Play Time
Candylab Carbon 77 Toy Car
$30.00Muted, discreet gray with a hairline bright red stripe. The wolf in sheep’s clothing, lucky number 77 will be the star on the imaginary quarter-mile circuit. Materials: Solid Beech wood,...
Hape Cargo Delivery Loop Toy
$56.00People are waiting for their cargo! Use the magnetic crane to load containers onto the train. Then press the button on the engine to drive around the oval track and...
Brio Cargo Harbour Set
$76.00Set sail into imaginative adventures with the BRIO Cargo Harbour Set! With this set, kids can guide the container ship across the water and dock at the busy harbour, ready...
Brio Cargo Mountain Set
$289.00Take playtime to new heights with the Cargo Mountain Set – a thrilling, multi-level train and cargo adventure packed with action from top to bottom. With five levels of crane...
Brio Cargo Railway Deluxe Set
$220.00With this 54 pieces cargo railway deluxe set, the freight and cargo world is almost complete. An action-packed BRIO train track world filled with mechanical and loading functions through the loader...
Le Toy Van Carlo's Ice Cream Stand
$40.00Roll up, roll up. Treat guests to a delicious frozen feast with this irresistibly cute gelato stand. A wonderful, traditional wooden toy to entertain and delight young minds. Crafted from...
Maileg Carry Cot, Large
$46.00A small portable bed for your soft friends - small Bunny plush and small Safari friends fit perfectly. With this carry cot, it is easy to bring along your friend. Your friend...
Indigo Jamm Casey Camper Van
$90.00Indigo Jamm Casey Camper Van is a retro camper van complete with a wooden mom, dad, two children, and a wooden dog. Made from durable rubberwood and plywood with an...
Le Toy Van Cash Register
$50.00A robust wooden cash register toy. This retro-style till includes a wooden till receipt, easy-open cash drawer plus wooden & paper play money. Vintage detailing illustrated on the sides in...
Magnatiles Castle 25-Piece Set
$42.00Fairy tale dreams come true with the Castle set! Open the working Drawbridge and step into a world of magnetic wonder or soar through the skies with an exclusive Dragon Figure. This set also includes our first Balcony and Spiral Staircase, along...
Plantoys Castle Blocks Orchard
$64.00Let your kid's imagination run wild and build a medieval fantasy world complete with a functional catapult, a king and queen, 2 knights, a horse, and even a flying dragon!...
Magnatiles Castle DLX 48-Piece Set
$74.00Imagination reigns supreme with the Castle DLX set! Open the working Drawbridge and step into a world of magnetic wonder or soar through the skies with an exclusive Dragon figure. This set also includes our first Balcony pieces and Spiral Staircases, as well as microMAGS pieces and plenty...
Maileg Castle Hall
$52.00This castle is a beautiful home for all mice. It is made of cardboard covered by unique Maileg prints. Use it as a small home for your mice or as...
Hape Caterpillar Fruit Feast Set
$18.00Each time one of your caterpillars nibbles through a new piece of fruit you can add it to the string until you have a whole line of delicious snacks! Caterpillar...
Janod Caterpillar Wooden Ball Track
$54.00This garden themed Ball Track toy will provide hours of entertainment while developing your little one’s fine motor skills and visual acuity. The three balls pass through the sun and...
Oli and Carol Cathy the Carrot Car
$28.00Roll, play & learn with the coolest & healthiest cars for babies! Introducing Cathy, the sustainable baby car toy! With a design inspired by carrots, Cathy is meticulously crafted using natural...
Manhattan Toy Celestial Stim Mobile To Go
$16.00This unique travel mobile is a celestial take on our award-winning Wimmer-Ferguson Infant Stim-Mobile To Go. Space-themed graphics cover this compact travel mobile that easily attaches to strollers, carriers, and...
Brio Central Fire Station
$120.00At the rescue fire station, you have to be prepared for action. When the alarm goes off, slide down the slide to the fire truck which is ready for take-off,...
Plantoys Central Station
$180.00This Central Station can be connected to any other transportation system. The lower building can be rotated to adjust the layout of building. Build a rail system for your trains,...
Brio Central Station Set
$172.00Grab your ticket—it’s time to set off on a new railway journey with the Central Station Travel Set! This set puts you at the heart of the action with a...
PlanToys Chair - Natural
$80.00This chair is perfect for little bodies. The sleek, contouring bent wood design and sturdiness allow for a child to sit comfortably. Chair Natural Details: Suitable from 3-6 years Includes...
Tender Leaf Toys Charcuterie Basket
$30.00A handcrafted wicker basket with a slice of ham and egg pie, a black sausage, a rasher of bacon, a string of butchers sausages, a large salami, a Spanish chorizo...
Charlie Bears Charlie Bears Loveydovey
$115.00A little about me... Lovey dovey is part of our 2020 plush Collection. She is made from biscuit-brown plush and her fur is extra soft and thick, making him just...
Charlie Bears Charlie Bears Mono Polly
$139.00A little about me... Brand-new for 2024 Mono Polly is a bear-utiful pink panda from our Plumo Collection, she is made from the softest plush fur and finest alpaca. 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.