Play Time
Cuddle + Kind Ella The Unicorn
$80.00 – $100.00I come from a whimsical place where the sun glitters and the clouds are like cotton candy. I love to bring out the best in people and find the good...
Cuddle + Kind Elliot The Fawn
$80.00 – $100.00I roam a breathtaking forest every day in search of exciting new places and amazing new experiences. Travelling is my passion – it opens my heart, broadens my mind and...
Tonies Elmer and Friends Story Collection Au...
$19.99A colorful story about being ourselves and celebrating the things that make us unique Elmer is different from the other elephants. Rather than being grey, he’s a colorful patchwork! ...
Cuddle + Kind Eloise The Elephant
$80.00 – $100.00I live on a stunning savanna under the gigantic blue sky. I love romance and ruffles and even though I’m little, I want to achieve big things! Let’s be BFFs,...
Great Pretenders Emerald The Metallic Dragon Cape
$50.00The Emerald the Dragon Cape is not just any ordinary cape; it is a gateway to a world of imagination and creativity for your child. With its vibrant emerald metallic...
Bajo Emergency Vehicle Set
$84.00The emergency vehicle set can make your toddler feel like a hero with having a bright red fire truck with a movable ladder and a bell silver police car tow...
Tender Leaf Toys Emergency Vehicles
$30.00Bring action-packed imaginative play to life with this durable Solid Wood Vehicle Set, featuring essential emergency and rescue vehicles designed for little hands. Each piece is crafted from high-quality solid...
Gibbs Smith Emma
$11.99BabyLit® is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar’s...
Oli and Carol Emma the Eggplant Baby Car
$28.00Roll, play & learn with the coolest & healthiest cars for babies! Meet Emma, the eco-friendly baby car toy! Crafted from natural rubber and FSC-certified wood, this adorable car features an...
Janod Emotions Magnetic Game
$36.00Introduce your child to emotions through the illustrated cards representing various situations from daily life. On the back of each card, there is an answer face that matches the magnets to...
Candylab Engine 53 Toy Car
$66.00I think we're gonna need a bigger fire truck! The Engine 53 features a raisable ladder and is ready to put out the toughest fires. Materials: Solid Beech wood, water-based paint,...
Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Airplane
$25.00Explore, imagine and learn with the Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Airplane, containing blank styles featuring the natural wonder of our world and mystical creatures allowing children to learn about it through our e-guide!...
Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Dinosaurs
$25.00Explore, imagine and learn with the Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Dinosaurs, containing blank styles featuring the natural wonder of our world and mystical creatures allowing children to learn about it through our e-guide!...
Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Dragons
$25.00Explore, imagine and learn with the Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Dragons, containing blank styles featuring the natural wonder of our world and mystical creatures allowing children to learn about it through our e-guide! Jaq...
Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Gnomes
$25.00Explore, imagine and learn with the Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Gnomes, containing blank styles featuring the natural wonder of our world and mystical creatures allowing children to learn about it through our e-guide!...
Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Mermaids
$25.00Explore, imagine and learn with the Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Mermaid, containing blank styles featuring the natural wonder of our world and mystical creatures allowing children to learn about it through our e-guide!...
Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Spaceship
$25.00Explore, imagine and learn with the Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Spaceship, containing blank styles featuring the natural wonder of our world and mystical creatures allowing children to learn about it through our e-guide!...
Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Submarine
$25.00Explore, imagine, and learn with the Erasable Activity Book Submarine, containing blank styles featuring the natural wonder of our world and mystical creatures allowing children to learn about it through...
Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Unicorn and Ra...
$25.00Explore, imagine and learn with the Jaq Jaq Bird Erasable Activity Book Unicorn and Rainbow, containing blank styles featuring the natural wonder of our world and mystical creatures allowing children to learn...
Milton & Goose Essential Play Kitchen
$799.00Whether your little one is whipping up an original recipe or taking first place in an imaginary cooking competition, our Essential Play Kitchen is the perfect canvas for imaginative play....
Plushies Essie Coffee Cup
$12.00Say hello to Essie Coffee Cup, a warm and inviting addition to the Palm Pals collection. This plush coffee cup is designed to bring a cozy touch to your day...
Cuddle + Kind Evan The Elephant
$80.00 – $100.00I love to roam big, wide-open spaces and use my trunk to reach high places. I also love to perform – nothing makes me happier than making people happy! I...
Cuddle + Kind Everest The Penguin
$80.00Where I come from, the ice and snow are always sparkling. I love building snow forts, slurping marshmallows in hot chocolate, and most of all, helping people. I believe we...
Gibbs Smith Evita Opposites
$10.00Introducing Spanish/English bilingualism, Lil’ Libros encourage parents to read to their children at the earliest age focusing on subjects they are familiar with while making it fun and rewarding for...
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.