Play Time
Chronicle Books Hooray for Little Fingers!
$14.991, 2, 3, 4, 5! What can 5 little fingers do? Tickle, wiggle, dance—and much more!In this lively and irresistible board book, young readers learn to count and explore just...
Jellycat Hopscone Luxe Bunny
$50.00By day, Hopscone Luxe Bunny is rarely spotted. By night, she’s the voice of Luxe FM: spinning hophip dance tracks and providing the odd weather update (usually a guess).With mottled...
Tikiri Horse Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Made from organic natural rubber, this friendly filly from our My First Farm Collection is easy for tiny hands to grip. And when shaken, it responds with a gentle sound...
Maileg Hot Chocolate Set - Mini
$34.00It is time to invite your friends over for hot chocolate. This set contains 2 cup, 2 plates, a pot and off course the chocolate. The sets is made in...
Candylab Hot Dog Van Toy Car
$22.00Nothing says NYC like a hot dog stand. As New Yorkers, we must pay tribute to the hot dog – it's the quintessential New York street food. Our hot dog...
Maileg House of Miniature Doll House Toy (Pr...
$312.00Dollhouse with beautifully decorated walls. Products that fit into the house: Bunny/Rabbit size 1, 2, micro, my, Teddy family and furniture and accessories in size miniature House of Miniature Doll...
Penguin How to Be a Lion Book
$18.99This sweet, funny, thoughtful, and much-needed story will open up readers' eyes to the importance of being who they are and not backing down to hurtful criticism. It's an empowering...
Hape HPE Mix & Bake Blender
$40.00Can't wait to grow up and become a real baker? Then practice makes perfect, and with the Mix & Bake Blender, children can pretend to bake using their own flour...
Candylab Hudson Taxi
$36.00Always ready to "follow that car", and now available for consequence-free wooden fender benders. New York City cabs can't get more durable than this. Materials & Info: Solid Beech wood, water-based...
Mon Ami Huggie Bear Large
$66.00Huggie Bear is your child's new best friend! Lovingly crafted with ultra soft plush and adorable details for cozy cuddles and sweet snuggles, in Extral Large size. 100% Polyester for...
Janod Human Body Educational Puzzle
$48.00This set of 4 giant educational puzzles will allow your child to discover the human body. The box contains: 1- 50-piece anatomically-correct double-sided girl/boy puzzle 1- 75-piece puzzle of...
Tender Leaf Toys Humming Bird House
$270.00Welcome to our exotic Humming Bird House! A colonial style home with a veranda on either side of the front door, which is decorated with an abundance of flora! Can...
Moulin Roty I Am Working Valise Wooden Tool Set
$52.00Let your little ones enjoy as they pretend to build projects while learning what each tool is meant to do. This set is packaged in a wooden carrying case illustrated...
Ooly I Heart Art Erasable Crayons
$16.00Start the love for art with inspirational heart-shaped crayons. The I Heart Art Erasable Crayons are brightly colored and shaped into heart-shapes with 2 coordinating colors in each one. These...
Chronicle Books I See, I See Book
$17.99A book for one. A book for two. A book for different points of view. This clever and colorful picture book of opposites will change the way you see things,...
Janod I Wood Shapes & Sounds 6 Block Puzzle
$36.00A fantastic puzzle for toddlers to teach them how to recognize shapes and help them develop their fine motor skills while having fun. Each cube has a different shape, colour...
Janod I'm Learning How to Tell Time
$36.00An ideal early-learning toy for learning to tell the time while having fun! This toy develops learning about the concept of time, discovery, and experimentation. A real clock complete with 13...
Tender Leaf Toys Ice Cream Cart
$84.00Who doesn't love ice cream? A gorgeous wooden push-along cart on wheels, with 4 wooden ice lollies, 4 cornets, 4 magnetized colorful ice creams, a magnetic ice cream scoop, and...
Le Toy Van Ice Cream Machine
$50.00Whip up unlimited ice creams with your very own machine! Decorated in delicate pastel colors, a touch of gold paint and unique illustrations bringing it to life. Suitable for ages...
Le Toy Van Ice Cream Trolley
$250.00Pretend Play All the fun of the fair! This classic toy is sure to transport little one to bygone days for imaginative play with a sprinkling of good old fashioned...
Wonder & Wise Ice Cream Truck Playhome
$219.00I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice cream! This canvas-printed Ice Cream Truck Playhome will provide hours of fun for kiddos. The graphics include whimsical images of tasty...
Calico Critters Ice Cream Van
$56.00Sweet treats on wheels for your Calico Critters adventures! Serve up smiles at the Amusement Park with the Ice Cream Van, a charming pink vehicle that turns into a fully...
Candylab Ice Cream Van Toy Car
$22.00Soft-serving up good looks. As far as a symbol of simpler times and a carefree way to stuff sugar and calories in your childhood, you can’t beat the ice cream...
Le Toy Van Ice Creams
$40.00Roll up, roll up! Serve up an icy treat with this sweet set of four, hand painted, ice-cream cones, from our inspired pretend play foods collection. Lovingly crafted from solid...
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.