Best Djeco Kids' Toys for Every Age
At Not Run of the Mill, we like to make sure that you will be able to pick up an exciting toy or activity set for your kids, whether they are 18 months or 14 years old. Our range gives you an opportunity to take your pick out of a wealth of creative and engaging options. Djeco takes the lead when it comes to toymaking, and this can be seen in the beauty and creativity of this collection of Djeco toys. Their skill is to be innovative whilst also showing an innate understanding of what it takes to make a classic toy.
History of Djeco
The Parisian toy company Djeco dates back to 1954, when Véronique Michel-Dalès started things off, with the aim of her company being to make educational games. Just as is the case today, Djeco's games started out as fun, intelligent and stylish. This did not go unnoticed, as the company won several awards in its first 15 years, during which time Djeco began already to be associated with excellence in toymaking. There was then a pause in the company's activity before their son Frédéric, now all grown up, decided to start up the family company again in 1989. The goal was still very firmly routed in making new toys which offered something unique and which were always just as educational as they were fun. The second life of Djeco has been no less successful than the first, with the company now selling their toys to children across the world in 60 countries.
What makes Djeco toys stand out?
Djeco's toys are sold in some of the world's most prestigious museums and galleries such as the Louvre and Quai Branly in France, the Tate in the UK, and the MoMA in the USA. Why is this the case? Well, it is to do with the fact that Djeco approaches toymaking with the level of skill, vision and application as would any artist at the very height of their powers. It is very rare that a toy company combines the skill of creating beautiful looking toys with the fundamental goal of making these toys educational and engaging for children. Djeco might stands alone as being the company who have absolutely mastered this dual approach.
Djeco Toys for 18 months and above
For the really young ones, there are some excellent activity sets which will be engaging and safe for 18 months and up. These 18 months+ Djeco toys are made so as to help the young mind develop. Creativity has been shown in studies to aid emotional and intellectual development. Babies, toddlers and young children learn about the world through engaging with their senses. Therefore, the act of play, as encouraged by toys and activities, helps their developing minds to engage more with what is around them. Djeco's toys for 18 months and above will be exciting and interesting for your little one, whilst they will also encourage new ways of thinking, discovering and problem solving.
For the 18 months and over children, you can opt for sets which will cultivate creativity in a safe environment such as the 4 Pots of Glittery Play Dough and the Draw Dots Colouring Starter kit, which have both been designed to be used and enjoyed by young children safely under parental guidance. When your kids move up through the years somewhat, we highly recommend the Animambo Hand Drum for those over the age of 2. This little percussive toy will get your child exploring the fun to be had making rich and interesting sounds as they hit this colourful drum which comes with a strap. We are also in love with the Maison Play House, suitable for those over 2 years old. This beautifully decorated mini den will be a cosy place for the little one to play with their toys, offering them a special space all their own which will be the envy of all! There is also something magical about the way that Djeco create certain classic wooden toys which show the extent of their heritage in the world of toymaking. A good example would be the Trainimo Farm wooden farm animals which are suitable for 2 and above; these adorable animals can be dragged along the floor in their cute little wooden train carriages.
Toys for 3+ years
There is animal themed fun to be had in the toys for 3 years old and up. For instance, kids from 3-6 years old can enjoy the bouncy fun of the Jumpy Gigi Giraffe Jumping Hopper Ball. Now that your kids are a few years older, they will enjoy the physical activity of the hopper ball all the more. They will be full of energy at this age in a way that only a jumping hopper ball will help to expend! For more sedentary animal based activities, we would point you in the direction of the Create Animals themed Create With Stickers sets. These present you with 4 animal picture cards and over 400 stickers that can be used to decorate and customise each animal with fun costumes.
Touches of animal decoration are there in the Animambo Wooden Drum too. As this is for 3 years and up, the design increases in complexity from the hand drum. This wooden drum allows kids to create different kinds of deep and tonally pleasant sounds depending on where they strike it with the stick. At this age, you can start to introduce some games and sets with more individual elements too, such as the 35 piece observation puzzle which is themed on an orchestra. This will not only engage your child's focus and attention, but it will also help foster an interest in the musical world. You can also introduce your little one to the wonderful world of card games with the simple but compelling Little Family Pairs. This card game can be played from 2.5 years and up. As it is Djeco, it is not only fun to play, but also beautifully made with joyfully characterful animal cartoons on each card.
Toys for 5-7 years old
The toys and games are able to become yet more layered and complex for the 5-7 year old children, so that their developing mind is still being engaged and challenged adequately. At the same time, all the products here are also made so as to be understood and enjoyed in a relaxed way, with there always being an intuitive logic that can be followed. This means that your kids will be able to challenge themselves and push their creative thinking, but it will never feel like a chore.
A great example of this subtle but important shift up from the 3+ years age bracket to the 5 and over category comes in the fact that you can progress to a 100 piece observation puzzle. This almost triples the amount of pieces on their puzzle for the younger ones. As a result, the enchanted forest scene that your child will be piecing together is allowed to be that much more detailed, vivid, and exciting. Similarly, from the simple but effective card game of pairs, we now have the playing cards game of Magic School. This plays on the same premise of matching up items, with players having to match up each character to their magical item. But it also brings into the game the necessity for memory and teamwork, helping to train your child's memory and helping them to learn the values of collaboration and cooperation. There are additionally games which will help your kids to develop their independent creativity, such as the Do It Yourself Kitty Wind Chime. This genius game allows kids to make their own kitty wind chime, along the way learning a lot about the skills of patience, focus and creativity.
Likewise, 4-8 year old children will have a place to focus and cultivate all their imaginative potential with their pop up and play 3D Castle of Wonders. The fact that this quickly and easily packs down flat means that this will always be handy for setting up in the garden in summer or even taking with you on a holiday or long car journey. This is not to forget the pure magic of the Night Poetic Jewellery Box. This stunning piece of design not only offers somewhere to store valuables and treasures, but it will also wow your child when it delivers a musical surprise on opening the box. 'Santa Lucia', a traditional Neapolitan song, plays as the lid is opened, and you can wonder at the lovely, delicately crafted bird which sits within the box.
Toys for 8-13 years
Djeco also cater for older children in the 8-13 age bracket. What we love about these toys is that many of them are games which the whole family will enjoy playing together. This is the age where the toys are able to feature all manner of multiple moving parts, and so Djeco make the most of this by creating some fantastic construction sets, including 1000 piece puzzles of Rainbow Tigers, beads and bracelet kits, and other such sets which allow your children to turn ideas into physical reality and to problem solve on a larger scale than before.
This larger scale level of problem solving and creativity comes into play in the Zig & Go Construction kit which comes with 48 pieces, as well as the Silk Painting Peacock set which enables your child to express their inner artist. In terms of the games, things are ramped up with the Memo Dingo game. This has 80 pieces with 40 pairs to find. Play as a family and you will all be pushing yourselves to get the top spot!