Play Time
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Clip and Discover Shapes
$28.00Help little ones recognize shapes and entertain them while they're on the go. In true Wimmer-Ferguson fashion, each shape has a simpler black-and-white graphics on one side and more complex...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Double Feature Mirror
$50.00One side features a mirror for self discovery, while the other side has high-contrast black & white graphics that help baby with visual & multi-sensory development. This toy has ribbon...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Learning Cube
$28.00This 6-sides of this soft cube feature ribbons, crinkle paper, bungee elephant trunk, rattle, squeaker, textured teething ring, peek a boo flaps and baby safe mirror. The Learning Cube teaches...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Mind Shapes
$28.00These vibrant shapes encourage babies to look, touch, and listen. Each easy-to-carry shape has a noisemaker and a medley of research-correct graphics and textures. Mind-shapes have won the hearts of...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Nursery Novel Soft Book
$22.00The soft nursery novel features classic development prints, crinkle paper flaps, a mirror, and ribbon ties to close or attach to various play areas. Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Nursery Novel Features:...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Spiral Tiger
$26.00Tiger spiral features three dangling attachments to encourage grasping, self-discovery, and cause and effect learning. Attachments include rattles, teethers, and a baby-safe mirror. High contrast patterns and colors support the...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Ferguson Stim Mobile To Go
$16.00The beloved infant stim-mobile is now available on the go! We've turned the award-winning infant stim-mobile into a compact, easy-to-attach stroller mobile. This mobile features six reversible cards that contain...
Manhattan Toy Wimmer Sight and Sound Travel Toy
$20.00Playtime on the go! The Wimmer-Ferguson® Sights & Sounds Travel Toy features a variety of fun attachments sure to engage baby: rattle ring, circular mirror, crinkle paper, ribbon and beads....
Manhattan Toy Winkel Bee Rattle and Teether Toy
$18.00The Zoo Winkels Butterfly features the same colorful, chewable, bendable loops as the original, which make it easy for infants to grasp and explore. The appeal of the Winkel teething...
Manhattan Toy Winkel Bunny Pink Rattle and Teether Toy
$18.00The Zoo Winkels Rabbit features the same colorful, chewable, bendable loops as the original, which make it easy for infants to grasp and explore. The appeal of the Winkel teething...
Manhattan Toy Winkel Colorpop
$16.00The classic Winkel now features a sweet little animal face! An adorable lion face has been placed inside the classic Winkel loop structure for added engagement. The Zoo-Winkel is the...
Manhattan Toy Winkel Sensory Teether Toy
$18.00Colorful loops made from soft, pliable plastic are easy to grasp and hold, plus caregivers can refrigerate it for a soothing teether. The Winkel teether rattle is a must-have for...
Maileg Winter Mouse With Ski Set Big Sister ...
$43.00A little sister mouse dressed up like a graceful ballerina. She wears a beautiful off white colored tutu and a beautiful headband - ready for hours of dance. Sizes...
Maileg Winter Mouse With Ski Set Big Sister ...
$43.00A mouse ready for hours of fun on the slopes during the cold wintertime. Each playset contains a warmly dressed mouse with a pair of ski and poles. Look at...
Workman Wisdom From The Heart: Mother To Daug...
$9.95Helping her to blossomYou know just how she feels: her joy, her curiosity, her will to take on the world. And why she needs the guidance of the person who's...
Workman Wisdom From The Heart: Mother To Son ...
$9.95Warm and fuzzy, anchored in values, and filled with simple words of wisdom, this beloved, bestselling book for parents speaks to the important business of raising sons, and distills their...
Gibbs Smith Wizard of Oz
$10.00BabyLit® is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar’s...
Erzi Wok Party Wooden Toy Set
$28.00This assortment is designed to enable children to gain skill in handling chopsticks applied to cooking and serving functions. Includes 1 wok, 2 small dishes, 4 chopsticks, 1 pair of...
Nolja Play LLC Wonderful World Puzzle - 100 Large Pi...
$26.00About this product Wow, our world is pretty big. So big, it could take you a long time to visit all the amazing places. What won’t take you that long...
Bajo Wood Action Figure Triceratops
$60.00This is the Triceratops, a 3-horned herbivorous dinosaur that looks a bit like a rhino. Is that His ancestor? We do not know this, but the Triceratops and rhinoceros have...
Bajo Wood Eco Auto Transporter
$90.00Coming through! This brightly-colored auto transporter is perfectly engineered for little hands and designed with safety and sustainability in mind, this beautiful heirloom-quality wooden toy is recommended for toddlers. It's...
Bajo Wood Eco Car Blue
$26.00This eco car is perfect for playtime and it provides a comfortable grip for little hands! Made In: Poland Product Size: 9 x 5 x 6 cm Age: 1.5 years...
Bajo Wood Eco Limo Yellow
$26.00This eco limousine is perfect for playtime and it provides a comfortable grip for little hands! Made In: Poland Product Size: 9 x 5 x 6 cm Age: 1.5 years...
Janod Wood Essentials Fractions
$22.00An early learning toy that is ideal for becoming familiar with fractions, a simple mathematical concept, while having fun. Once the child places 1, 2, 3 or 4 pieces on...
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.