Play Time
Little People, Big Dreams Book Audrey Hepburn
$15.99In this international bestseller from the beloved Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Audrey Hepburn, the iconic Hollywood movie star.Audrey Hepburn grew up in Arnhem in the...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Ayrton Senna
$15.99From the moment his father gave four-year-old Ayrton Senna a go-kart, he was in love with racing. Showing promise from an early age, Ayrton would go on to take the...
Abrams Appleseed Book Bananas For You!
$7.99From the superstar creators of My Mom Is Magical! and My Dad Is Amazing! comes this vibrant, humor-filled board book—the perfect way to tell your loved ones you're bananas for them. Do you...
Abrams Appleseed Book Be a Tree!
$19.99A lyrical, gorgeously illustrated look at the majesty of trees—and what humans can learn from them. Stand tall.Stretch your branches to the sun.Be a tree! In this gorgeous and poetic...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Billie Jean King
$15.99Meet Billie Jean King, the tennis star who has dedicated her life to breaking barriers both on and off the tennis court.Billie Jean began playing tennis at the age of...
Gibbs Smith Book Black and White/Blanco y Negro
$10.00The colors black and white paint a fun story in this bilingual Spanish/English board book. Did you know that colors can tell stories? The illustrations in this charming board book...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Black Voices
$39.99Meet three inspirational figures from Black culture and history: Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.! In these remarkable true stories, learn how three people stood against...
Gibbs Smith Book Blue/Azul
$10.00Did you know that colors can tell stories? The illustrations in this charming board book introduce your brilliant baby to all kinds of things that are blue, including finny fish...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Bob Dylan
$15.99Bob Dylan was born in Duluth, Minnesota. As a teenager, he played in various bands and, over time, his interest in music deepened, with a particular passion for American folk...
Abrams Appleseed Book Brave As Can Be
$16.95An empowering exploration of fears and how to overcome them, from the bestselling creators of In My Heart The life of a child can be full of frightening things: the...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Bruce Lee
$15.99Born in San Francisco but raised in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee was the child star of Hong Kong cinema. But, after getting into trouble as a teenager, his father sent...
Abrams Appleseed Book Bugblock
$17.99Learn all about insects in Christopher Franceschelli’s Bugblock, a buzz-worthy addition to the bestselling Abrams Block Book series, featuring full-color art by David Partington, a member of Peski Studio. In Bugblock, readers will...
Abrams Appleseed Book Buildablock
$17.99Buildablock features die-cut shapes on every other spread and the charming art of British design team Peskimo. Age: Baby - 3 years 90 Pages; Board Book Author: Christopher Franceschelli Illustration: Peskimo...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Charles Darwin
$15.99Meet Charles Darwin, the scientist who changed the way people see the world. Although he didn’t do very well at school, Charles Darwin was passionately curious about wildlife, humans, and...
Gibbs Smith Book Christmas Carol: A BabyLit Color...
$10.00This series celebrates the tradition of literary naturalists—writers who embrace the natural world as the setting for some of our most euphoric and serious experiences. These books map the intimate...
Abrams Appleseed Book Cityblock
$16.95Cityblock explores city life in an exciting and unique way, from up in a high-rise building to down in the subway. Divided into three sections—things that go, things to see, and...
Little People, Big Dreams Book Coco Chanel
$15.99In this international bestseller from the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the inspiring story of this international style icon.Following the death of her mother, Coco spent her...
Abrams Appleseed Book Countablock
$17.99Following on the heels of a successful abecedary, Countablock features thick pages cut into the shape of each numeral, creating a peek-through guessing game around the number form itself. One...
Gibbs Smith Book D Is for Dreidel
$10.00Celebrate all things Hanuakkah in this A to Z primer . . . Introduce your little one to the Festival of Lights in this fun collection of twenty-six illustrations featuring...
Little People, Big Dreams Book David Bowie
$15.99As a child, young David had a head full of songs and ideas. He was inspired by the pop and mod scenes in Britain to pick up the saxophone. After...
Abrams Appleseed Book Día de Disfraces
$17.99Día de Disfraces (Dress-Up Day Spanish Edition) Tras perderse la fiesta de disfraces de su clase, una niña decide que no necesita una excusa para disfrazarse en esta tierna...
Abrams Appleseed Book Dinoblock
$17.99Alphablock and Countablock, Dinoblock features thick pages cut into the shapes of dinosaurs! Readers will be introduced to more than 20 different kinds of dinos via die-cuts of their unique silhouettes and the illuminating...
Abrams Appleseed Book Disney Block
$18.99Disney’s classic animated films come to life in this magical book from the bestselling Abrams Block Book series! Each magical spread showcases beloved characters and unforgettable moments every fan should...
Gibbs Smith Book Dracula: A BabyLit Counting Primer
$12.00Meet 2 friends, Mina and Lucy, and the 5 heroes who try to save them from the dreaded Count Dracula in Dracula: A BabyLit® Counting Primer. Make sure you're wearing...
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.