 UK based toy and gift distributor littleCONCEPTS and the Spanish creative kids brand LEKKID have announced a new and exclusive distribution partnership from September 1st 2024. LEKKID is a project born in Barcelona to produce creative toys that develop children’s cognitive and creative skills. LEKKID believe in a world where children are innovative, so that in the face of everyday problems they find inventive solutions. They envision free-thinking children, environmentally aware children, children who continually explore the world around them. original toys that enhance children's creative abilities.LEKKID work carefully alongside educators and designers, during the entire process from the conceptualization, design and manufacture of each product. Making sure to offer educational, durable and quality products.
littleCONCEPTS will launch with the full range of product, including the NEW Fantasy Food playset. Fantasy Food is an open-ended construction game consisting of 20 pieces, made of FSC certified massive beech wood, where the children will be able to design their own food and make their own recipes. With LEKKID children don’t just play, they also learn that things can be different to how we know them… Enjoy your play! Luke de la Mare, littleCONCEPTS Co-founder states: “We are delighted to welcome LEKKID into the littleCONCEPTS brand family. We have carefully curated a select range of children’s brands that fit our educational, sustainable and developmental vision and LEKKID only adds to this” Stock will be arriving in the UK in September and the products are now available to pre-order via the littleCONCEPTS B2B platform at www.littleconcepts.shop. For further information on the range visit www.littleconcepts.co.uk or email [email protected] // End copy www.littleconcepts.co.uk [email protected] 0117 230 2112 The PlanToys 2023 Sustainability Report is now available to view. A comprehensive and shareable guide to PlanToys carbon neutral 2030 vision. Download the report here!  Oli&Carol
The Chlorophyll Leaf Teether is a chewable baby teether made from natural rubber with chlorophyll pigment designed with an ergonomic shape for babies palette, soothing teething gums and approved by dentists. Introduce kids into nature and its gifts! PlanToys Stack this colourful Stacking Bear to its optimal height with the PlanToys Stacking Ring - Bear edition. Play with sizes, and colours and flip upside down to create a variety of patterns. Helps teach children about order. The stacking rod is bendable at the base for added safety. Produced from sustainable rubberwood of course. MOLUK The speilgut award winning Ulu is an elegantly curved play object with a sophisticated geometry that allows it to rock back and forth - but never roll away. The soft shape, made of elastic silicone rubber, is irresistibly tactile. Ulu serves as a grasping and teething toy for babies and, with its two eyes, Ulu becomes a cute little character in pretend play. Candylab Don’t be a neigh-sayer – there is a new cutie in town! Adding this mystical van to your collection is a no-brainer! Shop all the newness on our B2B Store www.littleconcepts.shop
The Material Their first discovery was natural rubber, a core raw material, a natural & biodegradable source that comes from Hevea Trees. Using an artisanal, slow production process, they launched with a couple of lines and were rewarded to discover their ethics and belief in sustainability resonated with eco-conscious minded parents.
The packaging used is FSC cardboard and is 99% plastic free, the company uses sea transport wherever possible. No holes needed in the production process is crucial for the safety and longevity of the teethers and bath toys as it means mould can’t build up. For cleaning all that’s needed is a damp cloth and warm soapy water.
"We at Candylab have a clear and enthusiastic mission: to make the absolute best wooden toy vehicles on the market. We're gearheads, designers, engineers, parents, and have all banded together to become toymakers, with an unflinching commitment to quality and customer satisfaction." When creating a new design of car Dragusin gets to the heart of the appeal, which is a vehicle that looks attractive and has personality. Once a car has these credentials the design is left very simple so that a child can imprint their own story. Candylab Designer Helder says; "It's finding that happy balance between something that is iconic while still being simple enough. That gives the product a certain longevity, because you're pulling from icons that are already established and have proved themselves to be long lasting. The design will last. It's already proven itself. So you have that foundation you can use that as a prototype."  Materials & Packaging The lumber always comes from well-managed forests from North America, mostly Canada and is imported under close supervision. Occasionally they will source New Zealand Pine or Rubber Wood from various sources in Asia and these species are fast to extremely fast-growing (unlike oak, fir, etc. ) with a growth rate exceeding the harvest rate over a given territory. All the packaging is paper and cardboard that’s printed with non-toxic paints. Candylab say; "It is equal parts engineering and origami to make rigid boxes that can be shipped across the world. No one should need to use a sharp blade to free up a toy from a blister pack."  Working collaboratively Not only do they have an office in New York, but they also have a base in Ningbo China. They’ve chosen to work with just a couple of small family-owned workshops who have been crafting wooden products for two generations. This way Candylab can ensure the quality and sustainability of their products. Collectors and kids For children the design is simple but the quality zooooms - wheels that glide smoothly as cars come down a track, paint that doesn’t chip and ranges that interconnect to expand their imagination. For parents the longevity of the heirloom toy is important especially where families want to reduce the amount of throw away plastic in the home. But seeing their children engaged and absorbed in a natural product with no ‘screen’ involved is crucial. For kidults and collectors the Candylab automobiles are sleek, nostalgic and true to their inspiration. They look great on a shelf in a minimalist modern studio or competing for retro space amongst memorabilia and vintage curiosities. The vehicles generate a very emotive response around the world with enthusiasts keen to add new designs to collections or replicate vehicles from their childhood.  "We want to be the wooden toy company. There's a company that makes plastic bricks -- can you think of which company this is? Or wooden trains? Or affordable home furniture? When people do something well, you become known for that" Dragusin the owner of Candylab The ranges from littleCONCEPTS Candylab’s DNA combines a deep love for vintage cars, a simplistic approach to design, and extensive use of natural materials. Loved by children and collectors alike — there's something for everyone!We have three distinct lines of toys: CANDYCAR®, Americana™, and STAC™!
STAC™ Our wooden carchitecture! STAC is our supporting line of buildings and structures for both the CANDYCAR® line. Santa Monica Food Shacks Lone Cactus Motel Parking Garage  littleCONCEPTS are proud to have been the exclusive UK distributor for Candylab since 2018, to find out more and to stock Candylab in your store visit www.littleconcepts.co.uk
We always knew we carried great brands but it’s a good feeling when this is endorsed by our peers and the retail industry. The much respected Junior Design Awards gave out their rosettes last week and Oli&Carol, PlanToys and CandyLab were all winners.
A big thanks to the judges at Junior Magazine for recognising the effort our brands put in to ensure their eco products have integrity coupled with stand out design. It is the key factor littleCONCEPTS look for when selecting a company to work with and it’s good to know we’ve chosen the right partners.
 The Beginning... In 1981, seven university graduates came together with a shared desire to infuse the world with positivity. Vitool Viraponsavan, one of the strongest voices of the group, went on to establish PlanToys and has been inspiring children and families worldwide ever since. To this day, PlanToys operates with the belief that it’s their job to help educate and inspire society to prioritise environmental preservation, child safety and development. By raising children who are self-aware, environmentally-conscious and imaginative, it’s their hope that they will become individuals who understand the value of life, cherish nature, connection and play. The PlanToys mission is defined by their Sustainable Way; Sustainable Material: They ensure the use of sustainable natural resources and create minimum to zero waste throughout their production process. Sustainable Manufacturing: They manufacture children’s toys with love using eco-friendly processes in every step of production. Sustainable Mind: They strive to give back to society and their community through special environmental and educational campaigns that help make the world a better place for everyone. What sets them apart most from other brands is their attention to detail. • Their craftspeople are experts in woodworking- creating unique toy designs that can't be found anywhere else! • Simple designs make their toys classic, durable and timeless. • They use non-toxic, water-based dyes and premium-grade materials that don’t harm the environment. The Life and After Life of a Rubber Tree Plan Toys have never cut down a single tree for production! When rubber trees no longer produce latex, they are typically cut down and burned. But this is where Plan step in and use the timber for toy production, a practice they have followed for over 42 years. Rubberwood is primarily biodegradable. Although it would take many years for a wooden toy to decompose, it is the natural process! They use non-toxic dyes and zero chemicals to minimise the environmental impact of a toy. However, tiny parts in some of the toys are made from metal or plastic in order to ensure a toy's durability. These pieces are not biodegradable. The company continue to research new low impact materials to reduce their reliance on these small components.  The Carbon Footprint of Each Toy PlanToys is currently the only toy manufacturer to calculate the carbon footprint of each product and share it on their packaging! By reducing the amount of greenhouse gas produced during toy production they hold themselves accountable and set a standard for environmentally-friendly manufacturing practices. Manufacturing, Sourcing and Staff PlanToys try to use alternative clean energy as often as possible. Solid biomass (like surplus wood pieces from production) is burned to produce a bio-fuel that produces the heat used in PlanWood creation (a process that uses the Rubberwood sawdust to make a new material). They also use solar energy and food waste from the factory to produce biogas, a renewable energy used for cooking in their canteen. 73% of the materials used to produce the toys are taken from a 30-kilometer radius of the factory in Southern Thailand's province of Trang thus supporting the local economy. Employees are also looked after through the availability of a credit union and a cooperative shop. Wider social projects funded by PlanToys include libraries and a nature theme park.  Three Ways to Play PlanToys live the ethos of sustainable play and believe it has an enormous role in our development: Play helps children to grow emotionally, physically and cognitively. Play encourages social cohesion, fairness and sharing. Play that nurtures a relationship with our wider world and environment encourages us all to live in a more eco-friendly and positive way. Learning Through Play on a Larger Scale In 2021 PlanToys owner, Vitool Viraponsavan took his passion for creative play and education even further and the Forest of Play in Trang Province was launched. This is a 64,000 sqm adventure play park built entirely from reclaimed and upcycled materials sourced from the local area. In particular steel and concrete used in manufacturing has been deployed to build structures and tiles & pipes from hospitals are used in the bathrooms. The theme of the project is to connect children and their families with nature through interactive play and discovery. The concept of extinction, pollution and care for the earth’s resources is shared with visitors and school trips from Bangkok are also laid on.
littleCONCEPTS are proud to have been the exlusive UK distributor for PlanToys since 2016, to find out more and to stock PlanToys in your store visit www.littleconcepts.co.uk
 The natural rubber toy and teether company Oli&Carol have teamed up with BigStuffed and 3 of their bestselling designs have been created as water toys. These cool marine creatures have been designed with no holes so they are bacteria-free and safe for playtime. Walter the Whale, Sharon the Crab and Orlando Octopus combine the magic of both brands and maintain Oli&Carol’s commitment to using sustainable and eco-friendly materials. Perfect splash companions! To have a play with these new designs come and see us at: With Easter 2023 just around the corner, we thought we would share a quick reference to all our brands beautiful Easter themed images: PlanToys - https://drive.google.com/drive/u/2/folders/1VKBCdo8SkJ7XOy5zUEtzKJKeuEafmXDf Candylab - https://candylab.pixieset.com/candycarholidayimagery/easterspring/ MOLUK - www.dropbox.com/sh/qkwf8zewr9ap3mi/AABOh_5jjtK7VKYhYtBj4i6da?dl=0 Oli&Carol - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/h830ig2a0fj3mv4/AABb7ePQTThDjPlmgo8DvBd3a/ (garden collection) Mr&Mrs Tin - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1a8hEb2aBlwJgy4ImQZKykhNecTQoAgsM  |
