FAQs

What does Heuristic Play mean?

Heuristic play is a term used to describe the activity of children/babies exploring items from the real world. Heuristic items are items found in their natural world, meaning children have a natural curiosity to understand these things. Providing their own set can help keep them away from yours, but most importantly provides them with items that have been checked to be safe for them. 

 

What does Loose Parts & Open Ended Toys mean?

In play, loose parts/open ended toys, are items which can be moved, carried, combined, redesigned, and lined up in multiple ways. They are items which have no specific set of instructions or way to play. 

 

Are the items safe?

Yes, all our items are made with safe materials and to safe sizes. All items are checked for quality assurance when packed; we do advise you please check them again prior to use and continually monitor for general wear and tear. We always advise that any child/ren’s play should be supervised by an adult regardless of the materials. 

 

Are they safe for babies?

Yes; one of the most important things here at BabyPlay is that all items are safe and can be used with ANY age child/ren - including babies. All our items are made to a safe size, made with untreated wood or natural materials. 

 

What age do these toys suit?

Due to the nature of our toys, being open ended toys, they are able to be played with by any age child, from birth to beyond. The way that different ages interact with the toys will vary, as it does between different individuals too. 

 

How do I know what to start with?

Really any of our play boxes can be used as a starting point; our most popular one being the Blocks and Balls Play Box. 

 

Do you ship internationally?

Unfortunately at this stage we do not ship internationally; please feel free to message us if you are interested and we will try our best to help you. 

 

I’m purchasing as a gift, do you do gift wrapping?

At this stage we do not do gift wrapping - but possibly in the future!

 

How long does delivery take?

As a lot of our items are made to order we currently have a turn around time of up to a week before items are shipped out - though in most cases it is quicker. Our courier services have a target delivery of one-two working days.  

 

Can we pick up an order?

Pick up in Tauranga can be arranged, please message us to organise. 

 

Do you offer refunds?

Any items damaged in transit must be brought to attention within 24hours of receiving, a replacement will be sent. We do not accept returns/exchanges for change of mind due to hygiene and safety. However, we do want you to be happy with your purchase so please contact us with any issue or concerns you have.  

 

My child puts everything in their mouth, can I still buy?

Yes of course! Mouthing is a developmental part of childhood which we advocate for. Our products are designed to be inclusive of all age children, including those that mouth everything. All wood products are made with natural untreated wood, safe for all the senses. 

 

How do I encourage my child/ren with open ended play?

For children that have been very used to play toys which tell the child how to play (i.e. a train is clearly a train and is therefore played with as a train), a good way to introduce them to this new creative concept is to provide ‘invitations to play’, essentially setting up an introductory activity with the items. As the adult in this situation you can then scaffold the play and demonstrate different ways to play. Your child should start to use their own imagination too. For ideas on invitations to play please check out our Facebook page.

 

My child is six, is he/she too old for your toys?

No; the beauty of our products is the ability to be played with in so many different ways. Older children will still love creating, building, exploring, and experimenting with all the various items.