Toy Academy: Toys that help children learn and grow at every age

The best toys are 90% child and 10% toy. That doesn’t mean the toy itself is unimportant—far from it! After all, even if a cupcake is mostly cake with just a little frosting, you still want the frosting to taste amazing, right?

Today, toys come in endless shapes, colours, and variations, and it can be hard to know where to begin. At Toy Academy, we’ve made a clear choice to focus on toys that actively support children’s learning and development. Our goal is simple: to help children learn and grow through play.

Toys are about so much more than fun or passing the time. The right toys can inspire, motivate, strengthen, challenge, and encourage children as they grow. In other words, toys are powerful tools for learning and development—and there’s truly no limit to what children can discover through play.

Why are toys important for children’s development?

A simple ball game helps strengthen gross motor skills, balance, and hand-eye coordination, while logic games provide valuable brain training that boosts concentration and develops children’s logical thinking. Dollhouses, car tracks, and dress-up costumes allow children’s imaginations to run free, and role play helps them learn more about themselves while also beginning to understand society and social relationships. Creative supplies like drawing and painting tools, beads, and stamp sets invite children to explore their creativity and help them process and make sense of the day’s experiences, all while learning to think in more abstract ways. 

The list could go on. Toys provide countless opportunities for learning. Some toys are intuitive and quickly become part of children’s play, while others require a bit of grown-up guidance to show how they work and open the door to new ways of playing.

How can children play with gross motor toys and tools?

Gross motor toys are designed to help children develop their movement skills, balance, and coordination through play. They may not look like toys to adult eyes, but in a child’s imagination, they quickly transform into a thrilling “the floor is lava” course, a ship sailing toward distant shores, or the back of an elephant carrying its little rider through a dangerous jungle. Toys aren’t just meant to entertain. The very best ones engage both body and mind, encouraging children to explore, reflect, and push their limits as they grow stronger, more confident, and more capable through play.

Can children do experiments on their own?

Absolutely! Toys can be science kits too. Our chemistry sets, for instance, allow children to create their own volcanoes, slime, or safe little explosions using just a few everyday kitchen ingredients. There’s no better way to learn than by playing your way to new discoveries. When toys are both educational and engaging, children build knowledge through hands-on experience — and that’s where real understanding begins. At Toy Academy, you’ll find a huge selection of child-friendly experiments and science kits that children can explore on their own or together with a grown-up. 

In moments of free play, when toys become props and imagination and creativity are given free rein, magic can unfold — the kind of magic childhood should be filled with, sparking laughter, learning, curiosity, and a lifelong love of discovery.

What are Toy Academy's values?

At Toy Academy, we love being curious and daring to play against the current. We believe that’s how we learn and grow. That’s also why we’re very picky about the quality of our toys, because our children deserve the very best to play with. We don’t think it’s enough for toys to be colourful and entertaining. They need to offer more. And thankfully, there are plenty of toys that do exactly that — toys that are fun, educational, and developmental, that invite creativity, fire up the imagination, and help your child build important skills like coordination and balance. Those are the kinds of toys you’ll find at Toy Academy.

Do Toy Academy’s toys contain added fragrances?

At Toy Academy, we only sell toys that we would happily let our own children play with. We would never expose children — ours or yours — to unnecessary risks, and that also applies when it comes to added fragrances in our toys. All toys made and sold in the EU must comply with strict safety regulations. The EU Toy Safety Directive prohibits the use of a wide range of allergenic fragrances in toys and requires manufacturers to test for these substances to meet EU safety standards. 

That said, we know that some families enjoy products like bubble bath or bath bombs having a gentle scent. For that reason, we carry a small selection of products that contain added fragrance. In those cases, the ingredients are always dermatologically tested and approved for children.

Do Toy Academy’s toys comply with EN 71 and the REACH regulation?

Yes, they do.

Our toys comply with EN 71 and a wide range of other safety requirements set by Danish inspection and safety authorities, as well as EU regulations.

We know exactly what goes into our toys. If you would like to see the relevant certifications and documentation in writing, we’ll be happy to send them to you by email.

Are Toy Academy’s toys CE marked?

Yes, all toys sold at Toy Academy are CE marked, as required by Danish law.

Does Toy Academy offer eco-friendly and organic toys?

At Toy Academy, we want to protect and look after both our children and the planet. As we continue to learn more about how to best care for both, we make conscious choices about how we run our business and which toys we choose to bring into our webshop.

We carry both organic toys and toys from manufacturers who strive for the most sustainable production possible — for example by using recycled materials or natural rubber left over from latex production. Sustainability is constantly evolving, and we follow new developments with curiosity and excitement.

Can I buy sustainable toys at Toy Academy?

We believe sustainability should be part of every decision a modern business makes. That said, there are many different ways to define and work towards sustainability.

At Toy Academy, you’ll find toys from manufacturers who prioritise sustainable production — such as PlanToys from Thailand, Dantoy from Denmark, and many other dedicated brands and designers. Thankfully, most toy manufacturers today consider sustainability in their design, production, and material choices, even if they take different approaches.

For us, sustainability also means quality and durability. Toys should be made to last, with minimal waste in production. We encourage you to resell, donate, or gift your used toys so they stay in circulation — and if a toy has reached the end of its life, we hope you’ll recycle it responsibly.

Do Toy Academy’s toys contain harmful chemicals?

No. Full stop. 

We don’t market ourselves as a “natural toy” webshop, and you won’t find words like “natural” or “chemical-free” in our product descriptions. We’ve deliberately chosen not to use those labels because they can be misleading. Everything in the world is made up of chemical elements — plastic, wood, lemon juice, vitamin D, water, olive oil, metal. Everything has a chemical formula, but that alone doesn’t determine whether something is safe for your child. And “natural” certainly doesn’t mean harmless — nature is full of highly toxic substances you would never want in a toy.

We could label our toys as “safe,” but honestly, that should go without saying when you shop with a Danish retailer. Turning toy safety into a marketing claim would simply state the obvious. All toys sold at Toy Academy are safe and suitable for children. That’s our responsibility as a toy retailer, and we take it seriously — so you don’t have to worry.

We promise you this: our toys comply with EU safety regulations, and we stay up to date with new research and safety information. If a potential issue is ever identified, we review the product immediately. And if there’s any cause for concern, we remove the toy from our shop.

Do Toy Academy’s balloons contain nitrosamines or nitrosatable substances?

In 2019, a Danish test revealed that 7 out of 15 balloons purchased in Denmark and internationally contained carcinogenic substances known as nitrosamines and nitrosatable substances. Naturally, we followed up with our suppliers, who provided documentation confirming that their balloons are free from these substances. So the answer is no — balloons sold at Toy Academy do not contain nitrosamines or nitrosatable substances.

How do I clean the toys?

Toys get dirty. And that’s wonderful, because it means they’re being played with. In many of our product descriptions, you’ll find guidance on how to clean each toy. The information is listed in the product details section. If you’re ever unsure, our friendly customer service team is always happy to help. You can also check out our blog for tips on keeping toys clean and germ-free.

Want to come play with us? We hope so.
Big smiles from Ann & Jane at Toy Academy.