Questions asked at the nicknack toys booth
The questions that arrive most often about nicknack toys, craft kits and bulk party favors, grouped the way they are actually asked. If yours is not here, the bell is on the contact page and we answer it.
Most of them come down to three things: what is really in the box, which age band a toy was designed around, and whether the count on the label is the count in the bag. We have looked at the pictures on competing packs too, so we know why people ask. An authentic nicknack pack carries our ring mark on the seal, safety testing happens on the finished article, and where a kit needs batteries the card says so before you reach a checkout.
- Piece counts, and what the number does and does not include
- Age bands, from the toddler lines up to the kits that want a grown-up
- Batteries, refills and whether a pack fits a set you already own
- Bulk maths for a prize box, a party or a classroom collection
- Where an order actually lives once the stamp has been clicked
The rest is the fun stuff. People write in to tell us stories: the builder who sorts the whole assortment into piles before playing, the roll of stickers that outlasted a real present, the plush crab the cats have claimed, the pig that somebody's kid named. We are a small company and we read all of it. We are absolutely not the world's largest toy maker, and the coolest thing in the room is rarely the expensive one — the joy of playtime is mostly in finding what a cheap thing can be made to do.
How we answer questions about nicknack toys
Plainly, and from the packing list rather than the marketing copy. If a question comes up twice we add it here, and if an answer would match two products badly we split it. We would rather lose a sale than have a parent discover at a party that the game needs a second set or that the building block pack is half the size of the picture. Trust is the only thing a booth this small is selling, and the moments people remember are the ones where a toy did what the label said it would. We love the long questions most.
About the booth
What ages are nicknack craft kits for?
Most of our craft kits are built for ages 3 to 12, and each card prints the band for that specific kit. The airbrush art kits and the sticky balloon kits start at 3 with a grown-up nearby; the fabric flower bouquet kit and the plush charms kit are easier from about 6, when small fingers can manage the fiddly bits alone.
Do your activity kits include everything needed?
Every kit includes the parts to finish the project it shows on the box. The two exceptions we flag on the card are batteries, which the airbrush sprayers and most of the musical toys need and do not include, and the obvious one: paper, a table and somewhere to put the finished thing.
Are these good for travel and parties?
The mess-free ones are. Plush charms, sticky balloons and the refill kits need no glue and no water, so they travel. The airbrush kits spray washable ink, which is fine at a kitchen table and less fine in the back of a car. For parties, the bulk party favor assortments and the mini fidget spinners are what we actually designed for the job.
How do craft kits for kids promote learning and creativity?
The useful part is not the finished object, it is the sequence. Sorting the pieces, following a step, getting it wrong, trying the next idea. Fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination come along for free. The imaginative jump happens later, when a kid stops following the guidebook and starts making designs it does not contain.
What is the difference between your party favor assortments?
Count and variety. The 200-piece box holds 21 kinds, the 250-piece goodie bag mix is sorted for filling bags rather than a prize box, and the 1000-piece assortment holds 31 kinds and is sized for a full school year of classroom rewards.
Where do I actually buy one?
Every card here carries a stamp that opens our listing on the partner store that handles our orders. Payment, delivery, tracking and returns all happen there. We keep the catalog and the piece counts; they keep the warehouse.
Art kits
Which craft kit suits a six year old?
The airbrush kits, comfortably. The stencils do the drawing, so the result looks good regardless of skill, which is the thing that keeps a six year old going. The flower bouquet kit has smaller parts and lands better at eight or nine.
Party favors
How many goodie bags will a 200-piece mix fill?
At four items a bag, fifty bags. Most people run six to eight items for a birthday party, which gets you twenty-five to thirty-three bags from the 200-piece box.
Fidget spinners
Do these fit inside a plastic Easter egg?
Yes. All four sets use the mini size, roughly the width of a bottle cap, which is what the standard two-piece plastic egg is sized for.
Balloon kits
Do the refill kits work on their own?
They work as a standalone activity, but they ship without a pump. If nobody in the house has one already, start with the Princess Pink or Space Rocket kit, both of which include it.
Baby & toddler
Which of these works for a baby under six months?
The crawling plush crab. It is soft, it vibrates and sings rather than rolling fast, and it is the one meant to be watched before it is chased.
Active play
Is the 4-in-1 sports centre suitable for a one year old?
Yes, that is its lower end. The hoop drops to its lowest setting for a child who is still cruising along furniture, then raises in stages to about four years old.
Moving
Is the 3900 lb rating per dolly?
Combined, across all four platforms used together. Spread the load across the set rather than leaning a piece onto one corner.
What is in a craft kit
Do craft kits include everything I need?
Ours include every part of the project shown on the box. Batteries for the airbrush sprayers are the one thing we ask you to supply, and the card says so.
Filling 24 goodie bags
How many items should go in each goodie bag?
Six for school-age children, four for under-fives. Twenty-four bags at six items is 144 pieces.
A prize box that lasts
How many prizes does a class of thirty need for a year?
Around six hundred, at roughly one choice per child per fortnight. That is what a 1000-piece assortment is sized against.
Knick knacks or nick nacks
Is it knick knacks or nick nacks?
Knick-knack is the standard dictionary spelling, usually hyphenated. Nick nack is a widely used phonetic version.