Play Time
Smart Games SmartMax My First Animal Train
$50.00Build your own traveling zoo with magnets! Magnetic rods fit inside the train engine and the three train cars while magnetic spheres connect them in a line and let them...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Dinosaurs
$32.00Travel back in time (to a land before time?) with Smartmax My First DInosaurs! This 14 piece set includes magnetic bars to connect the bright, flexible dinosaur parts together. Encourage...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Explorer
$32.00Kids can mix and match the chunky, magnetic, toddler-friendly pieces to create a rocket, a plane, and a car, or create new vehicles. This tactile set joins other Smart Max:...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Farm Animal
$32.00SmartMax My First Farm Animals is designed for kids ages 1 - 5 years, offering an early, safe, and fun introduction to magnetic discovery. Easily build and play with the...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Sounds and Senses
$32.00Smart Games My First Sounds and Senses includes 8 building pieces (4 bars and 4 balls) that feature different textures for a tactile experience, different sounds for an audible experience, and...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Tractor Set
$44.00The fun factor is guaranteed with the SmartMax My First Tractor Set, as children start creating their own stories with the farmer and his horses! With the My First collection...
Smart Games SmartMax My First Vehicles
$32.00My First Vehicles includes 13 pieces that are building blocks to create 4 different trucks. When clicked together the trucks move on their wheels, resulting in a truly creative and...
Smart Games Smartmax Power Vehicles Max
$44.00Smart Games Smartmax Power Vehicles Maxis the perfect construction set for your little one to use during play time for endless fun and creativity! This set is includes everything needed...
Smart Games Smartmax Start
$50.00Have fun building incredible structures with SmartMax! SmartMax allows children to explore magnetism safely. The oversized pieces are specifically designed for handling by young kids as they learn about the...
Smart Games Smartmax Start XL 42 Pieces
$78.00Smart Games Smartmax Start XL is the perfect construction set for your little one to use during playtime for endless fun and creativity! Suitable for children 3 years+ Compatible with...
Smart Games SmartMax Wobbly Cars
$32.00Go on a fun-filled, wobbly adventure with these magnetic, motion-powered cars! Build your very own wobbly train—connect the cars and pull them along on exciting journeys. Mix and match the...
Plushies Smiley World Daisy
$14.00Brighten up your day with the cheerful charm of the SmileyWorld Daisy Palm Pal! This delightful plush brings together the sunny spirit of a smile and the sweetness of a...
Plushies Smiley World Shades
$14.00Look cool, feel cooler with the SmileyWorld Shades Palm Pal—your ultimate beach-ready buddy! With a bright yellow body, chill black sunglasses, an irresistible smile, and tiny feet that add extra...
Jellycat Smudge Bear Tiny
$23.00Smudge Bear is ready to snooze. It's no surprise that this teddy bear gives a great hug, with silky soft fluff in shades of honey, and podgy trumpet paws. This...
Jellycat Smudge Elephant Tiny
$23.00Smudge Elephant loves naptime and keeps falling asleep on the march! Flop this supersoft silly down to sit on those squishable trumpet paws. With warm grey-brown fur, bright black eyes...
Jellycat Smudge Hippo Tiny
$23.00Smudge Hippo is a smiling sweetie in super soft lilac fur. With dainty ears, stitched nostrils and a curved tail, this lilac lovely has long legs and a squishy tummy....
Jellycat Smudge Monkey
$23.00 – $38.00Smudge Monkey has such scrummy fur, with milk-chocolate paws and a nuzzle nougat face. This sleepy scamp loves to drop and flop onto those chunky monkey paws. This fluffy friend...
Estella Sneaker Security Blanket
This organic cotton sneaker lovey will be your little athlete's best friend. With a vibrant red athletic shoe design, classic cream and red stripe, and fun 3-dimensional shoelaces, this lovey...
Jellycat Snow Dragon
$72.00Lounging around like a creamy cloud, it's loveably lazy Snow Dragon! This marshmallow marvel shimmers with magic, from sparkling spines to ears, wings, and tail darts! This sumptuous softy loves...
Plushies Snuggle Bunnies - Birthday Arthur
$36.00With his adorable birthday hat in sky blue and fairy pink, Arthur the Bear is all dressed up and ready to win hearts! Perfectly sized at 30 cm for the...
Plushies Snuggle Bunnies - Fable the Cosy Deer
$36.00Soft, endearing, and dressed in a charming knitted sweater, Fable the Deer is sure to become your child’s favorite companion in no time! Perfectly sized for snuggles and adventures alike,...
Plushies Snuggle Bunnies - Georgie the Christm...
$40.00Soft, endearing, and dressed for the season in a cozy knitted sweater and festive Christmas hat, Georgie the Bear is ready to bring holiday cheer and cuddles galore! Perfectly sized...
Plushies Snuggle Bunnies - Olive the Elephant
$40.00Soft, sweet, and oh-so-snuggly, Olive the Elephant is sure to become your child’s cherished companion! Perfectly sized for hugs and adventures big or small, Olive is always ready to bring...
Plushies Snuggle Bunnies - Penelope the Bunny
$40.00Soft, sweet, and irresistibly huggable, Penelope the Bunny is sure to become your child’s favorite companion! With her delicate caramel-colored fur and endearing charm, she’s the perfect cuddle buddy for...
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.