Wooden London Bus: 7 First Places, BlogOn 2025

A red double-decker is one of the first shapes a British child learns to recognise. It rolls past the window, it fills the picture book, and sooner or later it arrives on the playroom floor. The Toy London Bus takes that familiar outline and sets it in solid wood.

At the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025 it received first place in seven separate categories, which is a rare thing for any single toy. We will come to those categories shortly.

The bus is made from FSC-certified timber and tested to UKCA and CE standards, so the piece that looks handsome on the shelf is also one that holds up to a toddler's grip. That pairing of good materials and honest testing sits behind everything in our wooden toys.

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Seven first places, one simple bus

The judges at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025 placed the Wooden London Bus first in seven categories: Influencers Choice, Interactive Toys, Role Play and Play Pretend, Sustainable, Toddler Toys, Vehicles and Wooden Toys.

Read those names together and a picture forms. They describe how a child plays, what the toy is made from, and who it is for. A single bus answered to all seven.

That breadth is unusual. Most toys live happily in one or two categories. A puzzle is a puzzle; a ride-on is a ride-on. The bus crosses lines because it does several jobs at once without trying to do anything clever.

It is a vehicle, so it belongs among the wheeled toys. It is wooden, so it sits with the traditional pieces. It invites pretend journeys, so it earns its place in role play. And it is built from responsibly sourced timber, which speaks to the sustainable category.

The Interactive Toys and Toddler Toys placings point to the youngest end of play, where a toy has to survive being pushed, stacked and occasionally chewed. The Influencers Choice award reflects the people who handle a great many toys each year and still singled this one out.

Awards are judging rather than safety testing, and the two are kept separate for good reason. The BlogOn result tells you what reviewers thought of the bus in play; the UKCA and CE marks tell you it meets the required standards.

You can see the full list set out in our piece on the wooden London bus's seven first places at BlogOn 2025.

Why one toy wins in so many categories

A toy wins across so many categories when it leaves room for the child to decide what happens next. The bus offers no screen, no sound and no fixed story. The child supplies all of that.

Open-ended play is the quiet engine here. A bus can be a school run, a trip to the seaside or a rescue mission, depending on the morning. Nothing on the toy argues with the idea.

That same quality runs through much of our educational toys for toddlers. The toy sets a scene; the child writes the script. Hands and imagination do the work rather than batteries.

The weight matters too. A solid wooden bus moves with intent across a floor. A toddler pushing it feels the cause and effect of their own small force, which is part of why it reads well as an interactive toy.

Sustainability is not a slogan on the box. It is the FSC-certified timber in your hand and the fact that a well-made wooden toy lasts long enough to justify the tree it came from.

We have written more broadly about this in our guide to award-winning sustainable wooden toys in the UK, which sets the bus alongside its stablemates.

None of this is new thinking for us. Jaques of London was founded in 1795 and is still run by the same family, and the habit of making things that last predates every award. A toy that does one thing loudly tends to be put down quickly. A toy that does many things quietly tends to stay.

Role play, passengers and pretend journeys

The upper deck comes off, and inside sit small wooden passengers. That single feature turns a push-along into a stage. Children load and unload, choose who sits where, and narrate the whole journey aloud.

This is where the Role Play and Play Pretend placing earns itself. A child acting out a bus route is practising sequence, turn-taking and the gentle social rules of who gets on first.

Language grows here as well. Naming passengers, announcing stops and explaining delays all build vocabulary without a single flashcard. The toy simply gives the words somewhere to go.

Pretend play of this kind sits at the heart of our children toys, where the aim is to hand a child the scenery and step back. The bus does exactly that.

Two children can share it, each taking a role, which tends to stretch play well past the point where a solo toy runs out. Cooperation becomes part of the game rather than an instruction from a grown-up.

It pairs naturally with other open-ended favourites. A game of Giant XL Tumble Tower for the older children and the bus for the younger ones keeps a mixed-age room busy on the same afternoon.

We have gathered more of this thinking in our notes on award-winning wooden toys for toddlers in the UK. The common thread is a toy that waits for the child to begin rather than beginning for them.

A London icon for small hands

Scale is everything with a first toy. The bus is sized for small hands, rounded at the edges and balanced so it pushes straight rather than toppling. A toddler can carry it without a struggle.

The red is the red you already know, the shape the one from the street. Recognition does half the work; the child meets a friend they have already seen from the pushchair.

Simple details reward close looking. Windows, a destination at the front, the removable deck. Enough to hold attention, not so much that the toy does the imagining for the child.

At £54.99 the bus is a considered purchase rather than an impulse, and it is built to earn that standing. Set beside something like our kids' skipping rope, it shows the range of play we care about, from quiet floor games to the garden.

Across 275 verified Reviews.io reviews the bus holds an average of 4.8 out of 5, recorded as of 15 October 2026. That is the steady verdict of families who live with it rather than a single afternoon's impression.

It belongs comfortably among our board games and other shared playthings as a toy the whole household gathers around. A bus route on the rug tends to draw an audience.

If you are thinking ahead to December, the bus features in our round-up of the best wooden toy Christmas gifts in the UK for 2026, where it keeps good company.

Built to be handed down

A wooden toy made properly outlives the child who first receives it. The bus is heavy for a reason: solid timber, honest joints and a finish that survives years of floors and skirting boards.

That longevity is the real meaning behind the Sustainable placing. The greenest toy is the one that is still played with a decade later, passed from an older sibling to a younger, and perhaps beyond.

We have made this way of thinking our habit since 1795, and the business remains in the same family. Toys built to be kept rather than replaced are simply how we have always worked.

FSC-certified timber means the wood is traceable to responsibly managed forests. UKCA and CE testing means the finished bus meets the required standards for the children who play with it. Both facts travel with the toy for its whole life.

You can see the same intent across our wooden toys, where the test is always whether a piece will still be worth keeping when the first owner has grown.

The BlogOn Toy Awards 2025 recognised the bus in seven categories, and that recognition reflects a toy doing honest work in play. The fuller story of how we have fared at the awards sits in our record of Jaques of London award-winning toys from 2023 to 2026.

Buy the Toy London Bus once, and the hope is that it ends up in a second child's hands, then a third's. That is the quiet ambition behind every piece of wood we choose.

What parents say about the Wooden London Bus

4.8 out of 5 from 275 verified Reviews.io reviews (as of 15 October 2026). These are real buyers, quoted word for word.

“This is the 3rd London Bus I have ordered. Unfortunately the last one arrived damaged.I was at first very disappointed but contacted the company and they sent out a replacement immediately, exceptional customer service.The first one I bought was for my grandsons 2nd birthday and he is now 4 and it's still a very well played with and very loved toy.Would definitely recommend the toy and the company”

★★★★★ Lesley B., verified buyer, 2023-11-05

“Brilliant piece of work. I've been looking for a eco friendly bus for my twin 2-year-old boys big enough to keep their attention. This was a great find. It comes with little wooden figures from different career backgrounds. It's been a hit with them. They've even discovered they can put the base on a slant and put picture magnets of family members on the bus too. Definitely recommend”

★★★★★ Anonymous, verified buyer, 2024-07-04

“The bus was bought as a birthday present for my 3-year-old grandson. It arrived in good time and was beautifully packaged with the personal touch of a card saying who had packaged it. This is such a lovely, well-made toy which was an immediate success with the birthday boy. He quickly became involved in imaginative and interactive play. The Jacques products are just lovely.”

★★★★★ Maggie L., verified buyer, 2023-06-13

“We have bought several items from Jaques of London in the past. The bus is a Beautiful product, it is a great size, characters are wonderful and colours are vibrant, and is excellent value for money. It arrived packaged beautifully and quickly, our Grandson is going to love this.”

★★★★★ Sarah G., verified buyer, 2024-04-18

Read every review of the Wooden London Bus

Frequently Asked Questions About Wooden London Bus Toy

What awards did the Jaques Wooden London Bus win?

The Jaques Wooden London Bus took 1st place in seven categories at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025: Influencers Choice, Interactive Toys, Role Play and Play Pretend, Sustainable, Toddler Toys, Vehicles, and Wooden Toys. BlogOn is a UK influencer community whose winter toy awards are judged by content creators and their audiences. Winning across seven distinct categories reflects broad recognition for play value, sustainability, and design. Jaques of London, founded in 1795 and still family-run, has been making quality toys for over two centuries.

What age is a wooden toy bus for?

The Jaques Wooden London Bus won 1st place in the Toddler Toys category at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025, indicating it is particularly well suited to toddler-age children. Wooden push-along and imaginative play vehicles are generally appropriate from around 12 to 18 months onwards, as they support early motor skills, colour recognition, and pretend play. Always check the manufacturer's specific age guidance on the product page before purchasing.

What are BlogOn Toy Awards?

The BlogOn Toy Awards are annual toy awards run by BlogOn, a UK-based community for bloggers and content creators. Toys are assessed and voted on by influencers and their audiences, spanning a wide range of categories from sustainable toys to vehicles and toddler toys. The winter edition of the awards helps families and gift-buyers discover highly regarded toys ahead of the Christmas season. The Jaques Wooden London Bus won 1st place in seven categories at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025.

Why are wooden vehicles good for toddlers?

Wooden vehicles such as the Jaques Wooden London Bus offer toddlers a durable, tactile play experience that supports imaginative and role play development. Unlike plastic alternatives, quality wooden toys are typically more robust and longer-lasting. The Jaques Wooden London Bus won 1st place in the Toddler Toys, Vehicles, and Interactive Toys categories at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025, reflecting its recognised play value for young children. Jaques of London has been crafting quality toys since 1795.

Is the Wooden London Bus sustainable?

Yes. The Jaques Wooden London Bus won 1st place in the Sustainable category at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025, recognising its credentials as an environmentally considerate toy choice. Wooden toys are generally valued for their longevity and use of natural materials compared with plastic alternatives. Jaques of London, a family-run business founded in 1795, has a long heritage of making well-crafted toys built to last, which in itself supports a more sustainable approach to play.

What is role play with toy vehicles?

Role play with toy vehicles involves children using toys such as buses, cars, or trains to recreate real-world scenarios — driving routes, picking up passengers, or acting out journeys. This type of play develops language, social understanding, and creativity. The Jaques Wooden London Bus won 1st place in the Role Play and Play Pretend category at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025, recognising its particular suitability for this kind of imaginative, open-ended play.

Is a wooden London bus a good gift?

The Jaques Wooden London Bus is a highly regarded gift choice. It won 1st place in seven categories at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025 — including Influencers Choice, Toddler Toys, and Wooden Toys — and holds an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 275 verified Reviews.io customer reviews (as of 15 October 2026). Its iconic London design, wooden construction, and broad award recognition across interactive, sustainable, and role play categories make it a well-rounded choice for toddlers and young children.

What other Jaques vehicles won BlogOn awards?

Based on verified information, the Jaques Wooden London Bus is the Jaques vehicle confirmed to have won at the BlogOn Toy Awards 2025, taking 1st place across seven categories including Vehicles, Toddler Toys, and Wooden Toys. No other Jaques vehicles are confirmed as BlogOn award winners in the available verified facts. For the full and current list of Jaques award-winning products, please visit the Jaques of London website.

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)
• Wooden London Bus product page, Jaques of London
• Verified customer reviews: Reviews.io, Jaques of London store (live feed, 15 October 2026)