Safety First: What Goes Into a Little Dreamers Potion Kit?

At Little Dreamers, we talk a lot about magic. 

The fizzing, bubbling reactions. The excitement of choosing ingredients. The imaginative stories that unfold as children mix, pour and create. 

But behind all the magic is something much less exciting, but far more important: safety. As a teacher and the person behind Little Dreamers, creating something that children can explore and grown ups can feel confident giving them has always been incredibly important to me. This year we have invested heavily in independent laboratory testing, product safety and compliance to make sure our potion kits are as safe as we can possibly make them. And we wanted to share a little more about what happens behind the scenes.

Why are we talking about this now?

You may have seen some of the recent media coverage surrounding children’s squishy toys, including the popular dumpling style squishies (the ones your children are probably begging you to buy!). Some products have been removed from sale after safety testing identified concerns including harmful chemicals and inadequate safety information. 

Stories like these are understandably worrying for parents, but they also highlight something really important: we shouldn’t have to guess what is inside the products our children are playing with. 

That’s particularly important when a product involves ingredients children will touch, pour, mix, and inevitably get all over their hands!

So, what’s actually inside our potions?

Transparency is really important to us. 

The ingredients used within our potion kits are carefully selected and are food grade or cosmetic grade. We search our suppliers, request and review safety information and continually review the ingredients and materials we use. We don’t simply find something colourful or sparkly and pop it into a potion kit because it looks magical. There is a lot of unmagical work behind every little jar! As Little Dreamers has grown, we have continued to review our products, suppliers, packaging and compliance. If we find a better option or receive updated safety guidance, we make the changes. 

Safety isn’t something we looked at once when we launched. It’s an ongoing process. 

Independently tested because safety isn’t somewhere we cut corners

This year we took the significant step and invested heavily in having our kits independently tested. 

Our products have undergone independent testing against toy safety requirements, including areas covering physical and mechanical safety, flammability and chemical safety. 

Because when it comes to products designed for children, safety isn’t somewhere we want to cut corners.

What about allergies?

This is another area we think parents should feel comfortable asking questions about. 

Potion and sensory play has become hugely popular, and we completely understand why. It is magical, open ended and can provide hours of imaginative play. 

But not every potion kit contains the same types of ingredients. 

Some sensory products may contain ingredients such as fragrances and oils, including nut derived oils. That doesn’t automatically make a product unsafe, but it does mean that knowing exactly what is inside matters, particularly for children with allergies or sensitivities. 

Toy safety requirements themselves specifically address certain allergenic fragrances. 

This is one of the reasons we’re careful about what we include and why we believe ingredient information should be easy for grown ups to find. 

Potion play is booming

Over the last year we’ve seen a huge increase in potion kits and more recently, potion workshops being offered by business. 

And genuinely, we think that’s wonderful. 

We started Little Dreamers because we know just how magical this type of play can be. Potion making encourages imagination, creativity, storytelling, fine motor skills, experimentation and so much more. The more children experiencing meaningful, open ended play, the better. 

But as the market grows, we’d encourage grownups to do a little research before purchasing. 

Have a look at who is making the product. Check whether there are clear safety warnings and age recommendations. Look for appropriate safety markings and manufacturer information. And importantly, check whether you can actually find out what the ingredients are. 

If a sensory or potion product doesn’t tell you what’s inside, we would always encourage you to ask before giving it to your child. A reputable business should be happy to answer your questions. 

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The magic you see and the work you don’t

When one of our Little Dreamers boxes arrives at your door, we want your child to see the magic 

We want them to see the colourful ingredients, smell the different scents and imagine the endless possibilities. 

But we also want the grown ups handing them the box to know there has been a huge amount of work behind it. 

Supplier research. Ingredient reviews. Safety assessments, Independent testing Labelling. Warnings. Instructions. Traceability. Compliance. And lots and lots of paperwork! 

It isn’t the exciting side of Little Dreamers that you usually see on Instagram, but it’s one of the most important parts of what we do. 

Because magical play should still be responsible play. 

And we’ll continue learning, reviewing and investing behind the scenes so that you can feel confident about what’s inside every Little Dreamers box. 

Safe ingredients. Thoughtful design. Proper testing. Plenty of magic.

Kayleigh 

Founder of Little Dreamers