Play Time
Le Toy Van Magnetic Space Rocket Duo
$40.00Young explorers are sure to be amazed by this stunning Magnetic Space Rocket Duo, made for all their intergalactic adventures. Discover new frontiers and prepare for lift-off with the large...
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Baby’s First Blocks
$50.00Specifically designed to be easy to stack for small hands, Baby's First Blocks are a perfect introduction to magnetic building! Crafted from durable, all-natural wood with non-toxic finishes, each block...
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks Stunt Team Dar...
$45.00Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks Stunt Team Daredevil Car is the perfect toy for your little innovative racer, ideal for building the coolest race car! Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks Stunt Team...
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks Sunset 24 Piec...
$75.00Tegu’s Magnetic Wooden Blocks Sunset 24pc are the perfect toys for your little builder to create any structure by connecting the colorful blocks, the ideal set for imaginative play! Dimensions:...
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks Tints 14 Piece...
$42.00Tegu’s Magnetic Wooden Blocks Tint 14pc is the perfect toy for your little builder to create any structure by connecting the colorful blocks, the ideal set for imaginative play! ...
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks Tints 24 Piece...
$75.00Tegu’s Magnetic Wooden Blocks 24pc are the perfect toys for your little builder to create any structure by connecting the colorful blocks, the ideal set for imaginative play! Dimensions: 14.2...
Tegu Magnetic Wooden Blocks Tints 42 Piece...
$140.00Tegu’s Magnetic Wooden Blocks Tints 42 pc are the perfect toys for your little builder to create any structure by connecting the colorful blocks, the ideal set for imaginative play!...
Maileg Maid Mouse
$30.00This mouse will for sure be the perfect help in housekeeping. The mouse is classically maid dressed and ready to serve all guests. She has magnets in her hands, so...
Tender Leaf Toys Make Me a Pizza!
$42.00A handy pizza oven with 5 logs to fire up your very own pretend play pizza oven! Make your own pizza with 6 different pizza toppings on a red felt...
Ooly Make No Mistake Erasable Markers
$16.00Didn’t you mean to make that green unicorn pink? Well, erase it! The Make No Mistake Erasable Markers fix your mistakes in an instant. No-stress coloring unleashes powerful creativity in...
PlanToys Make-Up Set
$40.00Pretend play as a makeup artist with this set, includes a mirror, a brush, 5 pieces of cosmetic, and a waist bag. Kids will enjoy putting makeup on themselves, family...
Beyond123 Makemaki Sushi Game
$40.00The fast-pace game of sushi making! Makemaki is a game of sushi-making speed and skill, where two sushi chefs compete to make mouth-watering Maki! When one card from the 33-card...
Malarkey Malarkey Chew Cube
$14.00The Malarkey Chew Cube is the mom-created modern rattle and teether. It provides four-way sensory stimulation, including soft, textured teething edges for tender gums; large flexible holes to help baby...
Malarkey Malarkey Munch Mitt Constellation
$19.99The Malarkey Munch Mitt Teether is a “handy” textured teething solution that prevents your little one from dropping it. It provides easy access pain relief to sore gums for infants who...
Malarkey Malarkey Munch Mitt Grey/Stars
$19.99The Malarkey Munch Mitt Teether is a “handy” textured teething solution that prevents your little one from dropping it. It provides easy access pain relief to sore gums for infants who are still...
Malarkey Malarkey Munch Mitt Pastel Pink/Hearts
$19.99The Malarkey Munch Mitt Teether is a “handy” textured teething solution that prevents your little one from dropping it. It provides easy access pain relief to sore gums for infants who are still...
Malarkey Malarkey Munch Mitt Rosewood
$19.99The Munch Mitt Teether is a “handy” textured teething solution that prevents your little one from dropping it. It provides easy access pain relief to sore gums for infants who...
Candylab Malibu Beach Tower Toy
$40.00This here is a sweet accessory to any beach-themed playset, or discerning shelf. Pastel-painted plywood and rubber lifesaver included. Age: 3 years+ No sand included! Please note: Some assembly...
Little Soleil Mallory Floatsuit Medium
$68.00Say hello to your little one’s favorite new swimwear piece, the MALLORY. This swimsuit is the perfect choice to help your little one learn to swim and feel confident in...
UPPAbaby Mamaroo Smart Swing
$299.99 – $349.99The Mamaroo Smart Swing is designed to move like you do, mimicking your natural motion to create the perfect place for baby to safely relax while you take a break....
Crazy Aaron's Mango Monroe 5oz
$12.00Discover the world’s friendliest dough! These friendly fruit themed Land of Dough 5oz play dough cups are vibrantly colored and individually handcrafted with natural colors, compostable glitter for a wonDOUGHful...
Bajo Manhattan Blocks
$74.00Bajo’s Manhattan blocks feature minimalist non-toxic painting styles and easy to stack skyscrapers. Teach your children about architecture while helping them learn to stack with these beautiful blocks. Product...
Plushies Manny Manatee Plush Toy
$32.00Grand Flopsies is an expanding category for the Flopsies series - still as adorable as other Flopsies, but in a brand new, bigger size! Manny Manatee is a plump manatee...
Bajo Marble Tree
$110.00 – $151.00This beautifully crafted wooden tree not only looks amazing, but it makes music as well! Just drop the marble on the highest petal and listen to the different notes!...
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.