Many years ago, in the land before time, there lived three Holdie Extinct Animals that were gone long before you and me. Mammoth, Dodo and Saber Tooth Tiger are all...
Come and explore the prehistoric world, where you will meet its resident Dinosaurs Pterodactyl, T-Rex and Ankylosaurus. Handmade from a soft wool blend with embroidered features, these three dino friends...
Feel the cheer and celebrate the season with this wonderful compilation of traditional classic tunes, holiday favorites and amazing original songs! Tonies Holiday Songs & Carols Penguin Details: Age: 3...
Lights, camera, action! Hollywood is calling for budding young actors or film directors with this dazzling wooden toy film camera. Let little imaginations run wild as they find their inner...
A stylish mixer with metal swivel whisk, wooden bowl, and clacking on and off button. Ingredients to weigh out on a modern kitchen scale include a wooden egg that opens...
A delightful market stall featuring a striped canopy and integral bell. Includes a canvas shopping bag and a crate of apples and pears. Age: 3 years+ Market stall with shopping...
1, 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...
By 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...
Made 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...
It 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...
Nothing 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...
Dollhouse 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...
This 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...
Can'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...
Always 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...
Huggie 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...
This 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...
Welcome 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...
Let 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...
Start 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...
This colorful puzzle lets your little ones choose their favorite color and show what they love about it. Includes 7 reversible puzzles that are 3 pieces each. Age: 3 years+...
Colorful reversible puzzles that your little ones can recognize and play with their favorite pets. Includes 21 pieces reversible puzzles Age: 3 years+ Material: Recycled cardboard and paper Made in...
A 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’s Wood Shapes Quiz is a round shape sorter, the perfect toy for your little one so they can learn their shapes and colors! Includes 6 colored shapes: star, triangle,...
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.