Play Time
Bajo Wooden Train to Build Color
$98.00All aboard for crafting fun. Your little conductors will love to create and build their own trains from multiple wooden pieces. Ages 3.5+ years. Size 14" x 3.25" x 5.25"....
Wee Gallery Wooden Tray Puzzle Woodland Animals
$32.00This beautiful 6 piece Wooden Puzzle is perfect for so many kinds of play! Solving the sturdy tray puzzle is just the beginning. You can also use the adorable wooden...
Tender Leaf Toys Wooden Weather Watch
$74.00A top-quality illustrated wood Weather station that links all aspects of climate into a simple and educational board that can be hung up on a classroom wall or played with...
Tender Leaf Toys Wooden Woodland Animals
$56.00One of each animal in a display shelf. (Rabbit, Hare, Hedgehog, Fox, Fallow Deer, Red Squirrel, Weasel, Badger) Age range: 3 Years+ Product size: 8.7 x 3.03 x 10.51” Weight:...
Tender Leaf Toys Wooden Woodland Stores and Theater
$210.00A large play shop that offers group play on both sides. On one side, it is a Woodland Stores play shop - it has 2 doors which open up into...
Q Toys Wooden Writing and Counting Trays
$38.00A beautiful number of trays set for children's numeracy development. This product is designed for toddlers to have fun with writing and counting. There are many ways that you can...
Candylab Woodie Redux Toy Car
$38.00The famous classic, now in a boxier 80's vibe. With real veneer-paneled sides and a magnet embedded in the roof, it comes with a surfboard that snaps onto it and...
Candylab Woodie Toy Car
$40.00The most classic of the classics, this is what legends are made of. With real walnut veneer-paneled sides and a magnet embedded in the roof, it comes with a surfboard...
Wee Gallery Woodland Alphabet Cards
$26.00Wee Gallery Woodland Alphabet Cards are the perfect gift for newborn baby, toddler, or any age in between. The high-contrast animal and jungle illustrations create a mesmerizing display for babies,...
Magnatiles XTRAS: Roads 12 Piece Set
$32.00MAGNA-TILES® fans have spoken! Most requested and highly anticipated, the new MAGNA-TILES® XTRAS Roads 12-Piece Set allows little ones to create countless road configurations for their favorite toys and vehicles. Age:...
Le Toy Van Yogurt Play Food Pack
$30.00This is the perfect addition to any little one's pantry! The 5-piece set features a tempting assortment of 4 deliciously flavour pots, including apricot, vanilla, raspberry and strawberry, complete with...
Candylab Yosemite RV Toy Car
$16.00If you love gorgeous vistas, cascading waterfalls, and peaks that make your jaw drop, then our Yosemite RV is perfect for you. This Yosemite RV truly embodies the old-school adventurer...
Omy Design Yummy Super Coloring with Sticker Book
$20.00Hop aboard the tastiest truck in town! This 35-page food truck-shaped coloring book serves up a world of fun, packed with popcorn, silly ice creams, hot dogs, and more deliciously...
Cuddle + Kind Zara The Unicorn
$80.00 – $100.00I come from a lush, mystical forest where I love to gallop and chase rainbows! I think miracles happen all the time and you, my friend, are one of them....
Tikiri Zebra Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Zebra: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the cute zebra is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take him in the bath, or as a teething...
Bukowski Ziggy Winter Rabbit - Gray
$26.00Bundle Up with the Ziggy Winter Rabbit: This extra snuggly Ziggy will keep its owner toasty and safe wherever they go. Perfect for those who enjoy the cold, this companion...
Mobi Games Zippee Activity Toy
$28.00Zippee is a silicone activity toy perfect for 6months+. Little fingers can't resist Zippee's flexible, textured cords and easy to hold grips. Babies and toddlers love pulling Zippee's cords from...
Cuddle + Kind Zoe The Unicorn
$80.00 – $100.00I come from a lush, mystical forest where I love to gallop and chase rainbows! I think miracles happen all the time and you, my friend, are one of them....
Scrollino Zoo by Dots
$18.00Scrollino® ZOO by Dots is part of the beautifully illustrated IN THE ZOO Collection connected by the topic kids love the most – the ANIMALS. By pulling down the paper tab little by...
Manhattan Toy Zoo Winkel Monkey Rattle and Teether Toy
$18.00The Zoo Winkels Monkey features the same colorful, chewable, bendable loops as the original, which makes it easy for infants to grasp and explore. The appeal of the Winkel teething...
Mima Zoom Balance Bike White
$149.99The New Zoom Balance Bike is arriving just in time for the holidays. Having started as a solution to the everyday needs of modern parents in the child mobility and...
Chronicle Books ¡Mézclalo Bien! (Spanish Edition) Book
$15.99Accept Hervé Tullet's invitation to mix it up in a dazzling adventure of color and tones. Follow the artist's simple instructions, and suddenly colors appear . . . mix ....
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.