How to Get Toys to Review From UK Toy Brands
A parcel arrives. Inside is a wooden stacking toy, carefully packed, with a short note from a brand hoping you might film your toddler playing with it. For many creators, that first gifted toy is the start of something longer: a working relationship with a company whose products they genuinely like.
The best toy brand collaborations begin with trust in the product itself. A reputable maker will build with solid wood and test to the Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011, carrying the UKCA or CE mark that confirms the item has met those standards. Knowing what you are reviewing matters, because your audience is trusting your word.
If you are a parent who films, blogs, or photographs play, there is real demand for honest voices. Here is how those partnerships actually work, and how to approach them well.
What Toy Brand Collaborations Actually Look Like for UK Creators
A collaboration can take several forms, and it helps to recognise the difference before you say yes. The simplest is a gifted review: a brand sends a product, such as something from our wooden toys, and you share your genuine thoughts. No money changes hands, but the arrangement is still commercial, and that has consequences for how you label it.
Next is a paid partnership, where a brand pays a fee for an agreed deliverable, perhaps a reel, a blog post, or a set of photographs. Here the brief is usually tighter, with timelines and talking points attached. You retain editorial honesty, but you commit to delivering what was agreed.
The UK rules are clear on both. The ASA and CAP Code require that gifted and paid collaborations are labelled plainly as advertisements, using disclosures such as '#ad' or '#gifted'. The Competition and Markets Authority set this out further in its 2019 guidance on social media endorsements, confirming that a gifted product creates an obligation to disclose.
Most creators work across a spread of brands and formats. You might review our board games one month and our educational toys for toddlers the next. The common thread is suitability: toys that genuinely fit your audience will always perform better than a mismatched freebie. A brand sending the right product, and a creator reviewing it honestly, is what makes the whole arrangement worth doing for everyone involved.
How to Set Up Your Channel or Blog to Attract Toy Brand Partnerships
Before a brand will send anything, it needs to understand who watches or reads you, and whether your content is a good home for its products. That starts with a clear focus. A channel that consistently shows thoughtful play, rather than endless unboxings, tends to attract makers who care about how their toys are used.
Show the toys in action. If you review stacking toys, a post that follows the thinking in our guide on how to play with stacking toys by age demonstrates that you understand development, not just aesthetics. Brands notice creators who can explain why a toy works for a particular age.
Keep your output steady. A brand assessing you will look at recent posts, not just your best one from two years ago. Regular, well-lit, honest content signals reliability, which is what a partnership depends on.
Think about your angle. Some creators build around slower, considered play, echoing ideas like those in our piece on fewer toys and better play. Others focus on gifts, on history, or on learning through everyday scenarios such as playing shop. A defined niche makes you easier to match with the right brand.
Finally, make your contact details easy to find. A business email in your bio or on your blog, a short line about the collaborations you accept, and a tidy portfolio of past work remove friction. Brands have limited time, and the creators who make themselves simple to approach are the ones who hear back.
Follow Jaques of London on Instagram
We love seeing real families play with wooden toys and classic games. Follow @jaquesoflondon on Instagram, tag us in your own toy videos and photos, and say hello in a message. It is the best place to see what we are making, and to see what other creators and families are filming.
How to Find and Approach UK Toy Brands for Review Opportunities
Finding the right brands is mostly about paying attention. Look at the toys already in your home, the shops you trust, and the makers whose products you would happily recommend without any arrangement at all. Those are the companies worth approaching first, because your enthusiasm will read as genuine.
Research before you reach out. Spend time with a brand's range so your approach is specific. If you admire the heritage behind wooden toys, a note referencing a particular line, perhaps something from our children's toys, shows you have done more than copy and paste a template.
Many brands list a press or collaborations email on their website. Use it rather than sliding into social media messages, which are easily missed. A clear subject line stating who you are and what you propose will get you further than a vague hello.
Consider the brand's story as well as its catalogue. A company with a long history often welcomes creators who engage with that history, such as the background explored in our post on who invented roly poly toys. Curiosity about where a toy comes from marks you out from creators chasing only the newest release.
Timing helps too. Reaching out well ahead of key gifting seasons, rather than in the final rush, gives a brand room to consider you properly. If your angle fits a theme like gifts for children who have everything, say so, and explain how your audience matches the products you hope to review.
How to Pitch a Toy Brand and What to Include in Your Media Kit
A strong pitch is short, specific, and easy to act on. Open with one line about who you are and your audience, then say plainly what you propose: a gifted review, a paid post, or a longer arrangement. Name the product you have in mind, linking perhaps to our wooden toys or a particular item, so there is no guesswork.
Attach a media kit. This is a single document, usually a page or two, covering your platforms, follower or reader numbers, typical engagement, and your audience demographics. Keep the figures honest; brands check, and inflated numbers end relationships quickly.
Include two or three examples of past work. A review that explains why a toy till supports learning, in the spirit of our post on playing shop, tells a brand far more than a screenshot of likes. Show the quality of your writing and photography, not just reach.
Be clear about what you offer and what you expect. State your deliverables, your timelines, and whether you charge a fee. If you only accept gifted collaborations, say so. Spelling out your approach to disclosure, in line with the ASA and CAP Code, reassures a brand that you work within the rules.
Keep your tone warm but professional. You are proposing a working relationship, not asking a favour. A pitch that respects the brand's time, references its actual products, and makes the next step obvious stands a far better chance than a long message that leaves the reader unsure what you are asking for.
How to Manage a Toy Review Collaboration From Brief to Published Post
Once a brand says yes, the real work begins. Confirm the details in writing: which product you will receive, what you will produce, by when, and on which platforms. A short email summarising the agreement protects both sides and prevents misunderstandings later.
Read any brief carefully, but hold your editorial honesty. If a brand asks you to review our educational toys for toddlers, your value lies in your genuine assessment. Good brands want real reactions, including the small criticisms, because that is what makes a review credible to your audience.
Play with the toy properly before you post. Give it time with your child, observe how it is actually used, and gather footage or photographs over several sessions rather than one rushed afternoon. A considered review of our board games, showing a game in progress, carries far more weight than a staged shot.
Label the collaboration clearly. Whether gifted or paid, the ASA and CAP Code require a plain advertisement disclosure, and the CMA's 2019 guidance confirms that gifted products must be declared. Place the label where it is immediately visible, not buried in a thread of hashtags.
After publishing, send the brand a quick note with links to the live content. Share any early performance figures if you have them. This closing courtesy costs little and makes a lasting impression, turning a single review into the kind of ongoing partnership that benefits you, the brand, and the families who read your honest word.
Shop the range: How to Get Toys to Review From UK Toy Brands
Our most relevant picks, made by a British family company since 1795.
Frequently Asked Questions About Toy Brand Collaborations
How do you get free toys to review as a blogger?
To receive toys for review, build a media kit showcasing your audience demographics, engagement rates, and previous collaborations, then pitch directly to UK toy brands or their PR agencies. Register on influencer platforms such as Influencer.co, Tribe, or Bloggers Required, where brands actively seek reviewers. Follow toy companies on social media and engage genuinely with their content before approaching them. Start with smaller, independent UK toy brands who are often more open to working with emerging creators. Always disclose gifted products clearly using '#gifted' in line with ASA and CAP Code requirements.
How do you contact toy brands for collaborations in the UK?
Begin by identifying whether the brand handles PR in-house or through an agency — agency details are often listed on the brand's website press page. Send a concise, professional pitch email to the PR or marketing contact, including your media kit, audience stats, and specific collaboration ideas. Connect via LinkedIn to find marketing managers directly. Attend UK toy trade events such as Toy Fair London to meet brand representatives in person. Personalise every approach to demonstrate genuine knowledge of the brand's products and values.
What do toy brands look for in a creator or reviewer?
UK toy brands typically seek creators whose audience aligns with their target age range and demographic. High engagement rates often matter more than raw follower counts. Brands value consistent, high-quality content, a recognisable editorial style, and a trusted relationship with an audience of parents or gift-buyers. Evidence of previous successful brand partnerships, transparent disclosures in line with ASA and CMA guidelines, and professionalism in communication all strengthen your appeal. Demonstrated knowledge of child development or toy safety can be an additional advantage for specialist toy reviewers.
Do you need a big following to work with toy brands?
No — many UK toy brands, particularly independent or specialist ones, work with micro-creators who have between 1,000 and 20,000 highly engaged followers. Niche audiences of parents, grandparents, or educators can be more valuable to toy brands than large but disengaged general audiences. What matters most is that your followers reflect the brand's target customer, and that your engagement rate demonstrates genuine influence. A well-crafted media kit and professional pitch can secure collaborations at almost any follower level.
How do you write a media kit for a parenting or toy review blog?
A media kit for a toy or parenting creator should include a brief bio, your content niche and tone, audience demographics (age, location, interests), follower counts across all platforms, average engagement rates, monthly blog or website traffic, and examples of previous brand collaborations. Include high-quality images representing your content style. Outline the formats you offer — unboxing videos, written reviews, social posts, reels — and any relevant credentials. Keep it visually clear, no longer than two pages, and save it as a PDF for easy sharing with PR contacts.
What is the difference between a gifted review and a paid collaboration?
A gifted review means a brand has provided a product at no charge in exchange for coverage, but no money changes hands. A paid collaboration involves a fee paid to the creator for content, in addition to or instead of product. Both require clear disclosure under the ASA CAP Code and CMA guidance (2019), which specifies that commercial relationships — including gifted products — must be transparently declared to audiences. Paid collaborations typically involve a formal contract, usage rights agreements, and agreed deliverables, whereas gifted arrangements are often more informal but still carry legal disclosure obligations.
How do you disclose a gifted toy review in the UK?
Under the ASA CAP Code and CMA guidance published in 2019, UK creators must clearly label content featuring gifted products as advertising. Use '#gifted' or '#ad' at the start of a caption or post — not buried among other hashtags. On video content, include a verbal disclosure and on-screen text at the beginning. On blog posts, add a clear written disclaimer at the top of the article, such as 'This product was gifted by [Brand] for review purposes.' Failure to disclose can result in ASA rulings against both the creator and the brand.
How many followers do you need to work with brands as a creator?
There is no official minimum follower count required to work with toy brands in the UK. Many brands collaborate with nano-creators (1,000–5,000 followers) and micro-creators (5,000–50,000 followers) where audience relevance and engagement are strong. Engagement rate, content quality, and audience fit are consistently prioritised over follower volume. A creator with 3,000 highly engaged parents of young children may deliver better results for a toy brand than an account with 100,000 general lifestyle followers. Focus on building a genuine, targeted community rather than chasing follower numbers.
What should you include in a pitch email to a toy brand?
A strong pitch email to a toy brand should include: a brief, personalised introduction explaining why you are approaching that specific brand; your platform overview with key statistics (followers, engagement rate, monthly reach); a clear collaboration proposal with specific content ideas; your media kit as an attachment; links to relevant previous reviews or content; and your contact details. Keep the email concise — no more than three short paragraphs. Demonstrate that you have used or researched the brand's products, and explain clearly what value you offer their target audience.
How do you find the right contact person at a toy company?
Check the toy brand's official website for a press, media, or contact page, which often lists a PR or marketing email address. Search LinkedIn for the brand's marketing manager, PR manager, or head of communications. Many UK toy brands work with external PR agencies — a quick search of '[Brand name] PR agency' or checking the brand's press releases can reveal the agency handling their media relations. Industry directories such as the CIPR member database or Gorkana can also help identify the correct PR contact for outreach.
Explore more from our workshop: our wooden toys, our children's toys, our educational toys for toddlers, our board games, fewer toys better play the minimalist toy box, gifts for children who have everything toys that get used, how to play with stacking toys by age wooden stacking toy, playing shop why a toy till is one of the best learning toys you can buy and who invented roly poly toys wooden toy history — every piece made to the same standard Jaques has held since 1795.
Follow Jaques of London on Instagram
We love seeing real families play with wooden toys and classic games. Follow @jaquesoflondon on Instagram, tag us in your own toy videos and photos, and say hello in a message. It is the best place to see what we are making, and to see what other creators and families are filming.