Play Time
Plushies Gino Gingerbread Man
$12.00Gino is no ordinary gingerbread doll—he’s equal parts charm, spice, and witty slice. With his warm molasses-brown body, frosted piping details, bright red nose, and fluffy tuft of icing hair,...
Tikiri Giraffe Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Giraffe: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the great giraffe is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take him in the bath, or as a teething...
Maileg Girl Christmas Mouse Doll
$46.00A medium size mouse dressed in cozy Christmas clothes ready to celebrate the wonderful days of Christmas. Maileg Girl Christmas Mouse Doll Details: Suitable for All Ages Material: Cotton; Filling: Recycled polyester/PE...
BlaBla Girl Elephant Rattle Pink
$32.00Handmade baby rattle made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 7" long Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
Janod GIRL'S COSTUMES MAGNETI'BOOK
$24.00Magnetic educational game in cardboard for girls on the outfit theme. Once the book is opened, the aim is to make on the stage the same outfit as indicated on...
Jellycat Glenny Goat
$55.00Glenny Goat is the cuddliest kid in the herd, ready for cozy naps and slow strolls through imaginary meadows. With a soft, huggable body in warm tan and brown fur,...
Hachette Go Get 'Em, Tiger!
$8.99Celebrate everything that makes your tiger a rising star! From kindness and curiosity to playfulness and positivity, this book is a paw-some salute to anyone reaching a life milestone. The Hello!Lucky...
Mon Ami Goldie Lion
$36.00Cuddle up with the queen of the jungle: Goldie Lion Plush Toy. Mon Ami.s latest lion stuffed animal features a friendly face framed with the softest faux fur mane and...
Cuddle + Kind Goldie The Honey Bear
$80.00 – $100.00What makes the sun shine, or flowers grow? I want to know! I live in a fascinating forest with plenty of new things to discover. If I’m not sure how...
Compendium Good Night Monster Gift Set
$36.95A Storybook and Plush for Sweet Dreams and Happy Bedtimes Bedtime can stir up all kinds of emotions for a child. Good Night Monster is your child’s very own...
Rebel Girls Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Th...
$49.99This gorgeous hardcover boxed set is the perfect gift to inspire any young reader. It contains five individual, historical fiction chapter books, each exploring the life and times of an...
Wonder & Wise Good Wood Mini Golf Game
$69.00It’s GOOD! It’s WOOD! It’s GOLF! Your kids will have hours of fun with the Good Wood Mini Golf Game. So many different configurations make this game different every time....
Lucky Boy Sunday Gorby Doll
$138.00This soft toy is made from the softest merino alpaca and eco-friendly dyes, which makes this a perfect heirloom piece to pass down from generation to generation to cuddle. Material:...
Hape Gourmet Grill with Food
$200.00Double-sided grates, a collapsible side table, moveable wheels, and an open-and-close hood make this grill a gourmet's dream. Watch out for the hot coals! Food and accessories included. ShishKabob Basics...
Le Toy Van Gourmet Hamburger Set
$30.00Serve up a delicious playtime treat with this 13-piece Wooden Hamburger Meal Set, beautifully crafted from FSC-certified sustainable wood. This complete fast-food set includes a Velcro hamburger with a bun,...
Maileg Grand Dad Mouse
$32.00Meet Granddad Mouse — the kind and clever storyteller of the Mouse family! Dressed in rubber boots, a smart jacket, pants, and a bow tie, he’s always ready for a...
Plushies Grand Flopsie Goldie Retriever Plush Toy
$32.00Goldie Grand Flopsie is a large golden retriever that comes in a resting position. Suitable for all ages and personalities. High-Quality Materials make for a soft and fluffy touch. Quality...
Le Toy Van Grand Piano Toy
$200.00Inspire a love for music with this beautifully crafted Wooden Grand Piano Toy made from FSC-certified wood, designed for budding musicians. Made from sustainable wood and painted in an elegant...
Waytoplay Grand Prix Road Set 24 Pieces
$94.00The new waytoplay Grand Prix flexible road set will set young hearts racing! Watch your children create their very own circuits and road maps for their favorite little racecars and...
Moulin Roty Grande Famille Wooden Characters
$32.00Ideal for playing and making up stories, they are illustrated and screen-printed, representing the most emblematic members of The Big Family.Five assorted characters: Sylvain the Rabbit, Albert the Lamb, Nini...
Crazy Aaron's Grape Grady 5oz
$12.00Discover the world’s friendliest dough! These friendly fruit themed Land of Dough 5oz play dough cups are vibrantly colored and individually handcrafted with natural colors, compostable glitter for a wonDOUGHful...
Oli and Carol Green Cabbage Baby Ball
$22.00This adorable baby ball, shaped like a cabbage, offers endless fun for kids as they bounce, catch, and squeeze it. Crafted from 100% natural rubber and designed without any holes,...
Tender Leaf Toys Greenhouse and Garden Set
$110.00This set is ideal for encouraging green fingers. A traditional plywood greenhouse with base has an opening door, and 2 removable roof panels. It can be filled with 2 seed...
Grimm's Grimm's 3 in 1 Boat Toy Monochrome
$32.00Grimm’s Monochrome 3 in a Boat is the perfect versatile toy for your little one! Authentic Grimm's 3-in-1 Boat Toy Monochrome Details: Perfect in combination with Grimm’s Rolling Boats &...
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.