Play Time
Ooly Left and Right Ergonomic Crayons
$12.00Are you right handed? Left handed? Ambidextrous? It doesn't matter with Left Right Crayons, they are ergonomic for everyone! These easy-to-hold crayons make drawing works of art comfortable and fun....
Plushies Leonardus Lion
$28.00Flopsie collection styles your favorite animal companions in a resting position for added cuteness and ease when playing, cuddling, and more! This Leonardus lion is a golden yellow with a...
Gibbs Smith Les Miserable
$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...
Moulin Roty Les Parisiennes Tea Set
$56.00Precious and delicate, a powder pink painted tea set with silver edging, with a floral pattern and delicate refined illustrations of Paris by Lucille Michieli. presented in a charming illustrated...
Abrams Let's Count Florida
$12.99Numbers and colors are more fun in Florida! In this dynamic, colorful primer, young readers count from 1 to 10—learning colors along the way—as they discover the places, animals, and...
NINI and LOLI Let's Look at... Animals
$9.99With beautiful artwork from best-selling author and illustrator Marion Deuchars, this book is the perfect introduction to animals.
Chronicle Books Let’s Look at Nature
$9.99Part of the Let's Look at... series of board books from bestselling author and illustrator Marion Deuchars, this book is the perfect introduction to the wonders of nature.From green grass and fluffy...
Chronicle Books Let’s Look at Numbers
$9.99This book is the perfect introduction to counting, part of a brand-new series of board books Let's Look At ... and with beautiful artwork from bestselling author and illustrator Marion Deuchars. Make learning...
Chronicle Books Let’s Look at Opposites
$9.99Part of the Let's Look at... series of board books from bestselling author and illustrator Marion Deuchars, this book is the perfect introduction to the world of opposites.From up and down penguins...
Chronicle Books Let’s Look at Shapes Board Book
$9.99Let’s look at shapes! With beautiful artwork from best-selling author and illustrator Marion Deuchars, this book is a fun and lively introduction to simple shapes. Boardbook 24 pages 11...
Tender Leaf Toys Life on Mars Set
$86.00Reach for the stars with this Life on Mars set. Your little astronauts will love the realistic space station with its communication towers, astronauts, and UFOs. Helps to create interest...
Brio Lift & Load Starter Set
$69.00All aboard! Build your first BRIO World with this Brio Lift and Load Starter Set. The layout is packed with machine toys – grab crane, truck, a pop-up hood engine...
Brio Lift and Load Warehouse Set
$140.00Building vertical shapes have a natural thrill to it. The Brio Lift and Load Warehouse Set make just that possible, even irresistible. Build the stackable bridges, curves, and sloping tracks...
Brio Light Up Construction Crane
$80.00Light Up Construction Crane is ready to take on any building challenges within BRIO World. Managing cargo and constructions has never been so much fun as with this fully functioning...
Doona Liki Helmet
$55.00The Liki Helmet design features unique silicon horns on a matt black helmet. It provides ultimate protection with a dial-fit adjustment system for a secure and comfortable fit, a padded...
Doona Liki Trike
$380.00The Liki Midnight strikes with a bold all-black design and sophisticated details. Liki Trike features a faux-leather diamond-stitch pattern as well as black anodized aluminum throughout the product. This edition...
Doona Liki Trike S5
$330.00Get ready to roll with the Liki Trike by Doona™, the world’s most compact folding trike. The sleek urban design of the Liki Trike allows you to be safe and...
Plushies Lil Lofty Belly Blanket
$56.00A multi-functional playmat. This giraffe nursery décor themed mat is perfect for babies and toddlers, providing comfort and joy in one. Indispensable for every playtime, this baby floor mat embodies playfulness...
Corolle Lila Cherie
$122.00Lila Chérie is the perfect large baby doll (17”) for little ones who love to play parent. Designed with five interactive functions, Lila Chérie responds just like a real baby—making...
Crazy Aaron's Lily Longneck 5oz
$12.00Discover the world’s friendliest dough! These friendly zoo animal themed Land of Dough 5oz play dough cups are vibrantly colored and individually handcrafted with natural colors, compostable glitter for a...
Plushies Lion Large Lying Plush Toy
$46.00This majestic king of the jungle is 16.5 inches long, featuring a full mane of golden fur and a large tuft on his tail, he'll quickly become the king of...
Plushies Lion Plush Toy
$98.00This Lion has golden brown fur, a long, furry mane, and comes in a resting position. A best pick for anyone who wants to add an extra-large amount of fun...
Maileg Little Brother Mouse in Matchbox
$36.00A classic Maileg item, this mouse is ready for hours of play and sleeps soundly in its little matchbox. The clothes and bedding are made of soft fabrics with unique...
Maileg Little Brother Mouse Polka Doll in Ma...
$30.00This mouse is ready for hours of play and sleeps tight in the little matchbox. The clothes and bedlinen are made of soft fabrics with unique prints in beautiful colors. ...
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.