Educators and psychologists guide research on child development and investigate how youngsters learn. But, parents have long known what these studies seem to confirm, that children learn spontaneously, continuously and naturally during play. Watching children at play demonstrates that learning is a developmental process. Whether in the crib or in the classroom, play is a prerequisite to many future problem-solving abilities and abstract thinking aptitudes. As children move through ages and stages, their playthings and interactions become more complex. Therefore, at six months or six years of age, children's days are still well spent, hard at work - at play. Ask the savviest shopper -- a mother on a budget - and she will concede that finding toys to fit her child's unique needs and interests is an awesome challenge. I therefore wrote this book to share some useful parenting insights about toys and to shed light on the role of play in the learning process. My purpose was to provide you, the reader, with specific suggestions regarding the best toys currently on the market that meet the distinctive requirements of children at different developmental stages.