What to do with all those boxes you end up with at Christmas?

Get creative and make some funky stuff with Makedo!

Makedo is a series of strong clips and hinges which allow you to create things from the stuff around you.  A perfect Christmas stocking filler that will encourage children's creativity and building skills.  The clever "re-clips" and hinges are specifically designed to hold cardboard and other materials together securely while, unlike glue and tape, being re-usable.  There's a number of packs which include stickers to decorate your creations and they vary in size from smaller flowers up to big playhouses.

All packing and stickers are printed on 100% recycled paper

Shop for Makedo at Babipur here

We’ve got loads of brilliant ideas for fun and ethical Christmas gifts that kids will love!

It’s that time of year again; the count-down to Christmas has started! Here at Babi Pur towers, we’ve been so busy ordering and unpacking, that our heads are already in a Christmas spin! But it’s all worth it because we’ve hand-picked the very best selection of fun, fabulous and ethical Christmas stocking fillers for kids.

The origins of hanging out a stocking at Christmas aren’t really known, but it is now so firmly associated with Christmas Eve and the magical legend of Santa Claus that there will be countless little (and large) stockings strewn across beds, fireplaces and arm chairs this year, eagerly awaiting their precious presents.

So, look no further for Christmas stocking filler gift ideas; here’s our wish list – a selection of ten of the best brilliant, and ethical stocking fillers from Babi Pur.

1: Cosy Hats

Every little head needs a hat to keep out the winter chills, and our gorgeous Flapper Hats by Picalilly will do just that!

The Piccalilly Organic Cotton Cornflower Flapper Hat is pretty and pink or the Piccalilly Organic Cotton Tomato Flapper Hat is a bright and bold blue.

Priced at £13.99, they are made of the softest Fairtrade and organic cotton without the use of nasty chemicals.

2: Anamalz Wooden Animal Figure Toy

Kids will go ape for these adorable wooden animal figures from Anamalz Toy Company. They are all hand painted and have bendable limbs for hours of happy play.

The range includes the seriously stripy Anamalz Zebra, the friendly Anamalz Rhyno, the smiley Anamalz Moose, a cuddly Anamalz Lion,

a bouncing Anamalz Kangaroo, a great Anamalz Grizzly Bear and a cracking Anamalz Croc.

Priced at just £4.99 and made from sustainable maple wood, these brilliant Anamalz make a great addition to any zoo!

3: Wooden Jigsaws

Kids will never tire of puzzles, and these little jigsaws help toddlers to learn puzzle solving, counting and colours too.

The Lanka Kade Fair Trade Wooden Butterfly Jigsaw is made of pretty pinks and purples and the Lanka Kade Fair Trade Baby Snail Jigsaw stands out from the crowd in fabulous primary colours.

Priced just £4.99 and made from sustainable rubber wood by a Sri Lankan Fair Trade organisation.

4: Penguin Ecotronic Eco Torch

Your little eco-warriors will love this cute Penguin Ecotronic Eco Torch to show them the way in the dark! Powered by a gentle squeeze instead of batteries, there’ll be no end to the power.

As well as being a playful design, this torch is great to start teaching kids the basics of green energy!

Price £6.25. Packed in 100% recycled biodegradable packaging

5: Wind-Up Bouncy Bunny

Kids will love this cute little bunny that doesn’t stop bouncing. Just wind him up and watch him go!

From Plan Toys, the Wind-Up Bouncy Bunny is a lovely wooden toy made without harsh chemicals or toxic paints.

It’s the perfect ethical stocking filler, priced at £2.99

6: Haba Ball Marble Tin

Even if you lose your marbles, make sure the kids have plenty to keep them amused with this brilliant value Haba Ball Marble Tin.

Containing 36 glass marbles of different patterns and designs, these are perfect for use with marble run for some good old-fashioned Christmas fun, or encourage kids to stretch their imagination and design their own marble game. Price £6.49

7: Fish Castanet

Get an early start on the Christmas concert with these cute and crazy Plan Toys Fish Castanets. They’re a perfect size for small children to get their hands on, and they’ll love the simple clapping noise they make.

From Plan Toys, these little fishies are made from sustainable rubber-wood without the use of toxic paints or glues. Price £4

8: Mini Rag Dolls

Little children will love these adorable Imajo Fair Trade Rag Dolls that are the perfect size to pick up and take along everywhere; they’ll soon be the best of friends.

They are all made by a Fairtrade organisation in Sri Lanka, the dolls come in five cute characters – all with different clothes and hair. Price £8.99

9: Plan Toys Wooden Cars

All budding  drivers will love to zoom around with the cute and colourful Plan Toys Cars.

Beautifully painted without toxic chemicals, paint or glue, these three little cars make a great addition to the Plan Toys Parking Garages.

Price £7.99 or only £4.oo when bought with the Parking Garage!

10: Skipping Rope

Get bums off the couch with these colourful and fun skipping ropes. These Fair Trade Eco Friendly Skipping Ropes by Lanka Kade come in several different designs, from footballers to fairies and frogs to flowers, so boys and girls will love them.

They are handmade in Sri Lanka by fair-trade organisation Lanka Kade. Priced at £5.50 and packaged in a lovely gift box, these make the perfect ethical stocking gift for kids.

The handmade and ethical toys that are at the top of every child’s Christmas Wish list

We all remember an extra special Christmas present we received as a child; our first dolls house, train set, or shiny new bike all hold great memories of fun, excitement and a magical time.

In an age where computers or cheap foreign imports are filling the toy shops, at Babi Pur, we believe in a revival of great quality and traditional Christmas toys and gifts. We think they’re not only better for kids, who will be able to enjoy their beautiful and hard wearing designs for many years, but that the planet will also thank us for them.

We’ve been working hard to hand-pick some stunning traditional and ethical Christmas toys that kids, and grown-ups, will adore; and here’s our list of the best traditional Christmas toys. We give you…..

 Babi Pur’s Top 10 Ultimate Christmas Toys

	1. The Bike Being given their first bike is an important milestone for any child, and these brilliant Early Rider Classic Wooden Bikes will ensure it’s an extra special Christmas gift. These cool balance bikes with chunky tyres and flame design are guaranteed to have any early rider brimming with confidence, without the need for clunky stabilisers. Made and designed by a British engineering company, these bikes are timeless classics that all kids will love as their first bike.
	2. The Wooden Play Garage Both little and big kids will love this fabulous old fashioned Christmas toy with a bright and modern twist. In 2008 the Wooden Parking Garage by Plan Toys, won the Platinum Award at the Oppenheim fair, and was awarded an A+ rating from learning website education.com. This brightly painted garage is simply designed but beautifully made. It has three floors with a ramp to connect each one, a helipad at the top and a working lift to get the cars up and down. One car is included with a parking attendant figure, but why not check out our brilliant Parking Garage Saver packs? You can add matching accessories such as additional cars, roads, helicopters and rescue centres.
	3. Dolls House For years to come, kids will adore this beautifully made First Doll’s House, so it’s the ideal traditional Christmas present. The open plan design means that children can access it from all sides and easily reach all the rooms; and the beautiful but simple finish means that kids can easily let their creativity shine across the house. Dolls houses are great for imaginative play and help kids with role playing and socialising. They are made by the eco-friendly Plan Toys from sustainable rubber wood and without the use of toxic chemicals, paints or glues. Price: £79.99 Furniture and dolls are not included, but available to buy separately. You can find our range of accessories here and at the moment you can get 20% off all Dolls House furniture and accessories when you buy My First Dolls House. Just enter discount code "doll" at the checkout
	4. Fair Trade Wooden London Bus Lanka Kade is a Sri Lankan fair-trade organisation that uses traditional production methods and we think their toys are some of the most beautiful and well crafted traditional and ethical Christmas toys around. The rubber wood used to make these toys comes from old rubber plantations that would otherwise have been set alight. This adorable brightly coloured London bus will become a firm family favourite. The top and first floor even come apart so that kids can reach all the little people inside. It is beautifully crafted and brightly painted and will last for years to come.
	5. Wooden Play Kitchen & Market Stall This colourful Wooden Kitchen & Market Stall by British traditional toy manufacturers Millhouse is sure to inspire children in the creative art of healthy living. It has loads of interactive features that kids will get stuck into. On one side it’s a brilliant play kitchen and on the other it’s a colourful market stall, complete with baskets of fruit and veg. It even comes with some seed packets and compost so your budding gardeners can have a go at “grow-your-own”. This great addition to a play room is made in Britain from sustainable wood with a durable and high quality finish.
	6. Fire Engine, Station & Firefighters This fantastic Fire Engine, Station & Firefighter set will provide children with hours of fun.  The Fire Engine itself is a large toy with two ladders and fire hoses, there are four firefighters armed with walkie talkies, a megaphone and axes.  The Fire Station comes with its own furniture and a sliding pole means the Fire fighters can slide straight into action, into the Fire Engine and off the scene of the fire (or to rescue Mrs Jones’ cat) The Fire Engine, Fire Station & Firefighters are also available to buy separately.
	7. Alder Wood Toy Kitchen Set This stunning Alder Play Kitchen Set is handcrafted for us in Germany, and we think it’ll be top of any child’s wish list! It’s made from a beautifully coloured solid wood from local Alder trees and the quality is evident in the careful finish and quirky design. It’s a very special toy that will be handed down and loved for generations to come.
	8. Daisy Dollie Pram The Daisy Dollie Pram by Millhouse is designed and manufactured in the UK.  It’ll make a lovely and cosy bed for a lucky dolly, and there’s also enough room to cart around blocks and toys too! A long lasting toy, we think it’s sure to be popular with little children and also babies taking their first steps
	9: Marble Run The marble run is one of the oldest traditional Christmas toys, and one that provides hours of entertainment for kids of all ages as they work out new ways to send little glass marbles flying across the room. Our Haba Marble Run Master Building Set is the absolute ultimate in marble run building. Kids will need all of their imagination, creativity and building skills to piece together this clever set. There are loads of great features like a zig-zag track and a musical tunnel. We’re hard pressed to decide whether it’ll be kids, or their parents, who will love it the most! This marble run is beautifully designed and made in Germany using sustainable methods and materials.
	10. The Ultimate Davos Wooden Sledge If weather predictions for this year are true, then kids will get a lot of use out of this Classic Wooden Sledge/Toboggan. Sturdy, tough and a beautiful and simple design these sledges will hold up to 150kg, which is approx 2 average adults or three children. Made in Germany, these beautiful sledges are one of the finest traditional Christmas toys that families will treasure for years.

I'm not sure how he fit it down the chimney but 3 Christmases ago St Nick delivered a lovely wooden toy kitchen to our house.  Our children were delighted with their wooden kitchen and it proudly stands in our actual kitchen today and is still a focus of their play.  They love to play pretend baking and serving games cooking different things and incorporating all sorts of other toys into their play.  The kitchen is often the heart of a family home and children love to copy their parents and mimic all the bustling and goings on.  It's easy to see why toy kitchens are so popular and in particular well built strong wooden ones.  3 years on and our wooden play kitchen still looks great and is regularly played with, truly a good investment.

Here at Babi Pur we've just had a large range of wooden play kitchens delivered to our warehouse.  We've picked a selection of the best quality wooden kitchens available including solid wood kitchens from Pintoy, kitchens made in Britain from Millhouse and a very special solid alder wood kitchen made in germany.  You can browse our play kitchen category here where's there's also lots of scrummy play food.  Below is a selection of just a few of our Wooden Play Kitchens and accessories.

From left to right

Healthy eating Kitchen and Market Stall £109.99 - This Play kitchen has two sides, flip it around and it turns into a market stall with wooden baskets and a big chalk board to write todays specials and prices on.  Made in Britain and excellent quality.  There's lots more styles of toy kitchens from this range too.

Pintoy Kitchen and Utility Island £89.99 - This Pintoy kitchen is a similar style to the one we have at home.  Designed to be played with from all sides it has a cooker one one side and a washing machine with sink on the other.  Pintoys are made in Thailand from rubber wood which is eco friendly and sustainable.  Pintoy also have a range of stand alone kitchen units.

Hand Made Alder Wood Kitchen £189.99 - This one is a little bit special.  Hand made in Germany from solid alder wood and finished in natural oil.  This really is one to keep forever and pass on to future generations.  We love the colourful wooden knobs, they just look so adorable.

Kitchen Play food Favourites from left to right

Haba food basket £17.99 - Amber who is our customer service manager at Babi Pur just described this basket to me as something really beautiful and special.  You can't get more praise than that!

Rise 'n Shine Toaster £17.99 - A great value wooden toy with butter you can cut and a toaster that pops up . .  oh and some scrummy honey too.

Plan Toys Tea Set £17.99 - Always a best seller!  We drink so much tea at Babi Pur towers and children just love to copy all this tea drinking that goes on.

So if you're looking for quality wooden play kitchens and play food for your little chefs then head over to the the play kitchen section at Babi Pur now

Wooden Building Blocks are great for children!

In this fast-paced technological age, wooden building blocks can seem old fashioned and clumsy; but with the continuing trend for honest and uncomplicated vintage toys for children, more and more parents are recognising the virtues of simple, coloured wooden toys and building blocks.

Wooden blocks are often associated with younger children, but here at Babi Pur, we’ve found that kids of all ages love them; at the age of six our oldest still has hours of fun with her blocks.

Plan Toys 60 blocks	Plan Toys Hollow Blocks	Touch, Feel & See activity Blocks

Kids love to play with wooden blocks for loads of reasons, not least because they’re drawn to their bright colours and simple symmetry. Experts agree that simple wooden toys and building blocks are brilliant toys for kids because they can help to:

• Teach language skills – In their simplest form, wooden blocks can help with numeracy, literacy, shapes and colours. They can also help children with self expression if they’re encouraged to share what they’re doing and creating.
• Build self-esteem – wooden blocks are great for teaching children about self confidence because they are in total control of what, how and where they build and play. Blocks are simple so children don’t need their parents’ help, which can be a great confidence boost.
• Develop dexterity – by playing with blocks, children can master dexterity, patience, gentle playing and balance. When children play with wooden blocks they use the same muscles in their hands as they do when they write or eat.
• Encourage creativity – there is an almost infinite number of things that children can build, create and make with a simple set of wooden blocks and this really helps them to expand their imagination.
• Family fun - wooden blocks are great for kids of all ages, and all the family can get involved.

HABA Ball track construction set	HABA domino rally

And for older children, why not combine wooden building blocks with a brilliant wooden marble run? Kids love constructing marble runs and they can help teach them about logic, maths and science not to mention patience and perseverance. Using wooden blocks to extend the run will add another dimension and encourage kids to think outside the box.

A lovely wooden marble run can keep kids entertained for hours as they figure out new ways to see their marbles flying across the room, which means you can keep hold of yours!

Find Babi Pur’s range of beautifully made Haba wooden marble runs and marble toys here.

Here at Babi Pur we have a fantastic range of colourful wooden blocks and wooden toys, ranging from simple building blocks to more elaborate shapes and themes, that are great to mix and match.

Find our whole range of toys here and don’t forget to check back often because we’re always adding lovely new items. As well as wooden blocks and toys we also stock a variety of ride on toys, jigsaws, dolls houses, train sets and much much more!  We even have a pocket money selection of toys that are ideal for Christmas stocking fillers!

Happy building!

Listen up folks!  This aint your average backstreet market sale, these are quality wooden and eco toys from our favourite brands like Plan Toys and I'm Toy.  We've brought you some fantastic prices on some of our most popular toys and some limited stock special offers.  When they're gone, they really are gone!  My favourite has to be the Build 'n Roll marble run which is a pretty substantial piece of kit and the bits all interchange with the plan construction kits too (also on offer).  Plan Toys road systems won't be available to buy in the UK soon which is a real shame but that means we've got some fantastic prices on Plan road and rail, , in particular the road system deluxe  stands out for me.  Oh I wish I was a little boy again

There's lots of toys for £10 and under so if you're looking for some little gifts then have a browse.

Click here or on the above picture to view our toy sale category

Here at Babi Pur We've expanded our Plan Toys range and added new lines from eco toy companies Educo and Hape.  Why do we love all these wooden toys so much?  Well . . . . we love the bright colours, we love wood because it's hardwearing and we love that they encourage children's development and learning through play.  Did we mention they're eco freindly too!

Our latest favourite is the Plan Toys Build-A-Robot, pictured above, this chunky wooden robot has 4 heads to choose from, the legs can be unscrewed and screwed back into the front holes so he can sit down.  Loads of fun for small hands, switching heads and making the robot angry or happy, and I have to admit we have been playing with this one in the office a little bit whilst making some silly robot noises.

We really like the new wooden rainbow puzzle (pictured above), partof our new ranges from Hape and Educo which also includes the little wooden cars.  The rainbow is a simple and beautiful toy that small children will love making into different patterns and completing the rainbow shape.  Hape and Educo toys make predominately wooden toys and puzzles with an emphasis on safety, quality, education and social responsibility.  We're really impressed with the quality of these toys and hope to expand the ranges further in the future.

All our wooden toys are made from sustainable rubber wood or bamboo and painted with low impact eco friendly dyes such as soy ink.  Our toys are free from nasty chemicals, they are safe for babies who often put things in their mouths and kind to the environment unlike many plastic toys that quickly end up as landfill.

Everyone likes a bargain and at Babi Pur we have also added some products at discounted prices, these stocks are very limited so be quick.  Here's a few of our favourites.

  Eco train station rrp £19.99 NOW £11.99

  Car transporter rrp £14.99 NOW £10.00

              Discovery set rrp 13.99 NOW £9.49

Lot's of new Green and safe toys for babies and young children and currently with free delivery head over to the Babi Pur toy section to have a look.

Natural rubber teething toys and soothers available now at Babi Pur

Natural teethers and soothers are nothing new but recent trends towards plastic dummies and toys has left some parents looking for something else.  Danish firm Hevea have gone back to basics and made soothers (called pacifiers or dummies by some)  from a single cast of 100% natural rubber.  So no plastic, no chemicals a definitely no BPA.  So if you're looking for a natural soother for your baby Hevea is the one for you, and your baby   We've added the Hevea soothers in various teats and sizes and the panda teether to the Babi Pur website so browse our BPA free section here.

Sophie la Giraffe will be 50 years old this year (2011) and she has hardly changed in all that time.  Sophie is the classic natural baby toy made from 100% natural rubber and painted with food grade paints.  A real must have for any baby Sophie is the perfect shape and size for tiny hands to grab and play with and you don't have to worry about your baby chewing her.  To compliment the range and to offer a dedicated teething toy there's also available the Sophie the Giraffe natural teether which has different textures for babies to chew on and comes in two versions, soft and extra soft for the different stages of teething.

And form the makers of Sophie the Giraffe check out these cheeky little chappies too, Chan, Pie and Gnon.  Their funny little names are derived from the French word Champignon (mushroom) and we love the toys, they're very soft and rubbery, their little heads wobble around a lot and they make a funny squeaky noise when you touch them.  Great entertainment for babies and made from the same 100% natural rubber as Sophie the Giraffe

Shop Chan, Pie and Gnon Natural Toys Here

It's hard to believe that Sophie the Giraffe (Sophie la Girafe)  will be 50 years old this year.  She's even more popular today than she was all those years ago!  Made in France, Sophie is given as a newborn gift  to 9 out of 10 French babies.  She's fast becoming a hugely popular toy here in UK and worldwide too.

So what's the secret to Sophie's success? Read more...

The Plan Toys dolls houses are very popular with us here at Babi Pur, we really love the range (especially the Victorian dolls house) The Farmhouse and barn are new to us this year and there are animals and veggie patches too!  We love the way children can get right inside the house and the barn and see what's going on.  Pictured above is the Plan Toys Barn and there is also a Plan Toys Farm House , Plan Toys Stables , Tractor and wooden farm animals . 

The little dolls families are great and there are different races to chose from.  The dolls families are the same size and scale as the farmers, firemen, grandparents, workmen etc   This means any doll can have a ride in the tractor & trailer or even the Plan Fire engine.. how cool is that?    We also stock lots of Dolls House furniture and accessories, you can chose from different furniture styles Deco, Traditional, Modern or a mix of all styles.

The best thing about the Plan Toys Dolls house range is the quality.  They really are robust toys which are made to be played with!  They're beautifully made out of sustainable rubberwood and painted with safe eco friendly dyes.    To view the complete range Plan Toys Dolls House range visit Babi Pur