Play Time
PlanToys Geometric Peg Board
$30.00These 16 geometrical pegs (4 different sizes, shapes and colors) can be sorted, counted, and stacked on a sturdy wooden base. Suitable for children 2 years and up.
PlanToys Geometric Sorting Board
$36.00This Geometric Sorting Board features a set of 4 colorful geometric shapes can be stacked together according to the number of holes in the middle of each shape. Comes with...
Smart Games GeoSmart Educational Building Set
$170.00The GeoSmart Educational Set is a learning kit featuring 100 pieces and 6 different geomagnetic shapes. Build original constructions, animals, vehicles or just about anything you can imagine. Also includes...
Smart Games GeoSmart GeoSphere Building Set
$49.99Use the squares and triangles to create your own geosphere and other original structures. GEOSMART is the future of geomagnetic play. An ideal STEM magnetic construction set, GEOSMART enables fun...
Omy Design Giant Frameable Coloring Poster USA
$20.00Discover the United States while coloring this giant map featuring well-known monuments, landscapes, people, and much more! Hundreds of tiny details, and a huge sense of humor for the entire...
Steiff Gilda Goose with Red Scarf
$40.00Gilda is the most delightful goose you’ll ever find! With her incredibly fluffy filling and super-soft plush, she’s the ultimate cuddle companion—perfect for snuggling any time of the year. Standing...
Plushies Gino Gingerbread Man
$12.00Gino is no ordinary gingerbread doll—he’s equal parts charm, spice, and witty slice. With his warm molasses-brown body, frosted piping details, bright red nose, and fluffy tuft of icing hair,...
Tikiri Giraffe Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Giraffe: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the great giraffe is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take him in the bath, or as a teething...
Maileg Girl Christmas Mouse Doll
$46.00A medium size mouse dressed in cozy Christmas clothes ready to celebrate the wonderful days of Christmas. Maileg Girl Christmas Mouse Doll Details: Suitable for All Ages Material: Cotton; Filling: Recycled polyester/PE...
BlaBla Girl Elephant Rattle Pink
$32.00Handmade baby rattle made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 7" long Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
Jellycat Glenny Goat
$55.00Glenny Goat is the cuddliest kid in the herd, ready for cozy naps and slow strolls through imaginary meadows. With a soft, huggable body in warm tan and brown fur,...
Hachette Go Get 'Em, Tiger!
$8.99Celebrate everything that makes your tiger a rising star! From kindness and curiosity to playfulness and positivity, this book is a paw-some salute to anyone reaching a life milestone. The Hello!Lucky...
Mon Ami Goldie Lion
$36.00Cuddle up with the queen of the jungle: Goldie Lion Plush Toy. Mon Ami.s latest lion stuffed animal features a friendly face framed with the softest faux fur mane and...
Cuddle + Kind Goldie The Honey Bear
$80.00 – $100.00What makes the sun shine, or flowers grow? I want to know! I live in a fascinating forest with plenty of new things to discover. If I’m not sure how...
Compendium Good Night Monster Gift Set
$36.95A Storybook and Plush for Sweet Dreams and Happy Bedtimes Bedtime can stir up all kinds of emotions for a child. Good Night Monster is your child’s very own...
Rebel Girls Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Th...
$49.99This gorgeous hardcover boxed set is the perfect gift to inspire any young reader. It contains five individual, historical fiction chapter books, each exploring the life and times of an...
Wonder & Wise Good Wood Mini Golf Game
$69.00It’s GOOD! It’s WOOD! It’s GOLF! Your kids will have hours of fun with the Good Wood Mini Golf Game. So many different configurations make this game different every time....
Lucky Boy Sunday Gorby Doll
$138.00This soft toy is made from the softest merino alpaca and eco-friendly dyes, which makes this a perfect heirloom piece to pass down from generation to generation to cuddle. Material:...
Hape Gourmet Grill with Food
$200.00Double-sided grates, a collapsible side table, moveable wheels, and an open-and-close hood make this grill a gourmet's dream. Watch out for the hot coals! Food and accessories included. ShishKabob Basics...
Le Toy Van Gourmet Hamburger Set
$30.00Serve up a delicious playtime treat with this 13-piece Wooden Hamburger Meal Set, beautifully crafted from FSC-certified sustainable wood. This complete fast-food set includes a Velcro hamburger with a bun,...
Maileg Grand Dad Mouse
$32.00Meet Granddad Mouse — the kind and clever storyteller of the Mouse family! Dressed in rubber boots, a smart jacket, pants, and a bow tie, he’s always ready for a...
Plushies Grand Flopsie Goldie Retriever Plush Toy
$32.00Goldie Grand Flopsie is a large golden retriever that comes in a resting position. Suitable for all ages and personalities. High-Quality Materials make for a soft and fluffy touch. Quality...
Le Toy Van Grand Piano Toy
$200.00Inspire a love for music with this beautifully crafted Wooden Grand Piano Toy made from FSC-certified wood, designed for budding musicians. Made from sustainable wood and painted in an elegant...
Magnatiles Grand Prix 50 Pieces Set
$78.00On your mark, get set, build! The Grand Prix 50-Piece Set has kids racing to finish their creations with unique, frost-colored tiles and wheeled chassis pieces. Start your engines and...
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.