Play Time
Maileg Surfer Little Brother Beach Mouse Doll
$40.00Vacation time. This mouse is ready for a day at the beach. He is wearing a surf suit and brings his surfboard as he prefers to use the time on...
Maileg Surfer Little Sister Beach Mouse Doll
$40.00Vacation time. This mouse is ready for a day at the beach. She is wearing a swimsuit and brings her surfboard as she prefers to use the time on the...
Plantoys Surgeon Set
$46.00Roleplay as a surgeon and learn about the human body with the Surgeon Set! This playset includes a fabric piece labeled with different organs (the bronchus, lungs, heart with...
Madame Alexander Sweet Baby Nursery Blossom and Bows Doll
$56.00This 12" Sweet Baby Nursery - Blossoms & Bows doll is perfect for your little one to hold and to have years of play with! This light skin tone with...
Janod Sweet Cocoon Alphabet Puzzle
$36.00It's time to get to grips with the alphabet! Introducing a toy that will amuse your child whilst prompting them to discover the letters of the alphabet! These include placing the...
Janod Sweet Cocoon Ant Racing Ramp
$42.00Ready for the race of the century? Here are the ants lined up and raring to go!! A ball run made from natural wood featuring 4 intrepid ants in hot...
Janod Sweet Cocoon Rainbow Turtle Wooden Toy
$46.00Your child will love to walk this pretty wooden turtle with its rainbow shell composed of 6 wooden arcs of circles. The rainbows pile up at will to form an...
Janod Sweet Cocoon Stackable Ducks
$22.00Quack, quack! The duckling is itching for a ride on his mother’s back! Help your child put together mother duck so the little duckling can go for a ride on...
Janod Sweet Cocoon Wooden Multi Activity Wa...
$108.00This beautiful multi-activity push-along walker toy is great for helping children learn to walk. It’s suitable for children aged 12 months and over and comes with an invisible, removable brake...
Tender Leaf Toys Sweet Swan Doll Pram
$116.00Swanning about with dolly in the pram? A beautiful white buggy in the shape of a swan with cutout features and a fabric canopy. Natural wooden wheels with rubber trim....
Sophie La Girafe Sweetie Plush with Musical Box
$32.00An ultra soft plush made with micro velvet material for a soft touch and very flexible thanks to the microbeads placed in the body and to the legs tip. She...
N&L Exclusive Swimming Ducks Bath Toy
$24.00Five adorable ducks. With them, the bathroom will become the happiest and most fun time of the day. A must-have set for everyday play! Their striking colors, their soft...
Plushies Tabby the Orange Cat
$38.00Introducing Tabby, our 15" realistic cat stuffed animal that glorifies the beauty of a striped tabby cat. With real-to-life details and a floppy body, this plush cat stuffed animal adds...
Maileg Table and Chair Set, Mouse - Dark powder
$54.00Table and chair set that fits the Mouse hole Farmhouse. It is made in beech wood with metal legs. Please notice the handmade color details on the feet of the legs...
Maileg Table And Stool Set Mouse
$22.00A stool and table set made for the mouse family. It is inspired by buttons and can be mixed with other mice furniture and accessories to create a lovely home....
Plantoys Tableware Set
$40.00It's hard to enjoy a meal without the correct dishware! Invite children to pretend play with the PlanToys Tableware Set included. With 2 plates, bowls, spoons, forks, knives, and glasses,...
Candylab Taco Van Toy Car
$22.00This taco truck was inspired by the trailblazing spirit of the very first food trucks. Designed with true SoCal vibes in mind, it has fun and fiesty coats of paint,...
Phaidon Press Tacos!: An Interactive Recipe Book
$22.95For kids who cook in a play kitchen or a real kitchen, this interactive recipe book invites readers to chop the vegetables, mash the avocado, warm the tortillas, and more...
Le Toy Van Take Away Smoothie Trio
$20.00This tasty trio of take away smoothies makes a sweet addition to your children's pretend play universe. In an array of cute colors, complete with striped straws, this gender neutral...
Kiko+ & gg* Tape Recorder Pink
$120.00Turn back time to the good old days with the NEW kiko+ retro wooden tape recorder, a one-of-a-kind toy that combines the charm of traditional wood with modern electronic fun. The...
Kiko+ & gg* Tape Recorder Yellow
$120.00Turn back time to the good old days with the NEW kiko+ retro wooden tape recorder, a one-of-a-kind toy that combines the charm of traditional wood with modern electronic fun. The...
Candylab Taxi Toy Car
$12.00Part of the Candylab new Candycar line, a cute 3 inches long. One of two of our racers, who said speed comes with size? Materials: Solid Beech Wood, water-based paint, and...
Le Toy Van Tea and Coffee Re-Useable Eco Cups
$16.00Perfect for little baristas in the making, this charming Tea & Coffee To Go Set is a delightful addition to any imaginative play collection.Designed with a realistic touch, each cup...
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.