Everything You Need To Know About Silicone Toys
To celebrate the launch of our new wood and silicone toys, we explore the rise of silicone toys and shine a spotlight on the 11 new products that have joined our Simply Scandi range this month!
Learn All About Silicone Baby Toys
Discover what silicone actually is, why it’s become the material of choice for toys, whether it’s safe for babies, and how best to clean it in this insightful Q&A.
What are silicone toys?
Silicone toys are a safe alternative to traditional plastic toys and have grown in popularity over the last decade with the rise of sustainable family living. Silicones, scientifically known as siloxanes, are a mix between synthetic rubbers and plastic polymers. They can be used in different forms to make malleable rubber-like products, hard plastic resins, and thick fluids.
But what makes up silicone? It gets a little tricky, but here's everything you need to know...
Silica
Silica, known as silicon dioxide, is the raw material that's used to produce silicone resins. The sand you find at the beach, for example, is pure silica. The same goes for quartz.
Silicon
Silcon is the base component of silica, but silicon is not usually found naturally. This is because it's made by heating silica in extremely hot temperatures with carbon in a furnace.
Silicone
Next comes actual silicone! Oxygen, carbon and hydrogen are bonded together into polymers to form the foundations of the final silicone resin. The quality of the silicone is dependent on the level of purification.
Why is silicone used in toys?
The durability of silicone toys gives them a long life span, allowing them to be reused and played with time and time again. Silicone is flexible, malleable, and water and temperature-resistant. It can be softened, hardened, formed or shaped into anything. It also has stain-resistant and non-stick properties, so it’s very easy to clean. What’s more, silicone is much kinder to the planet than plastic.
Are silicone baby toys safe?
Toys made from 100% food-grade silicone are completely safe and non-toxic for babies to grasp, chew, feel and explore! Silicone is tough, durable, and contains zero harmful chemicals often found in plastic, such as BPA, PVC and phthalates. Silicone is also very hygienic and dishwasher-safe, so busy parents can keep it clean and free from germs easily.
How do you clean silicone baby toys?
Cleaning silicone baby toys is simple. You have 2 options; either pop them on the top shelf of your dishwasher or wash them in warm soapy water, then leave them to air dry. To sterilise silicone baby toys, carefully drop them into a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes, then place them onto a dish rack to air dry.
11 New Wood & Silicone Toys Out Now
Browse our spectacular new Simply Scandi toys, featuring stackers, shape sorters, puzzles, games, bath toys and sensory playsets. All of these eco-friendly toys are made from sustainably harvested FSC® Certified wood and 100% food-grade silicone.
Moon Balance Stacker
How high can you balance the silicone stars and wooden moon shapes? The Moon Balance Stacker is a game of skill and nerve that will have the whole family joining in! Players must take it in turns to stack each piece on top of the moon without making it topple over.
Tic Tac Toe
Challenge your tots to a timeless game of Tic Tac Toe with a twist! Loved by children all over the world, Tic Tac Toe is a classic 2 player game which we have reimagined with soft silicone noughts and crosses on a patterned wooden board.
Arctic Cog Puzzle
Introducing a shape sorter like no other! This one-of-a-kind Arctic Cog Puzzle is a playful educational toy with a range of stacking and sorting activities for youngsters to explore. Pop the vibrant cogs onto the wooden pegs, match the animals to the squishy silicone shapes, then spin the cogs for a wild, twirling animal party!
Rolling Sensory Sorter
Let the good times roll with our all-in-one Rolling Sensory Sorter, featuring wire bead frames, peekaboo animals, silicone shapes, a mirror and more. Keeping it all together in one compact wooden sorter makes it easier for tiny tots to manage and reduces the risk of small pieces getting lost.
Feel & Find Shape Match
Delight your little one with this Feel & Find shape matching game. Simply place the wooden tiles on a flat surface, then pull open the drawstring tote bag and let them explore to discover the matching silicone shapes which slot onto the tiles.
Bath Animals
These cheeky Silicone Bath Animals are ready to cause some bath time mischief! Giggles await as your toddler squeezes and shoots water out of the owl, rabbit, panda and cat. Fun for kids and convenient for parents, silicone bath toys are super handy as they are easy to clean and dishwasher-friendly, so you can avoid any mould building up with a quick rinse.
Stacking Cat
The ultimate silicone toy for kitten-loving kiddos! Our Silicone Stacking Cat is paw-fect for sensory play and will help to boost young children’s fine motor skills. It features 6 silky-smooth silicone rings and a friendly cat face which sits atop the tower.
Arctic Tower Puzzle
Full of frosty fun, this quirky Arctic Tower Puzzle doubles up as a stacking toy and shape sorter. Watch your littlen figure out how to piece together the silicone shapes and wooden blocks to create a cool tumbling tower!
Sensory Cubes
A fabulous first sensory toy for babies, these irresistibly smooth Silicone Sensory Cubes are a texture wonderland for teeny explorers. They come as a set of 3 large cubes with each face featuring a different design, such as bunny rabbits, moons, stars and a bunch of other surprises.
Mosaic Puzzle
Keep toddlers engaged with this 2-in-1 jigsaw puzzle and shape matching game! The Mosaic Puzzle includes 8 wooden jigsaw pieces and 5 silicone shapes, allowing kids to practice fitting them into the designated spaces on the board.
Squirrel Ramp Sorter
Go nuts for our unique Squirrel Ramp Sorter. First, fit the silicone shapes into the base of the ramp, slot the wooden ramp pieces in place, then pull back the squirrel to push the wooden tube down the ramp and through the acorn arch!