Play Time
Fat Brain Toys Activity Whirly Squigz
$26.00Send your little explorer twirling and whirling into a delightful sensory adventure! Each Fat Brain Toys Whirly Squigz is made of 100% high-quality silicone that's colorful, pleasant to touch,...
Plushies Agaric The Shroom Fairy 9 Inch
$28.00Mythical Creatures feature some fantasy-filled friends looking for a companion to frollick around the forest with Agaric the Shroom Fairy is filled with enchantment, featuring a bright red mushroom cap...
Sophie La Giraffe Al'Thir the Camel
$32.00Sophie's newest friend! Featuring a squeaker, Al'Thir entertains babies and develops their sense of hearing while helping to establish the relationship of cause and effect. Made using 100% natural rubber from rubber...
Gibbs Smith Aladdin and The Wonderful Lamp
$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...
Albetta Albetta Crochet Ring Rattle Wild Animals
$32.00This beautifully crafted Albetta activity ring rattle is hand-crocheted from top-quality cotton and makes a wonderful unisex baby shower gift. All little ones are sure to love its soft cotton...
Albetta Albetta Crochet Stick Rattle Sammy Se...
$30.00This adorable Albetta Sammy Seagull Crochet Stick Rattle is hand crocheted from soft cotton and is just perfect for little hands. The stick shape makes it easy to grip for little ones. Albetta...
Albetta Albetta Crochet Stick Rattle Tiger
$30.00This adorable Tommy Tiger rattle is hand-crocheted from soft cotton and is just perfect for little hands. The stick shape makes it easy to grip for little ones. In gender-neutral...
Artesanal Dolls Alex Liberty Doll
$82.00The Alex collection is full of surprises, and super beautiful models. Their clothes are special, full of tulle, cotton, knit, etc. As a novelty, they open and close their eyes. Pacifier...
Artesanal Dolls Alex Reborn Doll
$82.00These Rebonrs are special dolls for the little ones in the house. These Reborns are special dolls for the little ones in the house. These reborns have a soft body....
Le Toy Van Alex's Work Bench
$160.00Let's fix it! Alex's Work Bench is a sturdy workbench. The base is equipped with a flatbed circular saw, a measuring gauge and a vice. The back wall features...
Lilliputiens Alice Fishing Game
$36.00Alice Fishing Game bath toys offer hours of entertainment for kids during bath time! 6-piece set Trains your child's senses and motor skills Recommended age: 12 months +
Gibbs Smith Alice in Wonderland
$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...
alilo Alilo Smart Bunny Baby Rattle Blue
$56.00Alilo Smart Bunny is a popular media companion especially designed for children aged 0-4 years. Due to its ease of use, robust material, and versatility, it encourages the kids’ creativity....
alilo Alilo Smart Bunny Baby Rattle Pink
$56.00Alilo Smart Bunny is a popular media companion especially designed for children aged 0-4 years. Due to its ease of use, robust material, and versatility, it encourages the kids’ creativity....
alilo Alilo Smart Bunny Baby Rattle Yellow
$56.00Alilo Smart Bunny is a popular media companion especially designed for children aged 0-4 years. Due to its ease of use, robust material, and versatility, it encourages the kids’ creativity....
Hape All in 1 Easel
$90.00Paint, write, or draw with chalk. This adjustable-height double-sided wooden easel has a place for everything. Includes 3 paint pots, double-sided easel with blackboard and magnetic whiteboard and paper roll....
Glueckskaefer All In One Stacking House Red
$67.00This all-in-one dollhouse contains all the basics you need to set up house for your dolls: chairs, tables, benches and other individual pieces that may be used the young interior...
Nolja Play LLC All the Feels Puzzle - 36 Extra Large...
$26.00About this product Wow, there are so many feelings! And guess what, it’s alright to be “curious” about them all. So don’t be “nervous” and let’s put this puzzle together!...
Plushies Alligator Plush Toy 18 inch
$28.00A sleepy pals who will make the perfect nap time companion for anyone in need of a good rest. This Snoozle Alligator is a soft blue alligator with a plump...
Wonder & Wise Alpaca Rocker
$149.00It’s a vast desert out there, but the nursery or playroom is safe with the Alpaca Rocker. Soft faux fur and an authentic saddle, mane, and tail nestled atop strong...
Hape Alphabet Abacus Educational Toy
$25.00Hape’s Alphabet Abacus is the ideal toy to give to your developing toddler! This toy gives the ABC’S a playful twist to make learning fun! Suitable for children 3 years+...
Penguin Alphabet Street Book
$17.99There’s so much to discover in this ingenious book! Read the funny rhyming text, lift the flaps, and learn the letters of the alphabet. And when you’re finished, flip the...
Candylab Ambulance Van
$16.00If you're a movie buff, you know LA features prominently in lots of tough screenplays. When make-believe play happens, a tiny LA County rescuer is precisely what's needed to keep...
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.