A cute wooden re-make of the traditional metal & plastic gumball machine. Turn the star and see what comes out next! If it gets stuck just give it a...
A magnificent market stall with shelves and 2 inter-changeable mini platforms so that it can be adapted to any kind of store. A pretty striped canopy can be lowered to...
Ring 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...
This 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...
Haba Bad Rodach Building Blocks allow you to recreate the town with its characteristic skyline. The different turrets, roofs, and staircases allow young builders to vary their constructions. At the...
Calling all master builders! Here is a chance to show what you can do as an architect. Block by block, a magnificent city arises. There are no limits on your...
Add a bit of flavor to your child's next block creation with this beautiful set of Haba Kaleidoscopic Blocks! Made from solid beech wood and sturdy plastic. This is just what...
The Haba Town Maze Magnetic Puzzle Game will keep your kiddo entertained by teaching them colors and shapes. The colorful balls are trying to find their way home to their...
Meet 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...
Play a favorite tune on this sturdy strummer sized for small hands and big voices. Includes playing and tuning tips and 5 songs plus a blank page to write your...
Get 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...
A wooden jet airplane with a pull-back self-wind engine for more fun! Bringing together the warmth of the wood, the modern look of a jet airplane, and bright colors to...
A wooden jet airplane with a pull-back self-wind engine for more fun! Bringing together the warmth of the wood, the modern look of a jet airplane, and bright colors to...
Small but mighty, the mini jet has the same friction functionality as the original version - but in a littler, more portable size. Pull them back and watch them ZOOM!Perfect for little...
Small but mighty, the mini jet has the same friction functionality as the original version - but in a littler, more portable size. Pull them back and watch them ZOOM!Perfect for little...
Small but mighty, the mini jet has the same friction functionality as the original version - but in a littler, more portable size. Pull them back and watch them ZOOM!Perfect for little...
Holztiger’s Allosaurus 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’s Badger 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’s Billy Goat 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: 3.7 ×...
Holztiger’s blue tit 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: 6...
Holztiger’s blue whale 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: 18...
Holztiger’s boar 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: 13.7 x...
Holztiger’s Brontosaurus is a great toy animal for entertaining your little one, perfect for endless hours of imaginative play!_x000D_ Made of hardwood_x000D_ Colored with water-based acrylic paint_x000D_ Dimensions: 7.9 inches...
Holztiger’s brown bear 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:14.5 x...
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.