Play Time
Slumberkins Slumberkins Snuggler and Book Unicorn
$48.00Promotes: Authenticity When children feel good about themselves, they feel empowered to try new things, master new skills, and build strong relationships. Unicorn knows she is different and lets her...
Plushies Slushy Plush Toy 28 Inch
$98.00The majestic Slushy Polar Bear lives in the arctic, sporting heavy fur and even being an excellent swimmer! Made in a simple yet elegant way with quality, care, and a...
Rubbabu Small Fidget Balls 3 Pack
$16.00Squishy palm-sized balls that are great for kids, adults, and seniors as fidget or play toys, stress balls, and rehab and therapy products. Includes 3 Small Fidget Balls Squishy, soft...
Smart Games Smart Game SmartMax My First Vehicles
$29.00My First Vehicles includes 13 pieces that are building blocks to create 4 different trucks. When clicked together the trucks move on their wheels, resulting in a truly creative and...
Brio Smart Tech Sound Rescue Action Tunnel...
$30.00“Oh no! There’s a fire!”. This Brio Rescue Action Tunnel Kit brings firefighting adventures to your BRIO World layouts. Join the fire brigade and put out the roaring fire using...
Smart Games Smartmax Basic Stunt
$78.00Smart Games Smartmax Start+ is the perfect construction set for your little one to use during play time for endless fun and creativity! This set is includes everything needed for...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Animal Train
$42.00Build your own traveling zoo with magnets! Magnetic rods fit inside the train engine and the three train cars while magnetic spheres connect them in a line and let them...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Dinosaurs
$29.00Travel back in time (to a land before time?) with Smartmax My First DInosaurs! This 14 piece set includes magnetic bars to connect the bright, flexible dinosaur parts together. Encourage...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Farm Animal
$29.00SmartMax My First Farm Animals is designed for kids ages 1 - 5 years, offering an early, safe, and fun introduction to magnetic discovery. Easily build and play with the...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Sounds and Senses
$29.00Smart Games My First Sounds and Senses includes 8 building pieces (4 bars and 4 balls) that feature different textures for a tactile experience, different sounds for an audible experience, and...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Tractor Set
$34.00The fun factor is guaranteed with the SmartMax My First Tractor Set, as children start creating their own stories with the farmer and his horses! With the My First collection...
Smart Games Smartmax Power Vehicles Max
$42.00Smart Games Smartmax Power Vehicles Maxis the perfect construction set for your little one to use during play time for endless fun and creativity! This set is includes everything needed...
Smart Games SmartMax Roboflex
$34.00 – $45.00Let your little ones expand their imagination with the SmartMax Roboflex set as they build and create their own version of robots. Age: 3 years+ Roboflex Medium includes 12 pieces Roboflex...
Smart Games Smartmax Start
$42.00Have fun building incredible structures with SmartMax! SmartMax allows children to explore magnetism safely. The oversized pieces are specifically designed for handling by young kids as they learn about the...
Smart Games Smartmax Start XL 42 Pieces
$78.00Smart Games Smartmax Start XL is the perfect construction set for your little one to use during playtime for endless fun and creativity! Suitable for children 3 years+ Compatible with...
Ooly Smooth Stix Watercolor Gel Crayons 24...
$24.00Begin your next art project with a rainbow of colors with a set of Smooth Stix watercolor gel crayons. With 24 brilliant colors there’s a near endless amount of creative art...
Hape Smoothie Blender Toy
$24.00Healthy smoothies are a delicious way to eat your fruit and vegetables! Make your own play smoothies with this cool blender set that comes with two cups and includes fruits...
Estella Sneaker Security Blanket
This organic cotton sneaker lovey will be your little athlete's best friend. With a vibrant red athletic shoe design, classic cream and red stripe, and fun 3-dimensional shoelaces, this lovey...
Sophie La Giraffe So Pure Natur'Soft Rattle
$28.00This Sophie La Girafe So Pure Natur'Soft Rattle is easy to grasp, Sophie’s head to chew and bell to shake. Sophie La Girafe So Pure Natur'Soft Rattle Details: Age: 3 months+...
Sophie La Giraffe So Pure Rubberwood Boat Bath Toy
$30.00Make bath time fun with the Sophie La Girafe Rubberwood Boat. The boat floats on water and its buoy is removable and can be used as a teether for the baby to...
Sophie La Giraffe So Pure Totem Rattle
$27.00The Totem Rattle has everything to stimulate the baby's senses: Age: 3 months+ Little balls inside the handle and 2 wooden rings t listen to while they bang together Two different...
Sophie La Giraffe So' Pure Balls and Cubes Toy
$24.00The Sophie the Giraffe Balls & Cubes set contains two balls and two cubes made from 100% natural rubber, for developing baby's dexterity! Light and easy to manipulate your baby...
Sophie La Giraffe So'Pure Bath Toy
$24.00A fun Sophie La Girafe takes on the traditional rubber duck! Fun bath toy made with the same all-natural rubber as the original Sophie teether. Made with 100% natural rubber from...
Sophie La Giraffe So'Pure Coloring Teether
$26.00Calisson’s Cooling Teething Ring is ideal for your little one, perfect for their growing teeth with its various soft chew parts! Made of 100% natural rubber Includes 4 geometrical shapes...
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.