Play Time
Glueckskaefer Sunset Stacking Puzzle Purple
$62.00A stacking and building puzzle in the beautiful tones of the sunset! Build and play with the blocks, and then you can reassemble them as a delightful sunset!Handcrafted in Europe...
Tender Leaf Toys Sunshine Baby Activity Walker
$158.00A contemporary and stylish activity walker designed for toddlers learning to take their first steps. Inspired by the weather, including a sun that flips to a mirror, a windmill that...
Chewbeads Sunshine Stacker Teether Toy
$18.00Chewbeads Sunshine Stacker Teether is the perfect addition to any playroom. Made with 100% silicone, this colorful and safe stacking toy provides a world of entertainment, plus introduces fine motor skills, counting,...
Tender Leaf Toys Supermarket Grocery Set
$48.00A set of Tender Leaf branded grocery products. Each item has a beautifully printed label illustrated with fun food. Set includes ice cream tub, popcorn, cat food, a tin of...
Maileg Surfer Big Brother Beach Mouse Doll
$46.00Vacation time. This mouse is ready for a day at the beach. He is dressed in a surf suit and brings his surfboard, and to complete the surfer look, he...
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...
Madame Alexander Sweet Baby Nursery Bows and Bears Doll
$56.00Sweet Baby Nursery Bows & Bears Doll is perfect for your little one to hold and to have years of play with! This light skin tone with blue eyes baby...
Juratoys Sweet Cocoon Activity Table
$108.00Here is the ideal toy to satisfy a toddlers' desires for discovery and manipulation! With this pretty wooden multi-activity table, baby will be delighted! Its size and the games offered...
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...
Juratoys 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...
Juratoys 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 Tap Tap Wooden Toy
$40.00This wooden early-years toy lives up to its name! What could be more fun for little ones aged 12 months and over than picking up the pretty wooden hammer and...
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...
Madame Alexander Sweet Smiles Kitty Light Skin Doll
$46.00This adorable 14” baby is just the right size for your child to snuggle! The baby has a soft body, a weighted bottom, and molded head, legs, and arms so...
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...
Jellycat Swinley Boar
$38.00Swinley Boar runs the legendary Boar Store, a supply shop so well-stocked it’s rumored Bartholomew Bear once got lost in the chocolate aisle… With Amuseables Sardine Tin on stock management, it’s...
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...
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.