Play Time
Jellycat Amuseables Storm Cloud Bag Charm
$28.00Amuseables Storm Cloud Bag Charm adds a little cloud cover to keys, backpacks or brollies. Product Details Dimensions: 17cm x 13cm x 4cm Sitting Height: 11 Main Materials: Polyester, Cotton Inner Filling: Polyester Fibres...
Jellycat Amuseables Sun Bag Charm
$28.00Brighten up that gloomy rucksack with the Amuseables Sun Bag Charm! This smiling sun is cosy and golden, with a silver chain and claw clip, disc and milk chocolate corduroy...
Jellycat Amuseables Sunflower
$55.00Add a little sunshine to your day with Amuseables Sunflower. This trio of flowers have brown fur faces, bright yellow petals and deep green stalks. Sat in a beautiful brown...
Jellycat Amuseables Vicky Teapot
$40.00Amuseables Vicky Teapot is the perfect teatime companion. Soft in blue fur with cream lid accents, Vicky has an elegantly curved handle and spout. With a big, stitched smile and...
Lilliputiens Anais Sound Roll Rattle
$48.00Anais is here to help your child develop his earing and fine motor skills. Thanks to “velcros”, you can take each roll apart quickly and put them back together. Each...
Tonies Angelina Ballerina Play Figurine
$19.99Angelina is a charming little mouse who dreams of becoming a famous ballerina at Camembert Academy. Pull on that tutu and join Angelina and her friends through ten stories as...
Wee Gallery Animal Alphabet Cards
$26.00Wee gallery animal alphabet cards are the perfect gift for newborn baby, toddler, or any age in between. The high-contrast animal illustrations create a mesmerizing display for babies, while the...
Brio Animal Farm Set
$96.00The 30-piece Animal Farm Set is ready to bring you back to nature with a peaceful farm setting. The battery-powered Cargo Engine is on the route and ready to collect...
Tonies Animal Songs Audio Play Figurine
$19.99Things are about to get wild! Meet and learn about different animals as you dance and sing along to this wonderful collection of original and traditional songs inspired by all...
PlanToys Animals Memo
$30.00Children can learn about the many animals of the world while practicing their memory and strategy skills with PlanToys Animals Memo game. Shuffle the cards and turn them over. Take...
Gund Animated Flappy Elephant
$46.00Flappy the Elephant is an adorable singing animated plush with two different play modes. Press the left foot to play an interactive game of peek-a-boo, and the right to hear...
Gund Animated Flora The Bunny
$46.00Animated Flora the Bunny – a sweet, smiling bunny with two different play modes. Press the left foot to play an interactive game of peek-a-boo, and the right to hear...
Penguin Around the World in 80 Puzzle Book
$19.99Puzzles, intricately detailed worlds, and stylish scenes are sure to appeal to readers of all agesInspired by Jules Verne’s iconic novel, this stunning puzzle book is a treat for readers...
Wee Gallery Art Cards Baby Animals Collection
$20.00Babies are fascinated with black-and-white designs. Right from the start, these art cards begin developing a baby’s visual perception. Printed on sturdy board, these cards will stand up to baby’s...
Wee Gallery Art Cards for Baby Black and White Co...
$20.00Babies are fascinated with black-and-white designs. Right from the start, these art cards begin developing a baby’s visual perception. Printed on sturdy board book material, these cards will stand up...
Wee Gallery Art Cards for Baby Ocean
$20.00Babies are fascinated with black-and-white designs. Right from the start, these art cards begin developing a baby’s visual perception. Printed on sturdy board, these cards will stand up to baby's...
Wee Gallery Art Cards for Baby Original Collection
$20.00Babies are fascinated with black-and-white designs. Right from the start, these art cards begin developing a baby’s visual perception. Printed on sturdy board book material, these cards will stand up...
Wee Gallery Art Cards for Baby Rainforest Collection
$18.00Babies are fascinated with black-and-white designs. Right from the start, these art cards begin developing a baby’s visual perception. Printed on sturdy board book material, these cards will stand up...
Wee Gallery Art Cards for Baby Safari Collection
$20.00Babies are fascinated with black-and-white designs. Right from the start, these art cards begin developing a baby’s visual perception. Printed on sturdy board book material, these cards will stand up...
Kitpas Art Crayons for Bath with Sponge
$26.00Make bath time fun with this bath crayons set of 10 colors with a sponge. It has a unique formula that won't disintegrate in water. Product Details: Colors: White, Pink,...
Kitpas Art Crayons Medium 12 Colors
$20.00A new dimension in art materials! This Art Crayons Medium 12 Colors comes in exuberantly vibrant colors which brings out the kid in everyone. Their buttery smoothness unleashes children's creativity...
Plushies Asha White Leopard Plush Toy
$48.00This Asha White Leopard is a spotted feline made with amazingly soft fur that is in a resting position. Its understuffed body gives an extra comforting feel in your arms....
Mon Ami Asher Bunny-Blue
$36.00Mon Ami Main Material: 100% recycled Polyester Inner Filling: recycled Polyester Fibers Hard Eyes and Embroidered Nose Perfect for playing, snuggling or gift-giving Spot Clean and Air Dry Only Measures: 10 in / 25.5...
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.