Wooden Toy Swords and Shields

Surely one of the first play toys ever the wooden sword is as popular as ever!

We started buying swords from Germany then a few years ago we stumbled upon a wonderful passionate toymaker from Wiltshire producing a range of fantastic swords and shields as well as other similar traditional toys.

A boy will naturally pick up a sword and start to play fight - it must be genetic programming! But it's not all fighting play.... wooden swords and shields also promote role play - "ok you're the king and I'm in your army - we're off to fight the outlaws!"

Weather it be Kings and Princes or Knights and Maidens or Robin Hood and his merry men this traditional play is kept alive because it is simple imaginative fun from an early age right up to pre-teens. Boys of 9 and 10 still come into our shop and want to buy swords! So much for DS and Wii we think this shows that the joy of real play beats a virtual world on the screen - at least for some of the time! And the good news is that these toys are a great price too!

Check our website for our range including Bow and Arrow Sets and Shields to Decorate yourself
www.ptolemytoys.co.uk

Kathe Kruse Life Size It's Me Waldorf Dolls

Life-size dolls from Kathe Kruse - the "It's me" Waldorf range dolls are handmade and stand 85cm tall and can be dressed in toddler clothes!

It's me brown wears a pretty pink and black gingham smock top and shorts. She wears flowers in her hair, which match her shoes!

She is absolutely gorgeous and is the doll all your little girls friends will want to play with!

It's me Blonde wears a cute sailor dress with matching red shoes and she has her hair in plaits.

Playing with a life size doll is really fun -Waldorf recommended this style of doll from 3 years and up but in our view it's never too early, and these dolls look great in the nursery! These dolls will give you many years of fun with your new dolly best friend! She can sit and read with you, play mummies and daddies and lots of fun games of role play - great as a dancing partner!

These dolls are special - something your daughter will love for many years and pass down the generations if they can eventually be parted!

There are three dolls in the It's me range - we currently have limited stocks of It's Me Blonde and It's Me Brown and we can order in It's me Red - all dolls are handmade in Germany.

Kathe Kruse waldorf dolls are made just like they were 100 years ago, individually handmade of natural materials. Wool cotton colour and especially the loving handwork bring the doll to life.

Children develop creativity and imagination by playing with dolls, Waldorf dolls give natural impressions that stimulate imagination and fantasy. Through the neutral features of the Waldorf dolls help to develop the child's imagination to see the doll laughing, crying, sleeping and being happy or sad. This way the child gives the doll its soul and she comes to life in her imagination.

Visit our website to buy one of these dolls or add them to your wish list!

Fashion Designers

Dressing up is something that is incorporated in so many different types of playing. Whether it’s getting dressed up for fashion shows or plays, or dressing up dolls or action figures. To some extent it’s all about acting: putting on a costume to pretend to be someone else or playing mummy and getting a doll dressed, but dressing up is also about the excitement of wearing something so out of the ordinary.
There’s a definite thrill in swirling a long floaty skirt around and an edge of glitz and glamour seeing yourself in such very different, albeit sometimes bizarre, outfits. When my niece tried on an old bridesmaid dress of mine she was so enchanted by seeing herself in the big skirt and silky material that she was shocked into an awed silence. The romance of a fairytale princess style dress is certainly something that captivates all little girls (and grown up girls too actually).

With our Djeco paperdolls range children can dress up the dolls with outfits from the sticker sheets.The clothes are certainly worthy of any fairy tale princess: a beautiful pink swathed gown straight from a Jane Austen novel, a glamorous floor length slim fitting dress with embroidered swallows darting across the waist, and the show stopping full skirted gold frock which glints and sparkles with jewels are to name but a few, and there are also chic hats, shoes and other accessories included. For older or more ambitious fashion designers, the Djeco ‘atelier de mode’ provides a perfect outlet for artistic drive. These clothes have a more modern look than the paper dolls and the aspiring designer can use the pens or pattern stickers to create chic and trendy outfits. The sticker sheets provided were designed by a genuine artist (http://www.tinoulejolysenoville.com/index.html) so the clothes are cool and fashionable, and background knowledge of fashion and design can really be appreciated from the materials provided. A birthday gift for girls that will bring hours of quiet play - ideal activity that a child can do without help.

For those who prefer more masculine fashion designs, the Djeco ‘Dessiner des Super Héros’ is a perfect choice. The superhero kit is similar to the atelier in that stickers and pens are provided but the models are in far more exciting situations, think jumping off buildings or being faced by a robot army. As with all of this Djeco range, the super heroes are also designed by a professional artist. We think this is so great and it’s a factor which can really be appreciated in the quality of the final product. With everything you need included within the Djeco art kits, these are great for a rainy day!

Diva Daughers has my daughter become one?

Has my daughter always been a Diva and should I encourage it?

Or has it just got worse now she's turned seven? Thinking about it maybe the signs have always been there, she loved to dress up from an early age, will perform to the crowd given the opportunity and is queen of the sulking - although her father can usually giggle her out of it!


When you're little a bit of diva-ness isn't really a bad thing - especially if its practised in the company of friends and family - little girls dressed up and strutting their stuff stealing the stage is rather cute!

But does it become just showing off when they've turned five? Oh what the heck a bit of confidence and creativity never did anybody any harm - bring on the Diva's....

Dressing up is fun, makes girls feel special and gives them a great sense of what looks good so go on create a sense of flamboyance and flair in your little girl - you might have a star on your hands!

Check out the full range of dressing up costumes for boys and girls on our website.