Play Time
Artesanal Dolls Premium Reborn Doll Celia Rose
$138.00These reborn babies are the most beautiful in the collection. Has a soft and articulated body that adopts different positions. They weigh approximately 1700 g. It includes a soft blanket,...
Chronicle Books Presiona Aqui (Press Here Spanish Edi...
$15.99Press Here, the irrepressible New York Times bestseller, is now available in a Spanish language edition. With four starred reviews, a long-running spot as a New York Times bestseller, and...
Chronicle Books Press Here (English Edition) Book
$15.99Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to...
Lucky Boy Sunday Pretty Nulle
$120.00Handmade from 100% baby alpaca wool, this soft, thoughtful pillow is 27.6 inches long. Machine washable (cold water and on the gentle or wool cycle) Height: Approximately 27.6 in 100%...
Oli & Carol Primary Floating Blocks
$35.00The Bauhaus Movement geometric figures are the coolest interactive blocks for littles & not so littles! Easy-to-pile while educating babies into basic shapes and colors that surround them. Kids will...
Janod Princesses Magnetibook
$20.00This magnetic educational game has a princess theme that will transport your child's imagination on the land of the royalties. Composed of 55 magnets and 7 cards. Once the book is...
Mon Ami Pru Floppy Goose
$42.00Pru Floppy Goose Plush Toy. 100% Polyester for enhanced softness and durability Perfect for playing, snuggling for gift-giving Spot clean only and air dry Measures 19 in
Mon Ami Puddles Duck
$38.00No ruffled feathers here. Puddle Duck Plush Toy is ready to take on spring showers. Donning a cheery yellow rainhat and smart green gingham bandanna, Mon Ami's adorable duck stuffed...
Bear Company Pugsly the Pug
$32.00A cute Pug puppy dog plush toy with soft fur, sparkling eyes, and a soft floppy body that can be positioned sitting, standing or laying. Size: 13 inches
Hape Pull and Push Toy Butterflies
$30.00A gentle push or pull keeps these butterflies in motion and your toddler on his toes. Practice concepts such as fast/slow and forward/backward. Product Deatils: Dimensions: L: 7.09, W: 7.09,...
Sophie La Giraffe Puppet Comforter
$22.002 in 1: Comforter and puppet at the same time! This Sophie la Girafe puppet is made with micro velvet material to create a lot of stories and share beautiful moments...
Tikiri Puppy Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Made from organic natural rubber, this delightful dog from our My First Farm Collection is easy for tiny hands to grip. And when shaken, it responds with a gentle sound...
Janod Pure Rain Stick Toy
$22.00A beautiful musical instrument made of wood and transparent plastic filled with colored plastic balls which, by beading, reproduce the sound of rain. Perfect for baby's little hands and can easily...
Janod Pure Tap Tap Wooden Xylophone
$32.00A lovely game of skill in very soft and contemporary colors featuring cute animals that enables your child to develop dexterity while having fun. 2 games in 1: a...
Janod Pure Wooden Banjo
$32.00For young budding musicians! This pretty wooden banjo in soft and modern colors, great for small hands, will awaken your child to music. The tuning keys are bird-shaped and the...
Janod Pure Wooden Train
$34.00A lovely 2-in-1 train with very soft, contemporary colours and super cute animals: a wooden 3-carriage train to help develop your child's imagination and a pull-along toy to promote motor...
Hape Push Toy Butterfly
$30.00A gentle push or pull gets this butterfly’s wings fluttering and your toddler’s feet flying. Encourage la coordination Age: 12+ Months
Manny & Simon Push Toy Grey Elephant
Manny and Simon's eco-friendly wooden Elephant push toy is a contemporary and brightly colored twist on classic kid's heirloom toys. With an easy-grip built-in handle perfect for little hands to grab...
Tonies Puss in Boots and Other Fairy Tales A...
$17.99A clever cat devises a plan to save his own skin by promising to transform his owner into a noble prince. Tracey Ullman narrates this adaption of the classic French...
Hape Pyramid of Play Blocks Toy
$35.00Hape’s Pyramid of Play is the ideal toy to get your little one to start practicing matching shapes and colors! Suitable for children 18m+ Includes five nesting blocks, each with...
Plushies Raccoon Plush Toy 18 Inch
$28.00Snoozle Raccoon is grey with black and white marking Enjoy your new sleepy time pal, happy napping! High quality materials make for a soft, fluffy touch Perfect for nap enthusiasts!...
Brio Railway Starter Set
$70.00The Railway Starter Set is everything you need to create your first train set and enter the BRIO World. The 26-piece railway set features a classic figure 8 track layout...
Brio Railway World Deluxe Set
$500.00The ultimate deluxe BRIO Railway set, everything you could ever want in a wooden train set. Who could resist this greatest-hits collection of our railway world? Here you’ll find all...
Magformers Rainbow 26 Piece Toy Set
$44.99Let your child’s imagination run wild with Magformers Rainbow 26 Piece Set and utilize all the shapes and magnets to bring their dreams to life. 2 Geometric Shapes. Step-by-step idea booklet...
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.