Play Time
Le Toy Van Vanilla Birthday Cake
$26.00Let the celebrations begin! Dish up this delicious-looking birthday cake of dreams complete with 6 candles ready for the birthday girl or boy to blow out! Decorated with lashings of cream...
Under the Nile Vegetable Basket
$46.00Under the Nile Vegetable Basket are safe for little foodies. Created to encourage healthy eating habits in babies and kids, this is the one time you want your kids to play...
Oli and Carol Veggie Teething Ring
$22.00This veggie Teething Ring is the healthiest teether for newborns! Made with 100% natural rubber and hand painted with natural pigments. Perfect as a teether, bath toy and sensory play...
Maileg Veggies and Fruits
$40.00Remember your fruits and veggies the doctor always says. A wooden box filled with miniature food made of polyresin with the most incredible details. It is hand-painted why variation may...
Playforever Velocita Emilio Black Race Car
$44.00Back in the 70s, F1 racing was a dangerous, high-speed game. Cars were fast, drivers were furious and the competition was intense. The Velocita collection by Playforever was inspired by...
Playforever Velocita Jean Race Car
$44.00Back in the 70s, F1 racing was a dangerous, high-speed game. Cars were fast, drivers were furious and the competition was intense. The Velocita collection by Playforever was inspired by...
Great Pretenders Velvety Princess Gown with Arm Warmers
$50.00Bring your little one’s fairy tale dreams to life with the Velvety Soft Sleeping Sweetheart Princess Gown with Arm Warmers, inspired by the elegance of Sleeping Beauty. This enchanting gown...
Playforever Verve Malibu Blue/Yellow Car
$40.00Drawing inspiration from the early Maserati Formula 1 cars of the 20s and 30s, Playforever's Malibu has a pure and simple cigar tube chassis, long nose and wide open mouth....
Playforever Verve Malibu Dark Orange Car
$40.00On your marks...get set... go! You can almost hear the roar of the engine as Malibu stands poised, ready for the race. Drawing inspiration from the early Maserati Formula 1...
Playforever Verve Malibu Red Car
$40.00On your marks...get set... go! You can almost hear the roar of the engine as Malibu stands poised, ready for the race. Drawing inspiration from the early Maserati Formula 1...
PlanToys Victorian Dollhouse
$460.00The Victorian Dollhouse has 3 floors including the attic. Each floor is accessible with opening panels and realistic sashes that slide open and shut. Additional attic space can also be...
Vilac Vilacity crane
$54.00The boat will soon set sail, it is time to load the CMA-CGM containers. Thanks to our wooden crane, nothing could be simpler! Your mini will have fun rotating it...
Calico Critters Village Cake Shop Starter Set
$56.00Bake, decorate, and serve sweet treats in your very own cake shop! Get ready for deliciously fun pretend play with the Cake Shop Set, where you can bake sponge cakes,...
Maileg Vintage Bed Mouse
$54.00A perfect bed for a good night’s sleep! This charming bed is designed with care and comes complete with beautiful bedlinen made from signature printed fabrics—each piece unique yet perfectly...
Maileg Vintage Chair Mouse
$16.00A small chair that fits the Little sister/brother and Big sister/brother mice. Fits perfectly into the small rooms where the mice lives. Dimensions Height: 3.35in Width: 1.77in Depth: 1.38in Net...
Maileg Vintage Lantern Toy
$28.00The camping experience will not be complete without this Vintage Lantern. Washing instruction: SURFACE WASH Material: Metal Height: 2.76 inches
Maileg Vintage Miniature Fireplace
$38.00Bring warmth and charm to your miniature home with the Wooden Fireplace. Featuring an authentic look and vintage finish, this little fireplace adds a cozy touch to any scene. It comes...
Vilac Vintage Roadster Silver
$55.00Vintage Roadster Car in solid wood. Perfect size for your kid's little hands. 100% Made in France. From 2 years of age. Dimensions: 13 x 8 x 10 cm
Le Toy Van Vintage Wooden Phone
$40.00About this productRing, ring! This charming retro-style vintage phone is full of nostalgia, for good old-fashioned playtime fun! Painted in a striking red shade and finished with a flourish of...
Cuddle + Kind Violet The Fawn
$80.00 – $100.00I come from a magnificent forest where all the paths lead to adventure and fun. Being outdoors all day skipping, twirling and running makes me smile from ear to ear....
Tender Leaf Toys Visual Sensory Tray
$26.00This set includes 4 solid wood shapes that let you see through various windows. Presented on a shape sorter tray and the 4 pieces encourage color and shape recognition through...
Plantoys Vlogger Kit
$46.00About this product A vlogger is short for a video blogger. This profession is one quickly becoming a top career choice that many of today's kids aspire to be! The...
Toysmith Voice Changer Megaphone 3.25 Mini
$16.00Turn everyday chatter into laugh-out-loud fun with the Toysmith Mini Voice Changer! This pocket-sized megaphone is bursting with personality, letting kids transform their voices into silly, surprising sounds at the...
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.