Revolutionise gift-giving and treat the kids to beautiful, ethical toys

Christmas is a time for families to share joy. And that is never more true than when there are young children, eyes sparkling, opening their first Christmas presents on December 25.

Everyone wants to treat their youngest family members to gifts that are really special, beautiful and of the very best quality. And at The Big Issue Shop we not only have absolutely perfect gifts that fit the bill – all our suppliers are social enterprises and charities that do good for people in most need.

One of our most popular suppliers is From Babies With Love, whose gorgeous clothing have long been a firm favourite with Big Issue Shop customers. Decorated with delicate prints, there are pretty swaddles and knot-hats, baby-grows – like this cute frog design – and the ingenious ‘From Babies With Love Gift Pouch’, a neatly packaged set from their collection to suit every budget. There are also toys for little ones that are both durable and fun for toddlers: check out the cute wooden duck family pull-along.

Thanks to From Babies With Love a loving, healthy support network is there for kids that would otherwise struggle alone.

But the real gift when you buy any product from From Babies With Love is that they donate 100 per cent of profits to helping orphaned and abandoned children around the world, based on the award-winning baby brand’s vision that every child should have a fair start in life, no matter where they are born.

Through charity SOS Children they provide safety, shelter, food, education and healthcare in dedicated children’s villages with an SOS Mother and siblings, so that a loving, healthy support network is there for kids that would otherwise struggle alone and in the most need.

And because innovative design and ethically sourced materials are at the heart of From Babies With Love, you know that their clothes and toys are good for the planet, too.

Pebble Toys’ range of colourful hand-made toys are an absolute delight – they include sweet teddies and a whole menagerie of adorable creatures, racing cars and police vehicles, rattles in the shape of a cotton chicken, a friendly raccoon and the ever-popular smiley octopus rattle (one of our Shop favourites!) and a seasonal reindeer and snowman rattle especially for the festive season. And the social echo – the ripple effect of good that comes with each purchase – has an extraordinary reach across the globe.

Materials are fairtrade and high-quality, and Pebble Toys’ ethical production processes create dignified employment, which means that from the outset these toys are doing good for people and planet.

For example their colourful cotton giraffe is made by people with disabilities in Vietnam, while the workers in Bangladesh who craft the large and very huggable unicorn and Humpty Dumpty toys are paid a fair wage and flexible jobs. Pebble Child charity empowers women in rural areas through employment that allows them to work locally, respecting the rhythm of rural life, and means they can support their family while balancing childcare, and pre-schools are provided for their workers so that children are given the best possible healthy, educated start in life.

Lanka Kade’s toys are bright, bold, ingenious, educational and above all tremendous fun! In the liveliest of colours their range of wooden toys – from beautiful animal jigsaws to skittles with dazzling designs to gorgeous bookends and even an adventurous pirate ship – help youngsters develop co-ordination, dexterity and counting skills.

Each Lanka Kade toy helps provide milk and books to primary schools.

And there is much more to Lanka Kade’s mission than simply fantastic toys. A fair trade company, all their products are made from natural rubber wood which is sustainably sourced, and packaging is kept to a minimum. It builds direct trading partnerships with its producer groups in Sri Lanka, supporting growth and independence with free financial advice, training and interest-free loans. In return producers offer employees good pay and a safe working environment. Thus sustainable trading partnerships that protect local skills are allowed to flourish.

And that’s not all: each Lanka Kade product directly supports the Lanka Kade Educational Foundation which provides books and milk to primary schools in rural Sri Lanka with tangible results – admissions are increasing, health outcomes are improving and exam results are on the rise.

There is a whole of good that you can do by shopping for gifts that are beautiful, ethical and smart. So for gifts that give back shop our Christmas Kids Collection at The Big Issue Shop.