Changing & Potty Training
Please select at least one Product
Children in Key Stages 1 and 2 begin to learn according to the national curriculum, whereas in earlier years, they learned through play and exploration. Baby Brands Direct have a great range of educational toys that help to teach key lessons in Maths, English, foreign languages and geography.
From electronic toys from VTech that teach counting and spelling while children play, to wooden puzzles from Janod that show the map of the world, there is something for every classroom. As well as products for early years, Baby Brands Direct offer toys suitable from 5 years to 12 years, covering the first two stages of school life.
Many of the toys available are great for fine motor skills development, which is the ability to use the small muscles in our wrists and hands. Construction toys, puzzles, small figures and musical toys such as those from Janod and Halilit are perfect for developing these essential skills. Children can improve their dexterity by handling these small items. Threading the shapes around looping toys is a perfect way to get small hands and fingers working! Musical instruments for children are not just great for developing dexterity, but are also beneficial for aural and sensory development. By playing with musical toys, children's ears become attuned to different melodies, sounds and tones. It also stimulates their senses!
Toys with moveable and stackable parts are also great for developing hand-eye coordination. Baby Brands Direct have a great range of stackable toys with different shapes for kids to feel and explore, which will also help with problem solving as they'll need to work out the best way to stack each layer! Peg boards and shape sorters are also great options for boosting dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
For the development of gross motor skills, which involve the larger muscles in the legs, arms and torso, Baby Brands Direct have a great selection of ride on toys and bikes that will encourage movement and exploration. These larger activity toys are great for teaching kids how to balance and move effectively, as well as getting them to play outdoors in the fresh air.
Children also love creative play. Modelling clay, modelling tools and Plasticine are a great way to allow children to be creative and use their imaginations, as well as encouraging them to use their hands to create. As it never dries out, Plasticine is perfect for large classrooms where it will be handled a lot. Baby Brands Direct offer different Plasticine sets and kits, so you'll be sure to find the perfect product for your class. Also available are Aquadoodle mats and Spirograph kits, to further encourage creativity in the classroom!
With the creative freedom they offer, Schleich and Playmobil playsets are a wonderful way to introduce role play, as well as teamwork, to playtime. Kids will love to explore new worlds with their imaginations and their classmates. Hot Wheels cars and racetracks are always a popular choice, particularly with young boys, as they offer fun and excitement With the introduction of figures and playsets and other role play toys, such as kitchen sets from Janod or supermarket and shop toys, children are able to develop their social and emotional skills by playing with others. Emotion toys, such as Barbie playsets that encourage caring for small babies, also help support healthy emotional growth and empathy for others.
With over 40 years experience, Baby Brands Direct have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the children’s toy industry. The company has been accredited with numerous awards by industry professionals for our service across the UK and worldwide.
We aim to be a one stop supplier for primary schools and other educational facilities, with over 2500 products available under one roof. As well as toys, we have a great range of hygiene products from Milton and Vital Baby. These products are perfect for ensuring that all surfaces are kept clean and free from germs, which is very important in these unprecedented times. We also stock toddler cups and weaning products for younger children, which give confidence in self feeding and help encourage healthy development.
Our online B2B portal means orders can be placed 24/7 at your convenience. Baby Brands Direct also offer volume discounts, loyalty credit, weekly promotions and fun competitions to win free stock for your class. If you manage a primary school or other educational facility, please consider Baby Brands Direct as your distributor of choice.
Why do nappy changing products sell so well?
As we mentioned, the 7,000 or so nappy changes one child experiences will certainly have an effect on that! The other point is that these are not products you can get as you go along - nappy-changing products will be needed from the outset, so will be bought for baby showers, as gifts for newborns, by grandparents and by parents-to-be, in order to be well prepared when baby comes along.
Also, parents will often need more than one of many items. For instance, parents of newborns are advised to have nappy changing stations upstairs and downstairs, so that they don’t need to leave their little one alone should they need an urgent nappy change, and will always have what they need to hand. It also saves a lot of running up and down the stairs - important for a mum who has just experienced labour, or a Caesarean, or is just plain tired! So items such as changing mats might often be bought in pairs - there may even be another one kept at a grandparents or other carer’s home.
And what about Potty Training products?
When toddlers are ready to be potty trained is a matter of guesswork! Some children are ready to start taking that step before they turn two, for most it is between two and two and a half, but it can be later. Because it is a less exact science, parents are always keen to be prepared, because once their little one shows signs of knowing when they need the toilet, they want to get started straight away - not have to run off to the shops to buy all the necessary equipment. So potties tend to be bought several months before they are needed.
Another issue that makes potty training products popular is that many preschools will not accept children who are not potty trained. This means that, unless they have special needs, little ones could miss out on vital socialisation and early education opportunities, and working parents could struggle to find childcare. So, many parents are keen to ensure their little ones are potty trained by the ‘right’ age - making products that encourage the process, such as mini toilets that play music more and more popular.
What are the benefits of potty training products?
Baby Brands Direct stocks a number of ‘mini toilet’ potties by trusted brands such as Fisher Price and Summer Infant. The fact that the potties look like toilets is designed to make the transition from potty to using the toilet in the family bathroom far easier. Getting used to the look and shape of it can be half the battle to success as little ones graduate to going to the toilet, just like the grown-ups. When that time comes, Baby Brands Direct stocks step stools and training seats to make the transition to the big toilet go without a hitch! For retailers, being able to supply customers with everything needed from newborn to preschooler age is a bonus.
