While pregnant with her first child, Kristy Adams became aware of the huge ‘throw away’ industry that had been created when it came to toys and baby goods, and the huge impact it was having on the planet. This led her to research more sustainable ways of raising a family and planted the seed for her business. Kristy is passionate about providing children with quality, purposeful toys that inspire creativity, imagination and interest in the world around us, while respecting the planet at the same time. Little Sunshine Kids offers a carefully curated collection of environmentally kind wares for little ones with a range of beautiful, ethical and eco-conscious products from around Australia and the world. Here, Kristy talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind Little Sunshine Kids and her business journey so far.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
When I was pregnant with my first baby Lenny, I was so excited to set up his nursery and start buying little toys and baby goods. After some trips to the shops and web browsing, I realised there was a huge ‘throw away’ industry when it came to baby and children’s products. I began researching more sustainable ways to raise a family. I wanted beautiful toys which could be handed down from one child to the next, not the cheaply made, throw away plastic toys which seemed to be so common. I spent hours researching toys and resources which aided in developing gross and fine motor skills, imagination and creativity, problem solving skills and more, but were also developed and made with love and purpose, and wouldn’t end up in landfill for hundreds of years. I stumbled into the world of wooden toys and haven’t looked back.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
Little Sunshine Kids opened its metaphorical doors in 2019 from our family home in Adelaide. Since then, we’ve expanded our collection but remain focused on quality, purposeful toys that inspire creativity, imagination and interest in the world around us, while respecting the planet at the same time.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
This year Little Sunshine Kids has stepped away from a solely online business model by taking up a tenancy in pop-up shops at Westfield Marion and West Lakes. I’ve loved re-living my retail days and meeting some of my most loyal customers face-to-face, and of course it’s been a fantastic way to meet many new people. Of course, for those who prefer to avoid the big shopping centres, and for middle-of-the-night shoppers, the online shop is still there for you!
