Play Time
Sophie La Giraffe Cosy Play Cushion
$68.00The Sophie La Girafe Cosy Play Cushion is reversible, with a "resting" side and an "awakening" side to entertain or rest baby! A multitude of activities to explore to awaken the...
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 August)
$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...
Maileg Cowboy Mouse on Rocking Horse Little ...
$44.00A fantastic set for hours of play. A cowboy mouse dressed in jeans, scarf and cowboy hat riding on his rocking horse. Please see the small tail hole that is...
Olli Ella Cozy Dinkum Unicorn Sugarpie Pink
$44.00Meet Unicorn Sugarpie, the coziest unicorn buddy in a delightful pink hue! With soft blush fur, shimmering wings, and a twinkling purple horn, this magical plush is ready to spark...
Tikiri Crab 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...
Hape Creative Peg Puzzle
$30.00Creative Peg Puzzle is the perfect toy for your growing child, challenging them and introducing critical thinking while also being fun and they feature bright colors!_x000D_ Suitable for children 18m+_x000D_...
Tonies Creative Tonie - Red Medium
$19.99Whether an enchanting bedtime story or your own magical adventure, Creative-Tonies can store up to 90 minutes of custom content. Just upload audio using your computer, smartphone or tablet. With...
Penguin Creature Features: Dinosaurs Book
$18.99Each page in this book is bursting with unusual creatures from the time of dinosaurs, all united by a common characteristic. From wonderful wings to terrific teeth, from tyrannosaurs to...
Penguin Creature Features: Ocean Book
$18.99A bright board book packed with a menagerie of ocean creatures with fascinating features.Vibrantly illustrated by Creature Features creator Natasha Durley, each page bursts with ocean creatures united by a...
Knitted World Crochet Rattle Cactus
$18.00This easy-to-grasp super adorable cactus ring rattle is lovingly hand-crocheted using luxuriously soft yarn derived from the pulp of the organically grown and sustainably harvested bamboo trees. Bamboo is the...
Knitted World Crochet Rattle Donut Pink
$18.00Soft, richly textured, making this donut a perfect plaything for babies and older siblings, who can serve them up in a tea party or play kitchen. Crochet Rattle Donut Pink...
Knitted World Crochet Ring Rattle - Highland Cow
$18.00This easy to grasp ring rattle is lovingly hand-crocheted using luxuriously soft yarn derived from the pulp of the organically grown and sustainably harvested bamboo trees. Toys are tested for...
Knitted World Crochet Ring Rattle Bunny
$18.00This easy to grasp ring rattle is lovingly hand-crocheted using luxuriously soft yarn derived from the pulp of the organically grown and sustainably harvested bamboo trees. Bamboo is the world’s...
Knitted World Crochet Ring Rattle Elephant
$18.00This easy to grasp ring rattle is lovingly hand-crocheted using luxuriously soft yarn derived from the pulp of the organically grown and sustainably harvested bamboo trees. Bamboo is the world’s...
Knitted World Crochet Ring Rattle Fawn
$18.00This easy-to-grasp ring rattle is lovingly hand-crocheted using luxuriously soft yarn derived from the pulp of organically grown and sustainably harvested bamboo trees. Bamboo is the world’s fastest-growing plant (growing...
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.