Play Time
Tikiri Hippo Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Hippo: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the cute hippo is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take her in the bath, or as a teething...
Maileg Hippo with Skirt Small
$32.00Meet the sweetest companion in the savannah! Our Safari Friends are crafted from the softest fabrics and come in a delightful range of colors. Each cuddly friend can sit upright...
Olli Ella Holdie Folk Set Circus Animals
$35.00Say hello to the Holdie Circus Animals Circus Animals are loved and revered by all who live in Holdie World. Each creature brings magic, play, and adventure to all who meet them. Olli Ella Holdie Circus Animals...
Olli Ella Holdie Set Extinct Animals
$50.00Many years ago, in the land before time, there lived three Holdie Extinct Animals that were gone long before you and me. Mammoth, Dodo and Saber Tooth Tiger are all...
Olli Ella Holdie Set Prehistoric Animals
$50.00Come and explore the prehistoric world, where you will meet its resident Dinosaurs Pterodactyl, T-Rex and Ankylosaurus. Handmade from a soft wool blend with embroidered features, these three dino friends...
Tonies Holiday Songs & Carols Penguin Audio ...
$19.99Feel the cheer and celebrate the season with this wonderful compilation of traditional classic tunes, holiday favorites and amazing original songs! Tonies Holiday Songs & Carols Penguin Details: Age: 3...
Le Toy Van Hollywood Film Camera
$40.00Lights, camera, action! Hollywood is calling for budding young actors or film directors with this dazzling wooden toy film camera. Let little imaginations run wild as they find their inner...
Tender Leaf Toys Home Baking Set
$64.00A stylish mixer with metal swivel whisk, wooden bowl, and clacking on and off button. Ingredients to weigh out on a modern kitchen scale include a wooden egg that opens...
Chronicle Books Hooray for Little Fingers!
$14.991, 2, 3, 4, 5! What can 5 little fingers do? Tickle, wiggle, dance—and much more!In this lively and irresistible board book, young readers learn to count and explore just...
Tikiri Horse Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Made from organic natural rubber, this friendly filly from our My First Farm Collection is easy for tiny hands to grip. And when shaken, it responds with a gentle sound...
Maileg Hot Chocolate Set - Mini
$34.00It is time to invite your friends over for hot chocolate. This set contains 2 cup, 2 plates, a pot and off course the chocolate. The sets is made in...
Candylab Hot Dog Van Toy Car
$22.00Nothing says NYC like a hot dog stand. As New Yorkers, we must pay tribute to the hot dog – it's the quintessential New York street food. Our hot dog...
Maileg House of Miniature Doll House Toy
$312.00Dollhouse with beautifully decorated walls. Products that fit into the house: Bunny/Rabbit size 1, 2, micro, my, Teddy family and furniture and accessories in size miniature House of Miniature Doll...
Penguin How to Be a Lion Book
$18.99This sweet, funny, thoughtful, and much-needed story will open up readers' eyes to the importance of being who they are and not backing down to hurtful criticism. It's an empowering...
Hape HPE Mix & Bake Blender
$40.00Can't wait to grow up and become a real baker? Then practice makes perfect, and with the Mix & Bake Blender, children can pretend to bake using their own flour...
Candylab Hudson Taxi
$36.00Always ready to "follow that car", and now available for consequence-free wooden fender benders. New York City cabs can't get more durable than this. Materials & Info: Solid Beech wood, water-based...
Mon Ami Huggie Bear Large
$66.00Huggie Bear is your child's new best friend! Lovingly crafted with ultra soft plush and adorable details for cozy cuddles and sweet snuggles, in Extral Large size. 100% Polyester for...
Janod Human Body Educational Puzzle
$48.00This set of 4 giant educational puzzles will allow your child to discover the human body. The box contains: 1- 50-piece anatomically-correct double-sided girl/boy puzzle 1- 75-piece puzzle of...
Tender Leaf Toys Humming Bird House
$270.00Welcome to our exotic Humming Bird House! A colonial style home with a veranda on either side of the front door, which is decorated with an abundance of flora! Can...
Moulin Roty I Am Working Valise Wooden Tool Set
$52.00Let your little ones enjoy as they pretend to build projects while learning what each tool is meant to do. This set is packaged in a wooden carrying case illustrated...
Ooly I Heart Art Erasable Crayons
$16.00Start the love for art with inspirational heart-shaped crayons. The I Heart Art Erasable Crayons are brightly colored and shaped into heart-shapes with 2 coordinating colors in each one. These...
Chronicle Books I See, I See Book
$17.99A book for one. A book for two. A book for different points of view. This clever and colorful picture book of opposites will change the way you see things,...
Janod I Wood Shapes & Sounds 6 Block Puzzle
$36.00A fantastic puzzle for toddlers to teach them how to recognize shapes and help them develop their fine motor skills while having fun. Each cube has a different shape, colour...
Janod I'm Learning How to Tell Time
$36.00An ideal early-learning toy for learning to tell the time while having fun! This toy develops learning about the concept of time, discovery, and experimentation. A real clock complete with 13...
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.