It is the end of the world as we know it... and nearly Christmas of course!

Well, to mark the end of the 13^th ‘Baktun’ in the Mayan calendar (the apocalypse is almost certainly going to poke it’s head around the corner at any moment), we found it a very fitting time to publish a kind of end of year (and world) Christmas message.

First of all we would like to thank all of our loyal customers who have been with us this year; we hope all the wonderful children’s toys you have bought from Activity Toys Direct this year have brought joy and happiness to your house. We hope all those toys sat under the tree, or similarly those sat patiently waiting to be wrapped, put smiles on the faces of all those little ones on Christmas day! Looking back we have had some fantastic product hit our shelves this year that’s for sure and we are very excited to bring in the New Year and stock some fantastic new products for you!

From all of us here at Activity Toys Direct, we wish you a very Happy Christmas and great New Year!

Seasons Greetings

The Activity Toys Direct Team

Step2 Whisper Ride II

Step2 Whisper Ride II

Available in Pink and Blue.

Activity Toys Direct are proud to announce the arrival of the new whisper ride II by Step2.

The hugely popular Whisper Ride from Step2 is back and better than ever. Available in both pink & blue, this ride on wagon is massively fun whilst also being superior in the practical department. It features Smooth Quiet Ride™ wheels, two cup holders a handle that folds under for easy transportation, under bonnet storage (for all those toys!) and it has a great sleek design. Take the Step2 Whisper Ride II on all those journeys down to the park so those little riders can have fun wherever they go!

Additional Information

Sleek automotive design
Two cupholders for the child and one for mum or dad
Smooth Quiet Ride™ wheels
Handle folds under for transport storage
Under hood and seatbelt included
Honking horn for riding fun

Let Children Loose in the Kitchen this Christmas!

It’s Christmas day, and with the mammoth cooking task that’s waiting to be tackled, it may seem that the last thing you want are the children in the kitchen with running around like crazy little possessed chefs hampering the cooking process. If this is the case on Christmas day you may be asking yourself why are the little ones in the kitchen instead of playing with all those fantastic toys they received?

This then seem an appropriate time for us to introduce a radical concept. We propose that child and parent can work in harmony in the kitchen this Christmas. Now we know that this concept seems to combine two polar opposites of ideas but bear with us here for a little while. We think that children should be able to stand side by side with their parents cooking the Christmas dinner. How you may ask? With an inspiring imaginary play kitchen of course!

Play kitchens are great little toys that inspire children to use their imaginations and unleash their culinary sides. Among the wide range available out there, Step2 produce some of the best. From the big awe inspiring play kitchens to the compact kitchens packed full of fun features- all bases our covered in the play kitchen world with Step2 at the helm.

It is the case that each member of the Activity Toys Direct team seems to have a personal favourite in the play kitchen department (we all secretly wish it was socially acceptable to swap the real kitchen for a fantastic play kitchen). Amongst the range, the Step2 Grand Walk-In Kitchen ranks up there as one of the best. Just look at it! Words fail to describe the awesomeness of this kitchen. Children will have endless hours of culinary fun with it just as long as the ‘grown ups’ can keep their hands off. 

Another favourite is the recently added Creative Cooks Kitchen. This combines brilliant contemporary looks with innovative fun features to match. It even has a little home for those pretend pets under the sink.

Which ever play kitchen you may favour one thing is certain- it will be the source of huge amounts of unique role play fun for children and may even inspire them to pursue a culinary career! We think that with a play kitchen in the house this Christmas, children will be able to rule the kitchen and produce some yummy Christmas treats so much so that they may steal the limelight from you the parent!

Thanks for reading

The Activity Toys Direct Team

Is this the End of the Notorious Bedtime Tantrum?

We have all been there as a child. When the thought of going to bed seems like the worse thing ever imaginable and you will do all that is possible in your power to avoid that dreaded land of nod. Your Mum & Dad, using their ever useful authoritative powers, decide that playtime is over and bedtime beckons. For some of us this bedtime routine seemed like such a lacklustre concept and a little tantrum seemed like the appropriate weapon of choice to avoid it. 

However, having reminisced and shared our own tales of this dreaded bedtime routine, we propose that the traditional bedtime tantrum is now a thing of the past. Not because the children of today have made a lifestyle choice to become better behaved as soon as bedtime is on the horizon (we imagine this the Holy Grail and will never ever surface), but we propose it is because bedtime can now be seen as a source of fun for children. Now hold on we know what you’re thinking, this idea is preposterous and should be shunned immediately. Bear with us here.

Step2 Corvette Bed with Lights

This source that attempts to end the bedtime tantrum in question is the idea that the traditional bed should be transformed into thing of fun and something that appeals to children. Now there are lots of these themed fun beds around but very few are on the same level of the ones we have found. Firstly we present to you the awe inspiring Step2 Corvette Bed. This bed has wait for it... real working headlights for a start! Why oh why wasn’t this bed around when we were young? Just look at it! So many superlatives immediately spring to mind and none of which will do this children’s bed any justice in this post. Little boys will absolutely love this race car style bed, that’s if of course Dads can put their green envious jealously to one side that is. But all hope is not lost for us ‘grownups’ as this bed is designed to grow with the child and can accommodate up to a single sized mattress. So this means, if you can tolerate sleep on a modest single sized mattress (not advised for those who are a little taller than average), you too can experience a super fun bedtime in the Corvette Bed- for as long as your child can stomach before they promptly kick you out that is. This bed isn't alone in the conquest to obliterate the loathed bedtime tantrum. Beds like the Step2 Princess Palace bed, which attempts to whisk those little girls off to the land of dreams via an all pink princess carriage, ranks up there as one of the best also.

Step2 Princess Palace Twin Bed

So we present to you that these beds act as a beaming light through the hour of darkness when it comes to getting those little ones in bed. Bedtime is now no longer a chore but bedtime can now be seen as an exciting prospect. We understand your pain, us ‘grownups’ have to make do with our bland beds and have to accept the fact that bedtime for us is a less than inspiring affair. But, with one of these beds sitting proudly in the house, we will promise to not judge if you have a sneaky try of the bed and maybe even have a little nap. We do advise to remember to turn off the headlights before you leave and before the children get back though- Like a rabbit caught in the Corvette Bed's headlights springs to mind!

Thanks for reading

The Activity Toys Direct Team