Alilo Smart Bunny is a popular media companion especially designed for children aged 0-4 years. Due to its ease of use, robust material, and versatility, it encourages the kids’ creativity....
Primo ride on toys combines classic Italian design with the finest craftsmanship to create a timeless ride on the scooter for toddlers and design lovers. PRIMO is the ultimate...
The Scoot & Ride Baby Helmet comes in a beautiful array of colors to perfectly match your child’s Scoot & Ride kickboard! The innovative magnetic lock system keeps the helmet...
Para the Baby Parasaurolophus rubber toy from the My First Dino Collection is beautifully decorated and is perfect for toddlers, both as a toy and as a teether. Age Recommendation: 12+...
Stego the Baby Stegosaurus rubber toy from the My First Dino Collection is beautifully decorated and is perfect for toddlers, both as a toy and as a teether. Age Recommendation:...
The Sophie Bath Toy by Calisson from the Sophie La Girafa is the perfect addition to the tub to make bath time fun! Floats When squeezed, the Sophie bath toy...
Our most appealing Candycar yet, meet B.Nana! This cute Banana colored Candycar will have you craving some Banana Bread, a Banana Split maybe even Banana pudding? Materials: Solid Beech Wood,...
Always ready to "follow that car", and now available for consequence-free wooden fender benders. New York City cabs can't get more durable than this. Materials & Info: Solid Beech wood, water-based...
We’re not too chicken to admit it. Fried Chicken is our favorite. We love it so much we decided to make a Chicken Van, complete with a fun rubber drumstick...
The iconic shape, wood sides, magnetic canoe on top, beefy new tires, everything screams adventure, camping, and good old times. Miniature learning tool on how to adventure properly. Materials: Solid Beech...
Don’t sleep in, or you’ll miss our School Bus! (AKA the COOL Bus.) This big yellow bus is ready, bright and early to pick you up. We know that school looks a little bit different...
Part of the Candylab new Candycar line, a cute 3 inches long. One of two of our racers, who said speed comes with size? Materials: Solid Beech Wood, water-based paint, and...
The most classic of the classics, this is what legends are made of. With real walnut veneer-paneled sides and a magnet embedded in the roof, it comes with a surfboard...
Scoot & Ride HighwayKick 1 is a 2-in-1 kickboard that provides a seat for its littlest riders. When your child is ready, the seat easily folds into the handlebar converting the...
The Scoot & Ride Highwaykick 3 LED provides the ultimate safety, stability, and fun with its two-front and one-wheel design. Its safety pad keeps the scooter upright and steady when...
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...
Jellycat Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears that mean that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute...
Let the little ones play photographer with the little kiko+ wooden camera. Turn the lens for a magical kaleidoscope surprise! Material: beech wood, colour lens (acrylic, removable), two denim straps...
The Scoot & Ride Kids Helmet comes in a beautiful array of colors to perfectly match your child’s Scoot & Ride kickboard! The innovative magnetic lock system keeps the helmet...
A great new twist on an old-time favorite. The classic friction-powered motor car made from wood. Just pull back and vrooooooooom! Off you go! Beech wood, wind-up motor
Everyone needs some time in the shade on a sunny day on the beach. This small yellow-striped beach umbrella is made of fabric and the center is made of wood....
Big Sister Mouse is ready to swim! Matches her 2 piece swimsuit is a visor and a pair of fins. Her cozy cabin is also always ready when it's time to rest. ...
Little Brother Mouse is ready to join Big Brother Mouse to swim! Matches his striped swim shorts is a yellow beach towel and floaters. His cozy cabin is also always ready when...
Maileg Little Fairy Mouse comes in 3 beautiful colors. These darling friends each have a small string behind their wings, so they can fly wherever you take them. Enjoy telling wonderful stories and...
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.