Play Time
Grapat Nins Rings and Coins Sorting Game
$58.00This game allows for the development of logical-mathematical thinking by classifying, grouping, and matching elements through colors and/or shapes. These actions improve hand-eye coordination and motor skills. The rings become...
Grapat Nins Season Figure Set Autumn
$48.00A seasonal Nins peg people playset, to reflect the passing of the year! Nature is a colorful album of images that gives us a changing scene from month to month....
Grapat Nins Season Figure Set Spring
$48.00A seasonal Nins peg people playset, to reflect the passing of the year! Nature is a colorful album of images that gives us a changing scene from month to month....
Grapat Nins Season Figure Set Summer
$48.00A seasonal Nins peg people playset, to reflect the passing of the year! Nature is a colorful album of images that gives us a changing scene from month to month....
Grapat Nins Season Figure Set Winter
$48.00A seasonal Nins peg people playset, to reflect the passing of the year! Nature is a colorful album of images that gives us a changing scene from month to month....
Tender Leaf Toys Noah's Wooden Ark
$100.00The ark has a wide opening door on one side as well as a top hatch that lifts to reveal a double-deck interior. One end slides out to allow easy...
Kiko+ & gg* Oekaki House Magic Drawing Board Car
$72.00Oekaki means "drawing board" in Japanese. This beautiful magic board allows you to draw with the magnetic pen, erase and draw again endless times onto a 4 colored background. Use...
Kiko+ & gg* Ofune Hinoki Wind-Up Boat
$30.00"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...
Olli Ella Olli Ella Holdie Doll House
$110.00The original Olli Ella Holdie House is a lightweight toy house, perfect for toting about. Light enough to be carried by a toddler and stylish enough to be loved by...
Tegu Original Pocket Pouch Magnetic Wooden...
$30.00Tegu’s Pocket Pouch Prism is the perfect travel toy for your little builder to create any structure by magnetically connecting the colorful blocks, the ideal set for imaginative play! Dimensions:...
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...
Janod P'tite Little Miss Vanity Case Toy
$36.00This toy has everything needed for your little girl to become the prettiest Little Miss! Includes 9 wooden accessories: a large mirror, a makeup palette with brush and built-in mirror,...
Brio Parking Garage
$96.00Parking Garage is the perfect addition to any BRIO World, connecting the railway and roadways together in a single destination. Each of the three levels of the Parking Garage...
le toy van Petilou Wooden Sensory Shapes
$40.00A wooden sensory toy for lots of fun activities to stimulate young minds. The set encourages color and shapes recognition to sort into the matching tray. Plus each of the 9 blocks...
Le Toy Van Petit Four Wooden Cupcakes
$18.00A set of four, hand painted and individually decorated wooden cupcakes with a finishing touch of gold paint. Presented in a sweet window gift box. Age: 2 years+ Made from...
PlanToys PlanToys 50 Unit Blocks Set
$75.00A great way to stimulate children’s interest and desire in building things. Consists of 12 shapes. Age: 3 years+ The PlanToys 50 Unit Blocks come with 50 pieces in 12...
PlanToys PlanToys Kaleidoscope
$26.00View the world through an artistic lens with the wooden PlanToys Kaleidoscope! Little ones can put their favorite objects inside and experience a swirling explosion of brilliant colors. They can also...
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 Animal Set
$26.00Get in touch with nature and travel through a forest to see some amazing animals! The PlanToys Animal Set consists of an owl, a squirrel, a beaver, a deer, a...
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....
PlanToys PlanToys Assorted Fruits and Vegetables
$36.00PlanToys Assorted Fruits & Vegetables Set is the perfect toy for your growing little chef! Let them explore the world of cooking with 5 colorful fruits and veggies! PlanToys Assorted...
PlanToys PlanToys Assorted Vegetables Set
$30.00The set includes a cutting board, knife, and 5 sliceable veggies - tomato, mushroom, shallot, bell pepper, and cucumber. Tactile details offer realistic play. Age: 18 months+ Dimension: 7.48x5.31x1.22 inch Weight: 1.147...
PlanToys PlanToys Baby Car
$18.00PlanToys Baby Car is the perfect toy for your child’s small hands to push and play with! This colorful toy car has a flexible body that reacts to your baby’s touch....
PlanToys PlanToys Baby Feeding Set
$36.00It’s feeding time! This PlanToys Doll Feeding Set comes with a bag, which can be hung on a stroller, a food-storage container, spoon, bib, water bottle and feeding bottle. PlanToys...
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.