Play Time
Beyond123 Playable Art Ball Pastel
$26.00Design your own artistic display with this ingenious take on the classic stress ball. This wooden ART Ball features twelve pastel color interconnected spheres that can be turned, twisted, and scrunched into...
Manhattan Toy Playground Adventure
$168.00Playground-themed fun all in one wood activity center! Discover four quadrants packed full of playful activities including 20 gliders on seven different tracks, an abacus track, five beads runs, two...
The Pencil Grip Playmat Kit with Wonder Stix
$22.00 – $32.00This set is great for traveling, play dates, dinner time, restaurants, and more! Draw directly on the playmats, remove with a damp cloth and start over and over again! Create...
Beyond123 Playme Pat Bells 8 Bell Set
$190.00Pat Bells is music made simple and fun. No more broken strings, and no tuning required. Simply pat the bells for vibrant and colorful notes! This 8 Bell Set includes...
Tonies Playtime and Action Songs Audio Play ...
$19.99A select compilation of the most popular traditional children's songs for playtime! Tonies Playtime and Action Songs Audio Play Figurine Details: Age: 3 years+ Songs: 34 Songs Total Run Time:...
Ponycycle Plush Animal Ride On Toy Black Horse
$299.00 – $339.00Kids operated! Easy to steer left and right with the handlebars. Sit on the saddle, step pedals down with feet. The saddle rises and falls to support the upper body,...
Ponycycle Plush Animal Ride On Toy Brown Horse
$299.00 – $339.00How to Ride PonyCycle Toy?Kids operated! Easy to steer left and right with the handlebars. Sit on the saddle, step pedals down with feet. The saddle rises and falls to...
Ponycycle Plush Animal Ride On Toy Zebra
$299.00 – $339.00Kids operated! Easy to steer left and right with the handlebars. Sit on the saddle, step pedals down with feet. The saddle rises and falls to support the upper body,...
Steiff Plush Stuffed Toy Bodo Monkey 12 Inches
$36.00This plush monkey puts a whimsical spin on the idea of monkey business! The Bodo Monkey is a charming fellow that is made of soft brown plush with beige features...
Noodoll Plush Toy Ricedapper
Ricecracker is everyone’s favourite monster and it’s not hard to see why! His bright yellow fur brightens everyone’s mood and he just wants to make you feel as happy as...
Mud Pie Plush Toy Set My Golf Bag Pink
$40.00Interactive so-soft plush golf bag holds plush golf ball, driver, putter, and putting green with kid-friendly crinkle and rattle noises for hours of imaginary play. 5-piece set. Material: Cotton Dimension: bag 9"...
Tegu Pocket Pouch Prism Magnetic Wooden Bl...
$30.00Tegu’s Pocket Pouch Prism is the perfect travel toy for your little builder to create any structure by magnetically connecting the colorful blocks, the ideal set for imaginative play! Dimensions:...
Vilac Police baby car with handle
$36.00A 1st age police car. Delivered in a pretty box, A unique design. Made of solid wood, durable toy. Wheels with anti-noise rubber. Manufactured in France in the Jura. Easy...
Candylab Police Toy Car
$12.00Part of the Candylab new Candycar line, a cute 3 inches long. One of two of our racers, who said speed comes with size? Materials: Solid Beech Wood, water-based paint, and...
Cuddle + Kind Polly The Panda
$80.00 – $100.00I’m a playful little panda who loves to run, jump, and climb my way through the fresh bamboo grove where I live. Sometimes I take a tumble, but I just...
Maileg Pony Small
$28.00This charming brown pony is ready for hours of imaginative play and gentle rides through the countryside. Made from a soft cotton-linen blend, it’s beautifully detailed with a cotton string...
Maileg Poodle Dog Plush Toy
$40.00If the dream about a dog is far away, it can come true now with this sweet puppy. It is made in exclusive materials that give the dog a beautiful...
Simon & Schuster Pop Up Book Alice's Adventures in Won...
$39.99Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is Robert Sabuda's most amazing creation ever, featuring stunning pop-ups illustrated in John Tenniel's classic style. The text is faithful to Lewis Carroll's original story, and...
Simon & Schuster Pop Up Book Beauty & The Beast
$39.99Even more innovative than his last, Robert Sabuda will captivate all with his latest pop-up masterpiece, Beauty & the Beast! True love blooms in this three-dimensional adaptation of a beloved...
Simon & Schuster Pop Up Book The Dragon & The Knight
$29.99All of your favorite fairy tale characters come together in this original pop-up masterpiece, from expert craftsman Robert Sabuda. In this brand-new pop-up adventure, a Dragon and a Knight race...
Simon & Schuster Pop Up Book The Jungle Book
$39.99In this stunning retelling of a phenomenal classic, honor is tested, battles of good over evil are waged, and the importance of family reigns supreme. True to Rudyard Kipling's original...
Simon & Schuster Pop Up Book The Little Mermaid
$39.99A beloved under-the-sea tale is now a pop-up masterpiece, from expert craftsman Robert Sabuda. Come along on a magical journey under the sea in this stunning pop-up adaptation of the...
Simon & Schuster Pop Up Book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
$39.99Robert Sabuda has created a resplendent pop-up version of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the original publication. This glorious edition is told in a...
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.