Tag Archives: Toys

Apr 29 2015

Scandi-Inspired Gifts, Toys and Room Accessories by Kids Concept UK

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Kids-Concept-logga

So Heidi recently had a tummy bug and projectile vomited in her cot. Better mums would have chalked it down to bad luck, soaked her child’s bedding and got her hands dirty. Being a lazy housewife, I fought back dispelling the contents of my own stomach and shoved the whole lot in a black bin bag (poo-stained sleepsuits often meet a similar fate); Out of sight, out of mind.

This meant my darling daughter needed new bedding, and quick, before Craig got a chance to whinge about my having donated her old (and expensive) set to the seagulls at our nearest landfill. Luckily the rather fabulous guys at Kids Concept UK sent her a gorgeous Scandi-inspired set which looks right at home in her nursery.

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Who are these charitable style-gurus then?

Kids Concept UK specialise in unique baby & children’s gifts, toys and room accessories all designed in Sweden. Their range of products are hugely popular in Scandinavia, and it’s very easy to see why. Interior designers and those favouring minimalist and modern decor have long been appreciative of the clean lines and clever pops of colour in Swedish textiles and furniture. Kids Concept UK has been bringing popular Swedish brands here to the UK for 7 years now, and I dare anyone not to fall in love with their handpicked selection of quirky products.

Kids Concept Collage Left to right: Pumpkin - Brown Owl Baby Gym £79.90 / Pumpkin - Fantasy Castle Wooden Building Blocks £34.90 / Star - Green Play Tent £32.90 / Pumpkin - Green Wooden Shape Sorter £19.90 / Pumpkin - Green Money Box “Helge” £9.90 / Pumpkin - Green Wooden Hammer Balls Game £19.90 / Pumpkin - Green Set of 3 Round Storage Boxes £20.70 / Pumpkin - White/Green Wooden Storage / Toy Box £39.90 / Pumpkin - Green Baby Melamine Dinner Set £19.90

Kids Concept originates from Boras in Sweden where we lived and worked for many years. The Brand has become extremely popular and we can even boast that the Swedish Royal family have our products in their Playroom! We’re now focusing on the UK and exhibiting at various design and interior exhibitions to bring our brand to the UK consciousness - Top Drawer in London this autumn, as well as the Spring Fair at the NEC. We’re thrilled by the feedback we’ve received so far Alicia Roberts Soderberg, Co-founder @ Kids Concept UK

Kids Concept Left to right: Star - Grey Wooden Rocking Rabbit Horse £74.90 / Star - Black Wooden Toy Guitar £19.90 / Star - Beige Fabric Sofa in Chesterfield Style £219.90 / Star - White Wooden American Deckchair £79.90 / Star - Grey Set of 2 Suitcases £15.90 / Star - White Wooden Chair £39.90 (each) & White Wooden Table £49.90 / Star - Children’s Green Soft Tub Armchair £79.90 / Star - Black Wooden Toy Drum £19.90 / Star - Green Rocking Chair £79.90

The site is really easy to navigate with all the right social media share buttons, and high res images. Yet the best things by far are the really accessible price points and coordinating themes for decking out your entire nursery. There’s plenty of Farrow & Ball colours which are the perfect choice for a gender neutral nursery, and tons of irresistible traditional wooden toys to accessorise.

Kids Concept 3 Left to right: Turbo - Children’s Traffic Maze Game £34.90 / Star - White / Pink Wooden Doll Stroller £34.90 / Star - Blue Wooden Rocking Horse £69.90 / Star - Pink Wooden Storage / Toy Box £39.90 / Star - Blue Wooden Shape Sorter Truck £29.90 / Pippi - Pink Set of 3 Round Storage Boxes £20.70

Heidi’s green owl bed set

Heidi2 … is a hit! It looks gorgeous in her nursery, adds a splash of colour and makes a real statement. It features tons of little owls and she’s really intrigued by the pattern. An added and unexpected bonus is that she’ll study it when she wakes which keeps her from screaming out for us at ungodly hours!

Heidi It’s a reversible pattern which is fab for when you fancy a change, with other colourways available and coordinating bumpers, curtains and other room accessories. The fact it comes with a matching pillow in both crib (70cm x 80cm) and cot bed sizes (100cm x 130cm) for just £29.90 & £39.90 respectively also means it’s great value for money. Oh and I have to mentions the rather cute bedding bag it arrived in.

Bag It washes like a dream and is lovely and soft against Heidi’s skin, what’s not to love?

Head over to KidsConcept.co.uk to check out the collection for yourself, or follow on Facebook and Pinterest for more inspiration and deals

 

 

 

Mar 18 2015

Boys will be boys

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I recently, perhaps naughtily, had a bit of a row on Twitter over gender neutral parenting. My adversary was spouting forth the usual gumpf about gender inequality and how she felt her children were being force-fed narratives about their sex. It was all as wishy-washy as it sounds as I type it; a load of misplaced anxiety from a parent who’s read too much and thought too little.

I’ve written a fair old bit about gender stereotyping here on My Mills Baby. Personally, I don’t subscribe to the view that every shop should avoid girl / boy aisles and things should be categorised by age only. It makes shopping clumsy and means you’re often frustrated by a lack of order. Having said that, I don’t consciously buy things that conform to outmoded notions of gender either. Even when Dex was the only child in the family, he had a healthy mix of pinks and purples in his toy collection.

Yet best intentions aside, Dexter is very much a boy. If you led him into a nursery I have no doubt whatsoever he’d trudge defiantly past a soft toy collection and hunt down a tractor, fire engine or helicopter to play with. His tv choices are based on the same crude interests with Fireman Sam, Horrid Henry and Postman Pat scoring high with the little dude. He has his own tablet which we give him when travelling in the car (he has a tendency to vomit on himself on long journeys), and I always have one ear out for a bit of Frozen or Tangled - but nope.

He does love a bit of role play and won’t turn down a spot of pretend cooking or hobby-horsing, but these tend to be the only times we see him engrossed in non gender specific play. He’s still much convinced he’s the only person on the planet at the moment and can be quite selfish with his toys, but he’ll never fight over a teddy or a doll - these are things he’s quite happy to throw in his sister’s direction - unless it’s a Minion or Postman Pat of course.

Heidi, on the otherhand, is far less prescriptive about her toys. Sure, she’s happier snuggling up to soft toys than Dexter ever was, but in the same breath she’ll make a concerted effort to grab anything her big brother is playing with Of course she hasn’t got a clue she’s a girl yet so we shouldn’t read too much into her interests at this point.

So do I feel at all concerned that Dexter in particular is so quickly falling into the role that the media is so persistently berated for portraying? Not at all. For some, the waging of war against gender stereotyping pervades every aspect of their parenting style for fear their child’s early experiences will be somehow limited. I think this is just utter nonsense and posturing for posturing’s sake. I feel no need to foist playthings upon my children in the name of gender equality. They’re very lucky to have a bulging toy chest that rivals that at Dexter’s nursery; they pick what appeals, and whatever that might be is just fine with me.

Toys can be an extension of a child’s personality, but it certainly doesn’t define them.

Nov 5 2014

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Countdown to Christmas with a WOW Toys Advent Calendar (CD: 21/11/2014)

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This is my first time reviewing for WOW Toys and I’m stupidly excited about it (any toy manufacturer that has a toy named Dexter the Digger wins in my book). Yet with gold and silver toy awards coming out of their ears, they’re well used to people gushing about them so I’ll try to keep my excitement in check.

A bit of history: WOW Toys have been enthralling little people for a few years now with their chunky preschool collection that see ‘moving parts’ as exciting rather than hazardous. The vision was to create durable, engaging toys that don’t require batteries - creating toys that children pester parents to play with, rather than fix. They pack their toys with secret features that children are apt to discover before mum and dad to ensure they’re catering for children first.

So what am I reviewing?

Only this stupidly COOL advent calendar! (> as cool as it is, I obviously can’t delve too deeply into mine or I’ll ruin Dexter’s excitement)

Hate using pack shots but I hope you can understand why

Each day in the lead up to Christmas reveals a cute figure which can be matched with the numbers on the fold down play scene to make your very own Christmas world. Both boys and girls will love collecting new toys as Christmas approaches with a limited edition push-along police car included as well as exclusive figures and a build your own tree and snow man.

I’m new to the world of advent calendars given Dexter is my first child to hit “Father Christmas” mode. Before this I guess he thought mummy & daddy had just gone a bit new-age with the foliage and wrapping paper was just us playing a weird variation on lucky dip. I remember mine from my childhood as being relatively boring card affairs (no chocolates for me) so calendars with actual toys is especially awesome. Better yet, this one transforms from traditional card display, to a full-on Town - of course your child will buy straight into that.

Okay… just a little peak…

First thoughts? It’s great value for money with educational elements to boot; it contains no fewer than 24 toys including 1 push-along police car. At £19.99, you’re getting a toy that will sustain a child’s interest for a whole month and beyond. Of course it’s yet to be seen if we can rein in his curiosity and stop him from tinkering for the 24 days, but we’re quietly confident as we have a fridge-full of Chocolate Buttons to reward him with.

There’s also an activity sheet included to ensure their interest remains beyond that 5 minutes before you rush out of the door for pre-school. Here are the developmental benefits it lists:

1 – 2 years – Discover and learn new words with verbal and picture cues
2 – 3 years– Learn to count by opening a new window every day
3 – 4 years – Spark young imaginations to play out stories of their own
4 – 5 years – Encourage storytelling skills through fantasy role play

Not to blow my own trumpet as far as I’m concerned, but I’m pretty sure Dexter can appreciate all these things at 2.5yrs already!

Nope… A full-on play…

*** GIVEAWAY ***

I simply can’t wait to countdown to Christmas with Dexter with this, and WOW Toys have kindly allowed me to give one away too! If you’ve got a child, nephew or niece you think would appreciate it, enter below. Obviously this one is over quickly so you’ll get yours in time for December 1st!

You can choose between this one (WOW Town Advent Calendar) or the WOW Wonderland Advent Calendar (shown below). For more information on these or any other WOW Toy, head over to the website at WOWToys.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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