Play Time
Candylab Candylab Citron Macaron Van Toy Car
$20.00Oh la la! Get ready for the cutest addition to the toy collection - the Candylab Macaron Van. This handcrafted beech wood toy is perfect for little pastry chefs in...
Candylab Candylab Cupcake Van Toy Car
$20.00There's never been a SWEETER wooden toy. Please welcome the Candylab Cupcake Van: complete with groovy graphics and an adorable squishy topper. Sprinkle this CANDYCAR® into any playset or collection! ...
Candylab Candylab Pizza Van Toy Car
$20.00Pepperoni, Hawaiian, or just plain cheese – the new Candylab Pizza Van is cooking up the best pies in the CANDYCAR® World. Wood fired from a wooden van, Enzo’s can’t be...
Candylab Candylab Seagull Blue Toy Car
$32.00Candylab Seagull Blue Toy Car: Taking inspiration from the huge superchargers, bold colors and playful graphics that defined 1970s racing, the Seagull 5 is a powerful machine that will give you...
Tender Leaf Toys General Stores Till
$56.00Ring up all your groceries with this fun and colorful wooden till with a scanner. Slide your credit card along the groove, pop one of 5 printed receipts into a...
Tender Leaf Toys Rainbow Birthday Cake
$26.00A wooden rainbow birthday cake topped with 6 brightly colored candles. Each cake slice is held together with velcro. Cut open the cake with the cake slice to reveal the...
Tender Leaf Toys Wicker Shopping Basket
$50.00Go shopping just like mom and dad! A gorgeous handcrafted wicker basket containing a bar of chocolate, a bottle of lemonade, a continental salami, some cheese, a baguette in a...
Le Toy Van Popcorn Machine
$50.00It's showtime! This stunning, toy popcorn machine will bring the cinematic experience right into your home. Full of nostalgia and fun, this award-winning toy is a firm favorite. Le Toy...
Le Toy Van London Bus
$70.00Explore the big city in style with this classic London bus toy.This iconic wooden toy is a multi-award winner and a long-time favorite. With its brightly painted exterior in bold red...
Le Toy Van Pots and Pans
$32.00A smart wooden cookware set for budding young chefs. Cook up a feast with this sweet toy which comprises a casserole pot with a lid, saucepan, frying pan, wooden spoon,...
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 My First Camera Orchard
$15.00Get picture-perfect views of your surroundings with this PlanToys camera. Point, focus, and click the camera and see the different images through the kaleidoscope lens! Age: 18 months+ With a...
PlanToys PlanToys Planworld Car Set
$50.00Take a ride around the city with the New PlanWorld Cars! Designed using a unique combination of solid wood and PlanWood, this play set includes 5 different vehicles: a grey...
PlanToys PlanToys Classic Train
$30.00Choo, choo! The PlanToys Classic Train is the ultimate addition to any rail set or transportation play scenario. Using the magnets, children can connect the trains for a more dynamic...
Janod My Pastry Workshop
$36.00It’s time to make a snack! This baking set will enable your child to become a real little chef! To make great cakes, you need: an egg, some chocolate, some...
PlanToys Car Toy Pastel
$20.00This car has a flexible body that reacts to your baby’s touch. It can help develop their sensory and fine motor skills while also providing classic entertainment. Body reacts to...
Le Toy Van Hollywood Film Camera
$30.00Lights, camera, action! Hollywood is calling for budding young actors or film directors with this dazzling wooden toy film camera. Let little imaginations run wild as they find their inner...
Le Toy Van Ice Creams
$30.00Roll up, roll up! Serve up an icy treat with this sweet set of four, hand painted, ice-cream cones, from our inspired pretend play foods collection. Lovingly crafted from solid...
BeginAgain A To Z Puzzle Dinosaur
$25.00Alphabet and puzzle based problem solving come together to make this chunky wooden dinosaur come to life. Made from durable rubberwood, this 26 piece alphabet toy is one top selling...
Candylab Milk Truck Small
$24.00Udder cuteness! Our CANDYCAR® Milk Truck is delivering fresh fun daily! Dimensions: 5.25" L x 2" W x 3" H Weight: 9.1oz / 258g Packaging: 5.5" L x 2" W...
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.