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Top 5 educational games for 5 – 8 year olds

With today marking the first day of school closures, here are our top 5 toys and games for school aged kids.

1. Captain Macaque Cortex Challenge Kids

After you’ve got your hearts racing joining the nation’s favourite virtual P.E. class with Joe Wicks, start your day as a family and see who will emerge Cortex Challenge champion. With eight different challenges available, players can test their memory, speed of thought and thinking ability. Games take just 15 minutes to play, so there’s no need to devote your morning to it if you don’t want to.

Suitable for 6 years +

2. My First Bananagrams

Continue the family fun whilst developing their word building skills with this junior version of the much loved Bananagrams. Go rogue and make up your own game by creating ‘tricky words’ appropriate to their phonics level. The winner is the person that can create the most variations of each tricky word!

Suitable for 4 years +

3. Smart Farmer by Smart Games

If you need some time to catch up with work, a single-player game of Smart Farmer might come in handy. It is guaranteed to engage your child’s brain as they endeavour to divide all the animals into their own separate, closed-off areas using the three fences provided. Fantastic for developing problem-solving, spatial awareness and spontaneous thinking, it features a booklet with 60 challenges ranging from starter to master. It’s also a great visual way of explaining social distancing!

Suitable for 5 years +

4. Zygomatic Rory’s Story Cubes

Let your child’s imagination run free with this fun storytelling game. It features nine dice which have images on the sides. Your child has to make a story depending on the outcome of the dice and it has endless possibilities with no wrong or right answer. As well as helping your child to work on their storytelling skills which will give them a boost in English class, it can help improve their language and problem-solving skills.

Suitable for 6 years +

5. Hape Quadrilla Castle Escape Marble Run

This easy-to-assemble game comes with just over 100 puzzle pieces, presenting a great opportunity for children to develop building, balancing, problem solving and engineering skills – and possibly a bit of peace and quiet for a couple of hours too! They can either follow the step-by-step instructions to build the demo sets or, once they’ve figured out how each building block works, make their own run.

Suitable for 4 years +

COVID-19: Whirli is operating as usual

These are extremely difficult and unprecedented times. First and foremost, our thoughts are with all families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope all of you and your loved ones stay healthy and well throughout the challenging months ahead.

At Whirli, we have been weighing up how best to balance our responsibilities to our staff and their families, to our subscribers and their families, and also to the general public’s health and well-being. We recognise the mental and financial strain extended periods of home isolation and school closures will put on parents, and Whirli’s potential role in helping alleviate these concerns.

We’ve taken the decision to keep ourselves operational and to continue providing our services for families, albeit with strong precautions in place.

Warehouse operating with occasional reduced capacity

All office-based staff will work remotely for the foreseeable future. Only myself and a bare bones crew of essential staff will operate our warehouse and fulfilment operations. In this critical period, I am personally supervising our in-person operations to ensure we are not putting our staff, customers, or the public at risk.

We are guaranteeing full pay to any staff who need to self-isolate due to symptoms of illnesses, however minor or whether it is directly related to COVID-19. This is to ensure all our staff make the right decision to help prevent the spread of illness, and to support them through a challenging economic outlook.

Consequently, when the infection peaks in the UK, we are likely to have reduced capacity in our operations and in our courier networks. This might mean that your orders and returns take slightly longer than usual, or that we’re slightly slower than usual to respond to you. I kindly ask for your patience and to reassure you that we are doing everything we can to maintain our high service levels.

Toy sterilisation

When COVID-19 first surfaced months ago, we immediately took steps to assess the risks and prepare ourselves. As you know, all toys have always undergone a stringent cleaning and sterilising process at Whirli before we send it on to another family to enjoy. This process varies depending on the type of toy, but always includes sterilisation either through high temperatures (e.g., plush toys in the wash) or sterilising fluids and wipes. For example, we use commercial Milton sterilising fluid which kills 99.9% of germs including the Coronavirus and is safe to use on children’s toys (Milton is regularly used in hospitals and maternity wards).

We are ensuring our warehouse is kept a clean zone, with no sick staff present and regular cleaning is undertaken. We are also enforcing regular hand washing, use of masks and gloves to reduce any contamination risk.

Imported goods

We assessed the risks of imported goods carrying the virus and general transmission probabilities through goods in the post. Broadly, whilst it appears that transmission is possible through contaminated surfaces, the early indication is that the virus does not survive on surfaces for very long periods. The primary source of infections have appeared to be through direct exposure to an infected person, and not through goods received from online shopping or from other countries.

Nonetheless, we have taken additional precautions to enhance our processes and all toys, whether they have just been unboxed from the manufacturer or have been returned by another customer, are thoroughly sterilised before they are sent out again.

To-door deliveries and home collection services

Price freeze

We will continue to offer our door delivery service, postal service and a courier collection service from your home at the normal rates. We will honour these prices as we have never believed in profiting from them. As a reminder, here is what we will continue to offer:

Transparently, we do not apply a mark-up to our pay-as-you-go rates. We are charged the same rate by Royal Mail and Parcelforce.

We also offer a Delivery Booster package and home collection service to our customers at below market rate, upon which we incur a loss.

Home collection

We will continue to price our collection service at below market rate. For any customers wishing to self-isolate we encourage you to use this great service carried out by DPD.

Lastly, for any customers who are worried about general goods being delivered to your home, please get in touch. We will be more than happy to share tips on sterilising and cleaning different types of products and surfaces.

New in-home toys

In light of the recent recommendations to stay at home, we have switched our attention to purchasing more in-home toys and games that will keep families occupied. This includes buying more:

Indoor toys and Pretend Play
Family / Board games
STEM / Educational toys

As always, please send through your recommendations and we will do our best to get hold of them for you.

Our community

In these worrying times it may also be comforting to reach out to our community on Instagram and Facebook and share what you have been doing at home. We will also keep you updated by email, Insta and Facebook and send through play ideas, educational tips and cleaning techniques to keep you busy and safe.

As usual, we are always available to speak with you regarding any questions, concerns, or help you might need. Get in touch with my team here, and if you want to speak to me directly you can always ask my team to pass you on to me.

Best Wishes,
Nigel Phan
Founder & Managing Director

Top 5 costumes for World Book Day

One of the best parts of World Book Day for your child is dressing up as their favourite literary character. Whether you’re looking for something classic or something a little more contemporary, renting a costume can take some much-needed stress off your shoulders. Here are the top five (the cutest) World Book Day costumes that your little one will love wearing.

1) Postman Pat

A staple of kids TV for years now, both parents and kids can enjoy this vibrant Postman Pat outfit, complete with the blue suit decorated with badges, cap and glasses. Jess and letters aren’t included, but with a little handiwork, they’ll make amazing accessories for this memorable outfit. You can even get the kids to make the letters with you for an extra special touch that will make this costume the hit of the classroom.

2) David Walliams Gangsta Granny

David Walliams Gangsta Granny Costume — 22 tokens

David Walliams’ classic character comes to life with this hilarious Gangster Granny outfit, perfect for those kids who want to make a big impression with their World Book Day outfit. Complete with a full outfit, plus a handbag, eye mask, glasses and even a pearl necklace, you can bring to life this amazing character without having to buy each piece individually – a perfect time saver.

3) Peter Rabbit

Another classic of kids books, this costume can help bring all of Beatrix Potter’s iconic characters to life. Complete with the full bunny outfit and famous blue jacket, your child can transform into the mischievous, carrot-loving rabbit and send their school friends hopping wild! This is also great for group costumes – we have Jemima Puddle and Benjamin Rabbit.

4) Miffy

Cute as any little rabbit could be, your kid will love this adorable Miffy outfit that brings our favourite white bunny to life. This outfit comes with fluffy white bunny ears and a recreation of the famous floral blue dress. Your little one will be instantly recognisable from this popular series of books in this comfortable and fun ensemble.

5) Roald Dahl’s BFG

Roald Dahl’s book has delighted millions of kids – and this outfit will too. Complete with giant ears, top, trousers and even a huge horn to hear out of, your kids will feel larger than life in this piece. We’ve even got other classic Dahl character costumes like Fantastic Mr Fox, Miss Trunchbull and even Mrs Twit and Mr Twit.

Note: our costumes come in different sizes and are listed as separate products. Scroll through the product photos to find a description of each size.

So there you have it! No more last-minute sewing or shopping for a costume they’ll only wear once. Let’s face it, they probably don’t want to go as Peter Rabbit again next year.

Guest Post: Play with your food

I may write about food for a living, but that doesn’t mean my kids are perfect eaters. My son (4) eats a decent array of fruit and veg, but my daughter (2) is all about the rice and pasta right now. She’s also asserting her independence at the dinner table with every two-year-old’s favourite word: ‘no’. Right now, the main goal is to make healthy foods a part of our routine. We have a weekly veg box, and the kids love seeing what’s in it each week. I also gently encourage them to try new ingredients and become familiar with different fruits and vegetables by incorporating colourful and healthy foods into their play time. That can mean a teddy bear’s picnic, a homemade pizza playdate or turning a cardboard box into a cafe. Here are five fun and easy ideas road-tested by my two Whirli fans…

1) Rainbow match up

Little kids love lining things up: cars, dinosaurs, and – as it turns out – fruit and veg. Set up a quick game while you make dinner, using the Grimm’s wooden rainbow and a colourful assortment of fruit and veg. Line up the rainbow, then ask the kids to sort the produce by colour. My kids treated it like a race, and the game sparked lots of debate (are blueberries blue or purple? What colour is a beetroot?). Encourage the kids to ask questions and describe the look and textures of the foods as they line them up. Incorporate some of the produce into their dinner: we made rainbow wedges with the beetroot, carrot and parsnips.

2) Wonky fruit and veg

Toys Wonky Fruit and Veg set by Plan Toys

In the UK we throw away the equivalent of 1 in 5 shopping bags of food – which adds up to 6.5tonnes of wasted food per year*. Part of the problem is our quest for perfect veg. This is why I love the Plan Toys Wonky Fruit and Veg set. These gorgeous wooden toys include a bendy courgette, a skewwhiff pear and a misshapen carrot, plus a toy knife to practise slicing skills. Talk about the beauty of imperfection with your kids, and – next time you’re in the supermarket, encourage them to look out for ‘wonky’ produce – several stores now offer bags of misshapen but just as tasty fruit and veg. My son likes the idea of ‘rescuing them’ and saving them from going to waste.

3) Play café

Toys: Honeybake Cafe Machine & Card Machine by Le Toy Van

Turn a cardboard box into a café. No craft skills required: just cut a hole two-thirds of the way up to make a ‘counter’ and decorate the box with felt tips and a café sign. There’s so much play value in a toy café. The kids can practise using the till and handling play money, take your order, play with different types of toy foods (include a mix of café treats, and healthy items, like toy fruit) and serve you, their friends or their favourite cuddly toys.

4) Kids and toys’ tea party

Honeybee Market – Baker’s Basket by Le Toy Van & Steep & Serve Tea Wooden Food Set by Melissa & Doug

Get the kids to throw a tea party for their cuddly toys, with a twist – there’s real food for the children, too. Lay out a mix of play fruit, veg and pretend treats, along with a tea set. Add some colourful snacks into the mix. Veggie sticks, wholemeal pitta strips, lentil crisps and cheddar cubes are all good options. They’ll be so involved in their imaginative play; they won’t notice that they’re eating a healthy tea at the same time.

5) Pizza play date

Two for the price of one: a fun activity PLUS a low-stress dinner. Next time your child has a friend round after school or nursery, set up some bowls with a variety of healthy toppings. Colour is key: think sweetcorn, peppers, courgette slices, cherry tomatoes and diced red onions. Let them smear the bases with passata and then sprinkle on the toppings. Use bought bases, or – better still – make your own. I like this recipe for a no-yeast dough from food writer Amy Sheppard. Because there’s no proving time, you can make it together after school and shove the pizzas straight in the oven.

I hope these ideas encourage both you and your small humans to play with your food. Spend time cooking, creating and playing…and hopefully they’ll be polishing off their broccoli before you know it.

Source:

Love Food Hate Waste

How’s the January toy explosion going?

Were your kids gifted lots of toys at Christmas? How’s the house looking now? Messy? We hear you. It’s one of the reasons we created Whirli.

We spoke to lots of parents and one theme really stood out. Their children get gifted a LOT of toys at Christmas. Big ones, ones with lots of pieces, some they’re likely never to play with. Or play with just once. They’re gifted out of love and are greatly received, so you don’t want to tell friends and family not to bother. But, come January, it’s clear that some simply weren’t value for money. They take up space in your house, yet they’re not played with.

What’s the issue?

So when we created Whirli, we knew we needed to offer a gifting solution. A way in which friends and family can participate in toy swapping. We started by listing common stories:

kids like unwrapping! They don’t always appreciate a voucher.
sometimes kids receive duplicate or inappropriate gifts
parents can’t always predict what their kids will like or discard
parents wish they could spread these gifts across the year

Whirli Gifting Features

We then started feature building! The must-haves were to offer:

physical toys that can be gifted alongside a voucher
gifts that can be turned into Whirli credit and fund a subscription
gifts that can be swapped
a gift list that can be shared with friends and family

So when you think of your Whirli subscription, think how it can benefit your lifestyle across the year. How you can include friends and family, how you can cut down on waste and get the best value for money.

Next year when we ask “How’s January going?” hopefully your response will be “much better thanks!”

Top 5 toys for healthy living

January is the month to get our binge eating in check after over-indulging at Christmas. Everyone is eating salad, drinking green juice and getting back to their gym routine…not sure how long it’ll last at the Whirli HQ.

But, if you’re all about healthy living this month and want your kids to join you, I’ve compiled a list of toys that can help.

1) Sushi Slicing Wooden Play Food Set by Melissa & Doug

This colourful and realistic sushi making set is great for encouraging kids to try new food, not just sushi (there’s even wasabi). The bento box includes a variety of sushi they can pick up using chopsticks made with velcro, which makes it easy for their small hands to use. Not only does it improve fine motor skills but also allows them to learn how to use chopsticks.

2) Cutting Fruit Wooden Play Food Set by Melissa & Doug

There’s no better way to teach your kids to eat fruit than through imaginative play. They’ll love pretending to be a grown-up by preparing fruit. The chunky fruit pieces are held together by velcro so when the little chef cuts the fruit on the chopping board it makes a satisfying crunch noise. Healthy eating never seemed so fun 😋.

3) Honeybake Cafe Machine by Le Toy Van

Coffee has great health benefits! Let the kids become accustomed to visiting coffee shops with this retro coffee maker. It even has a milk frother…need I say more? Next time you order coffee, they’ll ask for their babyccino.

Here’s a cute coffee cup teether for the little ones so they don’t feel left out.

Coffee Cup Teether by Fisher Price — 5 tokens

4) Skipping Rope by Sunnylife

Skipping is one of those classic fun activities that encourage kids to get off the couch and keep fit. Friends can also get involved in playing more complex games whilst singing skipping songs. When they’re done with it, you can have a go for an effective cardio exercise – tried and tested at the Whirli HQ.

5) Honeybake Biscuit and Plate Set by Le Toy Van

It’s all about having a balanced diet right? So we need a sweet treat once in a while. These colourful cookies might even inspire your little one to become a budding baker.

You can upgrade the fun and grab this Le Toy Van Honeybake Tea Set for café pretend play with friends and family.

Also, January is filled with endless birthdays…so let’s face it…the kids are gonna treat themselves to ALL the party bag goodies.

What better way to encourage the kids to have a healthy start to the new year! You know the drill…when they’re done, swap the toys for something else 📦.

Top 5 toys for December

The Christmas period is here which is fun but we know it can be a little bit daunting because you know your house will be flooded with gifts…sometimes duplicate or unsuitable ones. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back with our gift list!

What’s a gift list?

It’s a new feature which allows you to create a gift list and share it with friends and fam. When they buy a toy from your list, it can turn into Whirli credit and fund your Whirli subscription. It’s not quite magic but it’s a great way to make this Christmas more affordable and less wasteful. Read more about it here.

Here’s our pick of the best toys to add to your gift list, starting from 7 tokens – because we know friends and fam don’t need to spend a fortune to give an awesome present.

1) A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

Christmas stories can be hit and miss, and it seems like it’s all been said before in a few classics. That’s why we can’t recommend this witty book enough from the award-winning writer Matt Haig. It tells the story of how an ordinary kid, Nikolas, came to become Father Christmas. It features magic, elves, trolls and kidnapping…need I say more? The kids will love it too!

2) Wooden Petilou Forest Stacker by Le Toy Van

This one’s great for quiet play. Your little ones will have fun trying to stack these colourful woodland creatures on top of one another, which is great for developing their problem-solving skills and encouraging colour recognition. When the kids are done with stacking them, they can introduce these creatures to small world play.

3) Hair Dresser Set by Plan Toys

Kids will have hours of fun running their own salon and giving their parents and siblings (see pic below) a relaxing treatment. When both parents and siblings have had enough 😆, the little ones can then give their toys a trim before sending them back to Whirli. This kind of imaginative play will help kids develop their creativity and motor skills.

If they already have this set, how about trying the Dentist Set?

Little girl pretending to dry another child's hair — Time for a blow-dry

4) Space Mars Research Vehicle by Playmobil

Our lovely subscribers love Playmobil…probably because we assemble all the sets before we deliver them, so they don’t have to. This set comes with plenty of accessories such as research tongs, readers and a drill to help kids detect other life forms in space. Oh, and it comes with a double space cannon just in case these aliens aren’t the peaceful type.

You can also upgrade the fun later and grab the other space sets like Space Mars Rover and Space Satellite Meteoroid Laser.

5) Mademoiselle Doll’s Pram by Janod

Kids who love nothing more than pretending to be grown-ups will adore this cute and sturdy wooden pram – it even comes with a soft blankie for dolls! Playing with dolls help kids to develop their social skills and sense of responsibility – a great way to start teaching them how to look after younger siblings. The pram has an anti-tip system so even the little ones can use it a walker. #SharingIsCaring

Ah there we have it, a list of toys you can add to your gift list, ranging from 7 to 70 tokens. There’s still time to create your list to share with friends and fam to make this Christmas more affordable and less wasteful. You don’t even need be a subscriber to create a list, you just need an account.

One last thing, make sure you get your orders in by 18th December to make sure they arrive in time for Christmas.

Gifts that fund your Whirli subscription

Spot the difference

One gift is bought from the high street.

The other is a Whirli gift, which can be turned into £11 Whirli credit.

Why buy brand new, when you can ask friends and family to buy your children a gift through Whirli, and fund your subscription?

Whirli Gift Lists

This week we launched Gift Lists. Lists created by you and shared with friends and family. You don’t even need be a Whirli subscriber to create a gift list, you just need an account.

Friends and family can buy a toy from your list, and when your child receives the toy, it comes with a code. You can then redeem that code on the Whirli website and turn it into Whirli credit.

For example:

A £10 toy = £10 Whirli credit = one month on Toy Sack

10 x £10 toys = £100 Whirli credit = Toy Sack yearly plan.

Why buy brand new when you can get better value through Whirli?

How do I add toys to my gift list?

Click on the yellow heart, next to a toy.

If on a mobile device, you’ll be offered the choice to ‘Add to Another List’ at the bottom of the screen.

You can then select which list you would like to include or exclude this toy from.

How do I view my Gift List?

To view your gift list, select ‘Favourites’ from the menu at the top of the website. You will see 2 lists, ‘Favourite Toys’ and ‘Gift List’.

How do I share my gift list?

At the top of your gift list you will see a share button which will allow you to send to your friends and family using your preferred messaging app.

What happens if a friend buys a toy from my list?

The list will update for everyone, so you don’t receive duplicate gifts.

Can my child keep the toy?

Yes. Every toy bought through your gift list comes with a code. If you redeem the code on the Whirli website, it is turned into credit and will become part of your Whirli subscription.

If you don’t redeem the code, the toy is effectively yours to keep, forever.

How do I turn my gifted toy into Whirli credit?

Each gift order comes with a code. If you redeem that code, the toy will be turned into Whirli credit and added to your account. To redeem your code, just visit our website https://whirli.com/gift and tap on ‘Redeem Gift’.

Top 5 toys for October

Halloween is lurking around the corner so we’re going with a spooky theme for this month’s list.

🎃 Here are some cool costume ideas for trick or treating and some frightfully fun toys to swap:

1) Sugar Skull Day of the Dead

In need of the perfect Halloween costume? Don’t bother buying one when the kids are only going to use it for one night. Instead, grab one from us and when they’re done, swap it for something else. Don’t worry, we’ll even wash the chocolate stains out for you when you return it 🍫.

We love this because the colourful and floral costume from the Mexican tradition is a nice change from spooky skeletons.

2) Skeleton Costume

For a spookier (but funky) costume, opt for this glow-in-the-dark skeleton costume. The jumpsuit is super comfortable, perfect for running around and sneaking up on the neighbours.

3) The Lion King Simba Furry Costume

If you want something adorable, then you have to get this cute Simba jumpsuit. This is the perfect outfit for the little ones that are still obsessed with The Lion King. It’s also great for imaginative play around the house or simply re-watching the Lion King films for the 100th time. They’ll probably fall in love with this outfit…but it’s ok they can keep it forever 😍.

4) Ghostbusters Stay Puft Marshmallow Man by Playmobil

Once the kids have recovered from their sugar high, they can continue the spooky fun with this Ghostbuster set. The cute but creepy giant Marshmallow Man is menacing the whole neighbourhood, grabbing anyone and anything with his grubby hand. It’s the fearless Ghosbuster’s job capture this supernatural pest using his ecto goggles, proton pack and proton beam. Upgrade the fun and grab these sets too – Spengler with Ghost and Venkman with Terror Dogs.

Ghostbusters Spengler with Ghost

Ghostbusters Venkman with Terror Dogs

5) Scooby Doo Mystery Crew Figures

This list is incomplete without the loveable Scooby Doo from the popular cartoon classic. Kids will have a spooktacular time solving mysteries with the whole crew. This is also great for hours of imaginative play – they’ll love coming up with spooky scenarios with their siblings or friends. Just make sure to grab the groovy transforming mystery machine so they can chase the monsters and lock them up.

Scooby Doo Transforming Mystery Machine

So there you have it. There’s no need for last minute mummy loo roll Halloween costume 😂. Hope you and the kids have a great Halloween!

Reinventing kids’ birthday parties

5 ways to reduce birthday party waste

I had my first child in my early 30s and being the first in the family to have kids, the classic children’s birthday party was a distant memory to me. I’d forgotten the format, the protocol and all the stuff needed to make it an event.

There’s the venue, the presents, the gift wrap, the card, the cake, the invites, the food, the drink, the entertainment, the room decorations, the balloons, the party bags, the candles (don’t forget the matches!), the rsvps ….aghhhhh.

And I quickly realised how single-use they are. Other than the gifts themselves, and maybe the candles (if you save them), almost everything is thrown away and bought again the following year. It’s exasperating, expensive and wasteful.

So, on a mission to reduce how much I spend and make my life easier the following year, here’s 5 ways I reinvented the birthday party to make it better for the environment, my conscious and my pocket.

1. No more balloons

With most venues allowing minimal set up time, the majority of that time is used to blow up balloons. It probably ranks my least favourite job and leaves no time to do anything else. Balloons are also terrible for the environment and a hazard to wildlife. Bits of shredded plastic, usually tied with a long, plastic ribbon. Plus, if you want a dramatic helium display, they’re expensive. The average helium canister is around £20 and should be disposed of responsibly – not just chucked in the bin.

So this year I used tissue paper balls and paper fans. They come with a cardboard casing which protects the decoration when collapsed. And they are assembled in 1 second flat. All 30 balls were up in 5 minutes and when tied around the room, create such an impact. Then, at the end of the party, just collapse and store, ready for next year. Plus, they come in a range of amazing colours and designs.

2. Invest in cotton bunting

This is also a time saver and looks awesome when up. I got myself some brightly coloured, fabric bunting. Simple to put up, easy to take down, then can be folded away for next year. Store it flat and you won’t even need to iron it the following year.

3. Make an entrance

If you’re holding the party at home and usually hang a wreath on your door over Christmas, reuse that hook to display a birthday wreath.

Made from brightly coloured pom poms, they make a statement and as an alternative to balloons, they are a fun way to welcome your guests. A 2 second job to hang on the door and a 2 second job to take down. Store is in your new ‘party storage box’ and bring it out with everything else the following year.

4. Paperless invitations

Invites are usually the first thing to go in the bin. There’s lots of online invitation templates on the internet, some free, some paid. And if you like keeping invites as a momento, get one printed just for you.

5. Paperless gift wrap

Wrapping paper is ridiculously wasteful and to ensure it is strong enough, it is lined with plastic. So even if you pop it in your recycling, it is likely to be destined for landfill. There’s also the sticky tape to consider, which adds to the plastic waste.

So this is a big step, but wouldn’t it be great if we wrapped our gifts in fabric? In Japan they practice furoshiki.

A cloth folding technique that makes even wrapped wine bottles look great (I’m not for one second suggesting a wine bottle is an appropriate gift for a child, merely that tricky shapes are easier wrapped in cloth!). Fabric is far easier to reuse than paper and if it gets a bit crumpled, get the iron out and it’s as good as new. Then when you receive a gift, you keep the cloth and use it to wrap one of your gifts. The fabric doesn’t have to be bought – it can be made from recycled fabric such as unused children’s clothing, charity shop scarves, or tea towels. It definitely takes a community to get the cyclical act of sharing and reusing each other’s fabric, but how amazing would this be if it was adopted by the mainstream.

So there you have it. I achieved tip 1 and 2 and 4 this year. Next year I may make myself a pom pom wreath and I’m considering fabric wrapping.

It’s also important to remember this isn’t about banning plastic. It’s about choosing things that can be reused. Plastic is especially hard wearing and is a great material to store and bring out year after year, so don’t dismiss it if it is the best option. But we do need to get out of this cycle of single use – whether that be plastic, foil or paper. So the next time you’re planning a birthday party, think about what you’re buying and if you’ll be throwing it away in a matter of days.