Meet Katherine and Cecily, old friends from university who launched PomPom two years ago. With international careers in art & design, it is an artistic eye and sharp professionalism that they bring to the (kitchen) table. PomPom was the first plastic-free shop dedicated to children in the UK specialising in toys, games and gifts. They are determined to make the plastic-free choice easy, stylish and fun!

So, Katherine, why did you see the need for PomPom?

Katherine: Having children really sparked off PomPom – we realised quite how much colourful plastic had amassed in our lives and would continue to do so if left unchecked.    

Cecily:  Avoiding plastic is hard.  Finding good looking and long-lasting plastic-free options takes effort, energy and time.  As new parents, we had very little of either.  We realised, if we were struggling to do the Right Thing by the world, we were not alone.

Katherine: We believe that for any product to be truly great, in design and style, it must also be plastic-free.  Our ethics and aesthetics go hand in hand.

Give it to me in short, what is wrong with plastic toys?

90% of the toys on the market are made of plastic. As toys are usually created from a mixture of different materials, they are mostly considered general waste. If they cannot be recycled, they will go to landfill or dumped into our oceans with major environmental impacts.

Science has shown microplastics present in our bodies, even as early as in the womb.  They come from many sources including food and water sources but for children, they can also come from plastic toys.

Every year we each swallow a credit card's worth of plastic.  

We don't want that for any child!  

We want to help reduce families’ reliance on plastic, for environmental and health reasons. Oh, and of course, plastic ain’t pretty!

Eeek, so should I throw away all my plastic toys immediately?  

Katherine: NO! Reduce and reuse. If you want plastic toys, look for second-hand, for example, you will find nearly new Lego sets on Facebook marketplace, Etsy, eBay.   When your kids move on, take it to a charity shop so they can be used again.

Try to avoid plastic for younger children who are still ‘mouthing’ toys.

Be careful about what you buy – buy less, buy better.  Reuse, reuse, reuse!

What are 3 easy plastic-free swaps for families this Christmas?

1) Plastic-free Advent calendars – surprisingly easy to find, and yes they have chocolate in as well!  We stock Tony’s Chocoloney for being child labour free and plastic-free!

2) Recyclable wrapping paper – did you know 83kms of wrapping paper is thrown away each year?  It often cannot be recycled due to glitter or inks.  Not at PomPom.

3) Plastic-free toys - Make a different choice this year.

Top Toy for 1 Year Old? 

Katherine: Colourful stacking blocks, knock ‘em down and build them up!  They go on being fun for years too, as the block become garages and stables, and children start to recognise the numbers and animals.

Top Toy for 2 Year Old?

Cecily: Easy! Our indoor colourful climbing triangle.  Time spent in doors will never frustrating again, it folds instantly away and so perfect for small spaces. With 3 adjustable heights, it grows with the child. 

Top Toy for 3 year old?

Katherine: less of a toy but our organic animal slippers. My children are obsessed by them; lions, rabbits, badgers, they just adore them. 

Top Toy for 4 year old?

Cecily: our kids bike basket. Sustainably made from elephant grass 

Top Toy for 5 Year old?

Katherine: Rope ladder.  Create a childhood of dreams!  Every child needs a little risky play, so let them at those trees!

Lightning Round Questions…

Best book of lockdown?
Cecily: Hearts Invisible Furies, John Boyne

Best part of the weekend papers?
Katherine: Sunday Times Style Magazine or FT Life & Arts

Your best film of the year?
Cecily: Trial of the Chicago 7

Favourite Chocolate?
Katherine: Tony’s Chocolonely - 100% plastic-free, slave-free, wins every time

Favourite drink?
Cecily: My husband has started shaking gin martinis on a Sunday night … not sure what that says about the weekends but SO good

Most embarrassing Netflix addiction?
Katherine: I tell you with shame …  Grey’s Anatomy, series 17 kicks off any minute!

Biggest parenting fail?
Cecily: Sitting in a circle at music class, Laurie aged 3 cries, “Mummy, Marnie’s broken her f*cking guitar!”

FInally, home activities guaranteed to keep your children entertained?  (and TV doesn’t count!)

Katherine: baking, of any description. My children will happily sit and roll anything in breadcrumbs, cracking eggs, smushing bananas, grating carrots, rolling dough.  The chaos is insane but it’s a very happy hour …

Cecily: air dry clay.  We have mountains of the stuff and the children mould it, paint it, eat it, press toys, leaves, forks into it.  I should curate an exhibition for home-made leaky vases, I would make a fortune!

Discover our suggestions for eco-friendly and sustainable gifts for kids.

Interview and edits by Cecily Henderson