For every child there is nothing that really beats exploring the outdoor environments of a play park with their friends. At that age everything is a new discovery and imagination is king on the playgrounds. But every play park needs an outdoor play equipment supplier in order to kit it out with safe, durable and fun toys. This is where we at Wicken Toys step in.

In our experience, play parks should have plenty for kids to play with and in this blog we create the ideal environment with everything you could possibly need to make a play park a success with children. The essential elements that make up an outdoor play area are garden swings and slides. Without these two toy sets, it’s not a park! Or at least, it’s certainly not a traditional one!

Let’s swing into action shall we? Swings are the heart and soul of a play park, and for us the swings from Plum products are the safest bet to make that heart beat.

The Plum Uakari swing set offers 2 compact swing positions with the addition of two very popular climbing apparatus; a large climbing net and tall rock wall. It’s a wooden swing set with soft rope for climbing. It’s a multi-purpose, multi-use garden swing set ideal for play park use. Moreover, it’s safe!

Let’s not slide around the issue too much! Slides are quite simply the bees knees when it comes to play parks. Kids love them. So you need to make sure you have one that is smooth and safe. For us, this Green Spiral Slide is ideal for children aged 3-12 that consists of 8 gliding parts mounted around a central pole.

Nobody likes a social climber, unless they are under the age of 12! CP Gable Fan and Dormer and climbing frame is a play park ready outdoor toy with roof, climbing apparatus and a tower. It’s big, bold and brilliant!

What’s a play park without a sandpit too? The tp Sherwood Sandpit is a large play area suitable for 2 or more children to get messy and have a muck around in. It’s simple and safe.

Alternatively, you could just get an all-in-one beast of a climbing frame that has a bit of everything.

There’s the Spider Monkey from Plum products that is a compact climbing frame with climbing net, slide and optional swings.

One of our favourites is the Playtime Lincoln wooden climbing frame with free accessories including a two child back to back glider, rock wall, cargo climber, lunch counter, clubhouse window panal and access ladder. It’s the king of play park climbing frames, that’s for certain!

Wicken Toys has the largest outdoor display in the UK for outdoor toys, so if you would like to see some of these products up close and personal, don’t hesitate to come and visit or Contact Us for more information.

As the weather improves and we see more sunny days ahead (the recent snowfall notwithstanding!) it’s a good opportunity to start thinking playhouses for the kids. At Wicken Toys we have some ideas about the best playhouses currently available and what we think will give your children the most fun during spring time.

Playing at home for kids can be turned into a much more exciting experience. Playhouses are a greta way to encourage imaginative play for pre-schoolers. They can cater to children playing by themselves and with their siblings or friends.

The key attraction for children is that they can role play and the educational merits of playhouses are that children (knowingly or unknowingly) can practice social skills while enjoying their playtime. Think about it – playhouses are basically platforms for children to pretend to be their parents by “owning” and “living” in their own house. They adopt etiquette very quickly.

With a playhouse kids can play inside or outside in them. They are designed as outdoor toys but work just as well inside the house on those cold or rainy days. With spring weather and signs of summer spreading across the UK there has never been a better time to encourage children to play outdoors!

Playhouses come in different shapes and sizes that can suit individual gardens and homes respectively according to their specifications.

The Forest Wooden Cabin Playhouse is a compact lodge with window frames and fabric door perfect for children aged between 1-10 years.

Go from small cabin house to fortress castle and tower set (which boys tend to go crazier for!) Children will instinctively recognise that the Castle can be a fairy palace, a Wild West fort, or a stage for medieval chivalry and pageantry.   Then they can run accross the bridge into the tower and act out some other imaginary tale.

Or for something a little more scaled back and not quite so epic, you can find the All Out Play Jungle Hut more appealing. It has a wooden floor as its base and looks great in gardens.

Choose from a standard playhouse or a hybrid playhouse / Climbing frame by All Out Play. All Out Play playhouses look great in any garden, solidly built and strikingly unusual.

Playhouses blend well into any environment. Each design includes an enclosed space that is great in all sorts of weather, but also allows your children to play securely in their own private fantasy world.

We all have memories of our own childhood, of those wonderful sunny days spent on the swings in the park.  The highs and lows, the back and forth… that exciting moment when we think we’re about to touch the sky!

Maybe they won’t be able to actually touch the sky (we blame physics for that), but swings still hold the ability to entertain and captivate with a simple design and concept.  After all, what better way to add to playtime is there than a swing set?  Swings incorporate all the fun of the fairground Pirate Ship into your own garden, giving your children a taste of action and adventure while gently exercising under the safety of parental supervision.

Here at Wicken we have a massive variety of swings and swing accessories in stock – come and check out our display with the kids for the ultimate try before you buy experience.  We have the largest outdoor display in the country, with an unrivalled selection of swing sets.  Seeing a product on a web site is one thing, but being able to examine it in person is a whole different experience, and you can judge which of our range is best for your children by the looks on their faces!

For those of you with little ones, the TP Growable Acorn Swing Set may well be perfect.  Extending from a 102cm to a 180cm height, this swing set can grow with your child, and is suitable for users between 6 months and 8 years old.  Alternatively, this TP Double Giant Swing Set is ideal for more than one child at a time while not breaking your budget.

They grow up so fast, don’t they?  If you’re thinking about giving something a little more adventurous to your not so little ones, have a look at the Plum Uakari Swing Set – with a large climbing net and a rock wall as well as two swing positions, there’s something here for all those wannabe explorers and cheeky monkeys out there.

If you’re looking to create the perfect custom swing experience, then look no further than Wicken Toys.  The TP Kingswood Double Swing Arm will add on to any existing Kingswood climbing frame and add a whole new world of fun and possibility when combined with the massive amount of swing accessories and add ons we offer.  Instead of the standard single seat approach, consider something more fun and different.  The Creative Playthings Buoyball Swing is an original thing indeed – encouraging both imagination and body strength development through play.  Alternatively, check out the Creative Playthings Single Axis Tire Swing for a retro approach – or the TP Twizzler 2 for a more modern ‘twist’!

Whatever your requirements, Wicken Toys is bound to have something perfect for you and your kids – to help them get into the swing of things ready for the coming summer!

Everybody tries to impose their view on what young children should be doing at school, at home and at playtime – politicians, teachers, the media, public opinion etc. But the simple fact is that the ultimate responsibility lies with the parents to create a healthy, productive and fun environment for their kids. If you are one of the parents that is concerned about your child’s lack of active playtime and their over-reliance on computers, mobiles and television, then it’s time to invest in outdoor toys such as climbing frames and garden swings.

Outdoor toys afford children the interest in playing outside in a safe environment which they otherwise would not get. Playing outside enables them to get fresh air and exercise on a regular basis whilst keeping it fun for them. We have discussed this idea many times in our blog before – the importance of outdoor play and bringing children back to using their imaginations and keeping them active rather than sofa-bound and zombiefied.

Children want to do things that make them happy and it can be hard these days to pry them away from a monitor or screen. But it needs to be fostered more aggressively by parents. Children do enjoy running around and jumping, climbing and exploring. It’s part of their curious, energised nature. You can tap into that by turning your back garden into a place where they have a variety of outdoor toys at their fingertips.

Motivate them to get off that sofa and play outside for at least an hour a day, especially during summer time when the weather is warm and the outdoors are inviting. Children will get the workout they need without even realising it and at the same time they will be stimulated mentally and physically.

Some parents find it hard not to pander to the demands of their children. They will always ask for the latest this or that, or demand to get the same thing that their friends have, and you may have the kind of children that can be very persistent about these things! But as parents you can present them with outdoor toys and introduce them to the climbing frames, garden swings, trampolines, playhouses etc. by actually playing with them the first few times. Play a game, get them interested, and before you know it they will be into it.

Children need encouragement in activities that they might not be interested in or that seem daunting to them. It’s the same concept of getting your child to go into the water to learn how to swim the first time – they might not want to, but once they do – they love it!

There really is no alternative to outdoor toys and active playtime for children. The modern gadgets of today promise children more excitement but ultimately they cannot fully deliver on helping in a child’s growth. And nothing can beat the imagination of a child. Give them some toy figures and a few hours and they will create epic stories and battles under their bedcovers. They just need the tools and encouragement in which to do it.

Help to maintain your child’s health and give them a more positive playing experience through outdoor toys.

Spring is upon us all once again, and with the wonderful weather we’ve all been having comes the natural urge for children to want to be outside.  We’ve collected a selection of our outdoor toys for you to have a look at, all centred on the same theme – and we’re sure they’ll put a spring in your step!

Trampolines are an excellent source of activity for children (and adults!) of all ages.  Not only do they cater for infants by adding a touch of fun to learning about balance, improve standing ability and bolster their confidence in their own legs, but later on in life the larger bouncing surfaces can provide enough fun to entertain more than one wannabe kangaroo – providing safety recommendations are followed and users take it in turns – giving the trampoline a use as a social tool as well as a source of enjoyable exercise.

For the smaller ones out there, several petite trampolines are on offer at Wicken, including this tp Folding Trampoline.  The advantages of a folding system for easy storage are obvious – in addition a portable unit like this can be used both indoors and outdoors.  This means the fun doesn’t have to stop just because the sun hides away!  Give your kids a jump start…

As your little bundles of bounce get bigger, there’s no need to take away their dreams of reaching for the sky – there are trampolines for all ages and all skill levels.  Take a look at this Plum 8ft Space Zone Trampoline with 3G Enclosure for instance!  The enclosure will make sure your kids are safe even when they’re reaching up for the stars, allowing them to let out all their energy in a fun and secure environment.

Just because we at Wicken supply children’s toys doesn’t necessarily mean there’s nothing you won’t enjoy as an adult… or ‘big kid’!  The Wallaby by Super Tramp is an excellent example of where fun for the young meets fun for the young at heart!  This superb construction matches the quality and bounce of similar models found in sports centres across the country and can provide professional level practice for gymnasts, trampolinists and fans of all varieties of extreme sports.  With a full adult size bouncing surface, the Wallaby really caters for all ages, providing an encouraging excuse to get started on a new exercise regime this spring!

If you’re investing in a new trampoline, or are looking to improve the experience of a well-loved existing model, have a look at our range of accessories and spare parts for more details – from anchoring kits and safety nets to ladders and covers, the trampolining experience can only ever be improved!

Anyone with any experience of being around kids at all knows they always seem to be on the move. Of course we want to encourage keeping our kids active to improve their health in later life, but keeping up with such high-speed fun and making sure they don’t run into any harm can often be a tiring challenge for some parents.

Thankfully though, there is a solution. A sit on tricycle or go-kart will keep your kids entertained for hours on end and let them get the exercise they need without wearing you out too. Brightly coloured go-karts and trikes make it easier to keep a watchful eye on your child safely at play without having to follow them at every step of the way.

Not just that though, trikes and go-karts also fast become one of the most cherished toys for any child, whether male or female and whatever the age. As the trikes and go-karts at Wicken Toys are really built to last from sturdy reinforced plastic and are covered by warranty for several years, they are also one of the best value and most appreciated presents you can buy your children.

It’s worth mentioning too that learning to ride a tricycle or go-kart is a good first step towards teaching your child to ride a bike; a useful skill which could come in handy later in life and help them keep fit.

Start off by introducing them to one of Wicken Toys large range of tricycles, built for the smaller kids out there from 2 years and up. Models in the range start from just £39.99 to suit all budgets and are available in an array of colours from candy pink to racy red and black. There are even ‘gender-neutral’ colour combinations on offer so you’ll be able to pass the tricycle down to younger brothers and sisters once your eldest outgrows it. Each of the trikes in the range can also be used with a freewheel facility and ‘parent pole’ so you can guide the trike if your child is too tired to peddle while out on a walk.

Once your little one outgrows their trike and wants to go peddling off on their own round the park or garden, it’s time to move on to one of Wicken Toys adventurous go-karts. Start with one of the models aimed at younger children such as the bright red Kettler Melbourne for 3-5 year olds; a sturdy-framed 4 wheeler featuring an adjustable seat, non-slip peddles and dual action brakes.

Bigger kids aged up to 8 would be more suited to larger models such as the Daytona Air kart, with the same features as the Melbourne, plus high performance air tyres and an impact absorption strip in the backrest. This kart offers a more comfortable ride for older kids reaching higher speeds, meaning a bumpier ride, while the noise-reducing air tyres keep neighbours happy.

Pre-teens can then move on to the Indianapolis Air or Kettquad Air karts, in racy black and red or orange colour schemes with fiery flame detailing on the paintwork for an ultra-cool look. The Indianapolis model features ball bearing wheels and longer bike cranks to increase traction and keep the kart from turning over even at speed, while the Kettquad model has a heightened seat position and off-road tires designed for rougher kart tracks. Both models additionally feature an enhanced sporty frame to support larger riders.

In fact once they outgrow these final karts, within what seems like no time at all they’ll be driving for real! What better reason than that to cherish their childhood years by giving them a toy they’ll enjoy playing with day after day, month after month, year after year?

Feel free to browse our ranges on the Wicken Toys site or Contact Us for further details.

As a nation, there’s one sport that kids and adults alike in the UK like more than any other, and that sport is football. From the tiniest kids kicking a ball around their garden to grown men cheering on their favourite team at the local stadium, football is something people up and down the country are always getting involved with, whatever their age.
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As we seem to have whizzed through 2012 already, it’s hard to believe that we’re not that far off Easter – in fact it’s just under four weeks away!

Easter is a traditional time of year (weather permitting) for egg hunts, barbeques and of course gardening.  So, it’s a good time to think a little bit ahead and consider what you might do for the children this time around.

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If you haven’t yet seen it, you may be interested to know that we have some fantastic discounts available for some of our most popular toys and we thought we’d give you the heads up on some firm favourites!

As we approach the Spring, you’ll no doubt want the benefits of fresh air and exercise to impact on the children’s playtime so our list covers what we feel are some of the greatest toys you can do that with.

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It is not impossible to imagine that the children of today have a lot of distractions when it comes to their pastimes.

Whereas twenty or thirty years ago, television was a reason to stay in, we now have to compete with games consoles, which can be hard to get your children away from.  However, the affect on their health is still the same and therefore, if you are seriously looking for a way to get them out in to the fresh air an outdoor toy might just be the best choice.

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