Play Time
Thames & Hudson Big Sticker Book of Blue
$14.95Starting with fascinating ocean facts, the activities in the book invite children to draw, color, and play games with ocean wildlife, inspiring their interest in nature as they play. The...
Thames & Hudson Big Sticker Book of Bugs
$14.95An interactive book that brings the world of bugs to a child’s fingertips. The activities in the book invite children to draw, color, decorate, and place bugs in their natural...
Tender Leaf Toys Birdie Afternoon Tea Stand
$50.00A two tier stand full of delicious treats ready to serve! A ham or cucumber sandwich, a lemon meringue pie, a chocolate roll, a slice of Victoria sponge, an apple...
Sonria Slime Birthday Cake Slime
$19.99An artistic yet enjoyable activity for your little ones. This Unicorn Ice Cream Slime is infused with vanilla essential oil for ultimate calmness. Scent: Birthday Cake Texture: Cloud Slime Size: 7 fl oz. Shelf...
Tonies Birthday Songs Audio Play Figurine
$17.99A select compilation of the most popular traditional children's songs with a celebratory theme! Tonies Birthday Songs Audio Play Figurine Details: Age: 3 years+ Features all of your favorite party songs!...
Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Busy Ring Teething Activity Toy...
$14.00Teethe, Play & Explore! A sensory sensation, the Itzy Bitzy Busy Ring™ has all the love in the details with multiple features for the baby to explore. Textured teethers and...
Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Busy Ring Teething Activity Toy...
$14.00Teethe, Play & Explore! A sensory sensation, the Itzy Bitzy Busy Ring™ has all the love in the details with multiple features for the baby to explore. Textured teethers and...
Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Grip Hand Teether Dino
$9.99Chew On This! Teething relief is at hand! Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Grip Dino developmental wrist teether is designed for babies' hands and their natural grasp reflexes. Multiple textures and soft, flexible BPA-free...
Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Grip Hand Teether Pegasus
$9.99Chew On This! Teething relief is at hand! Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Grip Pegasus developmental wrist teether is designed for babies' hands and their natural grasp reflexes. Multiple textures and soft, flexible BPA-free...
Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Notes Musical Pull Down Toy
$24.99A Lullaby to Go! Create calming vibes wherever you go with the Itzy Ritzy Bitzy Notes Musical Pull Toy. Made of soft natural cotton fabric, it easily attaches to your...
BlaBla BlaBla Bunny Rattle Pierre
$29.00Handmade baby rattle made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 8" long Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
BlaBla BlaBla Cat Rattle Sardine
$29.00Handmade baby rattle made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 8" long Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
BlaBla BlaBla Cat Rattle Splash
$29.00Handmade baby rattle made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 8" long Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
BlaBla BlaBla Chicken Rattle Benedict
$29.00Handmade baby rattle made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 8" long Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
BlaBla BlaBla Duck Rattle Lucille
$29.00Handmade baby rattle made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 8" long Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Koa the Koala
$66.00 – $78.00Handmade doll made from the softest Peruvian cotton. Koa is a sweet and easy-going koala, He can climb all the way to treetops, as long as he never looks...
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Webster the Duck
$66.00 – $78.00Handmade doll made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Regular: 18" Mini: 12" Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to...
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Andiamo The Dog
$66.00 – $78.00Andiamo is a dog from Italy. He is always in a hurry, and is a little forgetful. He has a Vespa and likes spaghetti. Handmade doll made from the softest...
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Balthazar The Bunny
$78.00Handmade doll made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 18"in Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to dry.
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Lionel The Lion
$66.00 – $78.00Lionel is our coolest little feline who loves to nap in the sunshine and play reggae on rainy days. Without a shadow of a doubt, he will become your mane...
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Luigi The Frog
$66.00Handmade doll made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Approximately 12"in Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to dry.
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Pearl The Dog
$66.00 – $78.00Handmade doll made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Hand or machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle Lay flat to dry. Size: Mini: 12"...
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Pepper The Cat
$66.00 – $78.00Pepper, the purrfect grey kitten with a pocket purrfect for the tooth fairy! Handmade doll made from the softest Peruvian cotton. 100% cotton with poly fill. Hand or machine...
BlaBla BlaBla Knitted Doll Pierre The Bunny
$66.00 – $78.00Pierre likes long walks in the country. He distributes letters with stamps, and loves radish marmalade. He would like to learn English to enlarge his horizons. Handmade doll made...
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.