Not all who wander are lost, especially in this case. Gear up and explore new frontiers with the artful vintage Candylab Wanderer truck. Made from solid beech wood with silicone...
The classic Drifter you know and love, now wilder than ever. Comes equipped with a shovel, dual jerry cans for long trips in the wild, and a spare wheel. The...
Holztiger’s Tournament Black Knight is a great toy for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic paint Made in Europe Suitable...
Indigo Jamm Colin Camper Van is a retro camper van complete with a wooden mom, dad, two children, and a wooden dog. Made from durable rubberwood and plywood with an...
Young 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...
Get ready and prepare for an emergency! Kids will enjoy pretending to be firefighters and creating a story. Age: 3 years+ This set consists of a fire station with 15...
A wooden Tractor is a necessity on the farm. Bright colors and chunky parts make it attractive and easy to handle. Navigating small toys helps children develop fine motor skills. Recommended...
The Miniland Doll Wooden Doctor Set selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and develop social skills...
The Miniland Doll Wooden Feeding Set is a selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and develop social skills from a...
Holztiger’s Ostrich is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Suitable for children 3 Years+ Made of hardwood Colored with water-based...
Holztiger’s Drake 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: 2.2 x...
Holztiger’s Hare with Carrots is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Suitable for children 3 Years+ Made of hardwood Colored with water-based acrylic...
Holztiger’s Parasaurolophus 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: 4.7 x 0.9 x...
Holztiger’s Robin 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 Made in Europe Suitable for...
Holztiger’s Hare with Upright Ears is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play! Suitable for children 3 Years+ Made of hardwood Colored...
Pack your boxes we are moving across the country! This small but mighty wagon is sturdy enough for any road trip. Finished with a bright orange paint job and shinning...
Inspire your child’s musical creativity and explore various sounds while strumming the PlanToys Banjolele. It features 3 adjustable strings and 3 turner pegs. PlanToys Banjolele Details: Age: 3 years+ Strings are...
Carved out of solid beechwood with a real metal roof rack, The Big Sur is our clearest nod yet at the bygone era of big, clumsy, and extremely charming vintage...
The Miniland Doll Wooden Beauty Set is a selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and...
The Miniland Doll Wooden Tea Set is a selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and develop social skills from a...
"Ofune", a wind-up boat made from Japanese hinoki wood. To set "Ofune" to sail, first wind the rotating knob. Then, place in the bath or small pool and watch...
The Wooden Fire Engine is made of child-safe wood and has a jolly driver, moving ladder, spinning wooden hose, and a delightful jingling bell. Perfect for little hands, this toy encourages...
Carved out of solid beechwood with a real metal roof rack, The Big Sur is our clearest nod yet at the bygone era of big, clumsy, and extremely charming vintage...
All aboard for crafting fun. Your little conductors will love to create and build their own trains from multiple wooden pieces. Ages 3.5+ years. Size 14" x 3.25" x 5.25"....
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.