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Ready to make 2024 a year to remember for all the right reasons? We’re talking about stepping up our game in sustainable living, and we’ve got some super cool (and easy) ways to do just that, all with a little help from your friends at Whirli. Let’s dive in!
Swap, Don’t Shop: The Whirli Way of Life 🔄
We’re big believers in the power of swapping – it’s at the heart of what we do here at Whirli. But it’s more than just a way to keep your kiddos entertained with a never-ending supply of toys. It’s a movement! By choosing to swap instead of buy, you’re making a statement. You’re saying no to the cycle of endless consumption and yes to a world where things get a second, third, or even fourth life. It’s about reducing waste, sure, but it’s also about creating a community that values sustainability as much as fun and play. So every time you swap a toy, give yourself a little pat on the back – you’re making a difference!
Conscious Consumerism: More Than Just a Purchase 🌱
When you do need to buy something new, make it count. It’s all about being a conscious consumer. We handpick our toys with two things in mind: fun and the planet. But this extends beyond toys. Whether it’s clothes, food, or everyday items, look for brands and products that align with your values. Support businesses that are transparent about their sustainability efforts and are doing their bit to reduce their environmental footprint. Every purchase is a vote for the kind of world you want to live in, so let’s make those votes count for something good.
Join the Green Community Movement 🌍
Sustainability is not a solo journey; it’s a community effort. And the Whirli community is filled with like-minded people who are all about making sustainable choices. Join local eco-friendly initiatives, share your experiences, and spread the word. Let’s create a ripple effect of positive change. And remember, every small action, every shared tip, and every eco-friendly choice adds up to make a big difference.
Green Celebrations: Party with a Purpose 🎉
Who says sustainability can’t be fun? Next time you throw a party, think green. Use our toys to create eco-friendly party games, opt for reusable or biodegradable partyware, and avoid single-use plastics. Show your friends and family how sustainability can be integrated into every aspect of life, including celebrations. It’s a fantastic way to spread awareness and inspire others to join the sustainable living bandwagon.
As we step into 2024, let’s embrace it as a year of meaningful change and personal growth. This is more than just a New Year’s resolution; it’s a commitment to a sustainable future, both for ourselves and for our planet. At Whirli, we’re here to support and encourage you on this journey. Through smarter choices like swapping over shopping, educating our children through thoughtful play, and fostering a community spirit, we can all contribute to a healthier world.
Let’s make 2024 a year where our resolutions are not just promises we make to ourselves, but actions that positively impact the world around us. Here’s to 2024 where every small step we take collectively leads to a significant leap towards sustainability. 🌱🌍
As the festive season draws near, Whirli warmly invites you to a world where thoughtful gifting meets sustainability. Our carefully curated top 10 toys for this Christmas are more than mere playthings; they symbolise the joy of giving and our commitment to choice. These hand picked selections reflect our ethos of sustainable gifting, ensuring each toy delivers enduring happiness to your children.
This year, our range includes the latest must-haves and timeless classics, thoughtfully chosen to captivate and inspire your little ones. Discover our top selections:
Educational Box (0-6 months): Revolutionising early development, Tooky Toy Educational Boxes, complemented by exclusive Twinkl play guides, grow with your child up to 3 years. Borrow, play, and swap as your child progresses – a smart, sustainable approach to developmental play. Explore Here
Tonie Box: An ingenious device to nurture imagination and speech development, perfect for reducing screen time. Our Toy Library boasts a vast collection of Tonies, including festive favourites for an enchanting Christmas. Discover the Magic
Micro Mini Micro Eco Scooter – Green: Encourage active play with these eco-friendly scooters made from reclaimed ocean fishing nets. Durable, high-quality, and ideal for swapping, they’re a perfect match for eco-conscious families. See the Scooter
Bitzee Interactive Digital Pet: A palm-sized virtual companion that’s topping the must-have lists. It’s perfect for nurturing empathy, and with Whirli, you have the flexibility to swap if your child’s interests change. Meet Bitzee
Fisher-Price Zebra Walker: A Whirli classic that’s ideal for a brief yet crucial stage in your child’s development. Popular, affordable, and perfect for swapping once its job is done. Get Walking
Smart Games Safari Park Jr: Engage toddlers with this 2-in-1 puzzle and play set, fostering imagination while introducing concepts of shape, direction, and positioning. Explore Safari Park Jr
Green Toys Recycling Truck: Teach your eco-conscious young ones about recycling with this non-toxic toy made from recycled plastics. It’s a fun, practical way to introduce environmental responsibility. Recycle with Fun
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Pizzafire Van: A dose of nostalgia blended with modern play, this toy is a family favourite, bringing action-packed fun to the festive season. Join the Turtles
Baby’s First Birthday Band: From Halilit comes a high-quality, safe musical instrument set, perfect for introducing the joys of music to your little one. Make Music
Barbie Career Dolls: Inspire imaginative play and career exploration with this diverse collection of Barbie dolls, ideal for fostering creativity and ambition. Inspire with Barbie
Celebrating a Season of Endless Play: At Whirli, we champion the power of play to inspire, educate, and evolve. Our top toy selections extend beyond the ordinary, sparking creativity and learning while adapting to your child’s growth. Through our unique swap system, we ensure that each toy enjoys a prolonged life, contributing to a more sustainable future.
This Christmas, let Whirli guide your gifting with toys that continue to surprise and delight, long after the festive lights dim. Explore our top selections and our extensive range of over 1000 toys from leading brands, and embark on a journey of joy and discovery with Whirli. With our innovative swap system, this Christmas marks the beginning of an enduring adventure in play.
As we navigate through our daily lives, we’re witnessing a subtle transformation—the rise of mindful, sustainable gifting. This isn’t a trend but a shift in how we celebrate life’s special events. It’s about choosing with care and celebrating with intention.
Sustainable Gifting: An Answer to Excess
Today, the true meaning of giving can get lost in shopping and spending. Sustainable gifting changes this by focusing on gifts that last and respect our earth’s limits. We choose gifts that last longer and mean more, helping us move away from just buying and throwing away. This kind of gifting fits with a kinder way of living, showing that our choices matter for the planet.
Dual Rewards: Joy for Kids, Relief for Nature
Toys are a great example of where sustainable gifting can make a big difference. Regular toys might only be used for a short time before they’re thrown away. But through innovative approaches like toy library subscriptions and swap initiatives, we get a beautiful result. Kids get the thrill of new toys without getting bored, and the environment gets a break from constant waste. This approach isn’t just good for the planet; it teaches kids about sharing and caring for our world.
Whirli: A Pioneer in Purposeful Play
Whirli goes beyond usual toy subscriptions, leading the way in mindful gifting. Our borrow-and-return method means toys last longer, spread happiness among more families, and reduce waste.
Extending the Sustainable Mindset
The idea of mindful gifting goes past toys, touching every kind of celebration—from presents for the holidays to the way we wrap gifts. It’s all about giving in a way that the people we care about will love and that also treats our planet gently.
Embracing the Sustainable Gifting Movement
Conscious Research: Look into companies and how serious they are about being sustainable before you buy.
Enduring Selections: Pick gifts that are made to last.
Championing Eco-friendly Brands: When you choose a company like Whirli, you support a better, greener future.
The Future of Gifting
Choosing sustainable gifts is more than just a decision; it’s about caring for our shared future. It’s about giving joy to people we love while protecting the beauty and life of our planet. Looking forward to holidays and celebrations, let’s commit to this thoughtful way of giving gifts, creating a tradition of love, care, and hope.
Discover the wonders of sustainable gifting with our diverse range of eco-friendly toys and baby products. Explore our toys and baby rentals to find the perfect gift that keeps on giving, both to your loved ones and to the world they inherit. Or dive deeper into our philosophy and see how Whirli works here, joining us on a journey towards a more sustainable, joyful future.
Our guest contributor Alice shares what it’s like to grow up with Whirli, and the best toys for 0-3 years.
My name is Alice and I am the co-founder of MySunshine, a private and secure photo-sharing app for families. I have a son called Leo who has recently turned three years old. We have been using Whirli for over two years and have captured countless memories of Leo enjoying different toys during that time.
Here are some of our highlights growing up with Whirli, plus our favourite toys for 0-3 years.
Growing up with Whirli in the MySunshine App
How we use Whirli
According to my Whirli account, Leo has played with 56 different toys for 0-3 years, which would have cost me £993 if I had bought them at retail price!
I have personally found Whirli invaluable. I usually do a toy swap roughly every two months, but during the COVID-19 lockdowns it was monthly, due to spending more time at home. I try to organise a swap just before his birthday and before Christmas, so I can wrap them up for him to open on the day.
Our favourite Whirli toys for 0-3 years
As Leo grows, he continues to have access to an endless number of toys to play with and swap through Whirli. Below are some of Leo’s favourite toys for 0-3 years, which he has played with as he has grown up with Whirli.
I wanted to get Leo a walker to help him develop his walking. However, I knew once he had started walking he would no longer use the walker. This is what made me start searching for a toy library, and I came across Whirli. So Leo’s very first Whirli toy was the Fisher Price Zebra Walker. I remember watching Leo take his first steps with this walker – it was one of the most iconic and joyful moments to watch!
One of the best parts of Whirli is that the toys come ready to play with, i.e. batteries included. There is no stressful search trying to find the right batteries whilst Leo is eager to play with the toy. So Leo was able to start using the walker immediately and interacting with all of its sounds and lights.
One of Leo’s earliest toys from Whirli was the Fisher Price Smart Stages Puppy. He was fascinated watching the way the teddy moved and lit up different colours. He soon understood the concept of having to push the buttons to get the teddy to move or sing.
I liked the look of this Activity Table since I knew all of the different activities would help Leo with his hand-eye coordination, as well as keep him entertained. It was the right height for Leo to sit at and put his legs underneath it comfortably. He would crawl around to the other side to try the activities on the other side. It is nice that there is a jungle theme and all of the activities are intertwined with this theme. This is one of those toys that I wouldn’t have purchased because it would have taken up too much space. However, being able to borrow the table and send it back once he had enough of it was perfect.
This was one of the noisier toys we borrowed! Leo loved being able to tap out a tune on this drum. It has a loud, booming noise which he enjoyed making. We used to do parades around the house with him leading the way with his drum!
Leo has a growing selection of cars to play with so I thought this garage would be a great addition to it. We have a few of the VTech vehicles which interact with this garage. We line this up with his village driving mat so he takes the cars for a drive around the village and then parks them in the garage. He finds the lift element of this garage and the sliding ramp to get down the most enjoyable parts. This is a toy I wouldn’t have personally purchased due to its size, therefore it is great to know we can send it back once he has lost interest in it.
I think I enjoyed playing with these Magformers as much as Leo did! There was something very therapeutic about making different shapes with them. They were a great toy to have for travelling since they were easy to pack and have in the car. Leo was fascinated by the way they stuck together. It was a great resource to help him start recognising different colours.
Leo has a fascination with tractors! Therefore when I saw this tractor added to Whirli I knew it would be a hit with Leo. I wrapped it up as part of his birthday presents and it was the present he played with the most that day out of all the new toys he had. The trailer was big enough to fit some of his Paw Patrol figures in. So he spent a long time taking them for rides around the house.
I think out of all the toys Leo has had with Whirli, the mower was probably his favourite. We kept this as an indoor toy and he ran all around the house with it. He loved to hear the sound it made as it went along. It is quite noisy, so be prepared if you decide to borrow this one too!
Leo is always fascinated when we go grocery shopping, so I knew this shopping set would be a hit with him. He loved this set so much I ended up purchasing it from Whirli since it was, and still is, something he plays with daily. He loves to run around the house putting various items in his basket. If any of my kitchen utensils are missing, then I usually find them in this basket!
The gears building set was another toy the adults enjoyed as much as Leo did. It was really fun watching Leo figure out how the toy worked and trying different combinations. He loves building towers and it was no different with these gears. It was another great toy to help introduce Leo to recognising colours.
Our latest Whirli delivery arrived last week. Leo recognises the Whirli logo on the tape and knows what is coming! There is excitement and anticipation of what toys are inside. Our latest delivery included a dress-up costume for a builder which was an instant success.
If you’d like to try some of Alice and Leo’s favourite toys for 0-3 years, head to the Whirli library.
MySunshine helps you tell your child’s story by building a timeline of their milestones and memories. Securely store and share your special moments with loved ones, with the ability to choose who to share with or remove access at any time. No more need for multiple WhatsApp groups or posting on social media! Download the app for free.
Is there a playgroup in your local area that could do with some extra love? Whirli’s Save Our Playgroups programme is here to help.
Having a baby is a good way to turn your life upside down. It’s a totally eye-opening experience that’s full of happiness, as well as struggles. But what happens if you have a baby when the rest of the world is upside down?
We’ve been listening to your experiences of parenting in the pandemic, and we know that it’s been hard. So we’ve been thinking about what we can do to make the transition back to ‘normal’ life as smooth as possible. From our conversations, there were two things in particular that stood out:
We all want to find joy where we can, and play is a great place to start.
We’re all desperate for some human connection!
So we’ve come up with a plan to support local communities coming together through play. Here’s what our new programme, Save Our Playgroups, is all about.
Why playgroups?
When we surveyed our Whirli community, we found that 60% of parents attend a playgroup.
Since attending a playgroup benefits both kids and adults, it’s not hard to see why they’re so popular.
Playgroups offer babies and young children more variety in their playtime and the chance to interact with other children their own age. This helps to develop a range of skills, including:
Crawling, sitting and rolling (physical development)
Face-to-face interaction and non-verbal skills (language and literacy development)
Recognising sounds, their name and tone of voice (sensory development)
Recognising objects and people (emotional and social development)
Recognising and identifying objects (cognitive development)
Equally important is the social interaction on offer for parents and carers. The first few years of your child’s life can be full of joy and excitement, but they aren’t without their challenges.
Spending a lot of time at home caring for a newborn or young baby can be isolating, so playgroups offer parents a chance to get out of the house and have some much needed adult conversation (and, as one of our Instagram followers pointed out, snacks).
How have playgroups been affected by the pandemic?
However, like many local communities, playgroups have been hit hard by the pandemic. 91% of the parents we polled said that their local playgroups had been affected by Covid. In lockdown, playgroups were forced to close their doors, and many didn’t recover from this. For those that did survive, outbreaks of the virus have seen lots of playgroups trapped in a constant cycle of stopping and starting, affecting their ability to stay afloat.
When we spoke to playgroup organisers, they reported that they are struggling to find spaces to host sessions post-lockdown, due to increased demand and the necessity of facilitating covid restrictions, like social distancing and ventilation. While the priority is, of course, keeping everyone safe, these restrictions do affect how attendees experience the sessions.
Spaces are limited and parents are required to book in advance, making it much harder and more stressful to go to a playgroup. Furthermore, social distancing defeats one of the main purposes of playgroups, which is to allow kids to mingle. All of this means that playgroups are having trouble retaining old members, and attracting new ones.
How were new and young parents affected by lockdown?
When we asked our community about their experiences of having children during the pandemic, there were some mixed responses.
While lockdown wasn’t easy on anyone, and certainly not new parents, some people pointed out that this period had given them more time with their new families, and made it easier to get little ones into a routine.
However, the majority faced huge difficulties having and bringing up a child during the pandemic. While their new arrivals brought them so much joy, it was sad not to be able to share this joy with friends and family. Many experienced loneliness and isolation; feelings that can be a normal part of parenthood at the best of times, which were exacerbated by the pandemic.
How are parents coping post-lockdown?
Even now restrictions are lifting, parents are struggling to adjust back to ‘normal’ life and are still dealing with the aftermath of lockdown. Many people we spoke to said that they felt a huge sense of loss and grief over all the milestones and experiences they missed out on due to the pandemic, since they’ll never get those precious early years back.
Re-socialising following this disruption to our lives is also proving challenging; 29% of people we spoke to don’t currently attend a playgroup, but would like to.
One of the main barriers they face is simply finding a suitable playgroup in their area. As we have seen, lots of playgroups have been forced to close down, but for those that remain open, spaces are limited. This means that private playgroups (that aren’t government funded or volunteer-run) have put prices up in line with rising demand.
Secondly, lockdown isolation has had long-term effects on parents’ and children’s confidence. They feel self-conscious about “parenting in public” and worry about how their child will behave around others. Add to that lingering cautiousness over Covid safety and fitting it into their baby’s routine, and the experience of going to a playgroup can become stressful.
Thirdly, it’s simply too late for lots of mothers who spent their maternity leave in lockdown, and are now back at work.
What is Save Our Playgroups?
After speaking to playgroup organisers and parents, we realised that there was something we could do to help playgroups get back on their feet and encourage parents to attend them: give them toys!
In fact, toys were one of the main draws for attending playgroups when we conducted our research.
So we’ve launched a sponsorship programme called Save Our Playgroups, which will offer free, six-month Whirli subscriptions to playgroups across the country. Playgroups can cut costs and attract members, while parents and their little ones can enjoy a wider variety of toys than they have at home.
Through Save Our Playgroups, we hope to bring local communities together again and make sure that these pillars of our society keep going strong. And to achieve our mission, we need your help!
If there’s a playgroup in your local area that deserves some extra support, you can nominate them for a free, six-month Whirli subscription here.
We have a limited number of sponsorships available to begin with, but we also hope to encourage more support for playgroups by making some noise about them. So if you feel the same, share this blog post with your friends, family and followers to spread the word, and help #SaveOurPlaygroups.
The weather outside may be frightful, but the humble cardboard box can be delightful. Guest blogger Tami Murray, an Expressive Arts Teacher and mum from Stevenage, shares 10 indoor play ideas using a cardboard box.
When we’re stuck inside, it can be a challenge to keep kids entertained. Once boredom kicks in, even the TV can lose its appeal. Finding fresh, off-the-cuff indoor play ideas requires us to think outside the box – or in this case, inside the box!
So here are 10 indoor play ideas that show how a simple cardboard box can become everybody’s favourite toy. Of course, your Whirli boxes will be perfect for these activities. We’ve made sure that all of these indoor play ideas will leave your Whirli box in perfect condition for returns (no cutting or tearing!), so that nothing goes to waste.
10 easy indoor play ideas
1. It’s a classic…car!
Babies know it, kids know it, cats know it: sitting in a box is fun. Being pushed around in a box while the adult makes “brumm brumm beep beep neeeaaooowwng” sounds is also super fun (maybe not for the cat).
A slightly older child may want a fancier vehicle, in which case put a battery-powered radio or Bluetooth speaker in there for an in-car sound system. A paper plate makes a perfectly suitable steering wheel. Throw in a comfy pillow and adorn child with a pair of shades to complete the look!
2. Puppet theatre
Puppets help to stimulate creativity and imagination. The use of puppets also supports development of language, listening and communication skills. You don’t need fancy Pinocchio-style marionettes or elaborate hand-puppets; any soft toys or dolls will do.
For babies and smaller children, you will be the performer. Don’t worry though, you won’t need to devise any sort of Punch and Judy epic; just moving the toys is enough. I like to have a bit of happy up-beat music playing in the background.
‘Peekaboo’ with the toys can incite smiles and laughter. For older children, it can be a great boost to self-esteem for them to perform while the adult/s are the audience. Playing with puppets can also support emotional development, self-expression and social skills.
3. Den
There are many ways to use boxes to create a den. Dens can be a place for imaginative play, for sensory exploration, or as a safe space to go and be quiet.
By about three months old, babies begin to understand that their hands are part of them and that they can control those hands. You’ll notice more reaching and grasping actions as they develop hand-eye coordination skills. Try laying a large box on its side, then hanging things like black and white ribbons, shiny or light up baby-safe balls and/or chiffon scarves from the top interior of the box. Aim to keep it simple with just a few things so as not to overstimulate or overwhelm the baby.
Lay with baby – heads inside the box – to gaze upward at the hanging items. Just relax, be quiet and be in the moment. Baby may move their eyes and head to look at the hanging objects, or reach upwards to try touching and/or grasping. You can mirror their movements, perhaps echo any sounds they make, and generally just enjoy being with one another in the den.
Remember, babies may only have a fleeting attention span; so don’t feel discouraged if they’re only interested for a brief time or are easily distracted when you try these indoor play ideas with them.
4. Let’s play café!
By age two, children’s capacity for imaginative play begins to grow. Role play is very important for children to support learning and understanding of social skills.
As we’re learning from these indoor play ideas, a box can become many things with a touch of imagination! Grab a sheet to lay over the box and you’ve got yourself a table at a café. Children may enjoy using props such as cups and plates, but miming can be fun because then there are no limits.
For example, if your child has an understanding of how cafes work and a relatively good grasp on language, you could pretend to be their customer who orders various food and drink items. You may start by ordering a cup of tea, then go a bit left-field and order a giant ice-cream. Take it further by pretending that they’ve got your order wrong.
5. Drum
Use your hands, use drum sticks, use wooden spoons…whatever you use to tap your beat, drumming is a fun way to interact and experience rhythm. You may choose to tap along to some music; in which case, it’s good to choose something with a clear beat. For older children, you could try copying one another.
6. Tunnel
No need to spend money on a pop-up play tunnel or other indoor play ideas that take up lots of space. Simply open up both ends of a large box and you’ve got an instant tunnel. You could try linking boxes together, adding obstacles, pretending you’re going on an adventure, or pretend to get stuck and the child has to help get you out (just be careful not to actually get stuck and ruin your Whirli box!).
7. Treasure chest
What’s in the box? is a super fun and simple game for children of all ages. All you need is a box and a bunch of random stuff. It could be a themed treasure chest; for example: everything in the box could be yellow, shiny or noisy.
A current favourite for my 11-month-old teething son is a box full of chewy toys. You may choose to allow your child to freely explore the contents of the box at their own pace. Enjoy interacting with the child and follow their lead. Alternatively, you could take out one item at a time. This works well as a turn-taking game. It can also be a helpful way of working on language skills: for babies and toddlers, try filling the box with items of fruit, toy animals or everyday objects. Name each item as it’s taken from the box; for example: ‘spoon’, ‘green apple’, ‘cat’. Allow plenty of time for exploring each item.
8. Goal
Time to work on those gross motor skills, get a bit of exercise and nurture confidence. This game is easily adapted for varying ages and abilities. It also works in different spaces and situations.
Throw, roll, bounce, kick, or place objects into the box. If you have multiple boxes, you could try sorting different colours, sizes or shapes into the boxes.
A super simple and super entertaining indoor play idea – not to mention embarrassing when I realise my aiming ability is lacking!
9. Canvas
You don’t need an expensive easel or fancy artist’s pad to create an artistic masterpiece. Generally speaking, the walls, floors and the cat are NOT acceptable canvases for our children’s decorative designs. A cardboard box, on the other hand, can work very well indeed.
For one thing, when little ones get a bit overzealous with the paint, it won’t seep through card in quite the same way as those soggy bits of paper. You could decorate a 3D box or lay it out flat on the ground/table. I like to lay a box out on the ground, paint our feet and walk across it. Try various materials too, like paint, pens and crayons.
Just because a box has been decorated, doesn’t mean it can’t be reused for returning those Whirli toys. I’m sure postal workers, delivery drivers and warehouse operatives will enjoy our little ones’ artwork on their rounds! And if your Whirli box gets reused for another family’s order, it will put a smile on even more faces.
10. Giant stacking blocks
Many skills can be honed and developed from simple stacking and tumbling games. Using cardboard boxes, of any shape and size can be a safe and fun way to play these games on a big scale.
I love watching the anticipation in my son’s face as he nears the tower to knock it down. I can’t help but giggle because he squints his eyes just before pushing the boxes. I can imagine he’s thinking ‘will it fall over? Will it fall on me? What will mummy do?’
This activity develops interaction and communication, taking turns, anticipation, gross motor skills, and numerical skills. Try counting as you or your child stacks the boxes: countdown 3, 2, 1 before knocking down the tower, or say ‘ready, steady, go!’ (or just ‘ready, steady…’ then the child can say ‘go!’ ).
Hang on to your boxes for simple indoor play ideas
These indoor play ideas are just a few examples of how a box can be the best toy for all ages and stages. None of these activities involve destroying your boxes, so you’ll still be able to swap your Whirli toys without having to scour the loft for spares.
So next time you get that delivery, don’t fling the box into a cupboard; instead, try out some of these indoor play ideas, get creative, have fun and give it a Whirli!
Meet Lisa, a teacher and mum from Newport, who lives with her husband and their 8-month-old son, William.
Like many first-time parents, Lisa and her husband wanted to make William’s first Christmas magical. They spent £200 on Christmas toys for William, who received a total of 24 brand new toys to play with – which, as Lisa says, is a lot for a baby.
“My first thoughts were that a baby will not need a lot of toys and this is what everyone will tell you too,” she says. “However, I didn’t want my little boy to not have anything to play with and felt a little bit of pressure from myself to make Christmas special.”
Lisa Gregory and her 8-month-old son, William
Now, Lisa wishes she’d trusted her intuition and listened to that advice. Of the 24 toys William received, only four are still being played with. That means over 80% of William’s toys, plus his parents’ money, have already gone to waste. Not to mention the clutter!
“We didn’t account for how quickly he would tire of the toys, regardless of price or how entertaining they initially were,” says Lisa.
On top of the toys William received from his parents, he was also spoiled by well-meaning friends and family. A month after Christmas, Lisa is grappling with the amount of space they take up: “We received a lot of toys from others! They wanted to spoil our little one too as he is a long awaited baby. Some of the toys are so big and on opening them I was thinking, where am I going to put this?”
William and his Christmas toys
In the UK, an estimated 25 million Christmas toys are neglected by the end of January
And Lisa isn’t alone. Just over two weeks after Christmas, Whirli surveyed 1000 UK-based parents of 0-8-year-olds to learn just how many toys go to waste from the festive season. The results were staggering.
On average, parents spend £250 per child on Christmas toys. Yet however special or expensive those toys are, it doesn’t stop them going to waste. Of the average 14 toys each child in the UK receives for Christmas, 26% are already neglected by the end of January. That translates to a whopping 25 million neglected Christmas toys across the UK.
This rises to 40% three months after Christmas, and 66% by summer. What’s more, 13% of these toys are never played with.
So what can parents do about it? Stephanie, a Sales and Merchandising Manager and mum from Berkshire, has found the answer.
Meet the mum who rented Christmas – and is sending it all back
Stephanie has two children, Isla, who is five years old, and Sienna, who is 19 months old. Stephanie used to spend up to £150 on toys for her daughters in previous years, but, like Lisa, she realised that her money was going to waste and the clutter was piling up.
Sienna, 19 months, and Isla, 5 years
“In Christmas 2020, I think we compensated a bit for the tough year that it was, and as we welcomed the baby, my eldest got way too much – she got overwhelmed jumping from one gift to another.”
So in Christmas 2021, Stephanie wanted to do things differently. Instead of buying toys for Sienna and Isla, Stephanie borrowed them through Whirli, the clutter-free, sustainable and affordable toy swap subscription service.
Stephanie discovered Whirli through Instagram, and it resonated with her right away: “As we try and be conscious about the way we consume in our day to day life and Isla now really understands Christmas, we implemented the four gifts rule: something you need, something you want, something to wear, something to read. For Sienna, still being young, Whirli made perfect sense and even next for Isla. We want to declutter and be more eco-friendly.”
Stephanie, Isla and Sienna playing with their Christmas toys from Whirli
Rather than spending hundreds of pounds on Christmas toys this year, Stephanie paid £50 for a 6-month Whirli subscription, which will last her far beyond the festive season.
The result? Stephanie spent only a third of the money she’d usually spend on Christmas toys – and, most importantly, can send them all back.
How does Whirli work?
When you subscribe to Whirli, you’re given a token allowance that lets you borrow toys from a library of over 1000 top brands and the latest must-haves. Toys are delivered to your door and you can keep them for as long as they’re being played with. Once your kids lose interest, you can send them back and swap them for something else, with no limits on the number of swaps you can make.
This Christmas, Stephanie used Whirli to rent the following toys for her girls:
The combined RRP of these toys would have been £102, but Stephanie only paid the equivalent of £25 in Whirli tokens. What’s more, she doesn’t have to worry about Sienna and Isla losing interest in the toys, because she can simply swap them for something else when they’re no longer loved.
In fact, only two of the toys Stephanie rented through Whirli this Christmas are still being played with, so she’s looking to do her first swap this month.
Sienna and her Whirli toys
Is Whirli the way forward?
When asked whether she’d recommend renting toys to other parents, here’s what Stephanie says: “Do it! There is a satisfaction in spending time to pick something you know they will enjoy playing with for a while, knowing that if they actually don’t care for it you have not wasted any money. Plus, you are helping the planet and don’t have to keep storing toys, or try to sell them on or give them away.”
Whirli’s report on toy waste in 2021 is here! 1000 parents from across the UK reveal how much they spent on unwanted toys in Christmas and throughout the year in 2021.
It’s been a month since Christmas and it’s time for the moment of truth: how much did we spend on Christmas toys for our kids this year, and how many of those toys will go to waste?
Just over two weeks after Christmas, we surveyed 1000 UK-based parents of 0-8-year-olds to learn more about toy waste following the festive season, and throughout the year in 2021.
We conducted the same research in 2019, so we were particularly interested to see what, if anything, had changed since then. As you might imagine in a world that has seen considerable change in the past two years, the results pointed to some significant shifts in our consumption habits.
Here’s what we learned.
On average, each child received toys worth £750 for their birthday and Christmas in 2021
The estimated toy spend per child has gone up significantly since we conducted the same research in 2019. It isn’t hard to understand why: with kids spending far more time at home during the pandemic, it’s only natural that parents would spend more on ways to keep them entertained.
On average, parents estimated that each child received 22 toys throughout the course of 2021, coming in at a total value of £750 (which works out at £32 per toy).
Parents themselves spend an average of £430 on toys for each of their children, breaking down to £180 on birthdays and £250 on Christmas. They estimated that friends and relatives combined spent around £150 on birthdays and £170 on Christmas for each of their children.
Over half of parents say that one or more of the toys gifted to their child was unwanted
Of the average figure of 22 toys each child received in 2021, only 43% of parents said that all of them were wanted. 57% of parents said that one or more of the toys gifted to their child was unwanted for the following reasons:
The toy wasn’t age appropriate
The toy was a duplicate (i.e. the child already had this toy)
The child didn’t like the toy
The toy did not fit the parents’ ideals or ethics
The toy was too gender stereotyped
We’re already visualising all that clutter (and garish pink plastic) piling up, and we haven’t even got to the most shocking part of our toy waste report…
In the UK, an estimated 25 million Christmas toys are neglected by the end of January
Parents estimated that each of their children received an average of 14 toys under the tree this Christmas. Yet a sizeable 26% of these toys are already neglected by the end of January. This rises to 40% three months after Christmas, and 66% by summer. What’s more, 13% of these toys are never played with. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg…
In the UK, over 120 million toys are neglected over a year
When we look at the year as a whole, over 120 million toys are neglected across the UK. Shockingly, parents confessed that of all their children’s toys, nearly 20% had been neglected in days and nearly 10% were neglected within a matter of hours. After one year, 77% of toys were estimated to have been neglected, with only 23% still being played with by their children.
Pretty staggering, isn’t it? Which might leave you wondering…
How can we spend less and waste less in 2022?
From our research, we’ve seen that an incredible amount of money is wasted on toys. On top of that, toy waste has some big implications on our lives and livelihoods. Not only is it a pain in the neck (quite literally, if you trip over them!) to have so many toys cluttering up our homes, but it also ramps up plastic production and waste in landfill – two things most of us strive to reduce in order to build a better future for our children.
At Whirli, we’re on a mission to transform toy consumption by swapping instead of shopping. Our business is built on the circular economy, creating a shared library of toys that parents and children can borrow and return whenever they want.
When you sign up for a Whirli subscription, you’re given a token allowance that lets you rent toys from our library of over 1000 must-haves. You can choose toys to be delivered to your door and keep them for as long as you like (including forever, if you have the toy long enough or buy it back from us at a discounted price). Once a toy is no longer loved, you can simply return it to Whirli for another child to enjoy, then swap it for something “new”.
Tokens let you borrow toys worth four times as much as what you pay, meaning parents have saved thousands of pounds renting with Whirli. And for that percentage of toys that are neglected within a few months, days or hours? Our swapping service eradicates the problem of toy waste by letting you return them.
Join us today to get more for your money, cut down on clutter and “shop” more sustainably. Who knows? If more of us start borrowing rather than buying, our next round of research could look very different indeed.
Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of toys that go to waste in your home? You’re not alone. Check out these surprising statistics on toy neglect and learn how to reduce waste in 2022.
The holidays are a time for treating ourselves and the people we love, which is all part of the magic of Christmas. However, come January, a lot of us begin to feel uneasy about all that indulgence and excess, vowing to make some changes for the year ahead.
If you’re a parent, there’s one thing in particular that’s likely to be on your mind — and coming out of your ears — right now: toys. Naturally, toys are a go-to present for kids at Christmastime. However, there are only so many storage bins you can squeeze into your home, and only so many toys that can hold your little ones’ attention. The result? Unwanted and unloved toys…everywhere!
Not only does the clutter drive you mad, but it’s also a huge waste of time, money and energy to buy toys that don’t get played with. On top of this, unwanted toys tend to end up in the landfill, which, considering how many toys are made from plastic, isn’t good for the environment at all.
The problem is, most of us don’t think about toy clutter until it’s staring us in the face. As with many other aspects of parenting, we’re not prepared for it! So at Whirli, we’re on a mission to raise awareness about toy neglect and improve playtime for everyone.
We’re passionate about the circular economy and zero waste living, so we decided to ring in the new year with some tips to help your family live more sustainably in 2022. Before we get to those, let’s look at the facts around toy neglect.
10 facts about toy neglect
We interviewed over 2000 parents to better understand our habits around toy consumption. Here’s what we learned about the realities of toy neglect.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of parents think their kids have too many toys. We spend a lot of money on toys, and the clutter is piling up as a result.
69% of parents say that their children have too many toys.
Parents estimate that they spend an average of £250 per child throughout the year on toys, and children receive over 30 toys each year. On average, parents will spend up to £25 on a toy as a gift for someone else’s child.
77% of parents say that toys are cluttering up their homes. 1 in 7 parents feel this toy clutter is out of control.
The reason this feels wasteful is because most of these toys either don’t get played with at all, or they’re quickly forgotten about — and the following stats probably will surprise you.
In total, 61% of children’s toys are un-played with. That’s 27 toys going neglected at any given time.
On average, 35% of toys are neglected or forgotten within a month.
Parents estimate that 15% of toys their kids receive for Christmas are neglected within a matter of days. Within one month, this increases to 23%, then 50% within 6 months.
So why do so many toys go to waste? Part of the problem is other people getting it wrong, but even parents struggle to choose toys their own kids will like.
The most common reason for unwanted gifted toys is gender stereotyping. More than a quarter received 6 presents of this kind in a year.
71% of parents choose toys based on their or their partner’s taste, rather than their child’s.
Lastly, we all feel that something’s got to change; we’re wasting our money and harming the planet through our toy consumption habits.
56% of parents think high street prices for toys are too high.
52% feel packaging for toys is excessive.
So what can we do to reduce waste?
Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. A new year is the perfect time to reassess our values and kickstart new habits. Luckily, there are plenty of ways parents can stop toy neglect, save money, cut down on clutter and reduce waste.
This mindset goes far beyond toys, so we’ve also included other areas of life where you can make meaningful changes. To make sure you’re off to a flying start, we’ve partnered with four of our favourite waste warriors to bring you some exclusive offers.
3 ways to reduce waste in 2022
Toys: swapping is the new shopping
As we’ve seen, constantly buying your children new toys creates an endless cycle of wasted money and clutter. To break the chain, choose swapping over shopping.
We created Whirli as an affordable and sustainable alternative to owning toys. When you become a subscriber, you get access to our library of over 1000 must-have toys. Your subscription plan will give you a token allowance that lets you borrow toys for however long you like, then send them back and swap them for something else if your child loses interest.
Not only can you cut down on toy clutter, but you also get to play with toys you might not be able to buy at retail price, with lots of guidance on the best toys for your age group. If your child doesn’t like a toy, somebody else’s child will, and no one wastes any money or sends more plastic to the landfill. A win-win all round!
Kids grow at an alarming rate, so in addition to toys, they go through clothes like there’s no tomorrow. Keeping up with their wardrobe needs can take a toll on your wallet, and then there’s the environmental impact of fast fashion.
The good news is that we’re now seeing a rise in thoughtful brands who are on a mission to reduce waste.
Babies outgrow seven clothing sizes in their first two years — that’s pretty alarming when you consider that just one babygrow takes 250 litres of water and 2kg of carbon emissions to produce. A study found that 180 million pieces of outgrown baby clothing are cluttering up UK homes, and first time parents spend an average of £997 on baby clothes in the first year alone.
This is where renting, rather than buying, saves the day once again. For parents with very little ones, Bundlee is a subscription service that lets you rent your baby’s wardrobe and swap clothes as they grow. Their model saves 86% of the CO2 and 96% of the water usage in comparison to buying new baby clothes (and saves you money too!).
Try Bundlee
Get 50% off your first month when you sign up to Bundlee using the code below.
Code: WHIRLI50
Bundlee
Then there’s Dotte, the UK’s first fully circular marketplace for kids clothing. Their goal is to overcome the toxic addiction that is fast fashion.
As humans, our brains are hardwired to seek out the newest, shiniest thing. This typically looks like a trip to the high street or a quick ‘add to basket’ moment. But the reality of all that newness is pretty bleak.
In the UK, the carbon footprint of new clothes bought every minute is greater than driving a car around the world six times (Source: Oxfam). It’s also estimated that more than 50% of fast fashion is chucked in the bin in under a year (Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation).
When there’s already so many great clothes that have already been made (and loved), Dotte suggests shopping “new to you”. With shopping second hand, you get that immediate pleasure of bagging a bargain, without the long term guilt.
What’s more, reseller platforms offer the missing ingredient in online shopping for fast fashion: connection. Finding a community of like-minded people brings the human emotion (the joy!) back to shopping.
Try Dotte
Kick your fast fashion habit today and discover something “new to you” on Dotte. You can get £5 cashback on your first purchase, when you sign up using our exclusive discount code.
Code: WHIRLIJAN
Dotte
Food: go zero waste
Food production and food waste play a huge role in climate change — something, as parents, we feel increasingly worried by. However, trying to shop ethically and sustainably in the average supermarket is difficult. Let’s face it, poring over every ingredient list or working out which product has the least packaging ain’t easy when you’ve got a screaming toddler strapped into your trolley.
That’s where Good Club, the online zero and low waste grocery store, does the legwork for you. Their mission is to help everyone live more sustainably, by providing carefully sourced groceries and household items straight to your door.
Their zero waste products are delivered in returnable, reusable and BPA-free pots inside a returnable, reusable box, completely cutting out single-use plastic and packaging. With 350+ of zero waste items and 250+ lightly packaged products, you can get all of your household staples with carbon-neutral delivery and collection — helping you reduce waste, and cut down on plastic and CO2.
Try Good Club
Get £15 off your first order when you sign up to Good Club using the code below before 31st July 2022.
Code: WHIRLIXGOODCLUB
Good Club
When it comes to making sure your family gets their five a day, Oddbox is another fantastic option to fill your belly and save the planet. Over 40% of all food grown goes uneaten, wasting a huge amount of CO2 and water in the process.
Oddbox rescues delicious, fresh fruit and veg that may otherwise have gone to waste. They pick it up directly from farmers, then deliver it to your front door in a weekly or fortnightly subscription.
Try Oddbox
If you want to reduce your impact on the planet by taking action on food waste, join Oddbox’s mission and get 50% off your first box using the code below at checkout (offer ends 31st March 2022).
Code: WHIRLI
Oddbox
One step at a time
Of course, we’re just scratching the surface of all the different ways we can reduce waste in our daily lives. However, it’s important to remember that you’re only human, and you’re just one person.
When trying to live more sustainably, it helps to focus on one or two areas of your life and make small, incremental changes that all add up in the long run.
We hope that this guide will give you the inspiration you need to live that little bit greener in 2022. As always, we’d love to get your opinions and perspectives.
What changes are you making for the New Year and how does your family do its bit for the planet? Our email inbox and DMs are open.
As 2021 draws to a close, Whirli Founder and Managing Director, Nigel Phan, reflects on what we’ve achieved in the past year, and what’s next for 2022.
I can’t quite believe another year has passed — and what a year it has been. 2021 gave us fresh hope and a return to some semblance of normality. At Whirli HQ, we’ve been grateful to be able to spend time with our colleagues, friends and family again, and see our customers do the same.
The year hasn’t been without its own twists and turns, and it’s closing off with renewed uncertainty over future restrictions and lockdowns. As preparations for the worst keep us busy, it’s easy to focus on the negative and forget all the progress and how far we have come as a team and community.
I wanted to take a moment to share my reflections on the year we have had. I also wanted to thank you all for your support, your kind words of encouragement, and the role every one of you plays in giving us at Whirli continued vigor to overcome challenges and pursue our mission.
Nigel Phan, Founder & Managing Director
Looking back on 2021
Last year, I shared the news of our Seed investment round and how we were thinking about using those funds to improve the Whirli experience for customers.
In order to deliver on that, we welcomed many new colleagues to our team including a Category Manager (Natalie) who manages our range/stock, a Head of Operations (Craig) who handles all fulfilment logistics in our circular economy, a Head of Product (Katie) who oversees our customer experience and new features on our website, and many many more.
I couldn’t be prouder of what our expanded team has achieved this year; every individual in our team has made important contributions to your Whirli experience as a customer. I’m also very thankful on a personal level, as I used to do what are now Natalie, Craig and Katie’s responsibilities, and I never had enough hours in the day to do the best we could for you.
A few key highlights of the year include:
Opening our new warehouse in July, which gave us 4-5X more space for toys and improved processes
Over the summer, we said goodbye to the rail arches at Bethnal Green, London, which had housed our office and warehouse for nearly three years. We moved half an hour eastward to our new location in Rainham, where there is plenty of large warehousing space for us to grow into. Our new home has allowed us to fully retain our existing team and provide a comfortable workplace environment for them.
It didn’t take us long to make full use of this space! Over the second half of the year, we added more than 200 new product lines to our library, including new brands and licenses like Strider, Green Toys, Tender Leaf, Bluey, Classic World, and HABA. We still have a lot more to come, and our focus continues to be on selecting high quality products that provide a fun and learning-rich experience for your child.
We also improved our core operations processes to ensure a consistently delightful unboxing experience for our customers. This included a review of our supplies and, thanks to our work with Sourceful, Whirli’s packaging is now 100% recyclable and sourced sustainably.
Launching our learning through play framework and other improvements to the Whirli website experience
We pored over research and worked with experts to craft a learning through play framework that is holistic. This framework is now one of the primary lenses we use in selecting products to ensure we offer a wide range of opportunities for your child, and we hope to go further in helping parents navigate early years child development.
Early in the year, we also launched the ability for customers to rate their experience with each individual toy they have borrowed. As always, customer feedback remains a crucial input to our product selection. Importantly, I think it also helps other customers in the community decide what products they might want to borrow — so thank you for tapping on those stars and sharing your thoughts!
More recently, we have started integrating with our couriers to provide better delivery communications and order tracking. There have been some delays and teething issues (transparently, the couriers’ technologies aren’t the easiest to work with), but bear with us and you’ll soon see this making it easier and more convenient for you to manage your swaps.
Seeing all the Christmas buzz and customers talking about Whirli so enthusiastically
In the last couple of weeks, we were so proud to see ourselves featured across major websites, newspapers, radio, and TV programmes. There is certainly a lot of growing attention on the climate crisis and sustainability following COP26 in Glasgow, and it’s so good to be recognised for the work we’re doing in this space.
We literally couldn’t have done this with you. Thank you to a few kind customers who were more than happy to share their Whirli stories with the press at short notice. You can read and listen to stories from Natasha, Patsy and Jen, not forgetting customers like Sarah, who got us in print.
Not to dwell on this too much, but there are of course things we could have done better and things we ran out of time to do this year. Rest assured that after a short Christmas break to recharge, we will be back at it in the new year.
Looking forward to 2022 at Whirli
So, what’s next? Improving the Whirli customer experience continues to be at the forefront of our minds. Here’s what you can expect from us:
An improved experience on our website – including easier ways to manage your subscription, track your swaps and get the most value out of our service.
More curated and personalised toy discovery – helping you discover products from our library that your family will enjoy, including suggestions based on our learning through play curriculum.
Engaging and thoughtful content and guidance for parents – supporting you on your journey with expert and community contributions.
An even bigger range of products to choose from – making sure we can cater for you no matter what specific interests or needs your family might have.
Smoother delivery and returns including more innovative and frictionless ways to swap from your doorstep – further enhancing convenience so you can receive and return your toys with ease.
Again, we wouldn’t be here without the support of our community, who have gone above and beyond to spread the word about Whirli and get more people swapping over shopping. It’s truly inspiring to share our success with so many people who are passionate about making positive changes to the world we live in — especially in challenging times.
As always, we’d love to hear from you. Is there anything Whirli can do to improve our service and make your life easier as a parent? We’re all ears, so feel free to reach out at any time.
