Play Time
Tender Leaf Toys Happy Folk Hotel
$56.00Meet the 9 folks who reside at the happy hotel. Made from solid wood, colored with a soft water-based stain, they can represent anyone you know. These little people are...
Hape Happy Grand Piano Black
$250.00Happy Grand Piano is the perfect toy for your growing little musician! This music-maker lets your child practice scales, encouraging musical expression, creativity. Suitable for children 3 years+ Includes shape...
Cottage Door Press Happy Hanukkah, Little Dreidel Finger...
$7.99Mazel tov! It’s time to spin the dreidel! Hebrew school is in session for little dreidels everywhere, and they’re hard at work learning all the game rules and practicing their...
Hape Happy Harp Musical Toy
$60.00Play a favorite tune on this sturdy strummer sized for small hands and big voices. Includes playing and tuning tips and 5 songs plus a blank page to write your...
Plantoys Happy Puppy Pull Along Toy
$36.00Happy Puppy is a great push & pull toy for your active little one! Happy Puppy Pull Along Toy Features Made of sustainable rubberwood and coated with a non-toxic finish...
Haba Happy Quartett Block Set
$26.00The Happy Quartett Block Set is perfect for baby's first blocks! Not only does each vibrant and colorful block make a different sound but they are also super soft! Your child...
Cuddle + Kind Harlow The Swan
$84.00 – $104.00I can't decide which I love more - dancing or flying! I think dancing is like dreaming with your feet and flying makes me feel like I can conquer anything....
Cuddle + Kind Harper The Bunny
$84.00 – $104.00I live in a lively garden full of color and magic. Every time I hop through the blooming flowers, I get inspired to create something new! Let’s paint with every...
Hape Healthy Fruit Set Toy
$28.00Get used to eating healthily with this cute fruit set. Includes one realistic play knife, two strawberries, one pear, one orange, one apple, with removable stalks and one slice of...
Chronicle Books Hello Nature (Draw, Collect, Make and...
$18.99A fantastic nature activity book by Nina Chakrabarti, exploring the exciting natural world around us. This is your very own nature scrapbook, packed with fascinating facts and brilliant activities. Doodle,...
Micro Kickboard Helmet V2 3D Scootersaurus
$74.99Keep your child’s noggin safe while scooting with our upgraded available with safe sizing via head circumference, you can be sure that your Micro helmet will be the perfect fit...
Micro Kickboard Helmet V2 Doodle
$69.99Keep your child’s noggin safe while scooting with our upgraded available with safe sizing via head circumference, you can be sure that your Micro helmet will be the perfect fit for your little...
Micro Kickboard Helmet V2 Rocket
$69.99Keep your child’s noggin safe while scooting with our upgraded available with safe sizing via head circumference, you can be sure that your Micro helmet will be the perfect fit for your little...
Micro Kickboard Helmet V2 Unicorn
$69.99Keep your child’s noggin safe while scooting with our upgraded available with safe sizing via head circumference, you can be sure that your Micro helmet will be the perfect fit...
Cuddle + Kind Henry The Bunny
$84.00 – $104.00I‘m a carrot connoisseur and love munching on them wherever I go. Would you like to share? They’re super delicious! I love hopping as fast as I can and working...
Mushie HexaPop Suction Toy
$16.00Our HexaPop Suction Toy is an engaging playtime companion that keeps littles busy at home or on-the-go. The sturdy suction cups on top and bottom easily stick to smooth surfaces,...
Fat Brain Toy Hey Clay Dinos
$24.00Become a professional clay artist with Fat Brain Toys Hey Clay Dinos!The 18 cans of high-quality clay included in this vibrant set are soft, lightweight, non-sticky, nontoxic, and stain-free - Perfect...
Fat Brain Toy Hey Clay Dog Story
$24.00The vibrant clay is soft, lightweight, non-sticky, nontoxic, and stain-free - perfect for young artists taking their first step into the magical world of clay creativity. The fun starts once...
Fat Brain Toy Hey Clay Ocean Creatures
$24.00Become a professional clay artist with Fat Brain Toys Hey Clay Ocean Creatures!Pick one of the six ocean creatures - the octopus, shark, eel, discus fish, clownfish, or stingray. Then, grab the...
Waytoplay Highway Toy Road Set 24 Pieces
$94.00The waytoplay Highway is a great toy for imaginative play. Watch your children create their very own circuits and road maps for their favourite toys and vehicles.The 24 piece set...
Scoot And Ride Highwaykick 1 Scooter
$145.00HighwayKick 1 is a 2-in-1 kickboard that provides a seat for its littlest riders. When your child is ready, the seat easily folds into the handlebar converting the scooter into a...
Scoot And Ride Highwaykick 3 LED Scooter
$120.00Highwaykick 3 LED provides the ultimate safety, stability, and fun with its two-front and one-wheel design. Its safety pad keeps the scooter upright and steady when your little one is riding...
Wonder & Wise Hip Shape Wood Sorter
$50.00It’s hip to be square, or triangular, or rectangular, or one of the 15 shapes in our Hip Shape Wood Sorter. Different shaped wooden blocks fit into the matching shaped...
Maileg Hippo Blue Grey
$40.00Meet your cuddly companion! Our Safari Friends are made from the softest fabric and come in a delightful range of colors. With gentle beans in their bottom, they can sit...
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.