Play Time
Connetix Connetix Pastel 48pc Shapes Expansion...
$98.00Expand play and learning possibilities with 48 Piece Pastel Shape Expansion Pack. Featuring a range of exclusive magnetic tile shapes, including large triangles, right-angle triangles, quarter circles, pentagons, trapezoids and...
Connetix Connetix Rainbow 212pc Mega Pack
$264.00Allow children to use their imagination, take the lead in their play and create the ultimate rainbow fun with 212 piece Mega Pack. This is the ultimate starter set, featuring...
Connetix Connetix Rainbow 50pc Transport Pack
$86.00Gear up for epic vehicle fun with the Connetix Transport Pack. Designed with vehicle enthusiasts in mind, this pack features one REVERSIBLE grey transport base, two clear motion bases with...
Connetix Connetix Rainbow 60pc Starter Pack
$86.00Discover open-ended play and learning with 60 Piece Rainbow Starter Pack! Featuring large and small squares, plus three types of triangles in six vibrant rainbow colours, this pack is the...
Connetix Connetix Rainbow 92pc Ball Run Pack
$98.00This pack features our unique exclusively designed clear fluted tubes, 6 rainbow wooden balls, x2 special effect stair soundscape tubes, x2 S-bend tubes AND a split tube for racing fun!...
Connetix Connetix Rainbow 102pc Creative Pack
$132.00Bring imaginations to life and provide endless possibilities for creativity and learning through PLAY with 102 Piece Rainbow Creative Pack. Featuring a variety of shapes including small and large squares,...
Corolle Constance Ballerina
$96.00Constance Ballerina is all dressed up and ready for ballet class with her friends! Part of the ma Corolle collection, Constance is a 14-inch doll with a soft body designed...
Le Toy Van Construction Car Set
$40.00Budding builders are sure to love our best-selling construction set, a lovely plastic free toy for eco-friendly play. Take imaginations off to new adventures with this 9 piece toy which...
Plantoys Construction Set
$60.00The Construction Set is a 40-piece set that can be easily assembled and reassembled to create any imaginable form. 2-in-1 wrench, and screwdriver included. Construction Set Details: Age: 3 years+...
Tender Leaf Toys Construction Site
$32.00A collection of construction vehicles, including dump truck, front loader, excavation digger, crane truck, road roller. All with moving parks and painted in realistic and contemporary colors. Standard wheel width...
Mud Pie Construction 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
Phaidon Press Cookies! An Interactive Recipe Book
$22.95Bake cookies from scratch inside this interactive recipe book - sift the flour, whisk the sugar, crack the egg, pour the chocolate chips, and more! Simple yet factual recipe text takes...
Hape Cooking Essentials Toy
$34.00It’s time for dinner! Help to get things ready by trimming, peeling and chopping the vegetables and grating the cheese on your own cutting board. The separable ingredients and different...
Plantoys Cooking Utensils
$36.00Cooking Utensils is the perfect toy for fun pretend to play to encourage your little chef’s imagination and creativity! Cooking Utensils Details: Suitable for infants 2 years+ Includes spatula, turner,...
Corolle Corolle Bebe Calin Capucine
$50.00Bebe Calin Capucine is a 12- inch baby doll - the perfect size for little mommies and daddies to rock and cradle in their arms. Its soft body is posable...
Maileg Cosy Bambi - Off White
$48.00The cosy bambi style is a classic item from Maileg. It has a sweet and calm expression and can be used for either decoration or play. Sizes Height: 8.86in,...
Maileg Cosy Basket Small
$44.00Give your tiny friends a cozy place to rest with this charming basket bed designed especially for the Chaton Kittens. Soft, snug, and perfectly sized, this padded basket creates a...
Candylab Cotswold Gold Toy Car
$38.00In a quest to overcome the rush for your afternoon tea - or tee? Must take the unpaved shortcut? Does your antiquing passion require copious amounts of comfortable travel? The Cotswold has...
Candylab Cotswold Royal Blue Toy Car
$38.00In a quest to overcome the rush for your afternoon tea - or tee? Must take the unpaved shortcut? Does your antiquing passion require copious amounts of comfortable travel? The Cotswold has...
Tender Leaf Toys Cottontail Cottage Dollhouse
$190.00The Tender Leaf Toys Cottontail Cottage Dollhouse is a delightful countryside cottage with a natural wood roof, shutters, cut-out windows, and space in the attic to make a bedroom. Includes...
Maileg Couch Mouse Mable (Pre-Order Early Au...
$40.00Every home needs a soft, cozy place to relax—and the Mouse Family Soft Couch is just that! Perfectly sized for little mice to cuddle up together, this charming miniature sofa...
Gibbs Smith Count On Florida
$12.99Introduce babies and toddlers to iconic symbols of the Sunshine State with Nicole LaRue’s quirky, modern illustrations. This bright board book makes learning about Florida as easy as 1,...
Tender Leaf Toys Counting Carrots
$30.00Learning how to count has never been more fun with the carrot stacker. Teach your child to count to 10 with the numbered carrot rings. This toy also encourages color...
Tonies Counting Songs Audio Play Figurine
$19.99A select compilation of the most popular traditional children’s songs, with a focus on counting. Tonies Counting Songs Audio Play Figurine Details: Age: 3 years+ Includes 27 Counting Songs Total Run...
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.