What's our story?

Toy Academy is a Danish-owned and Danish-run webshop dedicated to fun, educational high-quality toys that help children learn and grow through play.

When founders Ann and Jane started Toy Academy back in 2005, they had a big dream: to make it easy for parents to find toys which are not only fun to play with but which also support children in developing new skills. Back then, such toys were mostly only available to schools and childcare centres.

Fast-forward to today, and Ann and Jane have been joined by a whole gang of playful souls. Together, our team have built Toy Academy into Denmark’s biggest webshop in our niche: toys that make kids (even) smarter, one giggle and one ‘aha!’ moment at a time.

Keep reading to find out more about our company, who we are, and what we believe in.

Our vision:

At Toy Academy, we have a clear idea of what helps children grow, learn, and thrive. Our beliefs consistently guide us in everything we do, not least when it comes to choosing which toys earn a spot on our shelves.

We don’t just pick toys because they’re cute or colourful - every single one has to do something special for children’s development. In our webshop, you'll only find toys and learning aids that strengthen children's skills, spark their curiosity and creativity, and are 100% safe to play with. When properly used, cared for, and stored according to the specific instructions, you can rest assured that every toy you buy from us will bring your child nothing but joyful, positive play experiences.

Many moons ago, we summed up our beliefs with 7 tips that still hold true:

7 Toy Academy tips for a fun and adventurous childhood

1. Let kids get bumps and bruises (even if it means they'll bleed and cry).
   If we bubble-wrap our children and hover over them like protective helicopters whenever and wherever they play, we take important learning experiences away from them. Every fall, scrape, and "ouch!" teaches our children important lessons about their own bodies and abilities. That's how they learn to understand their own limits, how far they can go next time, and how to get back up again. Bumps and bruises build courage, awareness, and resilience. Overprotection robs children of precious, confidence-boosting "wow, I did it!" moments.
2. Beat them at board games. 
   Don't let your children win every single game you play. That beaming smile when they win is cute, yes, but kids need to learn how to handle defeat. Many studies show that knowing how to bounce back after a loss builds confidence and determination - fantastic skills that will help your children go far in life. If we always let our children win, they'll experience their first defeat out in the real world, and we won't be there to show them how to get back up. So go ahead, roll that six, and teach them how to lose like a champ.
3. Teach your child to be self-reliant - step by step and in tune with their age and stage of development.
   Tying shoelaces, waiting their turn, making a sandwich, listening, joining in conversations, cycling, and showing kindness are all precious mini milestones. When kids know these essential everyday skills, starting school becomes so much easier. Self-reliance is the best headstart you can give your child. That way, they can focus on all the exciting, important stuff - friendships, learning, and new experiences - instead of feeling left behind trying to catch up on the basics.
4. Challenge your kids, just enough.
   When it comes to challenging our children's senses and motor skills, it's all about balance and finding the sweet spot. Your child shouldn't face a challenge so tough it makes them lose their courage - but it should be tough enough that it feels like a real challenge. In our experience, tiny humans can do a lot - much more than their parents think. With lots of love, support, encouragement, and a little push, you can definitely set the bar high and watch your child blossom.

5. Dirty kids, bright minds.

   When your little one comes home with paint in their hair, muddy clothes, and grass-stained knees (and probably a big grin on their face), celebrate it! It's proof they've been busy exploring, experimenting, handling challenges, and learning new things. Remember, soap is cheap, learning is priceless.
6. All learning starts with curiosity.
   Be grateful for all those "whys", "whats", and "hows" your child throws at you - they all help your little one learn. Surround your child with toys and learning materials that spark their curiosity and invites them to explore. Try to let their motivation lead the way in figuring out why/what/where/how, and don't rush in with answers or corrections. Ask them another question instead. Feed their curiosity and help them discover, even if it means googling bugs at bedtime.
7. Social skills beat ABC and 123 when starting school.
   It's friends before flashcards. At Toy Academy, we carry lots of wonderful books and games that help school kids learn letters and numbers. They're great as entertainment on car rides and vacations and for giving curious kids some fun tasks and challenges. But knowing how to learn, listen, share, and play with others are much more important skills. Children don't learn social skills from screens or books - they learn them from being together, playing, and doing shared activities, both indoors and outdoors.

Back in 2005, we both had young kids running (and crawling) around and big dreams in our heads. Since then, our children (five of them in total) have been part of the Toy Academy adventure as our very own play pilots and toy testers. It all began in our living room with a good idea, a lot of coffee, and a lot of hard work. We're still working hard, but we're also making sure that both we and our wonderful team keep a healthy balance between work and family life.

What started with some toys stacked in a pantry and a clunky homemade webshop has now grown into a fully fledged company with our own cosy office space, a well-stocked remote warehouse, and a fantastic team of creative, dedicated play enthusiasts who keep the wheels (and the fun) turning every single day.

What is a play enthusiast?

At Toy Academy, we proudly call ourselves play enthusiasts. That's our way of saying that we’re here for both you and your child - we look at the world from your child's playful point of view while also standing beside you as fellow parents. We're your partners in play. We carefully select the best toys drawing on our many years of experience, and we always strive to guide you based on recent, well-founded knowledge about children's development and play. 

As play enthusiasts, we get that a pile of blocks is more than just a toy - it's creativity in action. We get that a mudhole is a science experiment, and that imagination and curiosity are the real building blocks of learning. We like to learn and discover alongside our children and be that wise, warm, and delightfully quirky adult who can fix wet socks, wear a clown nose at the grocery store, bake alphabet cookies, play monster bowling, practise times tables with pinecones, tell stories, ride a bicycle backwards, and sing songs together.

We're proud to be a whole team of play enthusiasts, and we hope to make a positive difference in your child's world of play and learning.

Get in touch

Phone: +45 71 99 05 25. We're here Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM.

Chat with us - catch us online Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.

Or drop us an email at [email protected].