Play Time
Jellycat Amuseables Strawberry
$33.00Made in soft textured fur in the ripest of reds with embroidered seed detail and a fine cord leaf cap; Amuseables Strawberry makes for a perfect companion for summer fun....
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 Toffee Apple
$30.00Meet Amuseables Toffee Apple – a shiny, sweet delight who knows that good dental hygiene is always in season. With her glossy toffee coat and a core of pure sensibility,...
Jellycat Amuseables Toilet Roll
$33.00Amuseables Toilet Roll is the ultimate cushioned comfort. Textured paper with stitched quilting detail is wrapped around a suedette tube, and finished with fine cord legs, a stitched smile, and...
Jellycat Amuseables Tomato
$33.00Amuseables Tomato is one sun-ripened rogue! Rosy and plump as a cricket ball, topped with a scruffly, leafy cap, this bright red bounder in toffee cord booties is equally at...
Jellycat Amuseables Treasure Chest
$60.00Amuseables Treasure Chest is full of tales and treasures from across the seven seas and beyond!Dimensions: 19cm x 17cm x 11cmSitting Height: 16cmMain Materials: PolyesterInner Filling: Polyester Fibres, PE BeansHard...
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...
Jellycat Amuseables Watermelon Small
$25.00Amuseables Watermelon is pink, green and cuddly all over! A slice of sheer silliness, full of Jellycat goodness, this fluffy fruit is full of fun. Buddies come in all shapes...
Jellycat Amuseables Pencil
$33.00Amuseables Pencil is a creative whirlwind known for coloring outside the lines – and sometimes off the page entirely. Sketchbooks, street murals, sandwich wrappers… In her mind, anything can be...
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...
Maileg Angel Mouse Doll in Suitcase
$26.00Guardian angels do their best to protect and watch over the little ones. This guardian angel comes in a mint-colored metal suitcase. Maileg Angel Mouse Doll in Suitcase Details: Age:...
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...
Mon Ami Arabelle Bunny - Large
$54.00Arabelle Bunny plush toy. Crafted of a super soft, luxe faux fur, this pale pink bunny plush toy is a new addition to our exclusive Charmante collection. 100% Polyester for...
Jellycat Archie Dinosaur
$40.00Archie Dinosaur is a timeless triceratops in deep green and cream fur. With soft cream suedette spines and horns, and a bright orange stitched frill, Archie’s long tail and cuddly...
Mon Ami Archie Tiger
$34.00Say hello to the cutest cat in the nursery: Mon Ami's Archie Tiger Plush Toy. Featuring a lovable face, bendable limbs and ultra-plush fur, our tiger stuffed animal is content...
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...
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.