Tag Archives: wooden toys

Circa, the circular calendar

January 17, 2012 by Scandinavian mum

Seen at the number one UK event for designer gifts, toys and accessories Top Drawer;
With round shapes and bright primary colours like yellow, blue and green this calendar is a lot more than a high quality wooden toy.

Grasping the concept of time, from what day it is to how the year is build up with weeks, months and even seasons can seem a bit difficult for a young child. This rotating and stack-able interactive toy makes it fun to explore and it makes it easy for parents to explain and visualise time, how many days is it to Saturday, what month is after this one, what season comes next or more importantly, how many days is it to the child’s next Birthday! The circular calendar Circa makes learning fun!

The inventor and founder grew up in Denmark and lives today with her family in London. Learning through playing is exactly the main emphasis of the nurseries in Scandinavia, up until the age of 6, and it even continues into school life. Combining this with great design and you’ll have an educational toy that not only gets praised by parents but also wins awards after awards.

www.circacalendar.com

The Circa circular calendar is recommended from the age of 3, with my daughter soon to be 7 still showing a great interest in it. Retail price £39.99 at Nordic Elements

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Review of the Playsam black F1 Racer car

October 15, 2011 by Scandinavian mum



Playsam is one of the leading Scandinavian toy design companies. Designed by Ulf Hanses Playsam black F1 Racer car with four rubber wheels, red trim and a smooth, curved black body and measures 15cm x 11cm. Comes with a matching red driver with a black helmet. Presented in a black branded box which measures 16cm x 13cm x 9cm. Available £64 at alexandalexa.com


We think: First of all, again speedy delivery and well wrapped from Alex and Alexa. The toy is wrapped in a soft paper bag inside a high quality black gift box with the brand Playsam in silver all together making this the perfect present for occasions like babyshower, to the newborn as his very first precious toy or at the name day or christening.
The glossy colours red and black is just perfect for babies that seem to love high-contrast coloured toys, whilst their eye sight develops. The separate doll is perfect for the curious baby that wants to start exploring. The helmet is also removable.
Named an Excellent Swedish Design recipient, the Racer F1 flaunts a high-luster exterior and an aerodynamic body design -made for speed. An exclusive gift for racing fans around the world, this solid wooden race car gives a whole new feeling to the expression “vroom, vroom.” We think the Stig has finally met his match! theScandinavianDad will find it hard to let this go…

© Little Scandinavian

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Review of The Playsam Pink Childhood Toy Pram

October 14, 2011 by Scandinavian mum

Playsam is one of the leading Scandinavian toy design companies. The Playsam Pink Childhood Toy Pram, designed by Dennis Ingemansson, features four moving black wheels, a removable baby and a curved silver metal handle. Comes in a pearl white branded presentation box which measures 11cm x 9cm x 9cm. Available in blue/black or pink/black, £50 at alexandalexa.com


We think: First of all, speedy delivery and well wrapped from Alex and Alexa. The pearl white box is in a luxurious finish making it the perfect present also for more formal occasions like name day or christening. The toy is wrapped in a soft paper bag, again adding to the feel of quality.
The glossy colours pink and black is just perfect for babies that seem to love high-contrast coloured toys, whilst their eye sight develops. The doll is perfect for the curious baby that wants to start exploring. Both the doll and the pram in itself has perfectly rounded shapes, lovely to touch and hold. The curved silver metal handle is a nice feature too. Very soon they’ll be taking the imaginative doll in and out and pushing it around in the pram. And don’t be surprised if it last beyond the age of 2 as Little A, age 6, was spotted this morning taking it for a stroll! With Playsam’s Childhood Pram you get a nostalgic and classic design all rolled into one. We think this is a high quality toy that will be used, loved and saved for future generations.



© Little Scandinavian

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Where to find wooden toys and furniture by Jabadabado

September 28, 2011 by Scandinavian mum

We have previously mentioned the Swedish company JaBaDaBaDo and the high quality wooden children’s furniture and their exclusive wooden toy range, designed by the husband and wife team Eva and Calle.

We have received an email from one reader of Little Scandinavian:

Hi can you help?
I’m trying to get hold of Jabadabado wooden market stall which you featured on your site, I’m based in the Uk and the pressie place no longer stock it, do you know where else stocks it? I’m desperate to get it for my daughters 3rd birthday.
Thanks for your help and time.
Best wishes, Caz

Dear Caz. We have written to Jabadabado, asking for UK stockists. As soon as we receive a reply we will be featuring it here. Meanwhile -enjoy the fun and colourful wooden toys and furniture display!

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Best of the New Ikea 2012 catalogue

September 6, 2011 by Scandinavian mum

Foldable, stackable, affordable -beautiful -It’s out! The NEW Ikea catalogue 2012 is out! For fans of the Swedish furniture design house every new catalog is like a proper treat as Ikea’s designs are functional, stylish and most importantly reasonable.


This year the emphasis is on maximising small homes, get more into it and more out of it. It’s all about clever use of space and furniture that multitasks. No need to throw anything away as Ikea has storage systems for the tiniest and most hidden part of your home. It’s 374 pages of sustainable living.
We love visiting our local London store to admire the tastefully put-together set-ups, to visit all the pretend homes and most importantly indulge in the yummy Swedish meatballs. By the way, did you know that in Scandinavia we eat them with steamed potatoes, not french fries? Try it next time! Anyway, we had a look through the catalogue, and this is what caught our eye… The best of Ikea 2012 for the children.

For the nursery we think the handmade Byholma armchair would make the perfect nursing chair with it’s rounded and soft shapes and reasonable price. The adjustable Hensvik cot shows us that you don’t have to rob the bank to get your hands on a Scandinavian Designer cot.

BYHOLMA armchair £79

HENSVIK cot £59.99



Children’s Ikea isn’t only about extendable beds and fun lighting. They also have a great selection of educational toys perfect for role play in addition to more practical things for eating, sleeping, bathing etc. We love the simple stuff, like the three small soft mouses in white, grey and brown. Given to us as a present many years ago they are still with us. The girls plays with them all the time. They are soft to touch and small enough to go in your pocket. So excellent to bring on trips. We also love the Ikea Junior Kitchen unit. We visited some friends in Oslo this summer, and their 2 year old was cooking all day long on hers. Last but not least, the blackboard, the Måla easel. They never grow tired of it! Only remember to take some pictures now and then of their precious artwork before its wiped out.

GOSIG mus soft toy -perfect for role play! In brown/white/grey £0.99 each

DUKTIG Mini-kitchen £89.99

MÅLA easel £15.99



Most children are back to school and homework is back on the agenda. An inviting workspace will probably help getting started on both spelling and maths.
We think the tween and teen girl would love the Isala laptop table and the whole set-up as shown in the left picture. Fabrics, shelving units, pictures and light all create a private and cosy atmosphere for the older girl. We also think that roses are beautiful and that a grown up girl would appreciate the nostalgic romantic style in her room.

New ISALA laptop table £149

EMELINA knopp bedlinen 3 pcs £10.99


For the young man in the house this clean and functional style might be exactly what he wants. The desk is available in three colours; white, white and orange (as seen in picture below) and our favourite white and birch.

Beat the price: Shelf, desk, chair and lamp £116.47 (page 254)



Did you know that the Ikea catalogue is the worlds most read commercial print? Haven’t received a copy in the mailbox yet?
No worries, as you can view the Ikea 2012 catalogue online.

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125 years with Danish design and craft

August 31, 2011 by Scandinavian mum

Brdr. Krüger is an established and well known company producing Danish design and craft since 1886. Throughout its history, the company has been owned and run by the Krüger family, now in its fifth generation with Niels and Jytte Krüger.

This year Brdr. Krüger celebrates a impressive 125-year anniversary of Danish design and craft with the launch of 3 new products.
1: Re-launch of Nanna Ditzel’s exclusive cradle from 1964, in collaboration with the daughter Dennie Ditzel and the studio Nanna Ditzel Design, in limited numbered edition.
2: A special anniversary edition of Hans Bølling’s classic tray table from 1963, with glass trays. Also in limited numbered edition.
3: Launch of the rocking horse “Mokuba” by the Danish-Japanese architect duo O&M Design.



We love the collaboration with Lucky Boy Sunday, the quirky knitted soft toys that are surrounding the elegant wooden design items by Brdr. Krüger in the pictures, highlighting the excellence of combining heritage and traditional craftsmanship with innovative design.

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Trend kids interior Raspberry Red

June 2, 2011 by Scandinavian mum

Danish kids interior and design company, founded in 2004 by the Danish designer Mia Dela produces baby and kids toys, furniture and textiles. Sebras products is a colourful nostalgic crafts like crocheting and knitting; mixed with contemporary and durable designs. Interior pieces, accessories and toys by Sebra are often made from natural materials such as wood, wool and cotton.
We quite like their nostalgic and almost retro feel by Sebra and especially the trendy red furniture for the Summer. We are planning new bedrooms for the girls and think Little A would have been thrilled if she could get a combined indoor swing and chair like the one in picture below. Find your nearest retailer here www.sebra.dk


© Photos by Sebra
Sebra is available at Nordinary.fr

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Summer in Skandium

June 1, 2011 by Scandinavian mum

Looking to refresh your home after the big Spring clean or in search for the perfect wedding gift this Summer we recommend visiting Skandium in Marelybone. We visited Skandium last weekend in search for a wedding gift and had a browse through the store and enjoyed seeing all the design classics (in all prize ranges) in gorgeous daylight that they have managed to create in store.


Photos by Little Scandinavian

The new Summer series from iittala was hard to resist. I was thinking of buying the mug, but when that’s entered your home I’m sure the rest is to follow shortly! The girls also loved the wooden animals by Kaj Bojesen from Rosendahl.
We ended up leaving with a very nicely wrapped wedding gift and a few items for ourselves too…

Photo: Rosendahl wooden toys and iittala Taika tableware set at Skandium

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16th of December, winner of a Brio Toddler Wobbler from Kidsen

December 16, 2010 by Scandinavian mum

The winner of 16th of December and a black and white Brio toddler wobbler is Claire Thomson! Congratulations! We have sent you an email!

Will you please forward your full name and address to us on: post@littlescandinavian.com and one toddler essential from Kidsen will be on it’s way to you!

The traditional baby walker gets a modern makeover courtesy of our friends at Brio. There’s an adjustable metal handle which adds support for new walkers and the handle itself can be adjusted to 2 different positions to suit different heights.
The stylish black body provides plenty of storage place for the little treasures your child will inevitably collect on their travels. The real rubber tires adhere well to most surface and offer great stability.
The Brio Toddler Walker is a fantastic, fun ans safe way to help your child with their first steps. Retail price £34.99

Kidsen is the UK’s first Scandinavian Children’s shop. Founded by resident Swede Corina Papadopoulou and husband Franco Ofili, their mission in life source beautiful things for your kids -that don’t cost “the earth”. Kidsen stock brands like Mini A Ture, Holly’s, Lille Barn, Ugly Duckling, Hummel, Molo, Ej Sikke Lej, Mini Rodini, Bisgaard, Pom Pom Sko, Ferm Living, Blafre Design and many, many more.
Kidsen is located in the heart of Kensal Rise, in North West London at 111 Chamberlayne Road. If you don’t happen to be in Kensal Rise they also have an equally lovely online shop, kidsen.co.uk

Kidsen is sponsors of Little Scandinavian and all readers of Little Scandinavian can enjoy a 10% discount. Simply enter the coupon code Little Scandi when checking out at kidsen.co.uk

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Black is the new red for any active toddler

December 6, 2010 by Scandinavian mum

There is so many gift guides out there but I had to share this as I think it is something that any active toddler would be very happy to receive from Santa!

Our beloved retro toys, now available in black! Who can resist a shiny Saab Roadster RideOn from Playsam? Its design is based on the very first Saab — Sixten Sason’s prototype 92001. Steering wheel made of wood and metal just like the old sports car steering wheels. Any aspiring racing driver will be over the moon! Available at Skandium £302.

And you can’t go wrong with Brio. This is the exact Tobbler Wobbler or Walk On I used to have as a child, only in red. And it was a daily business walking around with it, shipping toys from there to here, whilst feeling very safe making those very first steps. Available at Kidsen £34.99



To see more products and to find out more about this fantastic Swedish companies visit brio.net and playsam.com

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