Play Time
PlanToys PlanToys Detective Set
$42.00Let your little one be a detective and solve a case! The PlanToys Detective Set is a realistic playset that comes with a detective bag, pair of glasses, camera, periscope, walkie-talkie, newspaper, and...
Tender Leaf Toys My Forest Floor
$100.00An extensive open-ended play tinker tray box for your little one to sort, stack and arrange their woodland treasures. The lid is removable and can be turned around and used...
Tender Leaf Toys Happy Folk Hotel
$56.00Meet the 9 folks who reside at the happy hotel. Made from solid wood, colored with a soft water-based stain, they can represent anyone you know. These little people are...
Tender Leaf Toys Rosewood Cottage Dollhouse
$110.00The cutest woodland cottage you ever did see. With a rose-colored gabled roof, opening front doors and a removable back panel, this little house can be carried to be played...
Tender Leaf Toys Greenhouse and Garden Set
$110.00This set is ideal for encouraging green fingers. A traditional plywood greenhouse with base has an opening door, and 2 removable roof panels. It can be filled with 2 seed...
Tender Leaf Toys Sailaway Boat
$50.00Ahoy there! A traditional solid wood sailing boat evocative of summer time seascapes. Best friends Bubble and Squeak are on top deck, enjoying the views. With 2 fabric sails and...
Tender Leaf Toys Farm
$110.00Made throughout from top quality plywood, this farm has been designed to be open and accessible for little hands. It features a barn with barn doors and a feeding trough,...
Tender Leaf Toys Blue Water
$28.00Perfect for displaying your sea creatures, three blue solid wood waves can be used as part of open-ended play. Including a little sailboat. Age range: 3 Years And Older Product...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Eagle Owl
$12.00Holztiger’s Eagle Owl 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: 2.0 ×...
Hape Healthy Fruit Set Toy
$20.00Get used to eating healthily with this cute fruit set. Includes one realistic play knife, two strawberries, one pear, one orange, one apple, with removable stalks and one slice of...
Candylab Candylab Rio Grande Mule Toy Car
$12.00If you’re looking to go on an adventure through wild and remote areas of New Mexico our Mule Rio Grande will get you exactly where you need to go. Alternatively,...
Candylab Candylab Malibu Beach Tower Toy
$36.00This here is a sweet accessory to any beach-themed playset, or discerning shelf. Pastel-painted plywood and rubber lifesaver included. Age: 3 years+ No sand included! Please note: Some assembly...
PlanToys PlanToys Activity Clock
$42.00This vibrant clock includes activity cards that can be placed on the top of the clock so that children can match the time with their activity. PlanToys Activity Clock Details:...
PlanToys PlanToys Parking Garage Toy
$130.00The Parking Garage has 3 floors of parking space, a working elevator tower, a helipad, 2 cars, and an electric charging station. A perfect toy for pretend play. Age: 3 years+...
Wee Gallery Bamboo Alphabet
$56.00The Bamboo Alphabet set offers a whole new way to explore the alphabet and spelling. 26 sturdy pieces offer a hands-on way for children to learn letters and spelling. Pair with our Alphabet Cards, or household...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Standing Foal...
$14.00Holztiger’s Foal Standing Dappled 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...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Cow Grazing B...
$18.00Holztiger’s Grazing Cow 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...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Father Zebra
$20.00Holztiger’s Father Zebra 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...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Spinosaurus
$16.00Holztiger’s Spinosaurus 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...
Tegu Original Pocket Pouch Magnetic Wooden...
$32.00The Pocket Pouch is the perfect introduction to the world of Tegu magnetic wooden blocks. It's just the right sized toy for the purse, restaurant, airplane, or desk. Age: 12...
PlanToys PlanToys Assorted Fruit Set
$32.00PlanToys Assorted Fruit Set is the perfect toy for your aspiring little chef! The set includes a cutting board, knife, and 5 sliceable fruits - orange, lemon, kiwi, strawberry, and apple....
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Standing Foal...
$14.00Holztiger’s Foal Standing Light Brown 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...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Sitting Hare
$12.00Holztiger’s Hare Sitting 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: 1.7 ×...
Holztiger Holztiger Wooden Animal Duck
$12.00Holztiger’s Duck 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: 2.3 ×...
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.