Play Time
Plantoys Assorted Fruit Set
$36.00Assorted Fruit Set is the perfect toy for your aspiring little chef! The set includes a cutting board, knife, and 5 sliceable fruits - orange, lemon, kiwi, strawberry, and apple. Tactile...
Plantoys Assorted Fruits
$40.00Assorted Fruits is the perfect toy for your growing little chef! Let them explore the world of cooking with 5 colorful fruits! Assorted Fruits Set Details: Age: 18 months+ Set...
Plantoys Assorted Vegetables Set
$36.00The set includes a cutting board, knife, and 5 sliceable veggies - tomato, mushroom, shallot, bell pepper, and cucumber. Tactile details offer realistic play. Age: 18 months+ Dimension: 7.48x5.31x1.22 inch Weight: 1.147...
Wide-Eyed Edition Atlas of Ocean Adventures
$35.00Set your spirit of adventure free with this journey to the world’s great oceans, discovering the diversity of life that exists in the deep blue sea. Each section begins...
Jellycat Audrey Hootsoftly
$40.00Audrey Hootsoftly loves to sleep in, which is why she's wearing her blue suedette mask! It's even got embroidered lashes! This mocha owl has bed-head fur and wide-awake bobble eyes!...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Beads Grasper Natural
$22.00A beautifully natural grasping toy to keep the baby's interest. The beads--held together by an elasticized string--can be safely moved about to provide a tactile experience. Feels so great to children...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Natural Wooden Cars
$82.00This Cars work quite well off-road and are suitable for rides in the countryside. Vehicles don’t need a full car wash after that, but can easily be cleaned with a...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Small Tunnel Monoch...
$22.00Grimm’s Small Tunnel Monochrome is the perfect versatile toy for your little one! Your toddler can have endless fun stacking the tunnel, and as they grow your children can use...
Grimm's Authentic Grimm's Sorting Board Pastel
$25.00Here not only the 12 Small Wooden Balls can be assigned and stored in matching colors, but also the Rainbow Friends. As a complement to our Rainbow Friends, the Sorting...
Bunnies By The Bay Avery The Aviator Snow Goose Plush Toy
$39.95Avery The Aviator Snow Goose is as fun and adventurous as they come! This stuffed plush animal is ready to fly right into your home, and heart, and encourages you to do...
Cuddle + Kind Avery The Lamb
$80.00 – $100.00I was born in a beautiful pasture at sunrise not too long ago. I love to bleat and sing and am curious about all new things. Meeting new people is...
Hachette B is For Babar An Alphabet Book
$9.99B Is for Babar takes readers through an alphabet of fun with Babar and his family. Arthur plays the accordion, Flora feeds the fish, and more! Young children will love...
Corolle Babidoux Blossom Garden
$40.00Meet Babidoux Blossom Garden, the perfect first companion for your little one! Specially designed for tiny hands, this 8-inch ultra-soft baby doll is lightweight, easy to hold, and full of...
Corolle Babipouce Pink Grenadine
$48.00Soft, sweet, and ready to snuggle, Babipouce Pink Grenadine is the perfect first doll for your little one. Dressed in cozy raspberry-pink velvet pyjamas with a charming floral-print ruffle and...
Aden + Anais Baby Activity Gym
$89.95From the minute babies enter the world, we strive to teach them all the skills they need to succeed. That’s why we designed a starry safari that inspires them to...
Tikiri Baby Brachiosaurus Natural Rubber Toy
$20.00Brachi the Baby Brachiosaurus rubber toy from the My First Dino Collection is beautifully decorated and is perfect for toddlers, both as a toy and as a teether. Age Recommendation: 12+...
Madame Alexander Baby Cuddles Pink Hoodie Doll
$58.00Dressed in flower-printed tights and a soft pink plush hooded jacket with flower accents, this fourteen-inch cutie is ready to cuddle. Her beautiful face with painted features peeks out from...
Miniland Baby Doll African American Girl 15 in...
$56.00Miniland African American - Girl 15" Doll is anatomically correct, which means that they show the physical differences between boys and girls in a realistic way. They are made of soft and...
Corolle Baby Doll Bathtub with Shower
$42.00The Bathtub is just what's needed for bathing large 14” baby dolls. Suitable for all baby dolls that can go in the water. Large baby dolls have a wide collection...
Corolle Baby Doll Bebe - Lilou
$86.00Lilou Doll is the perfect large baby doll for caring for doll like real parents.At 14”, it is just the right size for a child's little arms - perfect for cuddling,...
Miniland Baby Doll Black Curly Hair Caucasian ...
$56.00Miniland Caucasian Black Curly Hair Girl 15" Doll is anatomically correct, which means that they show the physical differences between boys and girls in a realistic way. They are made of soft...
Corolle Baby Doll Lise
$80.00Lise is a large doll to play and act like the grown-ups. Perfectly suited to a child's little arms for cuddling, mothering and reproducing the gestures that make them grow...
Miniland Baby Doll Redhead Caucasian Girl 15 i...
$56.00Miniland Redhead Caucasian Girl 15" Doll is anatomically correct, which means that they show the physical differences between boys and girls in a realistic way. They are made of soft and flexible...
Miniland Baby Doll Redhead Caucasian in Pink R...
$78.00Miniland Baby Doll Redhead Caucasian in Pink Rompers is anatomically correct, which means that they show the physical differences between boys and girls in a realistic way. They are made of...
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.