The wooden bench they keep coming back to
or 4 payments of £5.74 with Klarna
🛡️ 30-day full refund, no questions. Fewer than 30 returns from 23,000+ orders.
- No screen time
- Solid wood
- 8 colours
- Ages 2-6
- Hand-eye skills
- Ships 2-3 days
- 30-day returns
- Klarna available
Delivery in 2-3 working days · 30-day returns · Est. 1795
as seen in
Real talk
The toy that actually earns its place on the floor
Most toys get picked up once. This one doesn't. The Wooden Hammering Bench is the kind of toy a 3, 4, or 5-year-old asks for by name because every single time they play it, something happens. They hammer the pegs through, flip the bench, and do it all again. No adult hovering. No talking-to about taking turns. Just deep, quiet focus.
While they're locked in, grip strength and cause-and-effect thinking are building without feeling like learning. And you get 20 minutes of screen-free time that actually works.
Joe Jaques, Jaques of London
What's in the box
What you're getting
One complete Wooden Hammering Bench, ready to play straight out of the box. No assembly, no batteries, no small parts to lose.
Wooden Hammering Bench
Solid wood construction finished in 8 pastel colours. Hand-painted details. Built to take every hammer strike without splintering or wearing.
- ✓ Solid wood, not plywood or particle board
- ✓ Hand-finished, safe for toddlers from age 2
- ✓ Flips to reveal pegs on both sides
Wooden pegs and hammer
Chunky enough for little hands to grip. Heavy enough to feel satisfying when they tap. Light enough that a 2-year-old can swing it without tiring.
- ✓ Pegs fall clean through to the other side
- ✓ Hammer weighted for real cause and effect
- ✓ No plastic, no weak joints
8 pastel colours
Choose from soft pastels: sage, blush, lavender, butter, sky, coral, mint, and classic natural wood. Every colour is hand-painted to the same finish standard.
- ✓ Non-toxic, child-safe paint
- ✓ Colours don't chip or fade with play
- ✓ Matching other wooden toys is easy
Order by 2pm, arrives Tuesday · Gift wrap available at checkout
Was £26.99
Wooden Hammer Bench - Toddler Toy: £22.99
While they play
What's quietly building while they play
Looks like play. Works like a lesson.
Grip strength
Holding the hammer and steering pegs builds the hand muscles toddlers need for writing, eating, and dressing. Every hammer swing counts.
Hand-eye coordination
Lining up the peg and timing the hammer strike teaches the brain and hands to work together. This is the foundation for every physical skill that follows.
Cause and effect
Hammer down, peg falls through, flip it back, do it again. Toddlers learn that their actions have immediate, visible consequences. That's how learning starts.
Colour recognition
Sorting pegs by colour as they play builds visual sorting skills and early maths thinking, all without feeling like a lesson.
What families say about Jaques of London
Why parents actually buy this one
"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.
Safe from day one
Hand-finished solid wood, no splinters, no small parts, no plastic to break. Tested for toddler safety. Montessori-inspired design means zero instructions needed.
Real screen-free focus
Not a 3-minute novelty. Toddlers come back to this one every day because the play loop is endless. Flip it and start over.
Actually lasts
Built from solid wood, not the particle board that splinters after a year. Made to pass on to the next child or sibling.
Why this matters right now
We really are different
Why this hammering toy wins
| Jaques Wooden Hammer Bench - Toddler Toy | Cheap Alternatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | ✅ | ❌ Plastic hammering toys chip and crack |
| Play time per session | ✅ | ⚠️ Plastic versions bore after 5 minutes |
| Years of play | ✅ | ❌ Budget toys don't survive one sibling |
| Hand strength building | ✅ | ⚠️ Lightweight toys don't give real feedback |
| No batteries or learning curve | ✅ | ❌ Screen-like toys need charging and updates |
| Resale or hand-down value | ✅ | ❌ Plastic toys age badly and don't sell |
| Safe for 2-year-olds | ✅ | ⚠️ Small pegs on other brands are choking risks |
- ✅ Solid wood
- ✅ 20+ min play
- ✅ Lasts years
- ✅ Real hand strength
- ✅ No batteries
- ✅ Hand-me-down ready
- ✅ Safe at age 2
- ❌ Plastic cracks
- ⚠️ Bores quickly
- ❌ One-season toy
- ⚠️ Weak feedback
- ❌ Needs charging
- ❌ Doesn't resell
- ⚠️ Choking hazard
Order by 2pm, arrives Tuesday · Gift wrap available at checkout
Was £26.99
Wooden Hammer Bench - Toddler Toy: £22.99
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Not right? Return it within 30 days. Full refund, no questions.
Questions & answers
Questions parents ask before they buy
Which colour should I choose?
Buying for a birthday or first wooden toy? Sage or blush are the safe default (they go with every nursery). Buying for your own child? Pick the colour your toddler keeps reaching for in the photo. All 8 colours play and build exactly the same, so go with what makes you smile when you see it on the floor. Catherine McCulloch says it's the "perfect gift for any babies' 1st birthday" in any colour.
Is it really solid wood?
Yes. Not plywood, not particle board, not MDF with a wood veneer. Solid wood throughout, hand-finished and painted in non-toxic colours. John A told us it's "not the usual tat from China," and Karen Pepper noted that "toys that don't break after five minutes of play" are worth the difference. Every bench comes with a 60-day warranty, so if it splinters or wears, we replace it.
How long will it hold my toddler's attention?
Most toddlers play this for 20+ minutes in a single session, then ask for it again the next day. The reason: there's no end goal, no failure state, just a repeating loop. Hammer, flip, repeat. It's Montessori-inspired, which means it works with how toddlers' brains naturally play. And because every hammer strike feels real (solid wood, proper weight), the feedback keeps them locked in.
Can I gift-wrap it or give it at the last minute?
Yes to both. Order by 2pm, it arrives Tuesday. We offer gift wrapping at checkout in our signature packaging, which parents consistently praise ("arrived next day, saved Christmas," said Leigh Hemmings). If you're cutting it close, choose standard delivery and add gift wrap, and it'll be ready to hand over as-is.
How much does it cost?
The Wooden Hammer Bench - Toddler Toy is £22.99 today (down from £26.99). 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.
Order by 2pm, arrives Tuesday · Gift wrap available at checkout
Was £26.99
Wooden Hammer Bench - Toddler Toy: £22.99
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.
We've been making toys since 1795 because we believe play is where children learn who they are. The Wooden Hammering Bench carries that belief into every detail: solid wood that feels real in a toddler's hands, a play loop that holds their focus without screens or instructions, and a weight and finish that only comes from making things by hand, not by algorithm. This isn't a toy that's designed to be replaced. It's designed to be played with, passed on, and remembered.
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
Get your Wooden Hammering Bench
before the weekend
Was £26.99
£22.99 Save 14%
🛡️ 30-day money-back guarantee · 🚚 Delivery in 2-3 working days · 🏛️ Est. 1795
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