Play Time
Le Toy Van Doll High Chair
$80.00The sweetest dolly high chair for your little ones' pretend play universe, This utterly charming wooden toy is full of nostalgia and is perfect for role-play adventures. Ideally sized for...
Tender Leaf Toys Doll House Countryside Furniture Set
$74.00A softly colored countryside-themed dolls house starter furniture set. Set includes a day bed, rocking chair, 3 printed pillows, table, stool, birthday cake, steps, toy duck, fridge, 2 sink units,...
Tender Leaf Toys Doll House Dovetail Bathroom Set
$48.00An ultra stylish bathroom set, with sink unit, bathtub, bath tray with a book, shower unit, toilet, with toilet rolls, bath mat, and laundry bag. Suitable for all the wooden...
Tender Leaf Toys Doll House Wall Decor
$20.0010 accessories to give your dolls house interior a facelift! All have double-sided sticky tape on the back. Age range: 3 Years And Older Product size: 9.84 x 8.66 x...
Le Toy Van Doll Nursing Set
$50.00The sweetest set for your little one's imaginary play world. This gorgeous nursing set has everything mini mums and dads need to care for their dolls. It features a cute...
Paola Reina Doll Stroller Strawberry Picnic
$45.00Take your doll everywhere in style! The Tiny Harlow Stroller is practical, durable, and beautifully designed—perfect for little ones who love to play pretend.Whether at home or on the go,...
Miniland Doll Wooden Beauty Set
$52.00The Miniland Doll Wooden Beauty Set is a selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and...
Miniland Doll Wooden Doctor Set
$52.00The Miniland Doll Wooden Doctor Set selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and develop social skills...
Miniland Doll Wooden Tea Set
$60.00The Miniland Doll Wooden Tea Set is a selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and develop social skills from a...
Tender Leaf Toys Dolls House Bedroom Furniture Set
$48.00A perfect bedroom set, with double bed and stylish bedding, wardrobe, bedside table, lamp, dressing table, stool, printed rug, 3 clothes hangers, and an on-trend tub chair with printed cushion....
Tender Leaf Toys Dolls House Kid's Room Furniture Set
$48.00A comfy Kids room, with changing table, 2 infant beds, cot with baby, rocking horse, printed rug, rocking chair, round table, and a small chair. Suitable for all the wooden...
Tender Leaf Toys Dolls House Kitchen Furniture Set
$58.00A Contemporary stylish kitchen set, with great attention to detail, Includes island unit and 2 bar stools, A range style oven unit, fridge, butler sink unit, hand towel, kettle, fish...
Tender Leaf Toys Dolls House Sitting Room Furniture Set
$58.00A modern sitting room, with sofa and 3 printed cushions, coffee table, standard lamp, fireplace with logs, vase with flowers, television withstand, armchair with printed cushion, printed rug, bookcase with...
Le Toy Van Dolly Ice Cream Van
$70.00Playtime doesn't get much sweeter than Le Toy Van's classic dolly size ice-cream van! The ice-cream van is complete with a set of stickers to personalize, a lift-up roof, and a...
Tikiri Dolphin Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00This rubber rattle from the ocean buddies collection. Easy-grip for smaller hands. Each marine animal character has an enclosed rattle that creates a soft sound when shaken. Sound Toys, like...
Gibbs Smith Don Quixote
$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...
Candylab Donut Van Toy Car
$22.00You're supposed to be this amazed, it's impossible to glaze over this beauty. Already a crowd favorite, the donut van made its debut back in March 2019 and has been...
Plushies Doodles the Labradoodle
$44.00Our adorable 13" dog plush toy! With soft faux-fur, sparkling eyes, and a floppy body, this realistic stuffed animal is perfect for cuddling. It can sit or stand, adding extra...
Haba Doorway Theater
$69.00Raise the curtain! Put on a true production with the Theater! The Doorway Theater stimulates children's imagination and creativity! The theater is wonderfully detailed with a cute porthole at the top...
MagicPlay Dot Activity Kit Transport
$32.00Introducing the "Transportation" Kids On-the-Go Activity Kit! Packed with 25 vibrant perforated pages, 3 dot markers, and 10 sheets of dot stickers, it offers endless creative fun for kids. All...
Hape Double Bubble
$28.00Double Bubble toy is the perfect toy for your developing little one! This toy introduces problem solving to your baby; there’s always a new way to move around its endless...
Eco-Kids Dough 3 Pack
$20.00Eco Dough provides hours of artistic exploration as well as engaging children with an opportunity to learn the basics of color theory by experimenting with mixing and blending the primary colors...
Magnatiles Downhill Duo 40 Piece Set
$76.00Ready, set, go! With the new MAGNA-TILES® Downhill Duo 40-Piece Set, kids are in the driver’s seat! Little ones can turn their MAGNA-TILES® build into an exciting downhill adventure, in just...
Wonder & Wise Dreamy Doll Stroller
$89.00Taking dolly for a walk will be dreamy in the Dreamy Doll Stroller. A perfect fit for all of our dolls and doll bedding. The cloud-shaped sides are a dream! Adjustable...
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.