Welcome to Whirli’s blog

4 min read · Hacks Squish, Squash, Learn: The Surprising Benefits of Playdough for Child Development If you’ve ever watched a child get their hands on playdough, you’ll have seen that look of pure concentration as they squish, roll, and create with complete abandon. But what appears to be simple fun is actually a powerful developmental tool working its magic. Playdough play offers far more benefits than just keeping little hands […]
5 min read · Parent chat Montessori Toys: The Whirli Guide What are Montessori Toys? Montessori toys are special tools designed to help children learn through play. Inspired by the Montessori philosophy, these toys are all about encouraging kids to explore, discover, and learn at their own pace. They are simple, often made from natural materials, and are intended to stimulate a child’s curiosity and sense […]
5 min read · Lifestyle Sustainable Gardening for Kids: Helping Them Bloom In today’s world, encouraging a sense of responsibility for the environment in our children is more important than ever. Sustainable gardening is a good way to teach children about taking care of the planet. It can also help them to grow a love for nature. Gardening can greatly benefit children’s mental health by boosting their […]
4 min read · Lifestyle Are Wooden Toys Better for Your Child? Exploring the Benefits of Wooden Toys for Your Children Wooden toys hold a special place in the hearts of many parents, and for good reason. Not only are they a timeless classic, but they also offer a host of benefits for children’s development. At Whirli, we’re particularly fond of them, and we believe they deserve […]
5 min read · Lifestyle Exploring the Benefits of STEM Toys for Children Benefits of STEM Toys for Children As parents we are always looking for the best ways to encourage our children to learn, and often the best way to learn is to play. Nurturing a child’s interest in STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, has never been more important, as the world becomes […]
4 min read · Hacks Enhancing Bedtime Stories: A Parent’s Guide to Magical Storytelling Bedtime stories hold a special place in the hearts of both children and parents. They’re not just a way to wind down the day, but a gateway to imagination, bonding, and learning. Here’s how you can enhance this cherished ritual and make every storytime a magical experience. Choosing Stories That Resonate Selecting the right book […]
5 min read · Hacks Whirli’s Sustainable Playdate Guide for Parents Hello, Whirli Parents 👋 Are you looking for a way to make your child’s playdates not just fun, but also eco-friendly? You’re in the right place! At Whirli, we believe that playtime is the perfect opportunity to blend enjoyment with environmental consciousness. Let’s walk through some tips for hosting a sustainable playdate that’s sure to […]
5 min read · Hacks Toy Rotation Simplified with Whirli: Fostering Development and Reducing Clutter Incorporating toy rotation into your child’s play routine is a powerful way to foster development and keep your home clutter-free. Whirli’s innovative toy swapping model seamlessly complements this concept, offering an on-demand, hassle-free way for parents to keep their children engaged and learning. The Benefits of Toy Rotation 1. Consistent Engagement and Learning Toy rotation […]
min read · Lifestyle The Whirli Approach to Sustainable Play: A Deep Dive Welcome to the world of Whirli, where playtime isn’t just about fun and games—it’s about shaping a sustainable future. In today’s blog, we’re taking a deep dive into our approach to sustainable play. It’s a story of how we’re turning the joy of childhood into a force for positive change, one toy at a time. […]
4 min read · Lifestyle Circular Play: Nurturing Minds at Every Stage with Whirli Have you ever thought about how the toys your child plays with can shape their learning and development? That’s where the magic of circular play comes in, and it’s something we’re passionate about at Whirli. It’s not just about having a continuous stream of toys, but about providing the right toys at the right time […]
min read · Lifestyle 4 Whirli Ways to Make 2024 Your Most Sustainable Year Yet! Ready to make 2024 a year to remember for all the right reasons? We’re talking about stepping up our game in sustainable living, and we’ve got some super cool (and easy) ways to do just that, all with a little help from your friends at Whirli. Let’s dive in! Swap, Don’t Shop: The Whirli Way […]
min read · Buying Guides Whirli’s Top 10 Toys for a Sustainable Christmas! As the festive season draws near, Whirli warmly invites you to a world where thoughtful gifting meets sustainability. Our carefully curated top 10 toys for this Christmas are more than mere playthings; they symbolise the joy of giving and our commitment to choice. These hand picked selections reflect our ethos of sustainable gifting, ensuring each […]
5 min read · Lifestyle The Art of Sustainable Gifting. As we navigate through our daily lives, we’re witnessing a subtle transformation—the rise of mindful, sustainable gifting. This isn’t a trend but a shift in how we celebrate life’s special events. It’s about choosing with care and celebrating with intention. Sustainable Gifting: An Answer to Excess Today, the true meaning of giving can get lost […]
5 min read · Toys Growing up with Whirli: the best toys for 0-3 years What it’s like to grow up with Whirli, and the best toys for 0-3 years.
7 min read · Whirli Updates Introducing Save Our Playgroups Is there a playgroup in your local area that could do with some extra love? Whirli’s Save Our Playgroups programme is here to help.
5 min read · Parent chat 10 indoor play ideas using a Whirli box The weather outside may be frightful, but the humble cardboard box can be delightful. Guest blogger Tami Murray, an Expressive Arts Teacher and mum, shares 10 indoor play ideas using a cardboard box.
3 min read · Ownership is Overrated Toy Waste In 2021: The Whirli Report Whirli’s report on toy waste in 2021 is here! 1000 parents from across the UK reveal how much they spent on unwanted toys in Christmas and throughout the year in 2021.
3 min read · Lifestyle 10 stats about toy neglect and how to reduce waste in 2022 Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of toys that go to waste in your home? You’re not alone. Check out these surprising statistics on toy neglect and learn how to reduce waste in 2022.
5 min read · Whirli Updates Whirli’s 2021 Wrap-up As 2021 draws to a close, Whirli Founder and Managing Director, Nigel Phan, reflects on what we’ve achieved in the past year, and what’s next for 2022.
5 min read · Buying Guides Whirli’s Green Christmas Guide 2021 Struggling to find sustainable Christmas presents? Need some inspiration for eco-friendly gift wrapping? We’ve got you covered in this ultimate guide to having a green Christmas.
4 min read · Hacks 5 Ways To Declutter Your Child’s Room If you’ve decided it’s time to declutter, then here are some top tips for going about it!
3 min read · Hacks How to Save Money on Toys What if we told you your little one could play with £200 worth of toys for just £50? Here’s our top tips.
5 min read · Whirli Updates We’re moving (ware)house Much like having children, we have now run out of space at our ‘starter home’. Craig, our Head of Operations, is here to tell you more.
3 min read · Whirli Updates Whirli Announces Seed Funding Round It’s an incredibly exciting time for us, as we have so many ideas and plans for the business that will make it even easier to use, more flexible, offer more choice, whilst still offering amazing value for money.
3 min read · Lifestyle How I saved money with Whirli Wondering how Whirli can help parents save money? Grainne, one of our lovely subscribers shares her experiences with us.
3 min read · Buying Guides Our top 10 toys for Christmas Looking for some gifting inspiration? Check out our suggestions and tick off Christmas shopping on your list. Have a stress-free, clutter-free and waste-free Christmas this year.
3 min read · Ownership is Overrated Guest Post: Borrowing things for your home As part of our Ownership is Overrated series we have been chatting to the team at The Library of Things where you can now borrow things for your hobbying, cleaning, adventuring and DIY.
4 min read · Ownership is Overrated Guest Post: Making Kids Clothes Circular If you, like many people, have a house full of majority ‘owned’ things and would like to borrow more of the things that you only need for a short time, then you may be interested to learn about what we do at The Little Loop.
3 min read · Ownership is Overrated Ownership is Overrated With the recent news that Selfridges and John Lewis have launched their rental offering, we challenge our customers to consider their buying habits.
3 min read · Whirli Updates Working at Whirli Every couple of months we like to give some insight into our business. A opportunity for anyone who may be interested to see how we do things.
5 min read · Whirli Updates Changes to our subscription plans and delivery fees from 4th August 2020 We’ve made small changes to our subscription plans and delivery fees. Read on to see the changes in full detail.
3 min read · Lifestyle Guest post: 5 ways that toy rental improves my life Ellie is one of our lovely subscribers and she shares how Whirli has changed her life for the better.
5 min read · Whirli Updates COVID-19: Whirli is operating at normal service levels Service levels have returned to normal with orders being dispatched within a day. Thank you to all our subscribers for your patience and support.
3 min read · Hacks 10 alternatives to getting them a pet If your children are noticing an absence of animals during lockdown, here’s 10 ways to satisfy them without the need to get a pet.
3 min read · Hacks Guest post: Indoor play ideas for the little ones It’s day 34374 of quarantine and you’re running out of play ideas. Luckily, Innes has some fun ideas to help keep the little ones out of mischief.
4 min read · Hacks Guest Post: Top 7 toys to make maths fun at home Math mama is a maths teacher and an advocate for visual learning. She shares her top toys to help make learning enjoyable.
5 min read · Hacks Guest Post: Homeplay – the best way to learn at home Jamie Victoria is an Early Years Specialist and she shares some fun activities you can do at home with the kids.
3 min read · Toys Top 5 family games Who said lockdown has to be boring? Here are our top 5 family games to keep the whole family entertained.
3 min read · Lifestyle Guest Post: 6 cloth nappy myths you thought were true Innes is a blogger and one of our lovely subscribers. She’s busting cloth nappy myths we thought were true (but aren’t!).
3 min read · Hacks Guest Post: Play and sleep Rosey Davidson is a certified infant sleep consultant and she shares her top 5 tips to help kids unwind before bedtime.
2 min read · Toys 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.
7 min read · Whirli Updates COVID-19: Whirli is operating as usual Our warehouse will continue operating with occasional reduced capacity. Read on to hear more about our sterilisation process and delivery/collection services.
3 min read · Toys Top 5 costumes for World Book Day We’ve got your back. No more last-minute sewing or panic buying of costumes (they’ll only wear once).
3 min read · Hacks Guest Post: Play with your food Katy Salter is a food writer, editor and a lovely Whirli subscriber. She shares her top 5 fun tips to encourage her kids to try new food.
1 min read · Lifestyle 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.
2 min read · Toys Top 5 toys for healthy living …to the start of the year at least.
2 min read · Toys Top 5 toys for December … which you can add to your Gift list 🎄.
2 min read · Whirli Updates Gifts that fund your Whirli subscription Why buy brand new, when you can ask friends and family to buy your children a gift through Whirli, and fund your subscription?
2 min read · Toys Top 5 toys for October 👻 Time to swap for cool halloween costumes and frightfully fun toys.
3 min read · Hacks Reinventing kids’ birthday parties Birthday parties can be exasperating, expensive and wasteful. Here’s 5 ways I reinvented the birthday party.
3 min read · Toys Top 10 toys for September Summer is over, but aren’t you glad you don’t have to store the bulky garden toys all year round? Here’s a list of toys to swap them for.
3 min read · Hacks Guest Post: Top 5 ways to be Zero Waste Joy and Lyall run Sustainable Jungle and they share their top 5 tips and tricks to become zero waste.
3 min read · Toys Top 10 toys for August Running out of summer holiday ideas? Here’s the best toys to keep the tots entertained.
3 min read · Whirli Updates Swifter Swaps has arrived There is now no delay when you make a swap. Hurray! Read on to find out more about how this works.
1 min read · Parent chat Buying children’s birthday gifts: top 5 pitfalls Gift buying for kids can be fun and rewarding, but it can also quickly descend into a desperate and frantic search. Read our most commonly described pitfalls.
3 min read · Lifestyle Guest Post: The importance of toys for children’s development Kerry Payne is an Early Childhood Specialist and she discusses the research on the significance of play.
3 min read · Toys Top 10 toys for July Want some inspiration for choosing toys? Check our our favourite toys for this month.
1 min read · Parent chat Guest Post: Parenting with disabilities, why I love Whirli! Philippa Donegan is a disabled mum, wife and disability advocate. She wants to share her experiences of mothering with a disability and how Whirli has helped her and her son.
5 min read · Lifestyle Toy Story 4: Movie review and everything you need to know before heading to the cinemas Thinking about headed to see Toy Story 4? Check out what we thought, plus what you need to know before going, and if there are any post-credits scenes.
2 min read · Parent chat Knowing when you’ve had a ‘Whirli moment’ The moment when you realise there’s a solution to your children’s toy clutter.
3 min read · Toys Toys we loved from our childhood Feeling nostalgic about our favourite toys. What’s yours?
3 min read · Toys Top 10 toys for June Is it time to swap toys? We’ve made a list of our favourite must-have toys for the kids.
5 min read · Toys Toy Story 4: Our five favourite toys from the new movie Are you excited for Toy Story 4? Check out our take of the best toys from the new movie. All available at Whirli!
1 min read · Parent chat Let’s talk about toy neglect! Ever found that within (what feels like) mere minutes since you bought a toy, it’s tossed aside never to be played with again?
3 min read · Toys Our top 10 outdoor summer toys for May We’re hot on the latest 2019 kids toy trends this summer and we’ve put together our top 10 must-haves for your tots.
3 min read · Whirli Updates Whirli Update: what’s new in Apr 2019 Welcome! Keep an eye out for swifter swaps, more delivery options, referrals, gifting, and new toys for the summer – all coming soon to Whirli!
1 min read · Lifestyle Why I stopped using our much loved toy library Toy libraries can change the way we consume toys. That we can share toys, not own them. A place where ideas, friendships and help is traded. So why on earth did I stop using one?