A Toy Garden

04/20/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BaEzScZAX/

04/06/2026

Another year of Easter nests, lovingly built to welcome a visit from our friend the Easter Bunny. No expense is spared—snug bark roofing, luxurious moss carpeting, all the latest comforts! Come Easter morning, each nest is filled with goodies, and bear the Bunny’s trademark thank you—a new spring bulb to forever mark the spot. Hyacinths are the most common, and each one marks the location of a previous year’s overnight rest!

03/27/2026

SQUEEEE! New arrivals in our cuteness department! And these (and more!) can still be there by Easter!

02/04/2026

Spain is moving to ban social media for children under 16.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says kids are being exposed to a “digital Wild West” they were never meant to navigate alone. Under the plan, platforms would be required to verify users’ ages—and executives could be held legally accountable if harmful or illegal content isn’t removed.

Spain is following Australia, which enacted a similar under-16 ban last year. That law is now serving as a global test case, with countries like Malaysia planning similar rules and New Zealand considering them. European leaders are also weighing EU-wide age minimums.

Why the push? Leaders point to addiction, po*******hy, abuse, manipulation, and violence as unacceptable consequences of underage social-media use. As Sánchez put it: If we want to protect children, we have to take back control.

“If we want to protect them, there’s only one thing we can do—take back control,” Sanchez said. “I know that it won’t be easy, social-media companies are wealthier and more powerful than many nations—including mine.”

The message is getting louder worldwide: childhood is worth protecting, and some things are better waited on. 🕗

Source: Wall Street Journal

Wait Until 8th encourages families to delay smartphones until the end of 8th grade and to delay social media until 16. Join more than 140,000 families in delaying today with our pledge!

11/19/2025

December is creeping up on us! These unique Advent calendars help you and your little ones spread out some of the excitement as you count your way up to the big day!

11/02/2025

"High and blue the sky, trees are very tall, wild geese flying seem so small." We're getting ready for Martinmas here at A Toy Garden. Have you made your lanterns yet? We have an easy do-it-yourself lantern kit if you're in need of last-minute inspiration! https://atoygarden.com/products/make-it-yourself-lantern-kit?_pos=2&_sid=5b405c623&_ss=r

05/01/2025

Happy May Day from A Toy Garden!

Here's a branch of snowy May,A branch the fairies gave me.Would you like to dance today,With a branch the fairies gave me? Create your own tabletop Maypole to celebrate Mayday and Midsummer in your home with this exclusive kit from A Toy Garden! Each Maypole dancer wears a creamy white gown and a ga...

04/10/2025

If you're somewhat local to southeastern Pennsylvania, we'd love to see you at our school's Mayfaire celebration!

Join us on May 3 from 10 AM to 2 PM for a fun-filled day of maypole dancing, live music, exciting activities, games, and so much more! This event is free and open to the public. Food and activity cards will be available for purchase on-site.

Register early and receive a special gift!

https://rivervalleyschool.org/mayfaire

04/10/2025

If you want to know about autism, listen to autistic people. They are usually the best ones to explain their world.

Take Temple Grandin. The 77-year-old autistic woman from Boston has had a remarkable life.

Non-verbal until the age of three, she went on to get a psychology degree, a Master’s degree and a doctorate – the latter two both in animal science. It was a long hard road to get there.

Full of positivity, she focuses on finding strengths and encourages people to follow their passion.

“Parents get so worried about the deficits that they don’t build up the strengths,” she writes. “Those skills could turn into a job. These kids often have uneven skills. We need to be a lot more flexible about things. Don’t hold these maths geniuses back. You’re going to have to give them special education in reading because that tends to be the pattern but let them go ahead in maths”

Autism seems to be so much more prevalent these days. Does she think there is a rise in diagnosis?

“I think there is an increase in detection but I think all the kids spending all this time on screens has made it worse,” says Temple, down the phone from her home in Colorado.

“With all this time on screens, they are not learning any social skills,” she says. “There might be somebody who is mildly awkward but their problems become more severe because of all the screen time"

04/10/2025

Recently, the Netflix series Adolescence became one of the platform’s most-watched limited series. It tells the fictional story of a 13-year-old boy whose descent into online misogyny and emotional isolation ends in tragedy. I’ve heard from many parents who watched it in one sitting — and others who said, “I can’t bear to watch, but I want to understand what it’s about.”

The series captures with haunting accuracy the quiet erosion of connection, empathy, and safety that can happen because our kids are growing up online — especially when they’re alone with big emotions and unfiltered content.

You don’t have to watch it to understand the real-life issues it raises — issues I hear about from families, teachers, and teens every day.

If you're parenting a tween or teen right now, here are the takeaways that matter most.

Many thanks to Dr. Delaney Ruston and Lisa Tabb from Screenagers Movies for writing this powerful blog! Please check out their website and sign up for their weekly Tech Talk Tuesday blog.

1. Bedrooms Should Be Tech-Free. Full Stop.
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In the show, the child’s parents believe he’s safe in his room — but he’s not. He’s alone with the internet, slowly absorbing messages that twist his worldview and sense of self-worth. This is happening in real life, and it often starts with nothing more than a phone under the covers.

We know from sleep science, emotional regulation research, and countless family stories that nighttime is when kids are most vulnerable — and least likely to make thoughtful choices online.

Parenting move:
Start a device-free bedroom policy now, ideally for both day and night. If daytime is not possible, at least do this for night and sleep time. How? I have written a lot on this and spoken about it on podcast episodes

Rather than set up a docking station for charging overnight, I recommend keeping kids’ devices in the parent's bedroom. Docking stations in common rooms, like a kitchen, can be too tempting for young ones to sneak the devices late at night. Create a routine that helps kids wind down with books, conversation, or other calming activities. It’s a small boundary with a big impact.

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2. Talk About the Pressures Boys Are Quietly Facing
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One trend that’s increasingly shaping how boys see themselves, especially tweens, is the fitness-focused, hyper-masculine content flooding social media. We’re seeing boys who haven’t even hit puberty yet feeling like they should be lifting weights, downing protein shakes, and achieving “alpha” status.

In Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition, Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, talks about how body dysmorphia is on the rise for boys.

During these tween years, boys are biologically not supposed to be muscular or physically mature. And it’s happening while many of their female peers are developing faster, which can quietly erode boys’ self-esteem even more.

This pressure to be physically strong is often wrapped up with messages about dominance, toughness, and sexual power. Combine this with the rise in early exposure to po*******hy, and boys are being shown unrealistic, and sometimes harmful, models of manhood before they’ve even figured out who they are.

And when they don’t live up to these impossible ideals, that’s when shame creeps in. It turns inward, sometimes leading to anxiety, isolation, and insecurity. Other times, it comes out sideways with things like sarcasm, bullying, and physical aggression.

‍Parenting move:
Talk to your son about what he's seeing online around body image, fitness, and masculinity. Ask him what it feels like to be a boy in today’s world. Help him name and question the pressure to be physically strong or sexually experienced before he’s ready. Normalize being a late bloomer, being soft-hearted, being unsure.

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3. Talk About the Pressures Girls Are Quietly Facing
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In the show, we learn that a girl sent a topless photo that was circulated in school. She was teased because of her breast size. She felt terrible. She is then asked out by a boy (the lead in the story) and mercilessly starts being mean to him.

She feels hurt and vulnerable and then turns that hurt and pain onto someone else. Girls experience all sorts of social pressures, not just to send nudes but lots of other requests from boys as well as snide remarks from other girls, exclusion from online groups, and the list goes on.

How are parents supposed to know the many layers of social conflict a child may be experiencing?

Parenting move: ‍
Talk to kids about the many ways that social conflict and pain are played out among girls (and boys, of course).

In The Screenagers Podcast from last week, we hear a school principal talk about a girl who was made fun of online and then felt “relevant” when she was able to post something mean about someone else on another student’s anonymous Instagram site — a site that was considered cool among some students.

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4. Online Teasing and Shame Are Deeply Painful, And Can Be Invisible
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Another part of Adolescence that feels painfully accurate is how online bullying — especially around sexuality and social status — can fuel deep internal damage. Kids may not tell adults what’s happening in group chats, comments, or DMs. But the impact is real: name-calling, exposure of private photos, rumors, and public humiliation that spreads in seconds and lives forever.

And kids might not tell us the secret meaning of emojis. In Adolescence, we learn about the use of emojis that carry hidden (and inappropriate) messages. Some have to do with the idea of being an ‘incel’ (involuntary celibate).

For boys especially, the shame of being rejected or mocked online can become tangled with messages they’ve internalized about needing to be in control, admired, or sexually powerful. The fear of looking “weak” can prevent them from asking for help — just when they need it most.

Parenting move:
‍Reassure your child that they can come to you about anything that happens online — even if it’s embarrassing. I have termed this “Safety First”. I describe this in Screenagers: Elementary School Age Edition as the following:

“Social media is complicated. Even group chats and texting can get complicated. What is clear is that I want my kids to know that they can talk with us and we won't reflexively take away their devices. I call this Safety First.”

Help your child identify other trusted adults they can turn to. Make it clear that needing help is a sign of strength, not failure.

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5. Look for Changes, Not Just Red Flags
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During adolescence (the development stage), a boy doesn’t become a different person overnight. Any troubling changes would be slower, becoming more irritable, isolated, and reactive over time.

These shifts are easy to overlook or dismiss in real life as “just teen stuff.” That isn’t to say all boys go through these changes, and certainly not to the degree you see in the show. If they do happen, don’t immediately dismiss them as just “teen stuff.” If your gut is worried, pay attention.

Kids who are struggling with bullying, shame, or feeling like outsiders often gravitate toward online voices that offer a false sense of power or belonging. Sometimes, these voices promote cruelty or rigid gender roles as solutions to their pain.

Parenting move:
Stay alert to mood, energy, and interest shifts. If your child suddenly becomes obsessed with one influencer, starts mocking certain groups, or shuts down emotionally, lean in. If something feels off and stays off, trust your instinct and act. But don’t jump to extremes without listening and observing first.

Intervention doesn’t mean yelling or banning everything. Ask gentle, open questions. Stay calm, curious, and present. It might mean removing devices for a time, bringing in a therapist, or getting support from teachers or mentors.

Adolescence isn’t required viewing for parents, but the issues it raises are already in our homes, schools, and kids’ pockets. Whether it’s a sixth grader being teased in a group chat, an eighth grader silently comparing his body to what he sees on TikTok, or a freshman trying to act tougher than he feels, these moments matter.

And they’re not beyond our reach. What kids need most isn’t control — it’s connection. A parent who listens without lecturing. A home that feels safe. And boundaries that say: “I care enough to protect you, even when it’s uncomfortable.”

04/04/2025

More families are taking back childhood from phones, and we are celebrating 🎉 More than 106,000 parents are delaying the smartphone until the end of 8th grade with the Wait Until 8th pledge!

In the past few weeks, 100+ new schools achieved an active pledge. An active pledge is when 10 or more families sign from the same grade and school. Check out our new pledges featured in the list below.

In other fantastic news, The Free Press featured the pledge in a wonderful article by Jonathan Haidt Haidt and Zach Rausch about how the Anxious Generation book catalyzed a movement around the world.

The Anxious Generation put into words, graphs, and metaphors what parents, teachers, pediatricians, and young people had felt for more than a decade: that smartphones, social media, and video games were pulling children out of the real world and transporting them someplace strange, inhumane, and harmful.

The book framed the situation as a collective action problem from which we could escape, but only if we do it collectively. The escape route? Four simple norms for collective action including delaying smartphones.

Parents are linking arms to delay the smartphone with our pledge! We make it easier to say 'not yet' when you get the inevitable question: 'Mom, when can I have a smartphone?'

➡Parents⬅

✅ Delay the smartphone until the end of 8th grade!

✅ Get a basic phone if you need to get in touch before. We have a list on our website
✅ Start slowly when you do say YES. Put smart limits in place! Tips on our website!

✅ Delay social media until 16 at least!

✅ Keep phones out of the bedrooms!

✅ Advocate for phones to be away for the day at school!

Let's do this 🙌

🎉🎉Congrats to our new active pledges! 🎉🎉
Aldridge Elementary, Richardson, TX, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd
Avon Grove Intermediate School, West Grove, PA, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Baldwin Elementary School, Rochester, MI, 3rd
Barlow Mountain Elementary, Ridgefield, CT, 3rd
Berkeley Carroll School, Brooklyn, NY, 4th
Birch Lane Elementary, Massapequa, NY, 2nd
Blaine Elementary, Chicago, IL, Kindergarten
Bowman Elementary, Lexington, MA, 2nd
Bret Harte Elementary, Burbank, CA, 3rd
Bristol Elementary, Webster Groves, MO, 4th
Bronxville Middle School, Bronxville, NY, 6th
Brown Intermediate, Madison, CT, 5th
Burnet Hill Elementary, Livingston, NJ, Kindergarten, 3rd
Cathedral School for Boys, San Francisco, CA , 2nd
Central School, Larchmont, NY, 2nd, 4th
Charles A. Bernazzani Elementary, Quicy, MA, 3rd
Coastal Ridge Elementary, York, ME, 3rd, 4th
Cold Spring Elementary School, Doylestown, PA, 2nd
Collins Elementary School, Livingston, NJ,Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd,
Community School of Naples, FL, 5th
Contra Costa Jewish Day School, LaFayette, CA, 3rd
Coopertown Elementary, Bryn Mawr, PA, 1st, 3rd
Cottonwood Point Elementary, Overland Park, KS, 1st
Delia Bolden Elementary School, Maplewood, NJ, Kindergarten, 5th
Detroit Country Day School, Beverely Hills, MI, Kindergarten
Dwight Elementary, Fairfield, CT, 5th
East Elementary, Hingham, MA, Kindergarten
East Side Elementary, Marietta, GA, 2nd
Eastern Christian School, Wcykoff, NJ, 3rd, 4th 5th, 6th
Eaton Elementary, Washington, DC, 1st
Edgewood School, New Haven, CT, 2nd
Elizabth Haddon School, Haddonfield, NJ, 5th
Farmland Elementary, Rockville, MD, 4th
Ferndale Lower and Upper Elementary, Oak Park, MI, 5th
George C. Baker Elementary, Moorestown, NJ, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd
Gladwyne Elementary, Gladwyne, PA, 1st
Gulf Stream School, Gulf Stream, FL, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd
Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY, 2nd
Harrison Elementary, Livingston, NJ, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd
Hayhurst Elementary, Portland, OR, 5th
Head O'Meadow Elementary, Newtown, CT, Kindergarten, 4th
Heights Elementary, Sharon, MA, 2nd
Herbert Clark Hoover, Melrose, MA, 2nd
Hillside Elementary, Hastings On Hudson, NY, 3rd
Hollister Elementary, Santa Barbara, CA, 2nd, 3rd
Hunnewell, Wellesly, MA, Kindergarten,1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th
Immaculate Conception Grade School, Elmhurst, IL, Kindergarten, 2nd
Increase Miller Elementary, Goldens Bridge, NY, 5th
Isla Vista Elementary, Goleta, CA, 5th
Ithan Elementary School, Bryn Mawr, PA, Kinderarten, 1st
Jack Johnson Elementary, Soutlake, TX, 4th
Kellogg Elementary, Goleta, CA, 3rd
Kipps Elementary, Blacksburg, VA, 2nd
La Patera, Goleta, CA, 1st
Lakeville Elementary, Great Neck, NY, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th
Liberty Corner School, Liberty Corner, NJ, Kindergarten, 2nd
Madison Station Elementary School, Madison, MS, 4th, 5th
Main Street School, Exeter, NH, Kindergarten
Marshall Elementary, South Orange NJ, 3rd
Mary Queen of Peace School, Webster Groves, MO, 1st
Mary Rieke Elementary School, Portland, OR, 5th
McKinley Elementarym San Francisco, CA, 2nd
Meadow Brook, East Longmeadow, MA, Kindergarten
Mendon Center Elementary School, Pittsford, NY, 2nd
Minnewashta Elementary, Excelsior, MN, 4th
Mount Bethel Christian Academy, Marietta, GA, 3rd
Mount Pleasant Elementary School, Livingston, NJ, 1st
Muraco Elementary, Wi******er, MA, 1st
Murray Avenue, Larchmont, NY, 3rd
Oregon Episcopal School, Portland, OR, 4th
Our Lady of Peace, Clarks Green, PA, 1st
Park Road School, Pittsford, NY, 1st, 3rd
Penn London Elementary, West Grove, PA, 1st
Pine Crest School, Boca Raton, FL, 1st, 4th
Pocopson Elementary School, West Chester,PA, 1st, 3rd
Prairie Elementary, Naperville, IL, 2nd, 3rd
PS 321 William Penn, Brooklyn, NY, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd , 3rd
Quarton Elementary, Birmingham, MI, Kindergarten , 2nd, 3rd, 4th
Radnor Elementary, Radnor, PA, 5th
Reed Intermediate, Newtown, CT, 6th
Riker Hill Elementary, Livingston, NJ, 1st
River Oak Charter, Ukiah, CA, 3rd
River Valley Elementary, Spring Green, WI, 4th
Roger Sherman School, Fairfield, CT, 5th
Rolling Hills Country Day School, Rolling Hills Estate, CA, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th
Romona Elementary, Wilmette, IL, Kindergarten
Roslyn Road Elementary School, Barrington, IL, 1st
Santa Barbara Charter, Goleta, CA, Kindergarten
South Elementary, Hingham, MA, 4th
South Valley Elementary, Moorestown, NJ, 1st
Sprague Elementary, Wellesly, MA, 5th
St. Agnes School, Louisville, KY, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th
St. Andrew's Episcopal School, Austin, TX, Kindergarten
St. Ann's School, Brooklyn, NY, Kindergarten, 2nd
St. Henry, Nashville, TN, 1st
St. John Berchmans School, Chicago, IL, 1st
St. Matthew Catholic School, San Maeo, CA, 3rd
Sussex Academy of Arts and Science, Georgetown, DE, 4th
Teaneck Community Charter, Teaneck, NJ, 2nd
The Girls Middle School, Palo Alto, CA, 6th
Todd Elementary, Briarcliff Manor, NY, Kindergarten
Trinity Academy of Raleigh, NC, 6th
Unionville Elementary School, Kennett Square, PA, Kindergarten, 4th, 5th,
Valor North Austin, TX, 2nd
Victor Early Childhood, Victor, NY, Kindergarten
Washington Elementary, West Caldwell, NJ, Kindergarten, 2nd
Washington Union, Salinaa, CA, 4th
Wayne Elementary School, Wayne, PA, 2nd
Willows Community School, Culver City, CA, 4th
Winifred Harelson Elementary School, Tucson, AZ, 1st
Wood Acres Elementary, Bethesda, MD, 4th
Woodland, Weston, MA, Kindergarten

Would you like your school to be on this list? Start the movement in your community today!