Play Time
Janod Bodymagnet in 12 Languages
$42.00Learn the human body while having fun. 76 magnets and 1 magnetic board to learn and assemble the different parts of the human body. 4 maps with detailed explanations on...
Gibbs Smith Book A Little Princess
$11.99BabyLit® is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar’s...
The Quarto Group - Hachette Book - The 50 States
$30.00Ghost towns, swamp tours, the center of the universe…bacon donuts, brainy berries, salmon jerky…The French Fry King, The Mother of Oregon, The Queen of Blues…be inspired by the inventiveness, beauty,...
Abrams Book 365 Words for Clever Kids!
$19.99Discover a new word for every day of the year with this fully illustrated compendium of big words Help young readers discover a new and exciting word every day of...
Abrams Book 5 Minute Nature Stories
$14.99Inspired by the hugely bestselling 5-Minute Stories collections, children’s author Gabby Dawnay and illustrator Mona K present 10 read-aloud stories that invite young nature lovers to celebrate the everyday miracles...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Ada Lovelace
$15.99Meet Ada Lovelace, the British mathematician, and daughter of poet Lord Byron. Part of the beloved Little People, BIG DREAMS series, this inspiring and informative little biography follows the colorful...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Albert Einstein
$15.99In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Albert Einstein, the legendary scientist. Little Albert grew up in Germany,...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Alexander von Humboldt
$15.99In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Alexander von Humboldt, the botanist, and adventurer.As a kid, Alexander wasn’t a...
Abrams Book All My Treasures
$18.99An exploration of happiness and the true nature of joy from the bestselling creators of In My Heart With a gentle message about the immateriality of happiness, this story reminds...
Abrams Book Alphablock
$18.99With thick pages cut into the shape of each letter, children and parents will enjoy this peek-through guessing game around the letterform itself. Sprinkles, hot fudge, and cherries hint at...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Amelia Earhart
$15.99In this international bestseller from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the inspiring story of this international style icon.When Amelia was young, she liked to imagine she...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Andy Warhol
$15.99Meet Andy Warhol, the ground-breaking pop artist. Little Andy was the tiniest and palest child of the Warholas, a humble couple from Slovakia who lived in Pittsburgh. Sketchbook glued...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Anna Pavlova
$15.99In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy bestselling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the true story of ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. Little Anna fell in love with ballet after...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Anne Frank
$15.99Anne Frank was born in Germany to a loving family. But when World War II broke out, Anne and her family had to hide in a secret annex in Amsterdam....
Gibbs Smith Book Anne of Green Gables: A BabyLit ...
$11.99BabyLit® is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature Introduce little ones to beloved redheaded orphan Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables: A BabyLit®...
Abrams Book Art Making With Moma
$24.95Art Making with MoMA, from the educators at The Museum of Modern Art, New York, presents 20 interactive activities that encourage kids (and adults!) to discover how modern and contemporary...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Audrey Hepburn
$15.99In this international bestseller from the beloved Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Audrey Hepburn, the iconic Hollywood movie star.Audrey Hepburn grew up in Arnhem in the...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Ayrton Senna
$15.99From the moment his father gave four-year-old Ayrton Senna a go-kart, he was in love with racing. Showing promise from an early age, Ayrton would go on to take the...
Abrams Book Bananas For You!
$7.99From the superstar creators of My Mom Is Magical! and My Dad Is Amazing! comes this vibrant, humor-filled board book—the perfect way to tell your loved ones you're bananas for them. Do you...
Abrams Book Be a Tree!
$19.99A lyrical, gorgeously illustrated look at the majesty of trees—and what humans can learn from them. Stand tall.Stretch your branches to the sun.Be a tree! In this gorgeous and poetic...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Billie Jean King
$15.99Meet Billie Jean King, the tennis star who has dedicated her life to breaking barriers both on and off the tennis court.Billie Jean began playing tennis at the age of...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Bob Dylan
$15.99Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota. As a teenager, he played in various bands and, over time, his interest in music deepened, with a particular passion for American folk...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Bruce Lee
$15.99Born in San Francisco but raised in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee was the child star of Hong Kong cinema. But, after getting into trouble as a teenager, his father sent...
Abrams Book Bugblock
$18.99Learn all about insects in Christopher Franceschelli’s Bugblock, a buzz-worthy addition to the bestselling Abrams Block Book series, featuring full-color art by David Partington, a member of Peski Studio. In Bugblock, readers...
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.