Browsed by
Category: Toy Safety

The Timeless Appeal & Benefits of Wooden Toys

The Timeless Appeal & Benefits of Wooden Toys

In a world brimming with plastic and electronic toys, the charm and benefits of wooden toys stand out.  These traditional toys not only evoke a sense of nostalgia but also offer numerous developmental advantages for children.  Through an exploration of five unique wooden toys from Mulberry Bush, this blog highlights why these timeless treasures are more than just playthings.   1. Developmental Benefits Wooden toys, known for their simplicity, encourage children to use their imagination, leading to creative and open-ended…

Read More Read More

Toy Safety Testing

Toy Safety Testing

Comments 0 Comment

We are often asked if our toys are safe – and understandably so when there are so many scary stories in the press about unscrupulous people selling the latest toy craze and not having it safety tested.  All toys sold in the UK must meet the standards set out in the EN71 toys safety directive; toys must be safe and fit for purpose.  Anybody manufacturing toys in the EU, importing toys into the EU, selling or distributing toys in the…

Read More Read More

Choosing Wooden Toys helps our planet

Choosing Wooden Toys helps our planet

Comments 0 Comment

With the increasing pressure and awareness of the environmental concerns that effect our planet it has never been so important to make informed and responsible buying decisions. Here at Mulberry Bush we try our best to be mindful of our impact on the environment. We use recycled packaging and implement the three R’s wherever we can, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! Most importantly however is our pride in the products we sell. We focus on traditional, well made toys that we…

Read More Read More

Mulberry Bush Parental Control Campaign

Mulberry Bush Parental Control Campaign

Comments 0 Comment

In a digital world, online child safety is more important than ever. The rise in technology has seen a new generation of children grow up staring at tech toys, and gadgets – not to mention looking at smartphones from a young age. While these children may have more knowledge of technology than previous generations, they are still vulnerable to online dangers and should be monitored. Here at Mulberry Bush, we prioritise online safety for children. Our toys and games are…

Read More Read More

John Crane Rail Track – Does it fit with Brio?

John Crane Rail Track – Does it fit with Brio?

Comments 3 Comments

As we know, Bigjigs Rail and Brio wooden railway track and trains are compatible.  (For full details see our article about these two brands).  What about extra track from the John Crane Branching Out (now Tidlo) range?  Will this fit with either or both?  Mulberry Bush has a large selection of track pieces of various lengths and shapes from various brands.  The photo below shows pieces of John Crane track connected to a section of Bigjigs Rail track connected in…

Read More Read More

Christmas Toy Prices

Christmas Toy Prices

Comments 0 Comment

Are children’s toys and Christmas presents about to become more expensive ?  Last week The Times carried an article suggesting that manufacturing costs in China were climbing as workers look for ever higher wages, and materials costs are rising too.  It seems certain that those costs will be passed on to Western consumers, and here at Mulberry Bush we’ve already seen a number of proposed price increases from importers.  Needless to say we’re negotiating hard to keep increases to a…

Read More Read More

How dangerous are Magnets in Toys?

How dangerous are Magnets in Toys?

Comments 1 Comment

Since the autumn of 2007 there have been very quick moves by the authorities on both sides of the Atlantic towards greater control of magnets in toys. This has been matched, it seems to me, by a very evident alarm amongst toy-buyers as to the safety of magnets in any form. A programme screened in December 2007 on Channel 4 – equally contentious for its scaremongering on the one hand and the pathetic attempt at defence of the toy industry…

Read More Read More

Junior Joiner – Carpentry for Kids

Junior Joiner – Carpentry for Kids

Comments 0 Comment

I never cease to be amazed at the number of Junior Carpenter sets we sell – certainly one of our most popular toys. Although it shouldn’t really be described as a toy because these are real tools that really work, and certainly should be used under supervision, at least to start with. Perhaps that’s part of the reason for these sets’ popularity. They are to be used “to start with”. They are bought by people who want their children to…

Read More Read More

Toy safety – is it a minefield?

Toy safety – is it a minefield?

Comments 0 Comment

Mulberry Bush take the issue of Toy safety very seriously. All the toys we sell come from reputable manufacturers and safety testing certificates are held by them, or by the company that imports them into Europe. The test certificate for any toy – be it a wooden toy, game, doll etc – will show an age for which the toy has been agreed to be suitable, but these are, in effect in bands, dependent on the age test for which…

Read More Read More