About 100 Toys

Before their first day at school, every child needs a few basic skills in place to help them enjoy their first steps towards independence. From gripping a pencil and using a pair of scissors, to listening, concentrating and being able to ask for help — the more confident they feel, the better their experience of those vital first days and months will be.

As parents, we know instinctively that our children have too many one-hit wonders: toys that light up, but are soon forgotten. We know they need less stuff and more time to make and do. But that’s a luxury many of us don’t have. So wouldn’t it be great if their toys weren’t only fun, but also deeply engaging, and helped them develop the skills we know they need?

Our courses

Children learn through doing. They learn by trying new things, by experimenting and making connections. Toys are nice to have but they are not essential. A well-set challenge gives a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that encourages even greater effort and achievement.

Our courses, A Year With My Child (for toddlers) and Get Set Five (for preschoolers) tap into this kind of learning. We look at how the simplest materials, like cardboard, string, PVA glue and the contents of your kitchen cupboards help develop many of the most vital skills an under-5 must grasp.

There’s no end goal, just pressure-free fun and discovery.

Meet Maria

I’m an MD by training, and during my studies, my interests strongly gravitated towards children and their development. This passion led me to acquire additional qualifications to work with children in nurseries and preschools.

Now, I combine my medical knowledge with my experience as an Early Childhood Educator and as a mother. This blend allows me to comprehensively understand and address the needs of young children at various stages of their development.

My goal is to create content that genuinely helps you raise your children to become happy, healthy, and resilient adults. At the same time, I aim to make your parenting journey more confident and simplified. The insights and advice I offer are rooted in the very questions I ask myself.

Meet Alexis

I’m a former Early Years teacher and the founder of One Hundred Toys and Get Set Five. As a father of four, I know how hard it is to find time to create meaningful activities for children.

I love being with my children but I know that it’s good for them to spend time alone, to work things out for themselves. Through my courses, I hope I can show you that being alongside your child – in the same room but without necessarily engaging all the time – is not an abdication of responsibility. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give. School is still a long way off but it’s never too soon to become an independent learner with a can-do attitude.

I also want to empower you to choose – and eventually create – your own activities. In fact, my ultimate goal is to give you the confidence to leave it to your child. Toddlers learn through play, through exploration and discovery. They need self-initiated and self-directed tasks. Our job as parents is to make this possible.

You can read more about the 100 Toys story here.