Play Time
Loulou Lollipop Toy Links Bunny
$12.00Silicone Bunny Links – Versatile, Fun & Baby-Friendly Keep toys close and baby entertained with these multi-functional silicone bunny links—perfect for attaching teethers and toys to a stroller, play gym,...
Calico Critters Toy Poodle Family
$35.00Father Frank is sporty and stylish—he teaches soccer to all the village children on weekends and has a tie collection to match every outfit. Mother Veronica is a talented baker...
Indigo Jamm Tractor Tim
$80.00A classically styled blue farm tractor and detachable trailer with 5 wooden farm animals. Peg person, farmer Tim, is removable and the animals can all ride in his trailer. This...
Moover Traditional Dolls Stroller Toy
$176.00Simple and stylish, the traditional Danish-designed Dolls Pram (or Stroller is more commonly known in North America) is sturdy and dependable to keep your baby moving after taking their first...
Le Toy Van Trailer Truck Set
$40.00Hit the road with this Wooden Truck Set, crafted from FSC-certified sustainable wood for endless imaginative play. Featuring three eco-friendly electric trucks—a cola drinks truck, fresh food truck, and organic...
NL Find Train Track Toy Set
$24.00Description Construction or train themed wooden set comes in acetate tube. Ages 3+. Dimension: pieces approx 2 1/2" x 3" Material: PINE WOOD
Brio Travel Switching Set
$180.00Jump on board the blue line’s battery-powered train and ride the rails over the bridge and onwards to the modern Brio's Travel Switching Station. Take the lift between platforms by...
Manhattan Toy Travel Toy Farmer's Market Peas in a Pod
$16.00Zip open this soft velvety pod and there are three little peas tethered inside - one with crinkle paper, one that rattles, and one that squeaks - each with sweet...
Tonies Traveling Songs Audio Play Figurine
$19.99Hit the road (and the skies) with a collection of songs that will have you singing and dancing here, there and everywhere. An exciting compilation of original and popular...
Guidecraft Treasure Tubes Clear
$66.00What makes a fun noise when you shake it? Find trinkets, natural materials, and sensory objects to collect in the beautiful, stackable Treasure Tubes. The round, transparent acrylic tubes with...
Moulin Roty Tree House The Big Family
$162.00The Big Family also proposes a playful tree house in the backyard of the family home. It is the perfect place for multiple adventures! From the rope ladder or crossing...
Manhattan Toy Tree Top Adventures Activity
$168.00This wood activity center is packed full of exciting features! Includes 4 quadrants in the shape of a tree with a variety of activities for baby: 6 tracks with animal-themed...
Tender Leaf Toys Treetops Train Set
$46.00Take the train with its 2 carriages on a mountain trail to see a bear, moose, and fox. Balance the animals on 2 grassy parts, the fir tree or the...
Plantoys Triangle Clutching Toy
$30.00This Triangle Clutching Toy comes with a two-tone ball that is detachable and can also be played as a rattle. This enhances fine motor skills while child grasps and rattles....
Plantoys Triangle Matching Puzzle
$22.00Learn about basic shapes: Triangle. This knob puzzle helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while tracing each shape and then placing it back in its place Can...
Maileg Tricycle Mouse Big Sister Red
$30.00Big sister mouse is ready for a day in school, carrying her backpack on the back. She has magnets in her hands so she can hold the handles of the...
Trido Trido Magnetic Art Laguna
$90.00 – $150.00The Trido Magnetic Art Laguna allows your child to create their own shapes. Thanks to an ingenious array of magnets, the polyhedrons are able to be connected with each other by...
Trido Trido Magnetic Art Sky
$150.00The Trido Magnetic Art Sky allows your child to create their own shapes. Thanks to an ingenious array of magnets, the polyhedrons are able to be connected with each other by any...
Calico Critters Triple Bunk Beds
$14.00This adorable furniture set features three baby-sized bunk beds, complete with ladders, a slide, and cozy matching pillows and duvets in soft pastel colors. The beds can be arranged in...
Maileg Trolley Multi Dots
$80.00A trolley is necessary for carrying all your soft friends and toys around. The trolley is covered with a ramie/cotton fabric that has a soft coating which will help to...
Janod Tropik Pull Along Tropical Train
$34.00The train for the tropics is entering the station! A 2-in-1 early learning toy, this pull-along toy is also a construction set: the 3 carriages are removable and 11 pieces...
Vilac Truck and trailer with vehicles stack...
$50.00Pretty wooden vehicles to stack on the carrier truck. For 2 years+ Approx. 15 x 2 x 5 inches
Maileg Truffle The Pig
$22.00 – $34.00Oink! Make room for the cutest pig of all time! Truffles is an adorably ‚ pudgy pig who can sit straight up because of the beans in its bottom. Truffles...
Kiko+ & gg* Tsumiki Building Blocks House
$110.00Tsumiki means "building block" in Japanese. This doll-house-shaped wooden block set has beautifully soft colors. A magnetic cover conceals a magical world of shapes just waiting to be piled up,...
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.