Play Time
Penguin This is Rome Book
$17.95This is Rome, first published in 1960, traces the history of Roman civilization to bring to life the Rome of the 60's. Sasek navigates Rome's busy, winding streets to visit...
Penguin This is the Way to the Moon Book
$17.95In This is the Way to the Moon, first published in 1963, Sasek rockets readers to Cape Canaveral—the space capital of the world, a science-fiction-turned-fact spot on the Florida coast—with...
Penguin This is the World Book
$37.50This Is the World A Global Treasury is a compilation of abridged versions of M. Sasek’s most popular children’s travel books. This is the World is the perfect book for...
Penguin This is Washington DC Book
$17.95Super-tourist Sasek paints Washington red, white, and blue as he tours the nation’s capital. Stops include the Washington Monument, the White House, and the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, the last...
Compendium Tickle Monster Laughter Kit
$34.95Here's everything you need to bring a loveable Tickle Monster to life for your kids with the Tickle Monster Laughter Kit. Slip your hands into the super-soft fluffy blue mitts...
Magformers Tileblox Inspire 60 Piece Toy Set
$69.99Use the Tileblox Inspire 60Pc Set to create a rocket ship, castle or your favorite animal. With six different geometric shapes including squares and triangles, the Tileblox 60pc Set is...
Magformers Tileblox Rainbow 60 Piece Toy Set
$69.99Arriving with 16 equilateral triangles, 22 squares, 2 trapezoids, 6 isosceles triangles, 4 rectangles, and 10 right-angle triangles this set is perfect for your young budding builder! Each geometric shape...
Tender Leaf Toys Timber Taxi
$36.00Call a taxi! Get around in style and pick up the Merrywood folks in this quirky log-shaped vehicle. Grabbing a ride today is Fungi, Robbie, and Woody. Age range: 18...
Cuddle + Kind Tiny Charlotte the dog
$44.00Introducing the Tiny Collection by cuddle+kind. Beautiful hand-knit tiny dolls with stunning craftsmanship and exquisite details that make them little works of art. You’ll love to collect and share these...
Cuddle + Kind Tiny Elliott the fawn
$44.00Birthday: March 30thth I roam a breathtaking forest every day in search of exciting new places and amazing new experiences. Travelling is my passion – it opens my heart, broadens my...
Cuddle + Kind Tiny Hannah the bunny (blush)
$44.00Birthday: July 10thth I’m always hopping from one big dream to another. There’s so much I want to accomplish in this beautiful world, and I know I can do it if...
Cuddle + Kind Tiny Henry the bunny
$44.00Introducing the Tiny Collection by cuddle+kind. Beautiful hand-knit tiny dolls with stunning craftsmanship and exquisite details that make them little works of art. You’ll love to collect and share these...
Cuddle + Kind Tiny Noah The Dog
$44.00Birthday: February 3rdth Hi! Hello! So glad to meet you! I can’t stop my tail from wagging! I’m super interested in everything and want to know all there is to know...
Math for Love Tiny Polka Dot Card Game
$16.00Tiny Polka Dot is a playful way for children to fall in love with numbers. With eye-catching, colorful cards and 16 easy-to-learn games, Tiny Polka Dot is built to grow...
Cuddle + Kind Tiny Violet The Fawn
$44.00Birthday: April 20thth I‘m a carrot connoisseur and love munching on them wherever I go. Would you like to share? They’re super delicious! I love hopping as fast as I can...
Bajo Tipper Sorting Truck
$88.00The Bajo Tipper Shape Sorter is a two-in-one toy that older babies and toddlers will love. Shape sorting is a great way to develop a child’s shape recognition, hand-eye coordination...
Artesanal Dolls Tita Muslin Doll Blonde Hair
$102.00TITA MUSELÍN is a doll that measures 45cm. It has vinyl limbs and a soft body made of hypoallergenic fabric. In this case, dressed in a very modern sport style...
Artesanal Dolls Tita Muslin Doll Brown Hair
$102.00TITA MUSELÍN is a doll that measures 45cm. It has vinyl limbs and a soft body made of hypoallergenic fabric. In this case, dressed in a very modern sport style...
Artesanal Dolls Tita Star Doll
$102.00TITA STAR is a doll that measures 45cm. It has vinyl limbs and a soft body made of hypoallergenic fabric. In this case, dressed like a ballet dancer: tights, shiny...
Manhattan Toy Toadstool Cottage Fill and Spill Toy
$44.00A mushroom-themed fill and spill adventure. This whimsical mushroom is covered in a variety of fabric textures and offers fill and spill play for busy little ones. It comes with...
Vilac Toby dog pull toy
$58.00Wisely installed in its doghouse-shaped box, our Toby the dog pull toy is just waiting for your little one to go for a walk. Fall for its black and white...
Hape Toddler Beat Box Musical toy Set
$49.00Everything needed for an afternoon Jam session! this music set of 4 different instruments is perfect for young musicians to explore and discover their talents. Ages 12+ months
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.