Play Time
Miniland Doll Wooden Beauty Set
$52.00The Miniland Doll Wooden Beauty Set is a selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and...
Miniland Doll Wooden Doctor Set
$52.00The Miniland Doll Wooden Doctor Set selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and develop social skills...
Miniland Doll Wooden Feeding Set
$46.00The Miniland Doll Wooden Feeding Set is a selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and develop social skills from a...
Miniland Doll Wooden Tea Set
$58.00The Miniland Doll Wooden Tea Set is a selection of wooden accessories so that children can really make the most of playing with their Miniland boy and girl dolls and develop social skills from a...
Tikiri Dolphin Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00This rubber rattle from the ocean buddies collection. Easy-grip for smaller hands. Each marine animal character has an enclosed rattle that creates a soft sound when shaken. Sound Toys, like...
Gibbs Smith Don Quixote
$12.00BabyLit® 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...
Bear Company Doodles the Labradoodle
$28.00Our adorable 13" dog plush toy! With soft faux-fur, sparkling eyes, and a floppy body, this realistic stuffed animal is perfect for cuddling. It can sit or stand, adding extra...
Doona Doona Liki Foldable Trike Limited Edi...
$350.00A limited-edition stroller with a specially designed canopy by Vashtie herself features handwritten details for a bold, unique impression. Get ready to roll with the Liki Trike by Doona™, the...
Doona Doona Liki Foldable Trike S3 Desert G...
$250.00Get ready to roll with Liki, the world’s most compact folding trike. The sleek urban design of the Liki Trike allows you to be safe and have fun, as it...
Doona Doona Liki Foldable Trike S3 Flame Red
$250.00Get ready to roll with Liki, the world’s most compact folding trike. The sleek urban design of the Liki Trike allows you to be safe and have fun, as it...
Doona Doona Liki Foldable Trike S3 Grey Hound
$250.00Get ready to roll with Liki, the world’s most compact folding trike. The sleek urban design of the Liki Trike allows you to be safe and have fun, as it...
Doona Doona Liki Foldable Trike S3 Royal Blue
$250.00Get ready to roll with Liki, the world’s most compact folding trike. The sleek urban design of the Liki Trike allows you to be safe and have fun, as it...
Doona Doona Liki Foldable Trike S5 Nitro Black
$300.00Get ready to roll with the Liki Trike by Doona™, the world’s most compact folding trike. The sleek urban design of the Liki Trike allows you to be safe and...
Doona Doona Liki Foldable Trike S5 Racing G...
$300.00Get ready to roll with the Liki Trike by Doona™, the world’s most compact folding trike. The sleek urban design of the Liki Trike allows you to be safe and...
Plushies Dorbin The Deer 21 Inch
$46.00Dorbin the Deer can jump up to 15 feet high and loves to munch on fruits, nuts, vegetables and other plants. If you have a garden with deer around, watch...
MagicPlaybook Dot Activity Kit - Oh So Whimsical
$26.00Introducing "Oh So Whimsical" Kids On-the-Go Activity Kit! This delightful kit is packed with 25 full-color perforated pages for endless creativity. It comes with 3 dot markers and 10 sheets...
MagicPlaybook Dot Activity Kit - Transportation
$26.00Introducing the "Transportation" Kids On-the-Go Activity Kit! Packed with 25 vibrant perforated pages, 3 dot markers, and 10 sheets of dot stickers, it offers endless creative fun for kids. All...
Hape Double Bubble Maze Toy
$26.00Hape’s Double Bubble toy is the perfect toy for your developing little one! This toy introduces problem solving to your baby; there’s always a new way to move around its...
Hape Double Rainbow Stacker
$24.00Let your child’s imagination run free by creating endless stacked patterns with Hape’s Double Rainbow Stacker! This toy is great for helping your little one recognize shapes and to identify...
Eco-Kids Dough 3 Pack
$19.00Eco Dough provides hours of artistic exploration as well as engaging children with an opportunity to learn the basics of color theory by experimenting with mixing and blending the primary colors...
Tender Leaf Toys Dovetail Bathroom Set
$46.00An ultra stylish bathroom set, with sink unit, bathtub, bath tray with a book, shower unit, toilet, with toilet rolls, bath mat, and laundry bag. Suitable for all the wooden...
Tender Leaf Toys Dragon Castle Set
$66.00Create your fantasy world with this Dragon Castle Set. This medium size set has all you need to create and build your own unique castle layout, by clipping together walls and...
Wonder & Wise Dreamy Doll Stroller
$89.00Taking dolly for a walk will be dreamy in the Dreamy Doll Stroller. A perfect fit for all of our dolls and doll bedding. The cloud-shaped sides are a dream! Adjustable...
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.