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Our friends at MOLUK have shared this very handy guide to cleaning their toys. In a time where everything is getting more virtual, MOLUK offers toys that are totally manual, toys that get children to move and explore, toys that stimulate their senses and minds. There are no ON and OFF switches, batteries or complicated instructions – MOLUK toys are powered simply by a child's imagination. MOLUK is a family business founded in 2011 by Alex Hochstrasser, the designer and inventor of Bilibo, and his sister Doris Hochstrasser, an architect. You can order the full MOLUK range on our B2B ordering platform, click here to get registered or login :)  The last few weeks have obviously seen us go through several un-precedented stages in trying to combat the situation the world finds itself in. As we all know, the “Stay at Home” directive is the best asset we have to fight this virus and ensure we support the NHS and get the country back to operating as normal as possible in the shortest time. However, we are also aware of the social implications this is causing, especially with children. During these last few weeks, we have sometimes felt at a loss of what to do. In between home schooling, dog walking and Joe Wicks workouts, we have had some time to think about how we could support the community and spread as much positivity as possible. We have teamed up with our friends, the awesome Dutch creative brands ‘Makii’ and ‘Expat Valley’ to launch a social initiative called “U and I”. The “U and I” collection of postcards is designed to bring everyone a little bit closer, but at a safe distance. Helping kids keep in contact with their friends, teachers and family, whilst also finding that perfect balance between home-schooling / work and play.  The 20 postcard pack comprise of 2 collections of 10 cards:
connection collection a series of lovely postcards to connect, share and challenge loved ones I O U collection A cool set of ‘I O U’ cards that help kids and parents find the perfect balance between (home) work and play. £5 from each pack sold will be donated to Save the Children, helping children from impoverished and migrant backgrounds gain access to computers and internet connections. This will increase connectivity and improve access to online educational resources at this critical time. Matthijs de Rave from Expat Valley is very proud of this project: “Expat Valley was created to provide a creative ecosystem for expat kids, helping expat kids during the various stages of the relocation cycle in a playful manner and making a home abroad feel like 'home'. As a small dynamic team, we were lucky to be able to react quickly to the current worldwide situation. We have created something we feel will add value to not only children and parents adapting to a new way of life for the short term, but also support to Save the Children reaching their long-term objectives” The sets of postcards can be used as giveaways with purchases, placed in online purchases of home food deliveries as a “thank you” or given out to employees for their continued hard-work. For further information on the range visit www.littleconcepts.co.uk //END COPY www.littleconcepts.co.uk phil@littleconcepts.co.uk 0117 230 2112  During these last few weeks, we have sometimes felt at a loss of what to do. In between home schooling, dog walking and Joe Wicks workouts, we have had some amazingly lovely conversations with our awesome retailers. We want to continue helping where we can (even in a very small way) and have created a few colouring and activity downloads to share with your customer base if you so wish.
You can download them here: tinyurl.com/tecp6w8 - feel free to share on your social channels. If you can think of any other content or you have any ideas of anything we could to put together, please let us know, keeping conversations and communication open has been one of the best things to come from this! Phil & Luke littleCONCEPTS x First off, we love our littleCONCEPTS community of like-minded retailers all over the UK and Ireland! Obviously we wish you all the best and hope you stay safe over the next few weeks. We've been thinking about how to communicate to you guys during these unprecedented times with a constantly evolving news story. We do continue to operate as normally as possible (following the updated government recommendations) and are fully open, until we are told otherwise. You can call, email or access our B2B Ordering Platform. We have just moved into our brand NEW 3PL warehouse. They are a bunch of lovely people and have got stuck into booking all our amazing products into their shiny 834/2007 organic certified warehouse. We have started dispatching orders at full capacity from the new warehouse as of today on a next day Parcelforce service. The NEW 2020 products from MOLUK and PlanToys have also arrived with us (well, PlanToys arrives in the next few days), so now is a great time to take one last look at our 2020 catalogue and revisit those new items. We are expecting a Scribble Down delivery tomorrow and are fully stocked on Makii goodness. Wishing you all the best over the next few weeks and if we can help in anyway, please get in touch! Phil & Luke littleCONCEPTS   littleCONCEPTS are excited to announce they will be returning to London Toy Fair 2020 edition.
Launched in 2016, toy & gift distributor littleCONCEPTS now represent five brands in the UK & EIRE; PlanToys, MOLUK, Makii, Makedo and Scribble Down. 2019 has seen continued growth for the company and they now work with national retailers such as Fenwick, National Trust, Liverpool FC and many amazing independent retailers. Over 40 new products will launch in early 2020 across all brands and will join award winning products such as MOLUK’s Oibo grasping toy and PlanToys Wonky Fruit and Vegetables on display. Phil Nelson c-founder of littleCONCEPTS states; "Since we last exhibited at Toy Fair in 2017, we have added both MOLUK and Makii to our brand portfolio. Alongside PlanToys, Scribble Down and Makedo we feel like we have a much stronger proposition to offer toy retailers in the UK and Ireland. We can’t wait to be back!” littleCONCEPTS will be exhibiting on stand G65. Whaaaaaaaat! Christmas is just around the corner! How did that happen?! If you still need some last minute stock on your shelves, littleCONCEPTS are ready to help!  FREE Scribble Down Stocking Filler We will even include a FREE pack of 10 Scribble Down transfers (totalling £30 SRP), on all orders over the value of £500 (ex VAT). Just make sure you place your order by Friday 15th November and quote "SDXMAS19", we will then pop a free pack on your order!  Our Brands You might need to stock up on main present ideas, such as the stunning PlanToys Victorian Dollhouse or for active little toddlers, the gorgeous PlanToys Vehicles! MOLUK The award winning toy brand MOLUK offers something a little bit different! Driven by a passion for great design, MOLUK strives to create innovative, sustainable products that don't just entertain kids on a superficial level, but invite real interaction. The award winning Hix is a versatile new construction toy consisting of four convertible cones made of elastic silicone rubber. Each cone transforms into four basic shapes which can be stacked and nested in a myriad of different configurations. Hix is a delight to fidget with and makes geometry accessible and fun for all ages. It playfully trains visual-spacial ability, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills. Finally, you have smart building blocks that don’t hurt when you accidentally step on them nor make any noise when tumbling down.  MAKII The Makii Giant Colouring are perfect extra stocking fillers! Created by two awesome Dutch illustrators and available in five different designs, each is a super size of 150 x 91.4 cm! They come packed in a gift envelope including and an adventure booklet (A3 size) with 4 postcards to invite all your friends over to help you colour!  MAKEDO Makedo is the most open-ended toy construction system ever created, the reusable tools work with cardboard; a universally available, free and unlimited building block. Makedo needs little introduction; find some cardboard, grab some Makedo tools and get started. The awesomeness of Makedo is that children learn by doing, creating, experimenting, failing and maybe succeeding but that's not essential. The creations then open the door to imaginative play where the child is protagonist in a hack-able world of their own making. Makedo is the most open-ended toy construction system ever because the reusable tools work with cardboard; a universally available, free and unlimited building block.  “Moms know that one day, children will be on their own in this world - without them. Because of this, everything that moms do for their children enhances their ability to navigate the world by themselves."
Toy & Gift distributor littleCONCEPTS recently attended the Junior Design Awards 2019 in London, where their brands PlanToys and MOLUK picked up awards. Innovative Swiss brand MOLUK won the prestigious “Platinum” award in the “Best Toy Design 0-2 yrs” category. Their product, the “Oibo” received rave review from the judges for it’s open-ended play functionality. Oibo is an elastic, stackable, rollable, squeezable, easy-to-grip sensory toy for babies and kids of all ages. Oibo’s geometry merges a sphere with a cube - combining the action and fun of a ball with the educational benefits of building blocks. Oibo is made from 100% food-grade silicone rubber, free of BPA, phthalates, lead, and latex.  Like all MOLUK toys, Oibo grows with the child. It shines as an elegant grasping and teething toy for the baby. Toddlers will enjoy how Oibo bounces and rolls. Its soft material is perfect for first throwing and catching games. By stacking and aligning the pieces, kids learn about geometry while training hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Oibo collapses when you accidentally step on it and pops right back into shape. Bonita Turner, Editor of Junior stated; “These balls or are they blocks (?!) were such a huge hit with the babies that visited the Junior offices and were the go-to toy when any little ones needed distracting while the judges did their work. A great example of customer choice shining through!” PlanToys was present in the “Best Eco Toy Category” where it won the Bronze award with the PlanToys x Kromkommer Wonky Fruit & Veg Play Set. Known as a sustainable toy company, PlanToys has been adopting an eco-efficient concept in its toy-making processes since 1981. This concept has always motivated PlanToys to take advantage of innovation and introduce methods that help reduce environmental impact throughout their production. Combined with this, food waste is one of the most pressing issues of our time. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) estimates that one-third of all the food in the world is wasted. This equates to be 1.3 billion tons of food per year. For fruit and vegetables specifically, almost half of it will never reach our plate. One of the main causes for this is the extreme focus on the aesthetic appearance of produce. PlanToys joined forces with the Dutch social enterprise Kromkommer, to produce this unique playset. Kromkommer was founded in 2012 and ever since has been on a mission to achieve equal rights for all fruit and vegetables.  Yvadney Davis, fashion stylist and founder of Mums That Slay found that item helped children understand that Wonky is wonderful “The kids have started growing veg from seeds, so this is a great way of sharing how veggies come in all sizes and shapes wonky and all”
For further information on the range visit www.littleconcepts.co.uk Toy & Gift distributor littleCONCEPTS are launching 10 new children’s products from world leading sustainable wooden toy brand PlanToys. Known as a sustainable toy company, PlanToys has been adopting an eco-efficient concept in its toy-making processes since 1981. This concept has always motivated PlanToys to take advantage of innovation and introduce methods that help reduce environmental impact throughout their production. Not only are PlanToys concerned about their manufacturing processes, but also the social contribution on the local community. They have introduced several social projects such as toy libraries, schools, cooperative supermarkets, tree re-plantation schemes and museums!  To celebrate the Elephant – the national animal of Thailand, two elephant themed products are included in the autumn/winter launch. The Walking Elephant comes with a mechanic that showcases the realistic walking style of elephants. Not only will children be excited during the ride, but they will also boost their coordination, body balance and fine motor skills. $10 from the sales of every PlanToys Walking Elephant will be contributed to elephant-themed activities for children and the Save Elephant Foundation in Thailand.
The beautifully designed Elephant Money Bank can serve as a beautiful piece of decor in any room! The adorable bank helps motivate children to save money and learn math skills while also enhancing their fine motor skills. Put a coin into the slot and raise the elephant’s head up to let the coin drop. View all the new Autumn / Winter products from PlanToys at Top Drawer Autumn 2019. littleCONCEPTS are exhibiting on stand R41. All new products are available for retailers to pre-order via the littleCONCEPTS Online B2B ordering system. For access to the system, please contact hello@littleconcepts.co.uk  Excited to be back at Top Drawer Autumn 2019. Visit littleCONCEPTS at Stand R41 for awesome kids lifestyle products from PlanToys, MOLUK, Makii, Makedo and Scribble Down.
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