Tonies Toys
Tonies toys have transformed the way children engage with stories, songs and imaginative play, offering a modern take on storytelling that feels refreshingly simple. At The Lovely Little Toy Shop, we have a particular fondness for brands that spark imagination in gentle, thoughtful ways, and Tonies fits this beautifully. Their approach to storytelling is warm, inclusive and playful, and it resonates strongly with families looking for toys that feel meaningful as well as entertaining. We proudly stock a hand-picked range of Tonies accessories and starter sets, enabling families to begin their Toniebox journey with confidence. Whether you’re discovering Tonies for the first time or expanding your child’s growing collection, our range offers everything you need to make storytime truly magical.
Our Range of Tonies Toys
Our curated selection of Tonies toys focuses on the essentials families reach for most often, high-quality accessories and beautifully designed starter sets. We have chosen items that pair perfectly with the Toniebox, ensuring your child has everything they need to enjoy their stories and music in comfort and style. From practical carry cases to colourful children’s headphones, our range makes it easy to take your Toniebox on the go or create a cosy listening nook at home.
We stock a variety of Toniebox Starter Sets in several colours, ideal for anyone new to the Tonies world. These sets provide the core Toniebox unit along with a Creative-Tonie, making them a great introduction to the magic of audio play. Alongside these, we offer a selection of official Tonies carry cases in green, grey, blue and red, designed to keep Tonies figures safe and neatly organised. For little listeners who enjoy quiet time or shared spaces, our children’s headphones (available in green, grey, light blue and red) provide a comfortable, volume-limiting option for immersive listening. At a time when so many children’s products rely heavily on screens, the Toniebox stands out as an inspired alternative, a tactile, character-led audio system designed especially for little listeners. With its soft, robust design and intuitive controls, it gives young children the freedom to explore audio adventures entirely on their own. Whether they’re drifting off to a favourite bedtime tale or dancing around the room to familiar songs, Tonies toys encourage creativity and concentration without the distractions of a digital display.
Each item in our Tonies collection is chosen with practicality, durability and child-friendly design in mind. Whether you are building your first Tonies setup or upgrading your accessories, our range has everything needed to enhance the Toniebox experience.
Tonies toys occupy a special place in the world of children’s entertainment, blending modern technology with the charm of traditional storytelling. The concept is simple yet wonderfully effective, children place a figurine (known as a Tonie) onto the Toniebox, and the story, songs or interactive content instantly begins to play. This clever combination of physical characters and digital audio creates a uniquely engaging experience that resonates with children of all ages.
What makes Tonies toys so widely loved is their ability to offer independence at an early age. Controls on the Toniebox are purposefully intuitive, allowing toddlers and young children to adjust the volume, skip chapters or change stories with tactile movements rather than buttons or menus. This interaction supports motor skills, autonomy and confidence while helping children immerse themselves fully in narrative play.
The Tonies universe continues to expand rapidly, with hundreds of characters available internationally and ongoing new releases. Children can explore a mix of nursery rhymes, classic tales, modern favourites, educational content and playful soundscapes. Meanwhile, Creative-Tonies allow families to record their own stories, personal messages or songs, transforming the Toniebox into a treasured keepsake.
Tonies toys also appeal strongly to parents thanks to their screen-free nature. In a world dominated by digital devices, Tonies offer a calm, child-centred alternative that still feels exciting, modern and interactive. With no adverts, no flashing lights and no distracting visuals, the Toniebox encourages deep listening, improved concentration and rich imaginative play.
Whether used during winding-down time, on car journeys or during moments of independent play, Tonies toys bring warmth and wonder into everyday family life. They offer a balance of fun and meaningful engagement that many families appreciate and return to again and again.
About Tonies
Tonies is a company built on a simple but powerful idea, to bring storytelling back to life in a way that feels magical for children and reassuring for parents. Founded by Patric Faßbender and Marcus Stahl, Tonies was created with the belief that childhood should feel imaginative, adventurous and full of discovery without relying on screens. This guiding principle shaped the development of the Toniebox, a soft, durable audio player designed specifically for young children.
Tonies aims to create a world where families can enjoy stories, songs and educational content in a format that nurtures curiosity rather than overstimulation. Their products emphasise freedom, creativity and emotional connection, encouraging children to listen deeply and explore worlds entirely of their own making. Over the years, the brand has grown into an international favourite, celebrated for its thoughtful design and commitment to quality.
Today, Tonies represents much more than a toy, it is a community of families, educators and storytellers who value imaginative play and meaningful content. Whether through the expanding library of Tonies figures or the appeal of the Creative-Tonies, the company continues to champion storytelling as a core part of childhood and their philosophy resonates across generations.
The History of Tonies
The story of Tonies began in 2013 when Patric Faßbender, frustrated by scratched CDs and the lack of child-friendly audio devices, imagined a new way for children to enjoy stories without screens. Teaming up with Marcus Stahl, the pair began developing what would become the Toniebox: a robust, figure-activated audio player designed specifically for young listeners. Their company, originally known as Boxine GmbH, gathered support from investors who recognised the potential of this innovative idea.
After several years of development, the first Toniebox launched in 2016 alongside 14 Tonies characters. Demand quickly outpaced supply, and by 2018 the brand had become a household name in German-speaking countries. Licences from major publishers soon followed, allowing Tonies to produce characters from beloved franchises such as PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, Sesame Street and Disney.
Tonies then expanded internationally, launching in the UK and Ireland in 2018, the United States in 2020, and later in France, Canada and Hong Kong. The company entered the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2021 under the name Tonies SE, marking a significant milestone in its growth. Today, Tonies continues to innovate, offering ever-expanding content while staying true to its original mission imaginative, screen-free storytelling.
The Magic of Tonies
There is a certain magic woven through every Toniebox experience, something that resonates deeply with children and adults alike. At its heart, Tonies celebrates the power of audio storytelling, a form of entertainment that evokes emotion, fuels imagination and encourages deep, mindful listening. With no screens or visuals to guide them, children are free to picture the characters and scenes for themselves, making every tale feel personal and vividly real.
This sense of wonder is amplified by the physical nature of the Tonies figures. Children naturally engage with objects they can hold, move and place, and the simple act of popping a Tonie onto the box becomes a ritual that builds excitement and anticipation. Whether they are following a favourite character or discovering something new, young listeners approach each story with fresh curiosity.
Tonies also support independence in a gentle, empowering way. The Toniebox is designed so children can explore content at their own pace, fostering confidence while giving parents peace of mind. And because the library of characters is always growing, the Tonies world evolves alongside the child, offering new adventures as their interests change.
This blend of simplicity, innovation and heartfelt storytelling is what gives Tonies their unmistakable sense of magic.
The Lovely Little Toy Shop is a family-run business based in the charming town of Southwell, Nottinghamshire, born from a genuine love of toys that spark imagination and create lasting memories. Our story began on a family holiday to Yorkshire, where we discovered a delightful toy shop with a character in the window (Percy Pup) who immediately captured our hearts. That single moment set us on a path we didn’t yet realise was unfolding, but it became the inspiration behind everything we do today.
Percy Pup came home with us, of course, along with toys that our son Henry enjoyed for years to come. Watching him play, explore and put each toy through its paces showed us how important well-made, thoughtful toys truly are. These experiences inspired the desire to bring the same joy to other families by creating a place where beautiful, meaningful toys could be found all in one spot.
That dream became The Lovely Little Toy Shop. Our range is carefully curated, filled with toys chosen for their charm, longevity and ability to enrich childhood. These aren’t mass-market items you see everywhere, each product is selected because it has brought delight to our own family or is something we wish we had discovered sooner. Henry himself still helps choose items and even assists with packing and dispatch.
As a small mother-and-son business, we take genuine pride in offering toys that help create treasured moments for families. Whether you’re choosing your child’s first Toniebox or searching for a thoughtful gift, we’re here to help you find something truly special.