Play is about interaction and does not require "toys"; children respond well to games.

Play is work for a child; it develops their fine motor, thinking and social skills.

Watch "age appropriate" labels in toys and books.

It is important for your child to learn to play solo; give them the tools to do that by giving them props that invite them to play alone.

Use games and make up your own; show your kids how to try new things by modeling this behavior and encouraging curiosity.

"Smart Toys" can be limiting and not age appropriate; babies learn by interacting with a toy and don't need to be taught ABCs and 1,2,3's in the early years.

Be careful about placing "gender roles" on toys (i.e. pink bike for a girl) and instead try and keep toys neutral (i.e. a red bike for a boy or a girl).

Books are wonderful tools for building language and creativity; again, watch for age appropriateness.

Videos are not recommended until after age 2 because they replace more fundamental activities and encourages passiveness. Babies learn through interaction. If you must play a video, make one of you and the baby playing patti-cake!

Hi-tech toys can be one dimensional; try to keep them open-ended.

What should I be spending my money on?

Open ended toys that can change each day, examples include:
1. Neutral dishes/pots & pans that don't make sounds
2. Crayons
3. Legos™/blocks/Duplos™
4. Dolls that don't talk or do a specific action
5. Train sets that aren't glued down
6. Balls

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