All our toys have been tested for the European safety standards, EN71 and REACH. However, several toys are missing the familiar "CE" mark. The reason is that when we made them, they were destined for Toys R US, in the US. Unfortunately Toys R Us closed before the toys hit their shelves and so we had a dilemma what to do with a warehouse of soft toys. We decided to bring the toys to the UK instead. We spoke to HMRC. They checked the safety certificates at the port of entry and we agreed that provided we are clear and transparent, there is no issue. To avoid ambiguity, these toys were imported for resale into the UK by the parent company of Little Sport Star, called Zoom Strategies Ltd. The toys were tested by Intertek and we have certification to prove this.
The gym measures 3 x 33 x 25 inches or 7.6 x 83.8 x 63.5 cm.
(Compared to several other activity gyms and play mats, it is slightly larger than most.)
You can judge the quality of a baby activity gym and play mat by how soft it is. Superior gyms are soft, and cheaper gyms are usually thin. There are gyms that are soft. Our customer tell us that the Little Sport Star gym is super soft.
3.85 pounds or 1.75 Kg.
The actual play mat includes polyester fibres, which makes it easy to clean with a wipe. If your baby dribbles a lot, we recommend that you place a cloth under their head - it will save you washing it each time!
The gym includes accessories which are made from ABS plastic. ABS is roughly twice the cost of producing polystyrene, but is considered superior for its hardness, gloss, toughness.
All our baby toys are designed for babies. They are not as big as actual baseball bats, tennis rackets or golf club. Each toy is about 12 inches, 30cm long.
Yes, we were asked by Serena William's agent if they could use footage of the Little Sport Star baby tennis racket for an advert, but it was cut from the final edit. Still, we are very proud that Serena's agent asked us to use it. Serena is not the only celeb - lots of other tennis players have bought it, they just want to stay anonymous, which is fair enough!
Absolutely. We strongly believe in gender equality. Our toys are gender neutral and we believe that girls and boys should both play sport.
The founder of Little Sport Star designed his first baby toy for his daughter.
There are different ways to clean the toys of germs. We recommend freezing because it kills germs. Germs and dust mites thrive in warm conditions, so a deep freeze kills them.
Place the Little Sport Star baby toy or the activity gym and play mat in a plastic bag. Tie it up. Squeeze out as much air around as you can. Put the plastic bag in the freezer and leave it overnight or for at least 3 hours.
It is not as efficient, but you can also clean our baby toys and activity gym and play mat with warm water and some anti-bacterial soap and let them sun dry. Of course, extended sun exposure may fade or change the look of the baby toys. If you insist on using a washing machine, make sure it is on a low heat.
We have to admit that the tennis grip size is still too big for a newborn to grip. We find they like to cuddle it instead. Very cute.
All Little Sport Star golf clubs are similar size, about 12 inches / 30 cm long. They are made with soft plush, not titanium or steel.
I appreciate this question is good for our business, but when asked, we like to recommend two to three security blankets. It is common for babies to get very attached to their security blanket and so be prepared for the day they lose one. It is your choice, but we recommend that you buy three!
Well, good question, and we would like to think so, but we offer no guarantees. The only way to achieve anything in life is to practice (a lot) but we believe it pays to show an interest in sport early. Malcolm Gladwell sets 10,000 hours, so all the more reason to start early!
The starting point is to make your child enthusiastic about sport. If you don't enjoy it, you probably won’t want to carry on. For further reading, there are some great books by Carol Dweck on "growth mindset", Angela Duckworth on "grit". If you want a book that is tailored to children, I recommend "you are awesome" by Matthew Syed.
It happens, you've placed an order and you decide you want to change it. We suggest you contact us as quickly as possible. If the item has not been dispatched, we will cancel the order and return your money. If the item has been dispatched, then we regret that we will not be able to reimburse you. The best starting point is to contact us - nick@littlesportstar.com or phone us directly +1 978 415 9936 if you are in the US, or call +44 7917 123 284 in the UK or mainland Europe - we like to keep our customers happy, so don't hesitate!
