Lucas was at daycare 3 days a week for a while before he started school, so I thought he would make a smooth transition to school. But it was not to be. It was tears at line up for almost 2 weeks. He was fine. Five minutes after we left he had settled, and we were lucky to have a lovely teacher who helped to ensure that he loved school.
I feel like I have learnt a few things, through getting them wrong, or right, and when I asked some friends if they found it hard there was a treasure of great ideas. So I have put together these tips hoping they will help you and your little ones transition.
This one was a top tip for many. We forget that the kids often have no idea what they are about to embark on - except that it's 'SCHOOL'.
Stacey said that they explained the routine - like drop off, class, morning tea, class, lunch, class, home. Which helps to stop them being overwhelmed.
Bron has been working on how she will transition her little girl, one of the tips she got from their kinder teacher ... Talk about it and if they show any anxiety get it out in the open and talk about it.
Talk about their teacher as soon as you know who it will be, e.g. "Do you think Miss Blah will like colouring in?" etc (same goes for things like transitioning to swimming lessons alone instead of with mum/dad).
Don't make it a huge deal! This is one of the things I think I did wrong. In saying that it's also super hard! Everyone asks 'When are you starting school? Which school are you going to?' and of course we want to take photos on the first day. Maybe we didn't do enough of TIP 1 and didn't talk him through the day he would have.
One thing I would definitely NOT do again - I would not go inside. We went into the class room and then it was IMPOSSIBLE to get out again. Go into the classroom during transition, and after they have made it their space ... but on that first day it wasn't a good idea for us. I think it would have been better to drop and run.
I wish I had known Jade before we went to Prep - how great is this idea - On the Sunday before school starts we have a special lunch, with our Prep's fav foods, and invite the grandparents etc to come. Prep wears his uniform and proudly shows off his new bag/lunchbox/shoes, there are family photos etc. Really helps to get the hype done ahead of time, so on their first day it's chilled out.
Amanda and Maria both suggested: It's a good idea to get the kids to use their lunch box and drink bottle at home or on an outing so they know how to use it/open/close etc. That INCLUDES Glad wrap! If you use glad wrap on their lunches for school then you need to use that for the practice runs too. Nothing worse than not being able to get to the food you can see!
Maybe even set up a bit of a playtime snack, lunchtime routine so they realise they can't really eat all day. This one I also do now ... so we have food when we're at work, and also so that Lucas (not me) doesn't attack the pantry all day long!
If you can, then during the holidays you could head to the school playground. Let the kids play on the swings, run around the oval. Maybe talk about the different buildings and what school might be like. Make it a place they know.
And of course, let them wear the uniform!
From Megan: I have one tip that I have used with all 5 of mine. It works well in dealing with separation anxiety. I have always made sure that my parting words were always the same. I'd help with their bag, give a hug and kiss, say "goodbye" and then my last words would be "Mummy always comes back". Often I would pick them up and the first thing they would say to me is "Mummy always comes back, doesn't you Mummy!". I'm using this now with my youngest. My eldest turns 18 in March.
Get them used to routines by introducing new morning routines. For example, if you are currently doing breakfast at creche, since they can't do that once they starts school, switch to breakfast at home so they can get used to it.
One Psychologist gave the advice - Don't stress if they're not "seeming" ready in terms of getting ready in the morning, doing their own shoes, etc -- it's apparently amazing how much it all changes once they actually start school, they suddenly just "get" it ... so if you have behavioural issues, you may just find that they improve immensely simply with the act of school starting.
Lucas was one of the most traumatised of the preps (at least from my perspective). The only one crying and clingy. It didn't take long before he would rush off to play with his friends before the bell. Just like we need time to get used to change, so do they. Give them love, ask questions and be positive.
Don't forget every child is different and your experience will be different to everyone else. There is no right and wrong way to do these things! Do what works for you and your little one.
ONE LAST THING - Don't forget about you!
I totally thought I would be fine ... (I don't know myself very well!) I had a beauty appointment planned for just after my first prep drop off ... a great idea I thought, to drown myself in the ME time that comes with school days. It worked really well, but partly because my beautician understood the tears that kept slipping out of the corner of my eyes. For me, it was nice to talk about it, but not make a big deal about it. And oh the freedom! xx
WISH I HAD KNOWN ABOUT THIS
HUG BUTTON
Source - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155792500834695&set=a.10150091250019695&type=3&theater
If you have a child who is anxious about being alone this is a gorgeous idea.
You draw a heart on your hand and their hand. You charge up the love by holding hands on the way to school. then during the day if they miss Mum or feel anxious they press the button and send some love to you.
What a beautiful way for them to feel close to you. in the FB post she also put a hear ton the harm in case it washed off the hand. #clever
EDIT - Additional tip: One of our crew on Instagram suggested doing a Hearing and Eye test before starting school. Much easier to deal with before they start, and if undetected could cause issues in class! Great tip.
Vroom
- Helle.
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Everyone is buying this one in sets of 2. Well, you want it to be a fair fight dont you!
A cool water blaster that is out of this world.
Bring on the warm summer days!
Age 4+ years.
A classic toy never gets old.
Place the picture on the board then place the pegs in the holes with their matching colours. Easy to do, and great for fine motor skills and concentration.
There are three versions in varying difficulty.
Age 3+ and 4+
Connetix is always in the top 10 and these tile toppers turn your tiles into roads!
Working with all the magnetic tile brands, let's go for a ride.
Ages 3+
Simple and safe, cardboard construction has never been this easy. With special tools and Scru's to hold the cardboard together.
5+ years
With Special mention going to these toys that were pipped at the post and almost had a place on the list. The are only new, and are so popular, we are certain they will be the top soon.
Many of these are 1+ and 2+ years.
Check out our Trending Toys page for a longer list of amazing toys.
Shape sorting and pull along toys are always great for learning and fun. This toy combines both.
Age 1+ years
Check out our Trending Toys page for a longer list of amazing toys.
Vrrooom
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
]]>Why would a Toy Store owner share tips on how you can buy less toys?
It is because I want you and your kids to make memories. Toys are amazing because they are full of fun and play, and that doesn't just happen by having more. Actually sometimes it happens when you have less....
I've also been reading the papers and living the life where 'cost of living' is almost a daily uttered phrase, where all the costs are going up and we are all trying to find ways to spend less.
So, here is my list of ideas to help you have fun, while spending less.
It's like removing the seasonal clothes from your wardrobe. When you get them out again you remember how much you liked something! Just like shopping but you know it fits!
Taking some of the toys away focuses the kids on the toys that have on the shelves, and when you swap the toys back it is like being re-united with an old friend.
We have a blog about Toy Rotation here, with some great tips.
Borrow, don't buy! We adore the Toy Library. Find your local library here
When Lucas was little he was mad for a toy kitchen. One of his friends had one and he really wanted one. So off we went to the toy library and borrowed one. After an hour he was done playing and it was not touched again.
Toy libraries allow you to try new things and add some variety to your play space without spending the money.
Quality toys often outlast the kids interest. So many fabulous toys end up at the local op shop, or being given away on Marketplace.
You will find it hard to go in with a set shopping list, but I find that there is a lot of joy in an op shop find due to the surprise of finding something amazing!
We have heard of so many seriously great finds. Lucas found a brand new race car set that he proudly showed everyone who visited. Teaching kids about saving is also a benefit of being a thrift shopper.
An afternoon of fun can be found in the delivery box you just received. Draw a picture and have the kids colour it in. Create a road for the trees and cars to drive around. It can be a space ship, a car, a tv, anything!
Kids don't need it to be perfect, imagination is catching. If you start to imagine the box as a car the kids will follow. Is it a race car, should we add stripes? If it's a robot, does it need nuts and bolts. Attaching ribbon will keep it on their shoulders.
Or make your own car wash with a cereal box. Colour matching toys with the furniture! Calling out colours and the kids need to find 3 things in that colour. Timing anything will turn it into a race!
Do you know other families with kids a similar age? And toys you don't really use? You could swap so you both have new toys to enjoy.
You could set up a puzzle swap, or a little local group swap.
Did you know Lucas loves cars gives you loyalty points with every order!? Check yours points here.
Turn your points into credits towards anything you love.
Everyone loves a discount. It's totally a valid way to save, if you buy things you want and love.
Toys on our sale page are good quality and filled with play.
There are a lot of toys on our sales page that I love. Sometimes they are there because of a mistake when ordering, sometimes the toy isn't right for everyone, but it might be perfect for you.
Many stores have a click and collect option. We do. you can order in your Oj's and collect from our Yarraville warehouse.
Not just easy to shop without the kids, the other bonus to this is that you will be helping a local business.
If you always play with toys one way you are losing a lot of their play value. A Grimms rainbow can be a bridge, a mountain or a fence. We have a blog about getting the most out of your toys here.
Turn it over, add something new. When you look at a toy differently, it can open up all new fun.
Put a few toys in a box, can you recognise it by touch? Pull them out one at a time and describe what you see. What is it? The colour, the size, the shapes.
Play is about enjoying yourself and having fun. The best thing about it is that there is no 'right way'.
We hope you play today.
Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. With over 11 years of experience in the toy business, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
]]>So this is a pretty weird thing for me to say as a toy store owner. Maybe I should do some more marketing training, because surely this isn't the way for me to encourage you to buy more. Give me just a minute and I'll try to explain to you why I'm asking you not to buy.
As the owner of Lucas loves cars I love toys and I see a lot of toys. The cheap, the super expensive, the ugly and the must-have gorgeous.
Imagine working in a chocolate store, being surrounded by chocolate all the time. Do you think you'd get sick of chocolate? Or would you only eat the best you could find?
I actually worked in an ice cream parlour when I was a teenager, I loved ice cream when I started, and I loved it when I finished a few years later. I probably ate too much in between, but being surrounded by it certainly didn't put me off. I learnt that when ice cream has been melted and refrozen it is the worst! I can now tell in just one bite if it's good stuff, and I wont eat it unless it is the good stuff!
It's a bit like that now with toys. After more then 5 years surrounded by toys I'm happy to report that I'm not sick of them, not by a long shot. I still love to play, I still love how they look and the fun that they bring, to me and to the kids. (If you have taken a look at my Insta stories you know this already!)
The main change is that I'm not interested in the crappy stuff. I'm only willing to play with toys that are quality, and that encourage play. A good toy will have the kids coming back again and again.
So - I sound like a toy snob don't I? Sure, it's easy for me to say I only play with quality toys, when I'm surrounded by quality toys in my store.
The thing is, I have all these toys in my store, but I don't have all those toys in my home - my house is not that big! And what does this have to do with not buying toys anyway?
Am I waffling? I really want to get you to understand that buying more toys is not the answer to keeping the kids happy and entertained. It works for 5 minutes and then you are back at square one. If I was doing this only for the money then I would be selling those cheap toys to you and you would come back every week getting a new toy, because they are cheap to buy, and because you would need to replace them more often.
Toys should last longer than the afternoon.
Have you heard of Price Per Use? (PPU) It's a way we can determine value. Not the quality or the price, but actual value of an item. We sometimes confuse good value with price. 'I got a toy for $10'. That's only good value if the toy lasts.
My friend taught me about this great PPU concept a while ago, when I didn't want to spend money on some great clothes. So basically it's the price of the item divided by the number of uses. Simple. If you buy a $400 pair of shoes and you wear them every day for 2 years then the PPU for those shoes is better than if you bought a pair of shoes for $20 and only wore them once because they didn't really fit properly.
“Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”
~ Warren Buffet
Value and quality are different, but what does that have to do with not buying more toys? Can you guess by now?
What I really wish is that people spend more money on less.
It's good for our planet, and in this case it's good for our kids. Stop buying more toys, the cheap toy cars that break after 2 goes around the coffee table. The ones that we think 'it's a cheap treat for the kids' but then it ends up at the bottom of the toy basket. You know the ones I mean. Don't we all have some of these? I know we do at our house, because I fall for the 'little treat' sometimes too.
Buying a plastic toy is the equivalent of buying the kids a fast food meal.Now there is nothing wrong with having fast food sometimes, but you don't want to do it all the time. Sometimes you don't have the stamina to say no, or you get a toy as a gift. Sometimes you just want to see, will he play with a car, or a doll?
When we buy toys we want to spoil the kids, to entertain the kids and because toys make our kids happy.
The trick to long lasting smiles is to have a good collection of toys. I said GOOD collection, not BIG collection.
Pick the toys that will suit your child, a toy that will cope with the toddler years and have different levels of complexity to keep them engaged. If you're going to spend money on a toy then make it a good one.
Think about the toys you have bought recently, what was the PPU? Did the cheap toys end up being used or discarded once the novelty wore off?
Worried that your kid doesn't have the attention span to cope with only a few toys? Try rotating the toys that they have!
ONE
TWO
Put 1/2 of the toys away. Yes THAT MUCH! Put them in a cupboard, a box in the garage, under the stairs, anywhere that they are hidden from the kids.
This is great because it will clear the play space and allow the kids to focus on the toys that are there.
THREE
FOUR
Bring about half of the hidden toys back out to play. They will feel like new again and get another chance to shine. And don't forget to put away the toys that aren't being used. You might find that some of the toys become favourites again, and some will be ignored ( they can be donated or passed along.)
To help you with this monthly turn around we will post this image on our socials every month as a reminder!
1: Get a box. Bigger than a shoe box, maybe the size of a small suitcase.
2: Now set the task - this box needs to be filled. Get the kids to choose the toys they don't want anymore. Be clear that you are getting rid of them, or the kids will never help again!
Leave the sorting out of rubbish and donations until later - the kids need to focus on filling the box with toys.
It really helps that they are filling a box and then the task is done.
Guide them along the way if they get distracted.
- Should we put car A in the box, or car B?
- We haven't played with Truck X for a while, should he go in here?
NOTE: I sometimes have a reward for when the box is full. Like a small car, or a pack of stickers. One big box out, one small gift in. Fair swap I think!
Vroom vroom
- Helle
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. With over 11 years of experience in the toy business, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
]]>Making it easier for the kids (and dads) to make Mothers Day special, we have created this bookmark printable that the kids will surely love to colour and you will love to use.
It has trucks and cars!
]]>At Lucas loves cars we know Mothers Day is not just about the gift. Don't get me wrong, we love the flowers, chocolates, champagne and jewellery. (In case the guys are reading this!)
Really we just want a day where the family do something to let us know that they care about us! Like making us breakfast in bed, at 6am...with burnt toast and cold tea. It's the love that goes into it that makes it special.
In some houses (not mine, or yours I'm sure) it's sometimes hard to get the kids/man of the house to do anything special. You only know the day is special because it's takeaway for dinner and some more bath soaps.
To make it easier for the kids (and dads) to make Mothers Day special, we have created this bookmark printable that the kids will surely love to colour and you will love to use.
Vroom
- Helle.
Not it's time to highlight the amazing Eco Friendly toy brands that we stock, and share with you how they are helping to reduce waste.
As we started to make the list we soon realised this was going to be more than a few bullet points.
There are so many ways that a toy can be eco-friendly, from the design, the materials, the quality and the packaging, so let's check them out.
The design of a toy is so important. Oh yes, good design means the toy looks beautiful, it's more than that though.
Badly designed toys aren't just those we want to hide away, the toys without design are the ones that will not keep the kids engaged for long. You know what we mean. 😫 The toys that they want, but then in 5 minutes they are bored because it has no real play value.
A toy that has numerous uses, that can grow as your child grows, that is the sort of toy that ensure you can buy less and play more.
REDUCE is the first in the way we can all be eco friendly. That's why we stock brands and toys that have different levels of play. Jigsaw puzzles that are also observation games, stacking games that are trucks.
Some of the brands that have designed toys and products that reduce waste are We Might be Tiny with re-useable muffin cups and Icy Pole tubes. Heydoodle have also created reusable colouring mats which are great fun again and again.
Wooden toys and felt toys, silicone too! Sustainably sourced, renewable resources that feel fabulous, smell amazing, and don't add plastic to our landfill.
The amazing, colourful range of Beach toys from Scrunch are made from silicone. This is a natural material that is biodegradable.
Most of the toys that we sell are wooden, so we wont be listing all of the Brands. We will highlight that some of the toys are certified as being from sustainable forests.
FSC is something we talk about a lot when we talk about our wooden toys. It is the mark of the Forest Stewardship Council International,xx a non-governmental organisation created in 1993.
It is a certification that the materials used for these toys come from responsibly managed, FSC-certified forests. Trees are harvested responsibly so there is no net loss of forest over time, ensuring we have forests for years to come. 🌳🌳
Big Jigs are increasing their range of toys made from FSC certified wood. Other Brands include BRIO, Fabrix wooden blocks, Janod and Le Toy Van wooden toys.
Have you heard of Green Toys? Of course you have! These toys have been around since 2007, recycling used Milk bottles into fun bath and sand toys that last and last. They have saved over 130 Million milk bottles from going into landfill, and that number keeps growing every day!
Replay also recycle milk containers, into colourful, durable kids tableware. Use them and then throw them into the dishwasher! Pretty and hard wearing the perfect combination for toddler tough plates, Sippy cups and cutlery!
Bioplastic is a plastic that is made from Sugar Cane.
The Eco range of chubbies from Viking toys is made from BioPlastic.
Dantoy specialise in a range of garages and sand toys toys that are made from Bioplastic.
We love the way that some of our Brands use the waste that they create in the factory to create new toys! It's amazing.
Plantoys combine the wood saved during the production of some of their toys with a non toxic paste to mould it into other toys in their range. They call it PlanWood. Ensuring their waste is reduced while keeping their toys durable.
Dantoy uses the waste from production as material for their Green Bean toys, and one step further, they use Marine waste, such as fishing nets, to create their marine range, which are a beautiful blue colour.
We are not going to spend a lot of time explaining that a toy that breaks is not eco-friendly. You know that quality is important. ❤️
It's a beautiful, natural, eco friendly toy, and it's wrapped in plastic. Urgh.
We are happy to say that this is no longer the standard.
Many brands like Grapat have always used cardboard boxes and string (not even tape) to ensure their beautiful products are well sustainable as they can be.
Australian business Papoose toys have recently updated all the packaging of their beautiful wood and felt toys to use environmentally friendly options.
Tiger Tribe are also reducing the plastics included in the packaging of their products.
The packaging is the pretty outside of the products, what about the stuffing on the inside?
The stuffing in every Kaloo and Lilliputiens toy is made from 100% polyester fibres obtained from recycled bottles.
One last thing we want to note - Australian made! Reducing the need for shipping and so reducing the carbon footprint of products.
We love having Australian made brands in our shelves.
Beautiful products from natural materials all made locally from Two little Ducklings, 5 Little Bears and In-Wood.
It is a lot of information to fit into one Blog. We work hard to include this information on each of the individual Brand pages, so you know what you are buying.
I'm sure we have missed a few, we will continue to update this blog. So that you can make decisions based on the best information available.
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
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We do things every day that you don't see...but which help us to keep our eco footprint low, wanna see how we do it? Read on!
There are a lot of reasons we choose the Brands we stock. It's not just the quality, fun and the beauty of the products. It is also about the brand values.
Brands that use recycled Plastic, like Green Toys and Dantoy.
Brands that use FSC certified wood like BigJigs and XX
Brands that are working on removing plastic from their packaging like Aussie brands Tiger Tribe and Papoose. And Brands that only use cardboard, Grapat.
We package 100% of our orders in cardboard and recycled paper.
Oops, no, it's more like 95%, some items are packaged in bubble wrap that we have received from suppliers and reuse. When we run out of bubble wrap to reuse we use corn starch peanuts which are biodegradable.
When we receive deliveries the boxes that are still sturdy and strong are reused. Often they are not reused straight away, so we have a box mountain.
You may have received your order in a box that we have reused.
When we supply our Childcare centres we package and protect the toys with the cardboard inserts from the tape rolls. Any roll, from our tape or wrapping paper is added to a box ready to go to the kids..
They use them in their craft areas and for imaginative play.
As we mentioned earlier, We reuse as much of the packaging we can from our suppliers. We keep the bubble wrap, the paper, cardboard and as much as we can to reuse it as we need.
We love when out customers click and collect. When our paper bags are running low, we put a call out to our local community to ask for donations.
Allowing people in our local community to clear out their cupboards, and giving us bags which we then use for pick up orders.
Everyone wins, and our customers love that we are reducing unnecessary waste.
Want to donate some bags? Reach out!
Any boxes that are too battered for us to reuse, we chop up to use as smaller packaging, storage, or add to our cardboard recycling bin.
We even use the excess Australia post labels to make our gift notes, and to label our Product storage boxes.
We pack and prepare your deliveries with care so they arrive ready to play.
These simple steps allow us to keep our rubbish down to one little bag each week...and our cardboard recycling box is not often full.
We hope you laugh and play today.
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
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I love Chocolate as much as the next person. Except if the next person is my sister, she loves it more.
Anyway, so we're not saying Easter Eggs are bad, the or that you shouldn't enjoy Hot Cross Buns for the 3 months leading up to Easter. ( it is getting seriously crazy!)
In our house we think that the Easter Bunny could bring a gift as well as chocolates. A gift that doesn't spike our blood sugar, and that we can play with for the whole year. Or something that we can bring out each Easter for an Easter Themed Toy Rotation.
Wooden eggs to use in your Easter Egg Hunt is a great idea. Keep the fun of the hunt going for longer, but also cutting down on the Chocolate that ends up in the buckets.
Versatile Easter Buckets! The Scrunch Buckets are a fabulous Easter Gift and you can pick any colour you like. It can be used for the Easter Egg hunt, and then again in the sandpit, or beach vacations!
Click on the pictures to go straight to the product for more information.
Babies are really the easiest. A beautiful teether or rabbit soft toy is a simple gift that will always be loved.
A toy to engage your 1 year old around Easter. We're thinking a colourful rabbit stacker a Roly Poly or a bath toy egg.
Add a bath toy egg mixed amongst the chocolate eggs, or musical eggs, pull along toys are great fun for this age, or why not a rabbit in a carrot car.
Ok so once they hit three the kids are now allowed to have a wide range of toys, and by this age they have had a few Easters so have a few Bunnies that can be part of the Easter Celebrations.
So add to the outdoor fun with an Egg and Spoon race,
The older kids will love the chance to open up an egg, and discover something inside!
These toys and more are in our Easter Collection.
We hope you laugh and play today.
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
]]>For a charity called Love your Sister.
You see, his sister had breast cancer and they wanted to raise awareness about Breast Cancer, early detection is vital, and also provide money to help fight it.
I watched, I cheered, I donated and I fell in love with Sam's sister Connie.
Like most of Australia I have love Samuel Johnson for many years.
I have loved him since the first episode of The Secret Life of Us. I was the perfect age to fall in love with Sam's scruff, cheeky character. It was so fun being swept up in the lives and drama of the characters on that fabulous show. Pre Binge TV, This was one of those shows you put in your diary and planned your week around.
For the younger folks, find it and watch it, binge it! Aussie TV at its best.
In the last 10 years the profile of Love Your sister has absolutely exploded, and I'm sure you have heard of the Village that Sam and his friends have created.
They have raised an incredible $16M so far.
A lot of it that has been hard work, through selling T-shirts, hoodies, socks, bags and books. Dancing with the stars and anything Sam can do to get this cause some airplay. (Including eating a huntsman - eww)
Sam is not only unstoppable in his energy, he is also very eloquent and has brought together same famous friends to create books too.
We have joined Love your sister as one of SAMS 1000.
This year I have been looking back over our 10 years of business. 10 years of fun, hard work, passion and with plenty of ups and downs, just like the story of Sam, Connie and the Love Your Sister crew.
So now it's time we commit to Love Your Sister once again.
We are so proud to support this amazing charity, Sam and his many many helpers.
I am a Villager.
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I've spent a few days remembering and I'm also celebrating! It's such a huge move and I'm so amazed and excited that we are still going, and in our third warehouse which is 4 times the size for that first space.
It's important to look back and appreciate the road you have travelled. Potholes, road bumps and the stretches of open roads with the wind in your hair!
Over the years I've had so many people ask me when we knew it was time to get a warehouse and I thought, while I'm remembering this amazing day, I'd share with you what happened for us and how it happened. Maybe it's just an interesting story to read, and maybe you will recognise yourself and it will help you when you are thinking 'is it time?'
That day we moved, I remember it like it was yesterday.
It's such a huge step in the life of a small business. As you can imagine it was scary, fun, exciting and exhausting.
But let's go back a bit..how did it happen?
Well firstly it didn't.
I remember talking to some small business friends and being really upset because I needed a warehouse but it was all too much. The rent! The idea of being out of the house all day, every day, after working from home for 3 years.
So my first bit of advice is patience.
I'm usually the first to say I have zero patience. I want it now! In this case the fear won and I didn't do anything. I was fine at home, with the garage, and two rooms, and stuff everywhere. That was until the Christmas rush!
Being a toy store, it's natural that we have a big few months leading up to Christmas. that means more deliveries, more stock, more orders going out, and more space.
After Christmas I knew I could not do another Christmas at home.
So the second bit of advice. There is a point where you know - it needs to happen.
Not that I was ever ready. I really wasn't ready. Financially or personally. We couldn't really afford the rent, my son was still little and I wanted to take him to school and be home for him. Yet I knew, we simply would not be able to continue to grow and thrive if we were stuck in these rooms... and my family might end up killing me if I didn't clear out.
I was still unsure, but the need started to outweigh the fear. Look forward, move forward. It's a small business thing - always looking for the next step.
Sometimes it is big, sometimes it is small.
And part of the cost of working from home is losing those rooms. so we factored that into the cost of the rent for our first space and the family agreed that it was well worth it!
So we looked around and found 'the cave'.
A small warehouse space at the end of a long corridor which had no windows. It was stinking hot in summer, bad lighting, low ceiling and I loved it.
Well at first I didn't love it - I wanted the bigger space with the windows, but that wasn't to be. Forward a few years and I moved into the bigger unit I had wanted. Always dream of the what you want next.
So, we became part of the Kensington Collective. The small business space a few suburbs from my house. I wish every small business had access to a place like this. Many small businesses use storage spaces which sound similar, even down to having no windows.
The reception was manned, they accepted deliveries when I left early to go to school pick up, Couriers picked up even if I wasn't there. And it was filled with amazing people. Amazing people.
It didn't hurt that it was in the most beautiful building in the world. (slight exaggeration, it really was amazing though.)
The little monkey loved visiting, and 'helping'. We had photo shoots there, I hired staff and we had a lot of room for the next Christmas which was bigger and easier with all our new space.
Then a few years later this space was too small and we moved. That's another story.
Vrrooom
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
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The past year has been an interesting one, ups and downs. It's absolutely been a year of change. At the start of the year we could not have predicted this list.
Well apart from number 1 which we always knew would be pretty popular.
Our highest selling item every year is Gift Wrapping.
We love wrapping your gifts and helping you to spoil those that you can't be with. We have a fun, colourful range of wrapping paper, from dinosaurs, the alphabet and colourful fun.
We are so excited that all the toys on our list are are mostly eco-friendly, all battery free and some are new versions of classics. And all of them are affordable fun.
These are not in order, no ranking and numbers here, we love them equally as the toys we enjoyed in the last half of 2022.
Are these at your house already?
Check them out.
The new toys that are lighting up bath times!
Sensory toys, fun characters and light up cubes that are water-activated, light-up fun.
Check out all the Glo Pals range here.
A beautiful ball run ramp that is an open ended building opportunity.
This 15 Wooden Piece set by Explore Nook provides so many learning opportunities for children to design, build and of course play.
Great for inside, or take it outside for some fresh air fun.
Create your ramp and then Watch the balls jump!
This classic Micki wooden weaving frame will send you in circles.
Thick or thin threads, or mix them up. Use different colours to make different patterns.
A beautiful creative toy that will keep their hands and minds busy while they are busy making.
There is a round frame or a square frame by Micki here.
The foldable, scrunchable colourful beach toys.
Made from eco friendly silicone, these toys are easy to pack in your brach bag.
Choose your colour in a whole range of scrunch beach toys, buckets, spades, rakes moulds and watering cans.
Are you going to mix and match or get your Scrunch beach toys all matching.
Blowing Bubbles just became eco-friendly.
You can use this great stirrer for blowing bubbles, stirring potion, slime or any messy play.
Not just hours of play for you and the kids, we are taking these to a beach wedding.
Bring on the bubbles, with a home made bubble recipe too.
The beautiful HeyDoodle mats are a great size for travel and are reusable.
Actually, not that itty bitty, (they are half the original size) these mats are a perfect size for travel and they come in a cardboard tube, so they are easy to take with you.
These are a gorgeous gift and make great party favours, fun for hospital stays, flights and weekends away!
A fun range of designs to choose from.
With smooth curves this Echidna and a Koala pull back toy are ready to go.
With no batteries required, little ones simply pull these Aussie animals backwards, release and then watch them zoom across the floor.
Get them here and watch them go.
Take it in turns to use your springboard to launch your fluffy velcro sheep into the paddock. A fun game with sheep flying, not just good for the kids.
A great game for 5 years and up, check it out here.
This game in a box allows your little one to create their own unique vehicle or use the cards as a guide.
They can use the hammer and their imagination and enhance their fine motor skills with this fantastic construction truck creator.
Tap here to see the info.
So unique and we have had great feedback that the kids are loving this one.
You have a forklift, and your job is to stack barrels. The goal is to stack the barrels to match the challenge card and then place that stack on your platform first using ONLY one of the two toy forklifts.
With Special mention going to these toys that were pipped at the post and almost had a place in the list.
Check out our Trending Toys page for a longer list of amazing toys.
Vrrooom
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
]]>I'm gonna give you a few steps to make this Halloween Monster.
From the start I want to make it clear that I stole this idea from Andrea Nelson. Naturally her Monster is cooler than mine, but it's not a competition.
Andrea gives my Instagram scrolling a pop of creativity and I love her t-shirts and her craft ideas.
I highly recommend that you follow @andrea.nelson.art on Instagram and let me know if you find anything that you decide to try.
Head to the shops. I have a lot of craft paraphernalia at home, but nothing like the items needed for this cute Monster project.
Andrea suggests the $2 store, which might work in Australia too, but I was already in Spotlight so I grabbed everything while I was there. (not sponsored)
The main items are a ring, and fun googly eyes. This cost me around $25. I bought way more material than I needed, so will be cheaper if I want to make another one.
So this is where I deviated from the original. Hey - this is craft, and he's my monster, so I can do whatever I want!
My material is thick, stiff and cheap, not miles of glittery ribbon which was the original design. I couldn't find the ribbon cheap enough so we had to manual cut our material.
When we got home (or two weeks later) we cut up the green material into strips.
Our strips were approx two inches wide. I know because Lucas was using my quilting ruler and cutter. (He's 13 - don't let little ones near your quilting!)
This bit the kids can help with. A great way to practise fine motor skills.
Time to tie all those green strips around the ring. Our material was so stiff we just needed the one knot not the double.
And keep going ... and keep going.
So I found some white cardboard as wide as the ring, and then cut up and down to make teeth.
I like that the teeth are symmetrical, sort of. So I cut them with a sharp knife.
So I added the eyes and teeth at the same time. Some PVA glue on the back and on they go.
This bit was about as fun as waiting for paint to dry. he he
I'm thinking I might add some eyelashes ... but I think the other monsters might make fun of him.
There is a printable Halloween note for the neighbours here. Great for getting everyone involved.
Cheers,
Helle.
]]>What a lovely night to get together with some friends and head out for a walk around the streets and get to know your neighbourhood. And this year it's even better because it's on a Saturday night!
Last year we walked about with some of Lucas' friends and had a fabulous time, walking and chatting..and of course, getting lollies for the kids.
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What a lovely night to get together with some friends and head out for a walk around the streets and get to know your neighbourhood.
Last year we walked about with some of Lucas' friends and had a fabulous time, walking and chatting..and of course, getting lollies for the kids.
We are in an area where Trick or Treating is just starting to grow in popularity, and we were all new to the night too. So we didn't really know where to go around the neighbourhood. We were lucky to get a few great houses that were decorated and had people participating and it was a really fun time.
How do you choose which doors to knock on? We don't want to teach the kids to wander up to houses and simply knock on the door asking for lollies. ( actually it is such a weird thing to do!)
I thought it would be a great idea to letter drop and let people know that we intended to roam the streets. So I have created a note that you can drop into the letterbox this week which will let people know you are intending to do some Trick or Treating.
Vrrooom
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
]]>Then we have to make dinner, it's so easy, amongst all the rush and tumble of life to forget what that great gift was!
That is why Lucas loves cars has a WISHLIST. Create a list of all the products that you love without having to add them all to your CART.
We know that life gets busy and the product that you see today might not be stored in your memory, easily retrieved when you come back next week. Hello Baby brain!
I still blame baby brain years after the pain of childbirth has left me. There are just so many things to remember now. Passwords and dentist appointments and shopping lists...must buy milk!
....or you simply get distracted while you are searching.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to have a list of all the products that you love so that you can simply go to that and not have to search the whole website again next time you visit?
That is a WISHLIST. Like fairies who hold onto your secrets, the wishlist will remember the products you love.
OK - so it's not fairies, it's technology, good reliable technology. So much better than a scrap of paper...or fairies that may not even exist.
Here is how simple it is to create a wish list:
View a Product - LOVE IT? Of course you do.
To add a product to the Wishlist you click on the ADD TO WISHLIST button, Yes it is that crazy simple!
You need to be logged into your Lucas loves cars account to view your wishlist.
If you are logged in you can go directly to to the wishlist by clicking on the WISHLIST link. Can't find it? It's also under your account information.
It's like a mini collection. The collection of your favourite products.
Your products are lined up for you to easily see. From here you can add them directly to your cart!
The best part is coming up - ready for it?
After you have created your WISHLIST - you can EMAIL IT TO FRIENDS or FAMILY!
How many times have you heard 'what do they want?' It's a question we get from so many people. Now you can simply email your wishlist to the friends and family and let them decide.
Head down to the bottom of the page, and choose to email a link or share it to facebook.
A fabulous way of encouraging people to buy quality wooden toys for your kids!
Then you will be all smiles after you have sent you wishlist to your loved ones. via email or Facebook.
When you email the WISHLIST it sends you a link which takes people directly to your WISHLIST on the Lucas loves cars website. So they can see the same products and information that you see. They do not see your account - so all your order history data is safe. [phew]
You can also Send it via Facebook and let everyone know about the gorgeous products that you have found.
Vroom
-Helle.
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Cut them out and trace around them onto your cardboard.
Add some random shaped holes in the centre where the beautiful colours will go.
While you are here, have a look at some of our fun Dinosaur toys, games, puzzles and craft.
❤️🚗
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
Here are some tips that we have learnt about Business, and as I was writing this I realised, they're also fabulous lessons for life as well!
It makes sense doesn't it....
Voucher info inside.
Here are some tips that we have learnt about Business, and as I was writing this I realised, they're also fabulous lessons for life as well!
It makes sense doesn't it.
This is such an important tip for life in general. Stop and listen.
Listen to customers, other business people, learn from the people who have done it before. Those that are ahead of you in their business will often be happy to share their ideas or experiences.
This tip could have been 'ask questions'. So many business people are curious. How do you do that? Where do you get this? Then sit back and listen.
When Lucas was born the best advice I received was from a nurse on day 2. She said: "Listen to the advice that makes sense to you. Ignore all the rest."
When you have a child, and when you have a business, you get advice from everywhere. People selling you things, people helping, people who are just always happy to give advice about anything and everything (you know the ones).
Often the advice is conflicting. Go with the advice that works for you.
We all make mistakes, we are all human. And that's a good thing!
Allow yourself to be human. Take time off. Understand when someone else is having a bad day, or when you are having a bad day.
Everyone is flawed and fun, you know which part of that we are looking for!
Try the new thing, take a chance. You wont be happy or successful being the same as everyone else. Sometimes being different is a risk.
Trying a new brand, a new advertising plan. A silly reel on instagram. Don't be scared to fail, because going forward is the only way we want to go.
You know when you buy clothes for the kids, you tend to buy them a size or half a size too big. I think business is like that raincoat. Always buy the raincoat a size too big. Give yourself room to grow into it.
Every time we moved warehouse it was because I could see that the next yer we would not have room for what was coming. And we always jumped a little before we were ready....and to a place a little bigger than I thought I needed. And it was never too big.
You have heard this absolutely everywhere - first you ned to START.
When I started I had zero subscribers to my email list.
When we started, Instagram wasn’t even invented yet!
A blank page can be daunting, but when you get the first words down, they can be a draft, or be gibberish....just write something. That's how I write blog posts. Random thoughts and ideas and then fill them in over a few reads.
The important part is to start. Then build and grow.
EVERYTHING changes.
Oh how I dislike it, but we can't change it. ( ba dum bum!)
Just when we get comfortable, something will change. I remember the phase of everyone only wanting natural wooden toys, then we had the monochrome period, then fidget spinners.
Remember when Instagram was chronological! And made up of pretty photos of food?
It's also a good thing because if it's not working the way you are going - then you are allowed to CHANGE IT.
My friends favourite saying for everything!
What works for others may not work for you and that's totally OK.
I have some business women and businesses that I truly admire that do things that I would never do.
And if you are like all the others then there is nothing about you that people will remember. Besides, it's hard work trying to be someone else.
If you can be anything, be nice. The best quote on Pinterest, Instagram and any coffee mug around.
It’s not a coincidence that my favourite toy brands have my favourite people running them.
Just be nice.
This really should say gratitude and love. Be grateful for what you have and surround yourself with all the things that you love.
We love what we do, we love the toys we sell, we love our customers, and we are grateful that we get to do it every day.
A Birthday Voucher for you.
As adults, when we go somewhere that is geared to adults, and we have the kids with us, it pays to plan ahead and bring some fun for them.
Don't pull out the iPad. We have some toys...
]]>Don't pull out the iPad. We have some toys guaranteed to entertain, and even better - they fit in a backpack, or large handbag.
This is where a little bit of planning makes a big difference.
Here are some toys and tips to make a trip to the park fun and games.
My gorgeous friend Jess the power house behind Frankie and Roy, headed to a local winery and showed us some of the great toys they enjoyed. Most of these photos were taken by the amazing Natalie Davies Photography.
1. Balls Balls Balls.
Kicking, bouncing, throwing. Balls are always the easiest way to keep active kids busy if you have the room.
We often create 'goals' and play a friendly game of soccer. You can use two trees planted closely together and if that's not an option just use a jacket or a bag.
What about tunnel ball if you have a few kids playing with you.
When you are ready for the kids to slow down a little you can play pass the parcel with the ball. With a little handball to the person next to them.
The scrunch balls can be blown up on site, so they will fit in that handbag!
2. Fishing Game.
The Janod Fishing Game is small enough to fit in a day bag. One of the essential elements of toys that you take with you.
With two fishing rods, this is a toy for sharing and we love that it can be played at a table, or on the picnic rug.
3. Felt rings
We adore these felt rings. They come in a few different colour ranges and are so strong and large.
Perfect for a game of toss. Place a stick, a rock, a water bottle on the ground and see if your child can do the ring toss!
Now put the rings on the ground and see if you can toss a ball into the ring.
Get two kids to hang on to one felt ring, one hand each. Then see if they can work together to race around a track.
4. Roads and cars.
We always have cars with us when we go anywhere. Add a Waytoplay set and you have a race circuit for the kids to drive their cars around.
The right car for the occasion, make sure the car you take has thick wheels to be able to go off road. A monster truck would be great, or a chunky wooden car.
5. Colouring in
The Hey Doodle Mats were also a big hit for some quiet time. With a variety of designs these mats roll up and are reusable. Perfect for putting into your bag and play on the go.
The main things you are looking for is small toys and a toy with many play opportunities.
Check here for our Outdoor toys collection and also think of including some Nature toys to encourage a love of nature and outdoors.
So when you head out for a trip to a winery, the local park, or an outdoor coffee date with a friend remember to pack your bag of fun.
Now, Red or White?
❤️🚗
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
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So, what if you struggle with the imagination!? We have some ideas for you...
They are Imaginative toys.
Open ended toys wait for you to sprinkle a little bit of imagination on them and then they come alive!
So, what if you struggle with the imagination part ... where there is nothing to sprinkle?
It's ok, it happens.
It could be those days when you are so tired that you have forgotten your own name. Or maybe you did not grow up with open ended toys and you didn't learn about finding your imagination.
We often hear parents who say "I have no imagination for those toys" or maybe it's "I love those toys but don't know what to do with them".
Well we are here to help you with some tips to help you and your child unlock your imaginative play ... and you will love the open ended toys forever!
We have used the beautiful Grimms rainbow as our open ended toy for this example, but these tips work for ANY toy.
Or maybe turn it 90 degrees onto its side instead of completely upside down.
Changing your perspective or changing how you look at the toy can introduce so many new ways to enjoy a toy.
If I turn it upside down does that mean it sits differently?
For the rainbow it opens up play with balancing the pieces or rocking them and the shape of the inside is different.
When a rainbow is set up it's a rainbow. Or could it be a mountain, a ramp or a bridge? Turn it over and then it could be a boat, a rocking chair, or bed for a doll.
Turn them on their side and they can be fences, or a grand stand for the racetrack
Cars, mandala pieces, rainbows, so many toys are a great resource to use for shape recognition.
The rainbow makes a lot of O shapes. Big ones and small ones. Which leads us to the next tip ...
Line them up. There is something so satisfying to have things lined up.
Longest to shortest. Biggest to smallest.
Is this one bigger than that one?
Red with red and green with green. This is an activity that can be completed over and over in so many different variations!
Wanting inspiration? Colour match your toy cars, pom poms. Play a game where they have to find something from their toy box that is the colours of the rainbow. Something from their wardrobe in the rainbow colours.
Everything has a colour and the rainbow is the perfect spot to start. All the primary and secondary colours are ready to be matched.
Add people. Have a wooden toy, add some felt. Have a big toy, add some small pieces.
This is actually my favourite thing to do. I can actually feel my imagination open up when I have the different toys. My favourite is adding people or animals, I know how they move and I want them to have a little adventure.
Did you notice that in all those tips there were questions?!
Where are they going? What could this be? What does this look like...
Your imagination in the answer to the questions ... when you build a story or create a world where before there was none.
This is the most important tip. There are no rules!
Don't feel like there is a right way or a wrong way to play. Your play will be different to the play of other people. Your dinosaurs can be dinosaurs or hungry caterpillars. You can be as weird or ordinary as you like.
Just have fun.
❤️🚗
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
]]>Kid O have a lovely sense of simplicity in their designs. The Kid O truck has been a favourite first birthday present of ours for years. Recently Kate took one home and let her 16 month old have a drive. Here's what she thought -
We were very excited when the Kid-O truck arrived - Joe (16mths) was happy with something new and different....
]]>Kid O have a lovely sense of simplicity in their designs. The Kid O Tip Truck has been a favourite first birthday present of ours for years. Recently Kate O'Meally of Oh My Word took one home and let her 16 month old have a drive.
Here's what they thought -
We were very excited when the Kid-O truck arrived - Joe (16mths) was happy with something new and different, and Mum and Dad were even happier that it came in one piece - no construction or batteries required!! Ready for little boys to play with.
Look at that concentration!
The Kid-O truck is high quality, solid and there are no flimsy pieces that can be pulled off so perfect for little ones. The hand grip and wheels are perfect for small hands and makes the truck easy to manoeuvre, even for his younger friend Sonny who is only 10 months old. They had a great time playing with the truck together.
- Kate.
It looks like it was a big hit! Thank Kate.
Lucas and I have love giving these trucks as a first birthday present. I think as present givers we look for things that will keep the kids busy and interested. No one wants to give a present that is boring. We forget that what is boring for us is not boring for a young child and we look to products that have many pieces. noise or options. We forget that as a little person, who is learning basic life skills like how to crawl/walk and use those pincer fingers, a toy like this provides hours of interest and entertainment.
It has things to move, tip, roll and can be filled with all sorts of things!
Vroom
Helle.
Do you shop early for Christmas?
Well done you for being organised.....but where do you put all those great gifts so that little fingers and eyes wont find them?
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Well done you for being organised.....but where do you put all those great gifts so that little fingers and eyes wont find them?
The kids are making lists and counting down to the big day. The season of Elf on the shelf, Christmas parties, days getting warmer and the sun staying out longer.
We are so busy in December, it's so good to do the Christmas shopping early. Getting things when we see them, when they are on sale, and of course when they are in stock! There are always that one or two popular toys that you have to grab early.
So, you want to be organised and you have bought the toys, but where do you hide them? That's the big question! It would be so devastating to be that organised and have the stash discovered.
From the time the kids are old enough to walk you have nosy spies in the house. You know they would give James Bond a run for his money! Leaving no stone unturned or cupboard unchecked.
It's OK, we have some great idea to help you store your Santa gifts.
Top of the wardrobe. This was a popular one when we asked our friends on our socials pages. Throw some clothes on top of the boxes, or put a box up there which says - old clothes.
Top of the pantry (this is also good for the chocolate stash)
Linen cupboard or Laundry. Let's face it, the kids don't even know the cleaning products exist let alone where they come from!
Inside a Box in the garage. I have a Who Give a Crap Box which is both big and branded as toilet paper. And you know that no kid has ever changed a toilet roll! (Note: also a good place for the husbands present too!)
Off site. Grandparents often have some space and less time with your super sleuth. And we hear that many neighbours are holding onto new bikes.
One customer suggested putting things in the suitcases, and another uses her Pet carrier.
Boot of the car! I've heard that this one has gone wrong MANY times. don't risk it. Always take it inside as soon as possible.
Under the bed. Lucas once found his gift under the bed, it's now HIS secret hiding spot when he hides stuff from us!
It's easier to hide toys in a messy space! So don't be too worries about tidying up in December. The more clutter the more things you can hide amongst the clutter.
Make a list. There's nothing worse than finding a gift in June and realising you were just a little bit too good at hiding things!
Don't wrap them! If you are found out it's much harder to explain why there are awesome new toys in the house than it is to explain why there are Christmas presents hiding in the cupboard!
May your Christmas be full of surprises.
- Helle.
]]>Then I discovered CARDBOARDFOLK on instagram and she is amazing.
Wait til you see the Traffic Light!
]]>We reuse delivery bags for our bin bags.
We collect and reuse cardboard boxes wherever we can, including cutting them up to use to protect our products for delivery.
We use biodegradable packing fill, which we call peanuts. We have information and some fun ideas with packaging peanuts here.
We don't use plastic to wrap our deliveries, choosing to pack orders in cardboard boxes.
And for the longest time I have wanted to create a list of cardboard box craft ideas, to provide even more fun ideas with our packaging.
Then I discovered CARDBOARDFOLK on instagram who make the most amazing toys.
Not only does Kathryn create amazing toys from cardboard, she shows you how to do it too! Inspiring us to turn our boxes into a creative project and a fun toy.
I'm so inspired by her creativity, and her generosity to share it with us!
Here are some of my favourites creations.
If you don't have instagram email us and I'll help you access the magic.
Obviously the first one I want to share is the Traffic Light, which uses colourful Connetix Tiles to provide the coloured lights.
Kathryn said she used a torch to shine through the ‘active’ light and practised going forwards, slowing, stopping and turning.
The great thing about Connetix is that they are magnetic, so a few spare washers attached to the cardboard means the Connetix can easily be attached and removed any time you want to play.
When you have a car lover, a great way to involve them in craft is by creating cars! I know it works, it's the only way I could get a young Lucas to be do craft.
Add a few pouch lids for the all important wheels and off they go.
We would totally colour in the windows and add stickers to these and turn them into race cars.
This counting board looks like such a fun way to create more play with your rings and friends. Grimms or Grapat will suit this game well.
We often find that something simple can be great fun.
The adorable Koalas are made from toilet rolls, not cardboard boxes, but they are just so cute we had to mention them.
We adore the added element of using velcro on them so that baby will stay on Mummy's back.
This is just a few of the wonderful creations that you can find on the CARDBOARDFOLK feed.
We have completely fallen for the creativity and unique ideas. And I will be stalking her from now on, (in a nice way) especially on a wet Sunday afternoon, or after a delivery when I have a new box to play with.
Thanks for the inspiration Kathryn.
❤️🚗
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
]]>
Quick recap. There is a virus that is very infectious and it has caused a huge shift in the way we live our lives. In Australia we are in Phase 3 - which means no parties, no cafes and no visitors.
We have new phrases like social distancing, self isolation, and now we are having ISO-Parties and Birthday Parades!
I'm hoping this blog wont be used for long, but while we are in this strange situation it is important we continue to give our kids a great birthday party.
So here's our guide to birthday parties during Isolation.
Birthdays are about the day being special. There are a few ways that this happens, from the birthday party, the cake, friends and the presents. Here's how you do that with no visitors.
Setting up the day.
You want your child to feel special, and make this day a special one, different to all the other days during isolation. The trick is to have activities and fun all day. With some help it wont be as hard as you think.
You can't pop to the shops at the moment, so you will need to plan early. Get your list out and let's get prepared.
You will need a few things, some you can buy, but why not make them?
Create colourful Happy Birthday posters. The kids can help!
Make a crown for the King or Queen of the day.
Order some decorations to dress up the place. Decorations and party food will help to create a fun atmosphere.
Let other people know what you are doing so that they can participate from afar. See how next.
Just because people can't come to the party doesn't mean that they can't join in the fun.
There is a new thing called the Birthday Parade. Have you heard of it? Friends and family drive past the house with balloons and posters - honking horns and calling out messages. Making as much noise and fun as possible.
Kids can draw on the footpath outside the house with chalk. Decorate the fence with streamers, balloons and get friends to make birthday posters. I'ts about colour and sharing the fun.
Live too far away to drop by?
Make a video. A great reminder for years to come of this birthday during this unique year. Have people send you their messages and play them during the day. Get everyone to sing a song, do a dance, dress up. Any fun thing to get people in the mood, and make it fun for the birthday boy or girl.
Kids have great imaginations. Set up the birthday table with their toys and have a birthday party with these friends. Most kids will be happy doing this if it comes with Fairy Bread!
Play the party games and wear the party hats!
It doesn't matter how many people are at the party if you're having fun. Play pin the tail on the donkey and have two turns instead of one.
Have presents delivered from your favourite store. Maybe Lucas loves cars? With gift wrapping options the kids can still enjoy being spoiled on their big day.
Spread out the gift giving during the day and then Facetime with the person who sent the gift to help make it into an event.
You could have the gifts 'delivered' on the day. One person in the family can ring the door bell and 'deliver' the gift. Every time the doorbell rings on your birthday it's something new!
If your kids are old enough, explain to them what is happening and we need to take photos and remember how fun and different this is!
Let them take photos or draw a picture of the day.
Start a tradition. Create a birthday 'about me' page.
We have created a free printable here:
Kids are flexible. A birthday can be special in many different ways. With a little bit of work you can make it one that they will remember for all the right reasons.
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
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Sharing is caring, but not when it come to germs.
Toys are made to be played with, inside and out, and they invariably end up in the mouth and on the floors.
So here is a guide to cleaning your toys, to keep the germs to a minimum.
]]>Toys are made to be played with, and they invariably end up in the mouth and on the floors.
So here is a guide to cleaning your toys, to keep the germs to a minimum.
Kids are messy, and friendly and have no idea about personal space, but we don't want to stop them from playing with their toys.
So we have created a few tips to help you clean and disinfect your baby’s toys.
We love a toy that can be placed in the dishwasher. Let the dishwasher clean away the sand, dirt and the germs.
Toys like Green toys, Viking toys, Dantoys are perfect for the dishwasher.
A number of soft toys are ok to go into the washing machine, and hanging them on the line to get a dose of sunshine (nature's antibiotic) also helps to kill those germs.
We always suggest to parents to get two of the favourite toys or blankets so that one can be in the wash and one for cuddles.
Check the label on your soft toys before putting them in the wash. (Papoose toys can not be immersed)
Believe it or not hot water and soap is the best way to get rid of germs. Throw away all the chemicals, the spaying the sanitisers.
How to clean toys with Hot water and soap?
If you can't immerse the toys in water, give them a spot clean with a damp cloth.
Think about that iPad screen! Wipe it down between uses.
Many germs like viruses do not live on inanimate objects for long.
So if you can't wash the toys (toys with batteries or spot clean only) then you can quarantine them.
This means a simple rotating of toys. The kids will enjoy 'new toys' every day.
One way to stop the spread of germs is to stay clean ourselves.
Good hygiene is so important.
We have a super simple tip for cleaning your bath toys here.
Set up a car wash for the kids, we used to love this game.
You need a tub of soapy water, a cloth and a towel.
Now line up the toy cars and toy vehicles and start washing.
Maybe some of them need petrol too? Do you charge more for the big cars?
A great activity for the kids and a nice way to have them playing with soapy water.
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
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When it's stinking hot, the baby is asleep, or the smoke is too thick, inside is the place to be.
Sometimes you just can't get the kids outside to play, but you really don't want them to be on the technology again! I get it. Technology is so easy.
]]>When it's stinking hot, the baby is asleep, or the smoke is too thick, inside is the place to be.
Sometimes you just can't get the kids outside to play, but you really don't want them to be on the technology again! I get it. Technology is so easy.
Here are some other easy ideas...
Have you seen the free printables that we have? As easy as printing them out and it will keep them busy for an afternoon.
Colour matching, drawing and lots of ideas too.
These cards are the perfect resource for any Mum, Dad or Grandparent. Choose from Baby, Toddler or Family level activities. The WeDo cards with 30+ activities that you can do at home. Australian company.
Reusable silicon playmats covered with Transport, Dinosaurs or Animals. colour them in and practice writing Numbers or letters. Perfect for taking out or using at home. Australian company.
Kids at home need stimulation as well as fun. With a huge range of topics these cards will be a winner for your little one, alone or playing with others. Australian company.
So much of the Tiger Tribe range is designed to keep kids busy. From the youngest ones - with the water play, to colouring sets. Australian company.
This one needs Mum's help, but you end up with yummy treats! Making biscuits with the kids is a great way to get them into the kitchen helping. Fun shapes encourages participation. Australian company.
We have also put together some fun activities you can do with your toys at home. Dinosaur theme activities, Magnet fun or Cars fun and Blocks. Colour match them. build a tower, make a pattern and get the kids to copy it.
- Helle.
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
]]>So we have decided to give you the answer in the best way we know how. By comparing them to our toy cars.
]]>So we have decided to give you the answer in the best way we know how. By comparing them to our toy cars.
Our thinking is that when you ask 'How big are those WaytoPlay roads?' You are really asking which toy cars will fit on those fabulous roads?
Side note: The Brand is Waytoplay not Way To Play, So if you search for them on the website, try searching for Waytoplay.
The size of the roads, in centimetres, is listed on the product pages.
They are all 11 cm wide.
Every track is the same width. The different sets are longer or have different corners and turns, but they are all the same width.
OK, so does that fit a matchbox car, a big truck, a small truck?
No one wants to go back and forwards between the cars products, writing down the sizes and then comparing that to the size of a WayToPlay road! #whosgottimeforthat?
All cars is the simple answer. Kids do not care if the cars take up the whole road. The youngsters especially have no concept that the road should be 2 way.
But that is a cop out - and we didn't get your attention to tell you, well, nothing!
So here are some of the car toys that we know and love, and some pictures of how they sit on a WayToPlay track.
Candylab cars come in the original size, a junior size and a mini size.
The mini size Candylab cars were made to fit on the Waytoplay roads, so they fit perfectly in the parking spaces.
The Candylab junior car is a size that fits really well on one side of the road.
Candylab junior taxi and police car.
The larger orignial Candylab toy cars also it on the WayToPlay roads really well, but aren't as happy to share the road.
Candylab police car toys, original size and jumior size.
We love the Le Toy Van Monte Carlo race car set. Fun race cars are so fun, and they fit so very well on the WayToPlay roads.
We would pair them with the WaytoPlay Grand Prix set for a great gift.
Monte Carlo race cars by Le Toy Van are the perfect size for a race track.
Playforever race cars are super shiny and sleek. They are a bit big for the roads, but they are a bit like the James Bond of toy cars. They will fit in anywhere, and cause a scene. Forever, Play forever.
These Qtoys cars are beautiful, simple wooden cars. Each car has a different design and unique wood features. They smell like wood and allow the imagination to work, while connecting us to the natural world around us.
And they fit perfectly on the WayToPlay roads.
Grimms convertible cars are so cute and they love to drive to the shops and all around town.
The Grimms slimline cars have such amazing colours. The pastel shades of these cars are vibrant and the shapes are fun and easy to grasp. And being Slimline, they fit really well on the road.
Chunky cars are made for little hands. They are a bigger car and so they take up the whole road. Perfect for little brothers joining in.
With WayToPlay roads you make the road rules.
The stunning Lubulona brand is a perfect size for your waytoplay roads. With houses to build, trees to stack and of course cars for driving up and down the roads. They also have tunnels that are perfect for train tracks!
So now you just need to decide - what size pack do you NEED?
From the 40 pieces King of the road, down to the 12 piece Ring road.
Check out all the waytoplay sets here.
We have so many cars in the garage, if you would like help or information about how they would fit on the WayToPlay roads, or any other info, please email us.
We love talking toys and cars.
And we LOVE to see your roads in action! Share your photos with us on Facebook or Instagram.
Vroom vroom
- Helle
Helle owns Lucas loves cars. Working with toys since 2012, she has played with toys for a long time and is very picky about which toys make the list. Like a spoilt child, she will have a tantrum if the toy doesn't work and will play for hours if she finds it engaging and fun. Or until someone tells her it's time for lunch.
View our wooden toys selection online!
]]>It's so easy.
Once you have collected enough points you simply redeem a reward.
The code will be added to your cart - or can be used at a later time.
(Please note: Codes can't be combined)
There are some terms for rewards redemption.
- Helle.
Helle is the owner and head toy lover at Lucas loves cars. She has been playing with toys since 2012 and still hasn't got it quite right, so will continue to play for a while yet.
When you have really over done the big gift and have an empty stocking, sometimes we need that little gift, that something to unwrap.
We have the perfect stocking stuffer for you!
]]>When you have really over done the big gift and have an empty stocking, sometimes we need that little gift, that something to unwrap.
We have the perfect stocking stuffer for you!
Remember playing marbles as a kid? This traditional marble game comes complete with 31 marbles of various sizes and a tray for play.
All presented in a cotton bag for storage and pack up time.
Age: 3+
View from our range Grapat Marbles or Grimms 35 Marbles.
Perfect for the kid that wants to take their dinosaurs everywhere! In this little pack is 5 of your favourite mini dinos, including T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Dimetrodon and the awesome...
Age: 3+
View our range of Dinosaur toys for kids here.
Made from Bamboo, these little cars come in a wide range. From a Purple Monster Truck, red sportster and so many more.
Age: 3+
Heavy duty, textured ball is great for indoor or outdoor play.
Choose from baby soft balls, 5" or 7" play ground balls or Soccer balls.
Made of rubber, and contains no PVC, BPA or vinyl.
Age: 2+
View Play balls and grimms small balls pastel.
Everyone knows and loves a game of SNAP!
For the young ones who aren't quite up to snap yet, split the pack into two with one of each design in each set. Lay one set on the ground face up and go through the other set finding the matching designs.
A great way for young children to develop word and picture matching skills.
Age 3+
A great start to the fun world of puzzles.
Colourful, fun, 12 piece puzzle.
The number of pieces and the cute sized box make this puzzle perfect for travel, home or as a gift.
Age 3+ years
Check out the rest of our stocking stuffers under $10.
Thanks for playing with us,
Helle
]]>At Lucas loves cars we love quality toys. They look better, they feel better and most importantly they are safer for little people to play with.
As part of our commitment to safety, we asked Megan from Save A Kid to help us with some Safety tips around the play area in our home.
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At Lucas loves cars we love quality toys. They look better, they feel better and most importantly they are safer for little people to play with.
As part of our commitment to safety, we asked Megan from Save A Kid to help us with some Safety tips around the play area in your home.
Megan has provided us with some hazards to look out for - and we have paired them with some of our toys to show you some of the safe alternatives.
Save a Kid is a first aid business with a focus on preparing parents for both the unexpected and the inevitable. Inspired by her experience as a paediatric emergency nurse, the sessions combine life saving skills and essential knowledge around common illness and injury.
Home sweet home. Its where little kids spend most of their time learning and growing, developing and playing. Most people are surprised to learn that it’s also the most common place for kids to be injured.
Half of all injuries in the newborn to 4 year old age group happen at home, with about a 50/50 split between inside and the backyard.
Half of all deaths and injuries in the newborn to 4 year old age group happen at home, with about a 50/50 split between inside and the backyard.
When it comes to playing with toys, there are simple ways to minimise the risk of your little one getting into trouble. It's important that kids are able to play with toys, for their enjoyment, stimulation and learning.
We know that no home is perfect, and it’s near impossible to maintain a hazard free environment when you have children of different ages. Which is why we work to minimise risk not remove it completely.
Supervise and know what is around the house. You don't have to be on top of the kids all the time. Know where they are, what they are doing and what they are playing with. There is nothing scarier than a quiet toddler!
I say this with total non-judgement. I’m a mum of 3 wild boys and a paediatric emergency nurse. Still I have had drawers tip over, coins swallowed, toddlers found hiding in corners with mouthfuls of tiny lego, and toys put in places no toy should ever go.
At these times knowing First Aid really helped to stop a bad situation being much worse.
Think about keeping toys age appropriate and out of reach when not in use.
Here is the nitty gritty about what and why you need to think about. Knowing what can be harmful is often the key to safety.
Look at what both your old and new toys are made of, particularly for babies and toddlers who are at an age where they put everything in their mouths and like to suck on things.
In particular lead can be found in toxic levels in fun items like finger paints, as well as on painted or lacquered toys. Plastic toys can contain toxic levels of DEHP (a yucky chemical). There are regulations in place for products sold in Australia now, but consider where toys come from, and how old they are. (and cheap imports don't always pass these regulations.)
Look out for soft toys with parts that can easily come off (ie those little eyeballs and noses stitched onto teddies).
All toys especially soft toys should be kept out of cots and sleeping environments of babies. If they roll into one it can cover their nose and mouth, interfering with their breathing.
Anything with a string or ribbon (think pull along toys, balloons, threading toys) have the potential to be a strangulation hazard. A length of 30cm or less is recommended for young ones.
Choking
Kids airways are small and easily occluded. Basically, for kids under three years of age if it can fit in their mouth, they probably shouldn’t be playing with it.
There is a Small parts check that has to be completed for toys to pass the under 3 yrs requirement. Which is why you find that many toys are 3+ years.
The ACCC Product Safety website has a make it yourself Choke check cylinder. Anything that fits totally inside the top end of the Choke Check cylinder could become lodged in a young child’s throat and choke them.
Any child of the 80’s probably had a fridge full of alphabet magnets. Your kids can too, just make sure they can’t fit in their mouths, and don’t have small magnets attached. And of course, make sure anyone looking after your kids knows how to manage a choking child - it’s not something you have time to google at the time.
That takes us to Magnets and Batteries. The kids may not choke on them but they are very serious if ingested.
Button batteries can be found in many toys that make a sound or light up (as well as loads of common household items), and can cause life threatening injuries within hours if swallowed. Call 000 or go to your nearest Emergency Department if you suspect your child has ingested one. Small magnets are another choking hazard, as well as being a problem inside the tummy if more than one are swallowed.
A storage bag is a great alternative to shelving.
And reduce the risk of stepping on all those toys! #lego
Drawers, shelving, bookcases and cabinets should all be secured to the wall with an appropriate clip or bracket. They pose a serious tipping and climbing hazard.
Even low lying drawers can tip. Kids pull out a drawer then stand in it, causing the whole unit to tip onto them. It’s really frightening, very dangerous, and something you really must do as soon as your baby is mobile.
Heavy toy box’s, those beautiful wooden ones, or large plastic boxes too, can close onto a child's head, neck fingers or hands. Kids can also become trapped inside them.
To ensure toy boxes are safe:
- look for a lightweight and/or removable lid
- Stoppers that allow a 12mm gap (allowing it to clear fingers when closed and for breathing if a child is stuck inside)
- Ventilation holes
- A lock open function.
Or use a Toy Storage bag.
Of course we think having basic knowledge around first aid for kids is super important. If you’d like to check out our sessions you can find Save A Kid at https://www.saveakid.com.au
For more information about safety around the house and in your backyard check out https:// www.kidsafevic.com.au
When choosing products for your baby or child, and to check if toys and furniture meet Australian guidelines you can visit
https://www.productsafety.gov.au/product-safety-laws/safety-standards-bans/mandatory-standards
We don't want to scare you. We do want you to enjoy your toys, have fun, learn and play - Safely.
We work hard to ensure ALL the brands we stock are Quality Toys.
Brands like...
Thanks for playing with us.
- Helle.
Helle is the owner and head toy lover at Lucas loves cars. She has been playing with toys since 2012 and still hasn't got it quite right, so will continue to play for a while yet.
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There is a third baby expected at Buckingham palace, and it has us thinking, what would you give a third born?
Surely baby 1 and 2 have toys all over the place already. Spoilt rotten! Have everything. Don't really need more stuff. I hear this all the time when people are trying to find a gift for the child that is #2 or #3 ...let alone #4, 5 or 6.
We think there are a few standard gifts that always work for new babies, especially the ones that are not the first born prince.
Honestly - You don't really want to reuse an old, eaten teether do you?
All that drool and dirt from the previous bub using it. Yerk! It's nice to have a fresh teether for your new little prince.
If the previous prince and princess received blankets during their baby years, there is a fair chance that they are still in use. Because a blanket is something that brings comfort through many young years. In the car, on the couch, at bedtime, the kids continue to use their blanket through the years. Meaning the new prince will need his own soft, cuddly blanket..
Nothing says 'this is mine' like stamping their name on the toy. The beautiful Milton Ashby wooden teether, made in Australia, can be personalised, as can the aeroplane. These toys are presented in a luxurious tin and make a stunning gift.
Especially a toy that wasn't around when the other kids were born.
Beautiful wooden toy with coloured beads or vehicles, or a little mobile phone of their own.
All of these gifts would be perfect for a little Prince or Princess.
What is your guess for Royal baby number 3?
Vroom
-Helle
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Some of the stock images we receive have some interesting camera angles to ensure their products look great. Which is all good, but it does, quite often make the products also look bigger than they really are – think small kids in the background and big toys in the foreground.
Or in some cases the toys look smaller in the standard stock photos. Like these gorgeous construction toys.
We are all about helping you to make the right choice here in the Lucas loves cars garage and we want to help you understand size and make buying things online easier.
We want to be able to give you perspective on the size of the toys we love. Sure we have the dimensions in the description, but to show you the size compared to the little red car will give you a great idea on what they will be like when they are in your home.
There is nothing worse than making an online purchase and then when you receive it, it is nothing like you imagined from the photo.
Way back in 2012, after we had been up and running for just a week, I took a photo to show how much size can vary between 3 toy cars.
Three cars that, seen on their own, could look like they are the same size, but they aren't.
We can't take a photo of all our stock lined up.....although that would be a great shot, WOWSERS that would be a long line of cars! So we are adding the little red car into stock photos. The same red car, sitting in the picture, to allow you to see the size comparison.
Here's a great example of a stock image with nothing in the photo to give the toy any context of how it will look sitting on a shelf.
You can see below, the little red car is teeny tiny compared to the Goki Forklift. The VW actually fits on the pallet. Now if you had only seen the standard image on the right, it may have been a bit confusing and hard to determine the real-life size of this awesome toy.
Buy the Wooden GOKI construction trucks here.
I am looking forward to being able to add the ‘little red car’ into as many product shots as I can… It may take a while cause we have one or two products hanging out in the garage…
Toot Toot
Thanks for playing with us.
- Helle.
Helle is the owner and head toy lover at Lucas loves cars. She has been playing with toys since 2012 and still hasn't got it quite right, so will continue to play for a while yet.
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