Wooden Campervan: Gold, Independent Toy Awards 2025

A small wooden van waits on the rug. A child decides it is going to the seaside, then to a mountain, then home for tea. No batteries, no screen, just an engine made of imagination.

The Wooden Campervan is made from FSC-certified timber and tested to UKCA and CE standards, so the hands turning it around corners are in safe company. It sits among our wooden toys, built the same honest way we have built things since 1795.

It also happens to have caught the eye of the people who know toys best: the shops that sell them. In 2025 the campervan was given Gold at the Independent Toy Awards, and that is where this story begins.

Shop the Wooden Campervan

A Gold voted by toy shops

The Independent Toy Awards are decided in an unusual way. Winners are voted for by UK independent toy retailers, not by expert testers or panels. These are the people who stand behind counters, watch children pick things up, and hear which toys come back loved rather than broken.

In 2025 they gave the Wooden Campervan a Gold. That recommendation carries a particular weight, because it comes from the shop floor rather than a studio.

A voted award is a judgement, not a safety test; the two sit separately. The campervan's safety comes from its FSC timber and its UKCA and CE testing, while the Gold reflects something softer and harder to measure: whether a toy earns its keep in a child's day.

We have always trusted that kind of judgement. As a family firm founded in London in 1795 and still run by the same family today, we would rather be recommended by people who handle toys for a living than by anyone else.

The campervan keeps good company in our range. You will find it alongside our children toys and the wider family of our wooden toys, each made to the same standard. If you would like the full account of the Gold, we have written it up in our piece on the wooden campervan gold independent toy awards 2025.

Two more placings at BlogOn

The Gold was not the campervan's only recognition in 2025. At the BlogOn Toy Awards it took two placings, both third.

One came in the Role Play and Play Pretend category, which fits the campervan neatly. A van that can be a home, a holiday or an adventure is role play in miniature, and that is largely how children use it.

The other third was in the Vehicles category, a crowded field of cars, trucks and trains. To place there is a quiet compliment: the campervan is a vehicle a child wants to push, but it is more than that too.

We mention both placings plainly because they are what they are. A third is a third, and it is worth having. Different awards look for different things, and a toy that does well across role play and vehicles is clearly doing more than one job.

If you like following toys that have been noticed this way, our writing on award winning sustainable wooden toys uk gathers several of them. For younger players in particular, award winning wooden toys for toddlers uk is a good place to look.

You can also browse our educational toys for toddlers, where the campervan sits among toys chosen for small hands and busy imaginations.

Road trips, holidays and pretend play

Watch a child with the Wooden Campervan and you will see stories arrive quickly. It is loaded for a journey, parked overnight, driven to visit someone, then sent off again on a new route.

Pretend play of this kind lets children rehearse the world. A holiday, a long drive, a goodbye at the door: these are big ideas for a small person, and a toy that stands in for them makes the ideas easier to handle.

The campervan also invites company. One child drives, another decides the destination, and a simple narrative grows between them. It slots happily beside the open-ended pieces in our wooden toys.

Because the shape suggests a journey rather than dictating one, the play rarely runs out. The same van can cross a kitchen floor to reach the fridge-mountain one afternoon and tour the garden the next.

It pairs well with other imaginative sets. If you are building a small world, our guide to the best wooden noahs ark toy sets uk 2026 shows how figures and vehicles start to tell stories together.

And when the campervan is one gift among several, our notes on the best toy gift sets for toddlers uk 2026 wooden gift bundle may help you put a thoughtful bundle together.

What a toy vehicle teaches

A toy vehicle teaches a good deal while a child simply plays. Pushing the campervan builds the grip and arm control that later help with pencils and cutlery.

Steering it around chair legs sharpens spatial sense: judging gaps, planning a path, learning that a wide turn needs room. These are quiet lessons, learned by doing rather than being told.

There is language, too. A journey needs words — fast, slow, stop, here, far — and children reach for them naturally as the van moves. A toy that prompts talk is doing more than it looks.

Simple, open-ended toys tend to teach best because the child supplies the rules. The campervan does not perform for them; it waits for instructions, which keeps the thinking on the child's side.

That is the thread running through our educational toys for toddlers: learning folded quietly into play. The same idea carries up through our board games, where turn-taking and strategy arrive the same gentle way.

None of this needs a screen or a battery. A length of floor and a sense of destination are enough, which is rather the point of a good vehicle toy.

A campervan built to last

A toy is only as good as its next day of use. The Wooden Campervan is made from FSC-certified timber, chosen so it feels solid in the hand and stands up to years of landings, drops and enthusiastic driving.

It is tested to UKCA and CE standards. That testing is separate from any award; it is about safety, not opinion, and it is where we never cut corners.

Wood has a habit of ageing well. Edges soften, the surface gains a little character, and the van becomes the particular one a child remembers rather than one of many identical copies.

That durability is why so many of our pieces are passed on. A well-made wooden toy can see out one childhood and start another, which is a kinder outcome than the landfill.

As of 15 October 2026 the campervan holds an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 54 verified Reviews.io customer reviews, which speaks to how it behaves in real homes over time.

We have made toys this way since 1795, still as a family, and the campervan is a small, modern example of the same intent. You will find it among our children toys and the wider range of our wooden toys, ready for the next journey a child dreams up.

What parents say about the Wooden Campervan

4.8 out of 5 from 54 verified Reviews.io reviews (as of 15 October 2026). These are real buyers, quoted word for word.

“This is a Christmas present for a little girl (and parents) who I will know will absolutely love it - especially the little wooden dog! This is such a robust, colourful and detailed product that is perfect for a toy to enhance imagination - the surfboard is such a cute idea for the campervan. The figures are the perfect size and fits perfectly with the vibe of the campervan. Really impressed with the product”

★★★★★ Rachel, verified buyer, 2025-10-12

“A wonderful toy for my 2year old granddaughter. The quality of the camper van is outstanding and glides beautifully. The price also for such good quality was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed playing with it with my granddaughter! Thank you Jacques of London.”

★★★★★ Madeleine, verified buyer, 2025-07-31

“This is really cute and my grandson will love it! Just the right size for toddler hands and of good construction so I think it will take any rough play in its stride. Came in a lovely box wrapped with a ribbon. Definitely recommend.”

★★★★★ Carole, verified buyer, 2025-08-12

“My 2 year old grandson absolutely loves this! It’s so well made and the little people and surfboard are so beautiful but sturdy enough to be played with regularly. Just a lovely wooden toy that fires the imagination”

★★★★★ Philippa, verified buyer, 2025-08-09

Read every review of the Wooden Campervan

Frequently Asked Questions About Wooden Campervan Toy

What award did the Jaques Wooden Campervan win?

The Jaques of London Wooden Campervan won Gold at the Independent Toy Awards 2025. The Independent Toy Awards are voted for by UK independent toy retailers, making the Gold award a strong signal of confidence from specialist retailers who stock and sell toys day to day. Jaques of London, founded in London in 1795 and still family-run, continues to produce the Wooden Campervan as part of its range of classic wooden toys.

Who votes in the Independent Toy Awards?

The Independent Toy Awards are voted for by UK independent toy retailers. These are specialist shop owners and buyers who sell toys directly to the public, giving them practical, hands-on knowledge of what children enjoy and what sells well. It is not a panel of expert testers; the votes come from the independent retail community. The Jaques of London Wooden Campervan received Gold at the Independent Toy Awards 2025 through this retailer voting process.

What age is a wooden campervan toy for?

The Jaques of London Wooden Campervan is designed for young children, typically toddlers and pre-school aged children who enjoy imaginative and role-play activity. Wooden push-along and play vehicles of this type are generally suited to children from around 18 months to 5 years, though suitability depends on the individual child's development. Always check the manufacturer's age guidance on the product packaging or listing before purchase.

Is a wooden campervan good for role play?

Yes. The Jaques of London Wooden Campervan is well suited to role play and imaginative play. It placed 3rd in the Role Play and Play Pretend category at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025, voted for by parent bloggers. Open-ended vehicles like campervans naturally encourage storytelling, small-world play, and creative scenarios, all of which support language development and social skills in young children through screen-free, hands-on play.

What other awards has the Wooden Campervan won?

In addition to its Gold at the Independent Toy Awards 2025, the Jaques of London Wooden Campervan placed 3rd in the Role Play and Play Pretend category and 3rd in the Vehicles category at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025. The BlogOn awards are voted for by parent bloggers in the UK. Together these results across multiple award programmes reflect broad recognition of the Wooden Campervan from both independent retailers and parent communities.

Are wooden toy vehicles good for toddlers?

Wooden toy vehicles are widely regarded as a strong choice for toddlers. They are typically robust and built to withstand energetic play, making them practical for young children who are still developing fine motor control. Wooden toys tend to be free from screens and batteries, encouraging open-ended, imaginative play. The Jaques of London Wooden Campervan, founded on the company's heritage of quality wooden toys dating back to 1795, is an example of this style of durable, play-led toy.

Is the Wooden Campervan a good gift?

The Jaques of London Wooden Campervan has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 54 verified Reviews.io customer reviews (as of 15 October 2026). It also won Gold at the Independent Toy Awards 2025, voted for by UK independent toy retailers, and placed 3rd in two categories at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025. This combination of high customer satisfaction and multi-award recognition makes it a well-supported choice as a gift for young children who enjoy imaginative, screen-free play.

Is the Wooden Campervan screen-free?

Yes, the Jaques of London Wooden Campervan is a fully screen-free toy. It requires no batteries, no apps, and no electronic components. Play is driven entirely by the child's imagination, making it suited to open-ended, creative play. Jaques of London has been producing classic wooden toys since its founding in London in 1795, and the Wooden Campervan sits within that tradition of simple, well-made toys designed to engage children without digital dependency.

Sources

Every award on this page links to the organiser's own results page. Checked 2026-10-14.

• BlogOn Winter Toy Award Winners 2025 (BlogOn Toy Awards)
• Independent Toy Awards 2025 winners revealed (Toys n Playthings)
• About the Independent Toy Awards (Independent Toy Awards)
• Wooden Campervan product page, Jaques of London
• Verified customer reviews: Reviews.io, Jaques of London store (live feed, 15 October 2026)