with a soft mattress to keep the passengers warm and comfortable during the ride. This sleigh fits the climbing and mini pixies perfectly. It has beautiful handpainted...
The Rubbabu Fire Truck in red and black is a unique toy truck for ages 0+. Soft, simple, and safe, it's perfect for long hours of pretend play. Supports 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.