I had zero luck trying to find any references to play purty on Yahoo! Search.
Haven’t tried Google just yet, but will.
Is this a term you’re familiar with – perhaps with another spelling?
What’s a good synonym in your region?
ETA: Dictionary of American Regional English – UW–Madison
http://www.tngenweb.org/franklin/franfolk.htm#P,Q
I have lots of family from southern MO and northern AK, and I have never heard this term. I’ve heard dall instead of doll, but otherwise it’s just known as a toy.
There’s a huge difference between Southern Missouri and Northern Alaska. 
Some words or expression of a similar nature:
gadget
doodad
hicky (hickey)
thingum
whatsit
whodathoughtit
gizmo
(do please add to the list, even if the synonymy is sketchy)
Play-purty means nothing to me other than an attempt at a dialectic spelling of play-pretty. I’m sure that personally, I pronounce pretty as pritty, except on the rare occasions I want to imitate my hardbitten farmer relatives and say something is “purtier than a lil red wagon goin’ up a hill.”
Play-pretty, though sounds to me like how a villainous witch would refer to a captured hero in a fantasy movie.
“Ooh, Graymalkin, what a lovely play-pretty we’ve found. Better put it away with all the others. Cackle, cackle!”
Yep, I’ve heard it in South Cackalacky–but not so much anymore. I think it was probably more common amongst my parents’ generation.
Agreed. And older types even more so. Country versus city/town would also explain some of the “why not heard” that others may have experienced.
Kind of makes you wonder what expressions that are “da bomb” these days will be just as quaint and/or silly in another 50 years.
The phrase is heard very seldom now but when I was growing up in Georgia it was used by the older folk to refer to an infant or toddler’s toy, usually something small like a doll or a trinket.
Ha! AR. Stupid fingers.
I grew up hearing it from my maternal grandparents. Synonym for “toy”.
I’d like to make a poll for words of this type and I’d like a few more before resorting to the catchall “other” to avoid overloading that response.
Can you think of others? Add to:
whatchamacallit
thing
goodie
see this list: 13 Synonyms & Antonyms for GIZMO | Thesaurus.com
Specifically for us it was a very distinct type of toy that was brought to church or to meetings or used for blanket training. Usually a book or a folded quilt, with each page or patch having bits of laces or snaps or buttons or sliders or whatever to keep the kid busy. Some had themes or stories, some just had the things to do.
The old grannies called it a “play-pretty”, but usually we called it a “quiet book.” The more active version was a “latch board” that was usually made of plywood or masonite and had actual metal latches and catches and fasteners.
I’m 55 years old, and my maternal grandmother, who was born in 1900, called my toys play-purdies, as did her best friend, who was about the same age.
I haven’t heard that term in many, many years. 