Asobi

Why do the toys of today require acres of plastic in neon-toxic colours, half a dozen batteries and mountains of packaging? Whatever happened to the rocking horse, the abacus, the teddy bear, or the much loved train set? And, why are so many toys today so easily broken only to be carelessly thrown in the rubbish?
These were the concerning questions that inspired the creation of Asobi, the UK’s toy distributor with a heart and respected voice in the industry.
Founded by Thierry Bourret, a father who decided that he’d spent enough time struggling to find high-quality, eco-friendly toys for his son that did not cost the earth (in more ways than one). Thierry wanted toys that looked good, felt good, lasted well and didn’t require batteries but were still lots of fun to play with...
Where possible the toys are made of recycled or recyclable materials, or are 'nature aware' and good value for money. The wood used is from sustainable sources and, where possible, manufacturers use eco-friendly paint and colour. Though the toy brands are not all based in Europe, Asobi works hard to minimise transport costs and factories are always visited to ensure that no child labour is used and staff are treated fairly.
And the best bit is for Asobi this is more than selling toys. Thierry is also committed to promoting traditional play, so much so in November 2011 he launched the revolutionary ‘Slow Toy Movement’, a campaign that aims to support and promote traditional, ethically sourced toys that focus on giving children the chance to learn and develop at their own pace, leaving lots of room for the imagination and less room for unnecessary bells and whistles. 2012 marked the very first Slow Toy Awards, which is a huge success and will be making a return this year.
Asobi’s brands: This year sees a selection of exclusive products that have been brought to the UK by Asobi from across the world, including Seedling’s brand new Pocket Money range from New Zealand, Sonny Angel’s ‘Bobbing Heads’ from Japan, Radio Flyer from America and the huge Vilac toy range from France! These new brands add to Asobi’s impressive collection of unique toys and gifts…