Play Time
Omy Design Giant Frameable Coloring Poster USA
$20.00Discover the United States while coloring this giant map featuring well-known monuments, landscapes, people, and much more! Hundreds of tiny details, and a huge sense of humor for the entire...
Maileg Gingerbread House, Mouse
$64.00The Maileg Gingerbread House is made for surprises. Add 4 advent gifts and let your child decorate the Gingerbread house every Sunday when a new gift is opened. Gift tags...
Tikiri Giraffe Natural Rubber Rattle
$18.00Giraffe: One of the Tikiri My First Zoo animals, the great giraffe is ever so squeezable and ready for curious minds. Take him in the bath, or as a teething...
Plushies Giraffe Plush Toy 25 Inch
$98.00This Giraffe has a lovely speckled pattern, plush horns, and comes in a resting position. A best pick for anyone who wants to add an extra-large amount of fun to any...
N&L Exclusive Giraffe Plush Toy 30"
$98.00For every kid who's ever wanted to take home a giraffe, this is it. Beautifully constructed and sizeably shaped, here's a stuffed animal that's ready for non-stop snuggles. Life-like markings...
Janod GIRL'S COSTUMES MAGNETI'BOOK
$20.00Magnetic educational game in cardboard for girls on the outfit theme. Once the book is opened, the aim is to make on the stage the same outfit as indicated on...
Janod Girl's Crazy Faces Magnetic Book
$20.00Magnetic educational game in cardboard with faces theme. Once the book is opened, the aim is to make on the stage the same face as indicated on the card. Your child can...
Londji Glitter Mermaid 350 pieces Puzzle
$32.00Dive to the bottom of the sea and discover how fun it is to be in the underwater kingdom of the mermaids. This 350 piece glittered puzzle will allow parents...
Kid O Glow In The Dark Magnatab Puppy Toy
$36.00Let’s draw! The Original Magnatab is easy for children to use, drawing whatever pictures come to mind or practicing letters, numbers, and shapes—there are so many playful, creative, and educational...
Abrams Appleseed Go Get 'Em, Tiger!
$8.99Celebrate everything that makes your tiger a rising star! From kindness and curiosity to playfulness and positivity, this book is a paw-some salute to anyone reaching a life milestone. The Hello!Lucky...
Mon Ami Goldie Lion
$30.00Cuddle up with the queen of the jungle: Goldie Lion Plush Toy. Mon Ami.s latest lion stuffed animal features a friendly face framed with the softest faux fur mane and...
Sonria Slime Goldy the Fish Slime
$19.99An artistic yet enjoyable activity for your little ones. This slime is infused with vanilla essential oil for ultimate calmness. Scent: Light vanilla ice cream Texture: Clear Slime Size: 7 fl oz....
NL Find Golf Toy Set
$42.00Teach your kids golf at home with this kid's golf playset which they can enjoy whether indoor or outdoor. Ages 3 years+ 7-piece set: two wooden putters, two balls, two...
Compendium Good Night Monster Gift Set
$36.95A Storybook and Plush for Sweet Dreams and Happy Bedtimes Bedtime can stir up all kinds of emotions for a child. Good Night Monster is your child’s very own...
Rebel Girls Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls Th...
$49.99This gorgeous hardcover boxed set is the perfect gift to inspire any young reader. It contains five individual, historical fiction chapter books, each exploring the life and times of an...
Wonder & Wise Good Wood Mini Golf Game
$69.00It’s GOOD! It’s WOOD! It’s GOLF! Your kids will have hours of fun with the Good Wood Mini Golf Game. So many different configurations make this game different every time....
Graphic Image Goodnight Moon
$90.00A Classic Children's Book Bound in Leather to Last a Lifetime. In a great green room, tucked away in bed, is a little bunny. "Goodnight room, goodnight moon." And to...
Lucky Boy Sunday Gorby Doll
$110.40This soft toy is made from the softest merino alpaca and eco-friendly dyes, which makes this a perfect heirloom piece to pass down from generation to generation to cuddle. Material:...
Jellycat Gordy Guinea Pig
$30.00Gordy Guinea Pig is a little ball of vanilla-fudge softness! Podgy and cosy, with biscuit fold ears, a suedette nose and fluffy cheeks, as well as tiny bobbly paws, this...
Knitted World Grace The Angel Doll 7"
$34.00Grace the Angel Knit Rattle loves to dream big! Handcrafted using all-natural 100% cotton yarns and eco-friendly dyes our angel knit doll is super soft and safe for kids of all ages. Grace the Angel Knit Rattle Details: 100% Cotton and we use Eco-friendly...
Vilac Grand Express Train
$28.00In a passenger car, board Ingela P.Arrhenius' Grand Express train. A set consisting of: 1 wooden locomotive and its 4 wagons. Compatible with many other train circuits available on the...
Plushies Grand Flopsie Goldie Retriever Plush ...
$32.00Goldie Grand Flopsie is a large golden retriever that comes in a resting position. Suitable for all ages and personalities. High-Quality Materials make for a soft and fluffy touch. Quality...
Waytoplay Grand Prix Road Set 24 Pieces
$94.00The new waytoplay Grand Prix flexible road set will set young hearts racing! Watch your children create their very own circuits and road maps for their favorite little racecars and...
Oli & Carol Green Cabbage Baby Ball
$22.00This adorable baby ball, shaped like a cabbage, offers endless fun for kids as they bounce, catch, and squeeze it. Crafted from 100% natural rubber and designed without any holes,...
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.