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 plush toys remain bestsellers
Always a reliable category for any retailer, the plush toy market is set to grow by 6.6% over the next six years, with the global market predicted to be worth US$ 11,000 million by the end of 2026. Plush toys are becoming more popular every year. Recent research revealed a 23 per cent rise in girls playing with soft toys, and parents are making a move back to more traditional toys, so it’s important that retailers stock a good range of the quality brands that Baby Brands Direct prides itself on supplying – leading brands such as Keel Toys, Kaloo, Lamaze, and Fisher-Price.
No toys mean as much to children as plush toys. In a study, nearly a third of those children who were attached to a toy named a teddy or other soft toy or doll as their favourite, ahead of action figures or other toys. And apart from looking adorable and helping to make a nursery feel cosier and appealing, plush toys can play an important part in a child’s development. A soft toy can be a best friend, someone who they can speak to and who will listen to them (even when adults can’t understand the baby babble!). Because that first teddy has been around since they were born, it will be hugely familiar to a small child. So, by the time they develop concerns or worries, that toy can hold a lot of emotional significance. A soft toy will never judge them or dismiss their worries as ‘silly’, offering a level of emotional security. Talking to a toy that doesn’t talk back can enable small children to work through their worries – interestingly, this forms the basis for talking therapies, such as CBT.
A familiar friend
That soft teddy or doll can help parents offer communication and reassurance and can help a child express their emotions. A parent might ask a crying child why ‘teddy’ is upset or be able to offer some reassuring words to ‘teddy’. A favourite plush toy can also help a child develop independence. Taking a soft toy to an unfamiliar place can provide the reassurance of a comforting, friendly face, which even smells of home. This familiarity and comfort can help a small child to relax and get to sleep, even if they are in unfamiliar surroundings. Toddlers can even use a beloved plush toy to practise skills learned, by showing the toy how to brush their teeth or get dressed, for example.
Plush activity toys and rattles offer all the benefits we have mentioned and more. A baby holding a soft rattle will develop the ability to track with their eyes, develop the muscles they will need to hold a pencil and other fine and gross motor skills. They will improve listening skills, scientific thinking and even learn how to investigate cause and effect. Who would have thought that one small rattle could be so effective? Baby Brands Direct also stocks a number of activity plush toys that can help to develop language skills, introduce colours and numbers, and encourage musical ability.
