Play Time
Plantoys Shape Matching Puzzle
$18.00Learn about basic shapes: Square, Circle, and Triangle. This knob puzzle helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while tracing each shape and then placing it back in its...
Plantoys Shape N Sort
$54.00Shape and Sort helps to develop your child's hand-eye coordination, manipulation skills, and color recognition. They will love matching the shapes to the correct holes. The blocks are the perfect...
BlaBla Sheep Rattle Wooly
$32.00Handmade baby rattle made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 8" long Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
Crazy Aaron's Sheldon Shelly 5oz
$12.00Discover the world’s friendliest dough! These friendly zoo animal themed Land of Dough 5oz play dough cups are vibrantly colored and individually handcrafted with natural colors, compostable glitter for a...
Jellycat Sheldon Shrimp
$28.00Sheldon Shrimp is just so adorkable, with big bobbly eyes and stretchy feelers. He's a fun-loving shellfish with a soft peachy head and a cordy textured tummy and tail. Sheldon...
Maileg Shirt and Shorts Rabbit Size 1 Classic
$36.00A classic rabbit made of soft natural fabrics that gives a lovely hand feel and look. Size 1 rabbit fits into the House of miniature and all furniture size mini...
Le Toy Van Shop Card Machine
$20.00Lets go shopping! How adorable is this cute wooden card machine toy - a great way to teach children numeracy whilst enjoying role play fun.Painted in lovely bright shades, this...
Le Toy Van Showtime Puppet Theatre
$300.00It's showtime! This retro wooden puppet theatre features a live and interval reversible sign, a stage door and two chalkboards. The theatre is finished with theatre curtains including red stage...
Twee Sidewalk Chalk Maya & Siona's Succulents
$42.00Twee Maya & Siona's Succulents Handmade Sidewalk Chalk - A Benefit for KidsGardening Succulents need sunshine and love to grow - just like friendships! Spend a day at the playground with...
Twee Sidewalk Chalk Petite Macaron
$28.00Une, Deux, TWEE, Quatre, Cinq, Sweets! The perfect combination of french and fancy! Six sidewalk chalk macarons: pink, orange, yellow, green, blue & purple - with a tiny touch of...
Twee Sidewalk Chalk Pizza
$20.00What's your favorite pizza? Pepperoni? Veggie? What about one with a glittering crust? Every day can be Pizza Party Friday with these special sidewalk chalk pizzas! Each order includes:...
Twee Sidewalk Chalk Sushi Maki Roll
$28.00Roll into your neighborhood playground with our Sushi Maki Roll chalk! Includes (10) sidewalk chalk sushi maki rolls. Two of each color: orange, yellow, green blue & turquoise Dimensions: Each...
Twee Sidewalk Chalk Unicorn Horn
$20.00Unicorn horns are always awesome and now you can create magical drawings with them! Each order includes: Three sidewalk chalk horns: one cool horn, one warm horn and one...
Nilo Baby Silicone + Wood Teether Blue Charm
$28.00This cute Silicone + Wooden Teether is made with 100% Food Grade Silicone and organic maple wood. This toy is perfect to keep your little one entertained. The smooth edges...
Nilo Baby Silicone + Wood Teether Pink Charm
$28.00This cute Silicone + Wooden Teether is made with 100% Food Grade Silicone and organic maple wood. This toy is perfect to keep your little one entertained. The smooth edges...
Mushie Silicone Baby Rattle Toy
$16.00Make playtime more engaging with our Silicone Baby Rattle that offers a gentle sensory experience for little ones. Perfectly sized for tiny hands, babies will benefit from its easy-to-hold design as...
Cucu Silicone Beach Castle Play Set
$38.00This Silicone Beach Castle Play Set is eco-friendly and made to last! This beach bucket play set contains all the essentials for keeping your children engaged for hours. Set includes a...
CUCU Silicone Beach Play Set
$38.00This Silicone Beach Play Set is eco-friendly and made to last! This beach bucket play set contains all the essentials for keeping your children engaged for hours. Set includes a Bucket,...
Dena Silicone Kids and Houses 6 Pack
$50.00Silicone Kids & Houses are manufactured with platinum silicone, which is BPA free; PVC Free; Latex Free; Phthalate Free and 100% safe. Platinum silicone is a soft material that feels great...
Dena Silicone Kids Houses and Trees 6 Pack
$70.00Silicone Kids Houses & Trees are manufactured with platinum silicone, which is BPA free; PVC Free; Latex Free; Phthalate Free and 100% safe. Platinum silicone is a soft material that feels...
Dena Silicone Large Rainbow
$56.00Silicone Large Rainbow is manufactured with platinum silicone, which is BPA free, PVC Free, Latex Free, Phthalate Free, and 100% safe. Platinum silicone is a soft material that feels great to...
CUCU Silicone Rattle Teether Giraffe
$18.00This giraffe toy is a silicone baby teething rattle and sensory teether toy, easy to hold a rattle just the right size for your baby's little hands. Shaking the rattle bell...
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.