Play Time
Gibbs Smith Evita Opposites
$10.00Introducing Spanish/English bilingualism, Lil’ Libros encourage parents to read to their children at the earliest age focusing on subjects they are familiar with while making it fun and rewarding for...
Brio Expansion Train Tracks Pack Intermediate
$36.00This BRIO intermediate expansion pack allows your little one to expand their railway, adding new dimensions to creative play and stimulating their logistical thinking abilities. Perfect for young fans. All...
Le Toy Van Explorer Kaleidoscope Binoculars
$26.00Inspire young explorers with these wooden binoculars that are ready and waiting for adventures. Made from solid natural wood, these children’s pretend play binoculars feature two spinning kaleidoscopic lenses for...
Waytoplay Express Way Play Set
$65.00The Expressway's 16 road parts make it the most popular waytoplay road set. The waytoplay Expressway is a great toy for imaginative play. Watch your children create their very own...
Abrams Appleseed F Is for Florida
$12.99A is for Amusement Park B is for Biscayne National Park C is Cape Canaveral With E is for Everglades, K is for Key West, and O is for Orange,...
Jellycat Fabulous Fruit Blueberry
$14.00Plump and scrumptious and purply-navy - that's Fabulous Fruit Blueberry! This stretchy-soft berry has a tickly topknot and a sunny smile at breakfasttime! Tumbly-tubby, this squishable sweetie makes mornings just...
Jellycat Fabulous Fruit Lemon
$14.00A citrus sweetie made from soft, smooth fabric with embroidery spot detail, this Fabulous Fruit is a zesty character who captures the warmth of a Mediterranean summer. Product Details:...
Jellycat Fabulous Fruit Orange
$14.00Fabulous Fruit Orange is holiday-happy, with zingy, stretchy, summery fur! Jolly and juicy, with cute stitchy freckles, this citrus silly wears a green leaf as a sun-hat! Time to find...
Le Toy Van Fairy Belle Palace
$170.00Once Upon A Time… A beautiful painted wooden fairy castle with highly detailed floral artwork. The special features include a high tower with flag, a princess balcony, a lifting drawbridge...
Gibbs Smith Fairy Friend Opposites
$10.00BabyLit® is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. Parents and children alike will be swept away by the whimsical imaginings of Merilee Liddiard’s...
Gibbs Smith Fairy Friend Seasons
$10.00BabyLit® is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. Parents and children alike will be swept away by the whimsical imaginings of Merilee Liddiard’s...
Floss and Rock Fairy Tale Learn To Draw Art Set For ...
$16.00Become a budding artist with our Fairy Tale themed Learn to Draw activity. Open the book to reveal 8 thick glossy pages, 3 colour dry wipe pens with erasers and...
Mon Ami Faith Bunny Plush Toy
$36.00An heirloom plush bunny, in soft novel fabric with French inspired floral print. Incredibly soft and irresistible to the touch! A classic for Easter or any day of the year. ...
Bunnies By The Bay Fandango Flamingo Plush Toy
$26.00Straight from Miami beach the Good Friends by the Bay welcome this flamboyant bird to the neighborhood. Bubblegum pink soft squishy velour with dark gray feet and beak tip. Dangly legs in charcoal and cream pinstripe knit which also lines his wings. Hand-embroidered features...
Sophie La Giraffe Fanfan the Fawn
$27.00Featuring a squeaker, Fanfan entertains baby and develops the baby's sense of hearing while helping to establish the relationship of cause and effect. It draws the baby's gaze by...
Tender Leaf Toys Fantail Hall Dollhouse
$420.00Fantail Hall Dollhouse is a really impressive beautiful wood Doll's house based on a traditional British style of architecture. It has 4 levels of play area as the roof can...
Hape Fantasia Block Train
$36.00Hape’s Fantasia Blocks Train is the perfect toy for your growing child, ensured to make their imaginations run wild with all the different combinations that can be made with the...
Tender Leaf Toys Farm
$110.00Made throughout from top quality plywood, this farm has been designed to be open and accessible for little hands. It features a barn with barn doors and a feeding trough,...
Penguin Farm Animals Book
$7.99Calling little fans of farm animals—and design-loving parents! An oversize graphic showpiece has now been adapted as an accessible board book. This bucolic board book presents stylized animals in...
Brio Farm Railway Set
$80.00Life is quieter out on the farm. With this Farm Railway Set, your child can lead the life of a happy farmer. The Tractor is returning with its cargo...
Egmont Farm Train Set
$46.00What a lovely wooden train set for the little ones. Hours of fun are guaranteed with all the elements included. Rails and train of course, but also the farm gate,...
Tonies Favorite Children's Songs Spanish Cel...
$17.99A select compilation of the most popular traditional children's songs with a celebratory theme! This Tonie teaches kids about: Favorite party songs! How to have fun with friends and family...
Tonies Favorite Classics Pride Tales Audio P...
$17.99It's Pride Month and Liliana Llama and her little brother Luca are celebrating in the best neighborhood in the whole world, Rivera Marsh! Join Ms. Rainbow and all their wonderful...
Jellycat Fergus Frog
$30.00 – $50.00Fergus Frog is a mossy sweetheart in soft velour. With a beany base and toes, hooded eyes, a piped mouth, and lovely glossy eyes, Fergus is a little rumpled and...
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.