This is why small foot wooden toys make children so happy.
This is why small foot wooden toys make children so happy.
History
How did it all begin? An exciting journey through time full of surprises from 2002 to today.
How long have we been here? What have we been up to in recent years? Where are we heading to from here? And what does the foot in the logo actually mean? Our history goes back all the way to the 80s. Maybe we already know each other and you have played with our toys yourself.
Product Design
The journey of a small foot toy, from the idea to the finished product.
The development of a new product is the kind of cross-department process that lies behind any concrete assortment concept. That's why it's often a challenge to make new products unique with their composition.
.png)
Did you know? 💡 Child-friendly and exciting facts about whales! 🐋
The largest and heaviest animal
A blue whale weighs as much as 23 elephants. Its tongue alone is as heavy as a young elephant.
All-you-can-eat in the sea
Blue whales eat between 4 and 8 tons of plankton, krill, and small fish daily. That's equal to almost 9 cars!
Hold your breath!
Blue whales surface every five minutes to get air. When they exhale, they spray a fountain that can reach a height of 9 metres!
Rather loud
It gets pretty loud when whales sing - up to 230 decibels! That's almost twice as much as a jet during takeoff.
Sharp ears
Whales don't hear with their ears at all, but rather with their lower jaw. The sounds are absorbed by their bones and transported to their inner ear.
Quality and Sustainability
Quality is a multi-layered promise for us!
Small foot stands for the best material, high-quality construction, long-lasting durability and playability, and easy-care, sustainable toys.
Wood - Simply better!
Wood is a wonderful material! Nature couldn't have made a better material for playing and learning. As a renewable resource, it spares our other, more limited resources. The wood for an increasing number of small foot toys comes from FSC 100%-certified plantations - a guarantee for sustainable forestry and the global preservation of forests.
Playtime Value + Durability = Sustainability
Sustainability comes not only from the material - the lifespan also plays a role! Small foot toys are not throw-away products; we use robust solid wood and layered bonded wood which can withstand extreme strain and use. We design our toys so that they offer long-lasting playtime that can be passed down to future generations - and that is practised sustainability! And the packaging? It's made of stable cardboard which can either be used for long storage or easily recycled as waste paper.
The highest level of safety in materials and manufacturing
Before being sold, products are tested multiple times by both internal and external knowledgeable experts and independent inspection institutions for conformity to strict international standards.
Especially easy to clean
Because of wood's special surface and its naturally antibacterial contents, wooden toys are naturally more hygienic than plastic toys - and they're particularly easy to clean and care for. To clean wooden toys, it's enough to gently scrub them with some lukewarm water and a dab of environmentally friendly dish soap so that they stay pretty and hygienic for a long time.
Inspected Safety
The safety of your child is your first priority - just like it is for us!
Parents care a lot about quality and safety these days - especially when it comes to toys! That's been a strong reason for us to make sure that our selection of materials for our toys has the highest quality. In our eyes, wood is the best material to play with as a renewable natural resource because to us, quality always means:
- Robustness
- Stability
- Durability
- Product lifespan
- Reliability
Toys must be safe! When it comes to safety, our toys fulfill all of the common safety norms, are tested thoroughly by independent inspection bodies, and are subjected to additional intensive quality and safety tests with testing instruments at our headquarters in northern Germany. Our quality assurance team accompany our toys closely from the idea through the sampling and supply stages through to the sale. 20,000 random samples annually help guarantee the safety of toys manufactured by us.
In addition, our age recommendations give solid guidance as to when a child can play with a specific toy in an age-appropriate and safe way. In the course of the testing of the random samples, the paints, lacquers, and materials are regularly tested for toxic substances (in accordance with norm EN 71-3).
small foot is acclaimed!
Really good toys convince! Parents, children and experts all agree on this.
Toy seals provide orientation. Age-appropriate? Giving joy? Pedagogically valuable and safe? Toys have to fulfil many criteria - and many of our small foot products know how to convince children and experts alike in practical tests and can claim ToyAward and TOP10 toy nominations as their own.
Spiel gut
For 60 years, the independent "spiel gut" seal has been distinguishing toys which offer a special playtime value and fulfil the highest safety and quality criteria. In addition to age-appropriate play ideas, safety, design, functionality, lifespan, development support, and environmental friendliness are also judged - and not only by professionals, but also by the true experts: the children themselves. We're proud that so many small foot toys have received this award!
Toy Award
The Toy Award, which is presented annually at the world's largest toy fair in Nuremberg, is probably the highest award for toys worldwide. In 2019 and 2020, small foot toys have already made it into the top three toys in the "Baby & Infant" category from among more than 800 applicants! Then, in 2022, the time had come: the Emergency Doctor Backpack won the ToyAward in the "PreSchool" category. Another award for small foot in terms of originality, safety, product concept, workmanship & quality as well as play fun.
Deutscher Spielzeugpreis
The "Deutsche Spielzeugpreis" ("German Toy Award") distinguishes new, innovative, and educationally valuable toys in various categories on a yearly basis. For this award, the readers of the "familie&co" periodical vote for the winners of each category, and an expert jury comprised of parents, educators, editors, and children then vote for the overall winner. In 2024, two small foot products have made it onto the nominees list: the "Sensory" Listening Memory Game in the "For my friends & me" category, and the "Sensory" Feeling Box in the "For the whole family" category!
Top10 Toys
Extraordinary highlight products from the toy industry are distinguished and awarded by the organisation "Top10 Spielzeug" (Top10 Toys). The jury is comprised of toy experts who are actively involved in toy industry associations and toy store chains. For four years in a row now, a small foot product has been selected as a nominee: in 2020, the Compact Nordic Workbench impressed the trend scouts; in 2021, it was the generously large Urban Villa Doll House; in 2022, it was the Rabbit Hutch and the "Discover" Explorer's Backpack; and in 2024, it was the "fresh" Cash Register and the Industrial Play Kitchen.
Top10 Bébé & Enfant
The "TOP 10 Baby & Kind" is the retailer's campaign for baby & toddler articles in Germany. The highlights of the year are selected by the German Association of Toy Retailers (BVS) together with an independent jury of experts. Over the past several years, small foot products have been nominated for awards: for example, the Hare Motor Activity Cube in 2021, the Whale Baby Walker in 2022, the "Seaside" Baby Stand-Up Figure in 2023 and in 2024 and the "Wildlife" Elephant Toy Box with Seat and Wheels made the cut.
For Parents
Topics & tips for parents that make life with children colourful and wonderful!
small foot Blog
Tips and news! Stay up-to-date with the small foot Family Blog.
small foot Toys
Discover the entire variety of small foot wooden toys now in the Online Shop!