The one wooden toy they actually don't have
or 4 payments of £4.74 with Klarna
🛡️ 30-day full refund, no questions. Fewer than 30 returns from 23,000+ orders.
- Ages 2 to 5
- Six animal figures
- Solid wood
- Hand-finished
- No batteries
- Gift-ready
- 30-day returns
- Klarna available
Delivery in 2-3 working days · 30-day returns · Est. 1795
as seen in
Real talk
For the gifter who's watched too many plastic toys hit the charity pile
You know the feeling: another present, ignored by Boxing Day. Animal Seesaw sits in the opposite camp. It's wood, weighted, tactile, and it works the brain in ways a flashing thing never does. Children move the robin, deer, squirrel, owl, badger and fox across the seesaw, balance them, tip them, and learn shape and weight in the process.
You're not just giving a toy. You're giving something that plays with them for years, not weeks.
Joe Jaques, Jaques of London
What's in the box
What arrives
One solid wood seesaw base and six chunky wooden animals, each painted in non-toxic finish and sized for small hands.
The seesaw base
Solid wood, hand-finished, weighted so it actually rocks and tips. Chunky enough to feel like something real in a child's hands, not a toy pretending to be a toy.
- ✓ Solid wood construction
- ✓ Non-toxic paint finish
- ✓ Portable and robust
Six British wildlife animals
Robin, deer, squirrel, owl, badger and fox. Each one chunky enough for a toddler to grip, realistic enough to spark questions about the animals they see outside.
- ✓ Sized for small hands
- ✓ Real British wildlife
- ✓ Hand-painted details
How it's played
No instructions, no rules, no right way. Move the animals across, balance them, watch the beam tip. Kids work out weight, space and cause-and-effect through touch and experiment.
- ✓ Open-ended play
- ✓ Works fine motor skills
- ✓ Teaches balance and logic
made for ages 2 to 5 · Gift wrap on request
Was £20.99
Wooden Animal Toy - Balancing Game: £18.99
While they play
What it quietly teaches
Looks like play. Works like a lesson.
Logic and problem-solving
Every placement teaches weight and balance. Trial and error becomes a lesson in physics, not frustration.
Animal recognition
Six real British animals they'll see in gardens and parks. Play builds curiosity about the natural world.
Fine motor skills
Gripping, placing and moving each animal develops hand strength and control.
Imagination and narrative
No screen, no script. Children invent their own stories about which animals meet and balance together.
What families say about Jaques of London
What parents and grandparents say
"Excellent quality wood toys, so well made, no sharp edges, all lovely & smooth, very colourful & plenty of choice. Very reasonably priced & so beautifully wrapped you don't want to open them. Highly recommend this company."
"Fast delivery, excellent products, extremely good quality and long lasting. My granddaughter loves the toys from here. Good age ranges covered."
"These toys tick all the boxes, educational, colourful, fun, well made and great service. I just keep buying more and more."
"We love our toys from Jaques of London. The quality is excellent and they're the perfect size for little hands to hold and play with easily. Beautifully made, sturdy wooden toys that will last for years. Highly recommend!"
"Harrods grade gifting for a very reasonable price. Not the usual tat from China. Had several hand picked orders fron Jaques, nice to know its a UK business with old school quality."
"I am a real fan of this company. If only I had come across them years ago when my boys were little. It's my go to for beautiful, good quality toys for my granddaughter now and any gift I need to buy. They arrived quickly, prices are reasonable and the special touch is they are beautifully packaged too. I love the heritage of this business!"
Get ready for life
Why real play matters
Real brain growth comes from real play.
Right for the age range
Toddlers grip and explore. Three-year-olds start balancing. Older children invent games. One toy, years of play.
Animals that spark questions
Not generic. British wildlife means the animals they'll actually spot outside: robins, badgers, foxes. Real curiosity, real learning.
Built to last decades
Solid wood, hand-finished, meant to be passed to siblings or cousins. Not made to break or tire after a month.
Why this matters right now
We really are different
Why it stands apart from plastic alternatives
| Jaques Wooden Animal Toy - Balancing Game | Cheap Alternatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | ✅ | ❌ Plastic cracks and yellows |
| Weight and feel | ✅ | ❌ Hollow and cheap-feeling |
| Years of play | ✅ | ⚠️ Ignored by month 3 |
| Safe finish | ✅ | ❌ Unknown paint sources |
| Imagination spark | ✅ | ❌ Flashing lights do the thinking |
| Passed to siblings | ✅ | ❌ Broken before then |
| Real animal learning | ✅ | ❌ Cartoon creatures |
- ✅ Solid wood
- ✅ Real weight
- ✅ Lasts years
- ✅ Non-toxic paint
- ✅ Hands-on learning
- ✅ Hand-me-down ready
- ✅ Real animals
- ❌ Plastic breaks
- ❌ Feels hollow
- ⚠️ Short shelf-life
- ❌ Unknown finish
- ❌ Screen-dependent
- ❌ Bin-bound
- ❌ Generic toys
made for ages 2 to 5 · Gift wrap on request
Was £20.99
Wooden Animal Toy - Balancing Game: £18.99
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Not right? Return it within 30 days. Full refund, no questions.
Questions & answers
Questions grandparents and gift-buyers ask
What age is this really for?
Ages 2 to 5 is the sweet spot. Two-year-olds explore and grip. Three and four-year-olds balance and experiment. Five-year-olds invent games. It grows with them, not the other way around. As Catherine McCulloch said, it's 'perfect gift for any babies' 1st birthday', and it stays relevant through their early years.
Will it actually survive hard play?
Yes. Solid wood, hand-finished, no cheap veneers or hollow bits. John A noted, 'Not the usual tat from China.' Karen Pepper added, 'Toys that don't break after five minutes of play.' This is made to be picked up and played with, dropped a bit, and still work years later.
Is it worth the money versus a plastic version?
Think heirloom, not impulse buy. This gets played for years, passed to a sibling or cousin, and still works. Cost per year becomes pennies. Manda Monium put it simply: 'worth every penny full price.' You're not paying for plastic and paint. You're paying for solid wood, hand-finishing, non-toxic safety and durability.
Can I return it if they don't like it?
Yes. 30-day returns means you've got time to see if it lands. Most children gravitate to it because there's no 'wrong' way to play, but if it's not the fit, we'll sort it out.
How much does it cost?
The Wooden Animal Toy - Balancing Game is £18.99 today (down from £20.99). Klarna is available at checkout if you prefer to spread the cost.
What's your returns policy?
30 days, full refund, no conditions. Return it for any reason and we refund in full. We've been standing behind what we make since 1795.
made for ages 2 to 5 · Gift wrap on request
Was £20.99
Wooden Animal Toy - Balancing Game: £18.99
Our story
Making toys worth keeping since 1795.
Jaques of London was founded in 1795. We invented croquet, table tennis, and the Staunton chess set. For 230 years, we've been making things that pull children away from passive entertainment and into active, curious, hands-on play.
Our Animal Seesaw lives Jaques' core: toys that teach children through play. We hand-finish each piece and choose solid wood because we know grandparents and parents see past the hype. This toy has no batteries, no screens, no instructions to muddy the fun. It sits on the shelf looking real, feels real in small hands, and teaches balance, animal recognition and logic without anyone calling it 'educational.' That's what 231 years of listening to families builds.
Toys and games that leave something behind: a skill, a memory, a piece of play that gets passed on.
Joe, Jaques of London
Ready when you are
Give them the one toy
they actually asked for
Was £20.99
£18.99 Save 9%
🛡️ 30-day money-back guarantee · 🚚 Delivery in 2-3 working days · 🏛️ Est. 1795
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