Play Time
Oli and Carol Natural Rubber Teether Margarita the ...
$18.00Margarita the Daisy is a natural rubber teether, bath, & sensory play toy! A wide variety of textures help stimulate the senses and soothe teething gums. And it's easy to hang from a strap for...
Oli and Carol Natural Rubber Teether Merry The Cherry
$22.00Merry the Cherry is a fruit-shaped baby toy perfect for sensory play, and bath time - all the while introducing them to nature at an early age! Safe for kids,...
Oli and Carol Natural Rubber Teether Pepa The Apple
$20.00Pepa The Apple is a chewable baby toy for teething, bath time and sensory play. Handmade in 100% natural rubber and hand-painted with natural pigments. Introduce your baby into a healthy...
Oli and Carol Natural Rubber Teether Spot The Mushroom
$22.00Spot the Mushroom is a vegetable-shaped baby toy perfect for sensory play, and bath time - all the while introducing them to nature at an early age! Safe for kids, worry-free play! Designed...
Natruba Natural Rubber Teether Swan
$24.00Natruba Natural Rubber Teether White Swan is particularly suited for your baby's small hands and the different textures will stimulate your baby's senses. Features textured feathers, air-filled body, solid beads, silk-like surface...
Oli and Carol Natural Rubber Teether Theo the Tulip
$22.00Theo the Tulip is a natural rubber teether, bath, & sensory play toy! Its ring makes it easy for little hands to grasp while teething or during creative play. A wide...
Oli and Carol Natural Rubber Teether Water Lily
$20.00Water Lily is a natural rubber baby toy for teething, bath time, and sensory play. Hand-painted with natural pigments for safe and worry-free play! Designed with no holes so when they’re floating, no...
Oli and Carol Natural Rubber Teether Water Shark
$20.00Water Shark is a natural rubber baby toy for teething, bath time, and sensory play. Hand-painted with natural pigments for safe and worry-free play!The ocean waves will help kids discover new textures...
Wee Gallery Nature Number Cards
$26.00These beautifully illustrated nature-inspired cards are designed to teach numbers in a fun and logical way. Use as flash cards, as well as a matching game that matches the number...
Chronicle Books Nature Sticker - Butterflies of the W...
$9.99Butterflies, with their transformation from hungry caterpillar to beautiful flying flower, are among the most fascinating animals for children. Observing butterflies and moths introduces them to a wide range of...
Simon & Schuster Neon Books: My First Book of the Alph...
$8.99The ABCs—brighter and bolder than ever before!Learn the ABCs with a bright new twist! From alligator to zebra, little learners will be captivated by the bold neon illustrations and die-cut...
Mushie Nesting Spheres Sensory Toy
$18.00Encourage your little one’s curiosity and development with our Nesting Spheres Sensory Toy. Each silicone sphere features a different color and texture to stimulate tactile exploration and encourage littles to...
Jellycat New Bashful Unicorn
$33.00Bashful Unicorn is heavenly to hold, in souffle-soft vanilla fur. This fabulous pal is wonderfully detailed, with strawberry-sundae nose and ears, and silky mane and tail. And check out that...
Sophie La Giraffe New Sophie Bath Book
$22.00To liven up baby's bath time! Over the course of 8 pages, Baby discovers Sophie la Giraffe and her friends in 3 different aquatic worlds: the ocean, the ice floe,...
Le Toy Van New York Car Set
$40.00The New York Car Set includes 6 iconic American wooden vehicles: 10 wheeler articulated truck, a school bus, a police car, a yellow taxi, an ambulance, and a Firetruck. 3 years+...
Madame Alexander Newborn Baby Doll Pink Cloud Light Skin
$90.00This new bundle of joy is ready to go home with your little one! Your child can love and care for Newborn Baby just like a real mom or dad....
Llorens Newborn Doll Lily
$110.00Lily is the perfect first baby doll—thoughtfully designed for little hands and big imaginations. Dressed in a simple white tee, matching shorts, and a sweet hat with pink accents, Lily...
Llorens Newborn Doll Skylar with Bed Cushion
$132.00Meet Skylar, the perfect cuddle companion for your little one. Dressed in a cozy white onesie and topped with an adorable pom-pom hat, Skylar is always ready for snuggles. She...
Londji Night and Day in Paris Reversible Puzzle
$18.00Night and Day Paris 36 piece reversible puzzle comes packaged in a beautiful high quality carboard box with elastic closure. A perfect gift for those who love the "City of...
Sophie La Giraffe Night Light Star Projector Sophie the...
$80.00MUSICAL NIGHTLIGHT: Activate the gentle lullaby at your convenience with the manual winder under the nightlight (duration of 2 minutes 30).STAR PROJECTOR: This function gently illuminates your child's room with the discreet...
Artesanal Dolls Nines d'Onil Poppy Bear Doll Floral D...
$42.00The Nines d'Onil Poppy Bear Doll. These adorable tiny baby bears are perfect for tiny hands. Her eyes are honey brown, her cheeks are pink and her expression is very tender. Phthalate-free...
Artesanal Dolls Nines d'Onil Poppy Bear Doll Light Bl...
$39.00The Nines d'Onil Poppy Bear Doll. These adorable tiny baby bears are perfect for tiny hands. Her eyes are honey brown, her cheeks are pink and her expression is very tender. Phthalate-free...
Artesanal Dolls Nines d'Onil Poppy Bear Doll Mustard ...
$42.00The Nines d'Onil Poppy Bear Doll. These adorable tiny baby bears are perfect for tiny hands. Her eyes are honey brown, her cheeks are pink and her expression is very tender. Phthalate-free...
Artesanal Dolls Nines d'Onil Poppy Bear Doll Pink Dress
$42.00The Nines d'Onil Poppy Bear Doll. These adorable tiny baby bears are perfect for tiny hands. Her eyes are honey brown, her cheeks are pink and her expression is very tender. Phthalate-free...
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.