Kia ora Hoopla whānau,

Monday is my last day at Hoopla Kids, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the business.

Over the past decade, it has been an absolute privilege to provide you and your tamariki with colourful, fun, and sustainable organic cotton clothing. From humble beginnings in a caravan in our backyard, to a shipping container in our front yard, a stockroom in Rongotai and every other iteration of Hoopla Kids, I am so grateful for the incredible loyalty and support you have shown us throughout the years.

I want to give a big welcome to Rose, the new owner, who is committed to continuing our mission of offering high-quality, eco-friendly clothing that sparks joy and imagination in children. You can expect the same level of quality, care, and attention to detail that you have come to trust from us.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being an integral part of our story.  Your support has meant we’ve been able to share our love for beautiful children's clothing, offer a flexible and inclusive workplace that supports employees' family commitments, prioritise our whānau's well-being, and strive for a more sustainable future.

I am excited to see where this new chapter takes the business, and I have no doubt that it will continue to thrive under its new ownership.

Ka kite anō.

Ngā mihi,

Kirsten

Stocking Stuffers Ideas:

Our organic cotton socks are pare perfectly with minimal shoes for maximum fun and colour.

We have a range of colours, patterns, styles and sizes for the whole whānau (family).

New PaperKrane barefoot shoes are here!

Our new range includes matching grown-up and kid styles, a new hi-top colour-way, rainbow soles, and a top up of the popular White Lows sneaker, all featuring PK's new wider, more grippy soles.

Sizes are limited, so if you have your eye on a pair, get in quick to avoid disappointment.

It's our 10th birthday! And we're both celebrating (scroll down for our giveaway) and taking a trip down memory lane.

At the centre of our journey has been you - our lovely customers, so thank you for coming along for the ride!

The concept for Hoopla Kids formed in 2012 when I fell in love with scandi clothing while backpacking through Scandinavia with our then-7 month old daughter. We were given a DUNS Sweden summer suit and had not seen anything like it before. It was full of colour and great images and was made from lovely organic fabric. As we explored I discovered more and more amazing clothing.

On our return home I became passionate about bringing these clothes to Aotearoa for all to enjoy.

From starting in a caravan in our backyard, to moving into a shipping container in our front yard, to our stockroom in Rongotai, our small operation has grown steadily over the past 10 years, with sustainability at the heart of Hoopla Kids, both in our business operations and our homes. We believe in buying well and buying less as an effective way to tread gently on the earth - especially with clothing in this fast-fashion world.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for being a part of this incredible journey, whether you've been with us from the beginning, or you've just found out about us. With your support, we have be able to do a job that we absolutely love, while working around our whānau's needs, and tread lightly on Papatūānuku.

Ngā mihi,

Kirsten

Hoopla Kids Highlights:

- Launching re-loved - our clothing buy-back programme in 2019

- Developing Fix It Kits in 2020 - a range of easy iron-on patches for clothing repair

- Moving to our stockroom in Rongotai in 2022

- Meeting happy customers that share a common love of fun and sustainable clothing and shoes

- Most of all though, getting to work with all the wāhine that have been part of the Hoopla team

Giveaway

To celebrate the last 10 years and to say a big thank you for being a part of this incredible journey, we're giving away 10 Hoopla Kids $10 vouchers over on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

To enter:

1. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook

2. Like the giveaway post on Instagram or Facebook

3. Tag a friend and tell us what your favourite Hoopla Kids purchase has been. If you haven't bought from us yet, let us know what you'd spend your voucher on.

4. Bonus points if you share or send us a photo of your favourite purchase.

Competition closes 8pm Sunday, 21 May 2023. 10 winners (5 from Facebook, 5 from Instagram) will be notified by direct message. Open worldwide.

With all the variables in sizing systems, and the guesswork that comes with shopping online rather than in person, we've got tips to help you make confident choices at Hoopla Kids.

CLOTHES

The clothing brands we stock all use the European Standard sizing system, which is based on body proportion measurements, categorised according to your height.

To find the right size clothing at Hoopla Kids, you need:

• the height in centimetres of the person/s you're shopping for

Here's an example of what the sizing numbers mean, and how they're scaled
The circled numbers are the height in centimetres:

Our experience is that for most babies, kids, and young teens, the European sizing system works well and starting with a person's current height measurement is best. If you need to adjust from there, you can easily go up or down a size. The handy thing about the EU Standard is that once you've outgrown one size, you can be confident in ordering the following size up and know that it will fit.

SHOES

Shoes are a bit more of a variable beast! There isn't the same universal shoe sizing system as used for clothing.

The brands we stock use either the European shoe sizing system (EU 19 little kid - 42 adult), or the US sizing structure (5 - 13 kids, 1 - 4 youth, 5 + adult) and they all have comparison measurements in other formats like UK or Japanese sizing, which is useful.

The shoes we sell have a small amount of length ease built into their sizing system. This is because they are aimed at the minimalist or barefoot shoe market, where people expect wriggle and spreading room for happy toes.

To get an accurate shoe size

• measure both feet in centimetres
• compare the longest foot measurement to the size guide for each shoe brand (look for the columns showing the shoe measurements in centimetres!)

Does your person's feet have a high instep or fuller foot? If so, then you'll probably want to look for a shoe with wide access, like velcro fastenings or laces that you can fully loosen to insert the feet.

SOCKS

The socks on our shelves are sized according to the European shoe sizing system.

Socks in size 19/21 are for little wee ones that would fit shoes in EU 19 - 21. Tiny!
Size 32/35 is for kids who wear shoes in EU 32 - 35.

Socks with a densely woven print will have a tighter fit, and have less stretch than socks with a simple woven design due to their construction.

To sum it all up...
Before shopping at Hoopla Kids, the BEST THING you can do is have up to date body measurements of the person you're purchasing for.

• For clothing, like tops, pants/shorts, dresses and outerwear, you'll want to have the height measurement (in cm).

• For socks and shoes, you'll need the feet length measurement (in cm), and translate that using our footwear size guides to either the European or US shoe sizes.

• For hats, naturally you'll need the head circumference measurement (in cm).

We love ensuring you get the best fit, first time, so if you have concerns about the sizing of any gear at Hoopla Kids, just drop us a line at stockroom@hooplakids.co.nz
We've got our measuring tapes at the ready.

We also offer great returns! We know that not everything works out as hoped for. So you can return any unused item (including those on sale) if something isn't right for you. We happily offer refunds, exchanges or store credit on all returns. Check out the finer details of our Returns Policy.

It's been a fun exploration and we're stoked to have found fun, thoughtfully designed, affordable barefoot and minimal shoe brands suitable for everyone.

We get a real kick out of PaperKrane's super fun, bright, well-considered barefoot shoes. They are brilliant for everyday wear, and are unique to anything we've seen before. PaperKrane shoes are designed locally in Australia, and made in close partnership with their manufacturing team in Vietnam. Hoopla Kids Chief, Kirsten, says 'These shoes are just right up my alley. I think they are the sort of shoes I've looked for since I was younger!'

Plae's range, while not technically 'barefoot', offer sturdy yet very flexible foot shaped shoes for busy young feet, as well as making shoes for water, school and the great outdoors. Their shoes are also made in Vietnam.

Another brand we have a lot of time for is Xero Shoes, particularly their Z-Trail sandals for kids and adults. Xero Shoes are based in the US, with offices now in Australia. They use recycled nylon fibres for their webbing straps, and 2 thin layers of foam set on a rubber grip sole for the Z-Trail range. These sandals are very flexible and thin. with excellent traction for off-road adventures.

You might've seen the term before, but what does it mean for shoes to be considered 'barefoot' or 'minimal'?

The key features are that the shoes are flat, or parallel to the ground (no raised heels here). Also known as 'zero drop'. Barefoot shoes allow your feet to connect to the ground just as nature intended, but protected from the elements. Our feet are full of sensors and nerves that transmit information to the brain, helping us make adjustments to our posture and balance as we move. The barefoot shoe movement points out that our feet are magnificent, biomechanical wonders - a perfect feature we have that connects us to the world. 

This means that good barefoot shoes have very thin, flexible soles that protect you from the elements but don't interfere with your foot sensors sending ‘optimal movement information’ to the brain. They generally have no arch support, based on the idea that our feet arches strengthen through active, engaged use. Many barefoot shoes are roomy enough that you could insert prescribed orthotics, if you need to.

Barefoot shoes are also foot shaped, with a wider toe box than regular modern shoes to accommodate the natural splay of your toes as you flex your feet.

With the deliberate thin sole, when wearing barefoot shoes, people find they often need to adjust the way they strike (or land) feet on the ground. Modern thick, chunky footwear cushions a lot of the sensations of walking/running, causing us to hit the ground heel first (a heel strike).

Have you noticed how your gait changes when you're moving in bare feet? If we walk in bare feet with a heavy heel strike, it quickly hurts. When in bare feet, we often naturally shift to using a gentler mid-foot strike or a very gentle toe strike where we land on the balls of our front foot like we're sneaking or walking across hot concrete. This is unconsciously done - the result of sensory messaging between our brain and feet responding to the ground.

Our feet are designed to make all of these varied ground connections, and our footwear can support natural styles of movement, rather than hinder them. This is an important consideration when looking for suitable kids footwear. We're not just looking for cool kicks! But for shoes that let them move as they naturally do. Learning balance, coordination and gaining agility comes from having that clear brain-to-ground connection. Barefoot shoes offer all the ground feedback with enough protection to keep you moving happily.

These features make barefoot shoes feel different to wear than regular shoes, and it can take time and some practice to adjust. Nothing serious - just take it easy for a few wears. Maybe no long walks or runs! Stop if your feet or legs feel weary, and think about your movements as you go about your day. You can even add an extra inner sole to help ease into that unique ground sensation.

As you wear the shoes in, your feet and leg muscles will build up stamina and before you know it you'll have transitioned into moving comfortably in barefoot shoes.

Here's a few of our favourite shots, taken around Rongotai.

© Ashleigh Lake Photography, Hoopla Kids Ltd

DUNS have rebooted some old favourite prints - Acorns, alongside Pumpkins (Autumn Garden) and Mushrooms (Chantarelle). This season also includes two new colour variations of the classic Radish. All the prints are complimented by new More Than A Fling basics so you can mix and match.

We're really glad to finally receive Moromini's fresh season, after long covid-related delays. This season has all the peace, love and 90s sci-fi vibes you could ever want! If your teen years consisted of Mulder, Scully and the Men In Black beaming from the TV, you’re going to think this range is out of this world.

In June this year we received our first delivery of the bold, bright barefoot shoes from a fantastic Australian company, PaperKrane.

Confession: we (I, Kirsten) have a real weak spot for unique barefoot shoes. I can't help it. Having fun, comfy, foot-shaped shoes on my feet makes me happy! How could you resist these brilliant boots? I love their wide toe boxes, and flexible soles. I love the sturdy materials. Most of all, I love the colour.

My three Hoopla Kids saw these shoes and insisted that they get a pair each. Handy testers, I thought! Let's see how the shoes go with my busy family. Lachie and Sammy both chose the Jungle Shoes in black leather with camouflage soles. Here's a wee video of how the shoes handled a month's worth of heavy duty wear.

These kids are hard on their shoes and have known to wear through them in a few weeks.

So far these shoes have played football in the mud, disc golf in the rain, they've been wet and dry multiple times, ridden the Old Coach Road cycle trail, played basketball, football tennis, as well as everyday life on small feet. We are super happy with how these shoes are holding up and how much they are loved by the kids. They’re still comfortable, flexible and looking good.

If you’re looking for an awesome pair of barefoot shoes for your tamariki, we highly recommend having a look through the SHOE menu on our website at our collection of PaperKrane shoes

UPDATE:
In the interests of full disclosure, after being absolutely thrashed on a daily basis for months, the jungle shoes were worn into actual threads... And we're onto round 2 with these favourite shoes being chosen again!

Colours and clothing don't have genders and, by happily ignoring those cultural stereotypes, our little (and big) customers can freely choose clothes they really like. I've long felt that life with a growing family is filled with enough things to hold our attention than getting caught up in whether our family's wardrobe meets society's expectations. 

Here at Hoopla Kids we proudly offer you gear with no gendered slogans, a rainbow of colours to show off your awesomeness, and practical clothes that let kids be kids!

Got a wee person into machines and wheels? Or maybe they're animal obsessed... Perhaps they prefer a monochrome look from head to toe? Do you like to dress your kids in bright, noticeable colours so they're easy to find in a crowd? Are we feeling very pink and purple today? I hope our range can meet those very important requirements.

As a parent, I've loved watching my kids choose clothes that make them feel fully themselves - that moment of 'yes!!! Today I am green like the Hulk!' Or going to the supermarket with a little one who insists on wearing gumboots and togs with their purple arm warmers and a crown from the op shop. There's something really beautiful in having the choice to present yourself however you like.

*We currently do list some of the adult clothes as being designed for women or men, if there is garment shaping (or a lack of) to accommodate things like bust and hip curves.

Check out this short video of our very big moving day...

We're working hard to get the new space organised and set up with a nice display area, including a fun place for kids to play and try gear on.

The Hoopla kids have begun construction already.

We promise some improvements to the Kids' Corner, but we will definitely keep the signage!

Once it's ready to roll, we'll be open regularly on Saturdays as well as weekdays for drop-in visitors.

You'll find us at 257 Coutts Street, Rongotai

Scooped the fruit out and into a heavy saucepan.

Took the fruit skins off to the compost! I'm pretty sure the worms look forward to feijoa season as much as we do, and we're richly rewarded with some beautiful soil in a few months time.

Gently simmering the fruit in pots with the lids off until it's thickened and and the fruit liquid is significantly reduced (by about 1/5 to 1/4 or more).

This took several hours. Stirred regularly to stop the fruit from burning to the base of the pot. The pulp needs to be really gluggy, as too much water will ruin the texture of the fruit leather.

Added honey for additional sweetness, because only some of us like very tart fruits. You can see how reduced the volume got by the end.

Optional extras include adding lemon juice or food grade ascorbic acid (vitamin c) to help preserve the leather for longer*.

*This is a good idea for storing fruit leather for ages - left on its own, without the extra vitamin c, the fruit leather may get mouldy or ferment badly otherwise.

Blended the cooked pulp till it's smooth and more creamy looking.

Prepared the dehydrator by lightly coating the fruit leather plastic sheets with a neutral vegetable oil.

Poured the fruit mixture onto each tray, spreading it around thickly and evenly. This was done in a few rounds, as we had a massive load of feijoas to get through.

I had hoped to take a photo of the finished fruit leather, but truth be told, I had to hide it fast in an effort to stop it being eaten, and then... well, we ate it all.

----

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can use your oven on low instead - set the oven to 60 - 80 c, fan bake.

Prepare trays (or big roasting dishes, or whatever you have that would work) by lining them with greased baking paper.

Pour the fruit mixture onto each tray, spreading it around thickly and evenly.

Place in the oven, with the door open, and leave to dry out for a few hours. You'll know the leather is done when it's no longer sticky to touch.

Once cooked, and leaving the baking paper attached, roll your fruit leather up into tubes while it's still soft and warm from the oven. You can slice it into smaller rolls now (great for lunch boxes), or leave them as full tubes to save.

Keep your fruit leather stored in airtight containers, in the fridge for a long time, or in the pantry for a short time.

If you mean to store away for much later, seal the leather in clean ziplock bags, with all the air removed.

Simply put, we like the old school laybuy system for its' honesty. There are no hidden tricks. You make an order, pay it off as you can manage, and then you get your lovely gear. If you can't pay (for whatever reason), the order is easily cancelled.

The new online versions of laybuy look quite like hire-purchase agreements. Afterpay, Laybuy, Zip, Humm, and their ilk offer the benefit of instant gratification for our shopping. Happy taglines of 'buy now, pay later' accompany images of cheerful people delighted with their snappy purchases. But as customers accept the products before paying for it, these arrangements are loan debts.

Breaking prices down into four easy payments plays a trick on our brains. Many of us only see the smaller number, ignoring the larger total. From there it looks fine to tack on an extra $10 to each tiny payment, and before we know it we've been up-sold. Such easy buy-now-pay-later shopping can be great until you find yourself still tied down to your purchase/s long after you've gotten the stuff, used it, and any shopping dopamine has dissolved.

This all feeds into a noisy, hyped up consumer culture brimming with opportunities for us to quickly spend hard-earned money.

The financial literacy website Sorted lists some real risks and possible consequences to taking on buy-now-pay-later debts, especially if people find themselves committed beyond their means. They've got some great suggestions on handling these laybuys with care. Currently, banks are also taking a dim view of buy-now-pay-later debts in their lending assessments, which could be an issue if you suddenly needed a loan to deal with one of life's curve balls.

As a budgeting tool, laybuy (however you frame it) is very useful for breaking down large costs into smaller, manageable payments. Life is heavy and expensive right now, and we need to do what works best for our situations.

From a business perspective, it's tricky to compete in a marketplace of constant sales, one-click spending, and general hustle. It'd simplify our business admin to use one of these online services, but we have ethical concerns so we handle our laybuys manually. We'd love to have an online traditional laybuy tool for our website - so far there is currently nothing like that available. Side note: if you're an entrepreneurial software developer, then we've got a business idea for you!

With all of that in mind, we're sticking with the original laybuy approach where you can choose what you need and work towards paying it off, enjoying the fruits of your efforts freely at the end. We won't tie any strings to you, and we're happy to make personalised arrangements to suit your budgeting and family needs.

As an ethical clothing retailer, we think carefully about the consumer messages we send to you. Behind each order that comes through Hoopla Kids, we know there's a person who's made a considered choice to spend their money with us. We promise not to exploit that decision.

We have just moved DUNS Sweden's beautiful Christmas collection over to our Last Chance page. Not only does this include dresses, zip suits, shorts, and kids and adult tops in the beautiful Heart print, but also a big selection of lush linen/cotton blend tea towels in a range of floral, mushroom, chestnut and vegetable prints.

Add a splash of colour to your kitchen with a new tea towel, or buy ahead for Christmas, even Mid-winter Christmas, with this festive print.

As we head into Autumn, we've fully loaded the drawers with Fräulein Prusselise socks in brand new prints, as well as a restock of some of our favourites. 

We love Fräulein Prusselise for their colourful socks and range of fun, cute and quirky patterns. We've got sizes and styles for the whole family, from sneakers socks, to ankle and adult. Made in Europe using organic cotton, they're sure to knock your socks off.

Xero Shoes are committed to making environmentally intelligent footwear for the barefoot/minimalist shoe market. As a company they focus on minimal designs, using renewable materials where possible with low energy manufacturing, to create footwear that endures and offers people foot health and freedom.
All Xero Shoes have a 5,000 mile warranty on their soles (that's 8,000 km in the metric system). The Z-Trail Sandals use nylon webbing made from recycled plastic bottles.

From a wearer's perspective, you can expect the Z-Trails to provide good ground protection, while allowing your feet to flex naturally on the terrain as if you're barefoot. We love this for kids who need footwear that let their growing feet stay agile and strong. If you're new to the barefoot shoe experience, we would recommend the Z-Trails as a good, affordable place to start. As you wear the sandals over time, you'll find your foot muscles (especially the arches) will strengthen and your toes will have better range of motion.

These sandals are suitable for most adventure terrains - the beach, tramps in the bush, regular old footpaths, rocky dirt tracks, probably even snow if you're really game?! Though we don't recommend that...

We have some bittersweet news for the beginning of the year. Our new Maxomorra Classics collection has landed and is full of bright and colourful prints on organic cotton tees, hoodies, undies, dresses and singlets. We're so excited to see the return of the Dino, Sky, Lightning and LP patterns.

Unfortunately, this will also be our last ever Maxomorra drop. Due to financial constraints brought on by COVID, they have decided to only supply to the UK and EU. So with that being said, if there are any styles that you love from Maxomorra - particularly sweat leggings and undies - we suggest you stock up now before they are all gone.

With school holidays coming to an end, it's time to slowly start getting organised for the year ahead. Tick school shoes off the list with a pair of our black shoes from plae. Our range of shoes are sleek but sturdy, and will earn an A+ in the classroom with enough support and protection to survive a whole year of playtime.

And if you're looking for a solid backpack for the new school year, we love ReKanken bags from Fjallraven. Yes, they’re an investment, but will give you years of heavy duty use in return. If there’s a ReKanken colour you’re particularly after, get in touch and we’ll look to order it in for you.

This is a snapshot of our stockroom after pressuring our manufacturers to stop sending clothes individually wrapped in plastic. As you can see, we’ve nearly phased out plastic-wrapped stock, and since early 2018, have requested our brands send us stock free of plastic.

In 2018 we began using (and re-using) cardboard envelopes for protecting stock, and storing them in second-hand filing cabinets.

The amount of plastic used in clothing retail is unnecessary, and we are proud of our stance to refuse all plastic on behalf of our customers and our retailers.

Many of our brands have been enthusiastically on board with our decision, and we are continuing to push for further change.

Here's a delivery of lovely Moromini clothing, carefully packaged in paper bag layers from the super manufacturing team in India.

When we send out your orders, we carefully wrap them in brown paper bags

We use brown paper tape (recyclable) to seal your parcels, and leave them out for our cool courier person to collect.

When you get your orders, the paper packaging can be easily reused if it's still sturdy enough, or used to light the fire, line a litter box, put in your home compost, or put in the recycling!

A lovely thing we've noticed is the creative recycled packaging we see being used when items are returned to us for exchange. Check out this nifty situation! A pair of shorts were sent back in exchange for a larger size, and we received them wrapped in a reused compostable bag, inside a reused paper pottle! So cool.

We've just found a recycling collection for the printing backs of our courier labels. They're a plastic coated paper, and we've had to send them to landfill up until now.

Any soft plastics we still receive from brands are now going into the widely available soft plastics recycling programme. Hard plastics (like the plastic strapping on big courier boxes) go to the Tiny Plastics Factory here in Wellington. Cardboard and paper waste go into the Wellington City paper recycling. The occasional compostable bag that comes our way gets taken and put into one of our staff's home compost bins. Any rubbish or packaging we can't find a home for goes to landfill.

So in terms of waste output from Hoopla Kids, we are down to minimal landfill waste. We are pleased with this!

Our stockroom has been a flurry of activity unpacking all the beautiful new clothing that has just arrived. 

First up, we've just launched a new season from Finish brand, Naperonuttu with stunning lace, dinosaur fossils and fantastic space prints. This range includes short sleeved tops, the classic Naperonuttu zip up suit, great for potty training, and lightweight hoodies that are perfect for New Zealand Spring and Summer evenings.

We have also received a charming new collection from Little Green Radicals, with a range of cosy printed joggers in apples, monsters and foxes, as well as corduroy jeans in two new colour ways, and beautifully soft, ribbed long sleeved tops in olive, ochre and blue. The whole range is in an earthy colour palette which can be mixed and match to create the perfect outfit for new adventures. 

All of our Standard sized Kånken bags in our Clearance Sale are now gone, but we still have plenty of the amazing Mini Kånken. Don't be fooled by their size, these bags are both versatile and practical.

One of our team has been using her ReKånken Mini almost everyday for two years and swears by it. We asked her what she loves about it, which turned out to be quite a lot:

"It's a really smart bag. It looks slick and cool. The shape means I can fit all my daily stuff in. I use its removable seat pad for surprise outdoor sitting (very handy when your kid needs to stop and do something while out on a mission). The straps can be adjusted or tidied away and I can use the grab handles to make it look more like a purse, or I can take off a jacket, and strap it in between the handles and have my hands free.

I really like the monochromatic look of my black ReKånken. The style means I can move between roles of mum and working professional without looking like a packhorse. But I've still got everything I need and then some. Small backpacks make great daily bags - you don't get broken shoulders from lugging around a shoulder bag."

She kindly opened up her bag and showed us everything that she was carrying in her bag today. As you can see, these bags really pack a punch.

Find a rainbow of both Classic Kånken Mini and recycled plastic ReKånken Mini in our Kånken Clearance Sale before the rest of our team gets their hands on them.

We have a big range of summer goodies coming soon to Hoopla Kids, so we thought we'd show you what's on the way so you can be prepared. 

If all goes to plan, new Naperonuttu will be here in a week or two with hoodies, tops, and zip up dungarees. New plae shoes, including a top up of sam sandals and new max boot are on their way, and we'll have new swimwear from Muddy Puddles here just in time for the sunshine.

We'll keep you updated, but in the meantime, happy browsing.

In our recent newsletters, we've been sharing a bit about Hoopla Kids and the things we do that we think are quite special. We send you your, and everybody's, order in brown paper that can be reused, recycled, or composted. No plastic in sight.

As well as stunning new clothing from DUNS Sweden, this collection also includes a range of lush and gorgeous Homewares. From bedding, linen tea towels and breathtaking tablecloths, to all new pot holders and oven mitts, these homewares are sure to brighten any bedroom, kitchen or dinner table.

Choose from a range of vegetable themed prints, as well as nasturtiums and their new Autumn Flowers.

In our recent newsletters, we've been sharing a bit about Hoopla Kids and the things we do that we think are quite special. Today we're sharing about our labour of love, our Fix It Kits, which are made by us, with care in Wellington, Aotearoa.

In our recent newsletters, we've been sharing a bit about Hoopla Kids and the things we do that we think are quite special. One of the key factors in the foundation of Hoopla Kids was providing a space for gender neutral clothing that kids love and enjoy. There are a number of things that we do to support this, including not separating our clothing by gender.

Summer holidays are coming to an end, and it’s time to get ready for school with 20% off our whole Back-To-School range.

Dress your kids in ethically made, organic cotton clothing all year round, with Little Yellow Bird’s school uniform range, and More Than A Fling’s colourful basics. Keep their feet covered with our brand new School Shoe range from Plae, as well as organic cotton socks from Maxomorra.

We’ve also included plain coloured tops, shorts, sweatpants, leggings, and trouser from Moromini, JNY, and Maxamorra, as well as Muddy Puddles rain jackets.

We’ve even included our Fix It Kits to repair any holes or tears that are bound to happen during playtime.

And if you’re looking for a sturdy, long-lasting backpack to pack all the school essentials into, we’ve discounted our whole range of Kånken backpacks.

Sale runs from Thursday 28 January - Sunday 7 February.

We are so thrilled to let you know that Hoopla Kids is New Zealand’s first and only stockist of Plae shoes. We first bought these shoes for our children many years ago, and have been so impressed, we wanted to share them with you.

Plae shoes are extremely flexible, as well as provide incredible grip. They are made in a solar powered, fair labor factory, are machine washable, and did we mention durable? They have outlasted our kids' hard wearing, and we’ve been able to pass them down through the siblings.

Find out more about Plae Shoes and what makes them the perfect shoe solution for growing feet.

With summer just around the corner and days getting longer, it’s time to break out the sunny wardrobe.

Follow the sun with DUNS Sweden’s new range of Sunflowers and Mushrooms, the return of the much loved Rosehip and Mother Earth prints, plus a new Sage Radish colour way.

Let the fun and games begin with Moromini’s new season. We’re loving the retro vibes and playful prints. With tees for mum AND dad, body tops and playsuits for pēpi, and a huge range for all the sizes in between, there’s something for everyone!

We’ve had a re-stock of many of our More Than A Fling basics. They’re an easy way to add instant colour to your family's wardrobe, especially with our 3 for $60 deal. From t-shirts to shorts, and long sleeves to leggings and baggy pants, in a rainbow of colours and sizes from baby to adult, there’s something for everyone.

We've made good changes so that many of our stock orders arriving at Hoopla HQ are free of all soft plastics. We pass this benefit onto you, our customers, and our retailers as we are able to provide everyone with plastic-free products and minimal paper-based packing waste to manage. We use brown paper bags, or recycled cardboard boxes, and paper tape for all our outgoing orders, including international parcels!

Completely eliminating soft plastics from Hoopla Kids is still a work in progress. To be really honest with you, I think as long as soft plastics are an option on the market we'll always be dealing with them. As our range of brands have changed with time, the volume of soft plastics arriving at our stockroom has increased again, and we work to resolve it.  

To deal with soft plastics in NZ, there are different options available to both retailers and consumers depending on which part of the country you live. It can also be a bit complicated! In Wellington, where we are based, soft plastic recycling is handled by private businesses, one of which is the Tiny Plastic Factory.

Darcy, owner of the Tiny Plastic Factory, came to visit Hoopla HQ and assess what soft plastics could be recycled. We talked through the Tiny Plastic Factory recycling process and capabilities, and worked out a good plan going forward. Every few months, Darcy will collect our soft plastics from our HQ on his cargo bike (!), and take them back to his recycling centre. We will pay by volume for our soft plastics to be recycled, and consider this as a worthy expense.

For now, we can recycle all plastic carton webbed strapping (those white/grey/black plastic straps often wrapped around large boxes), and polyethylene and polypropylene plastic bags with Resin Identification Code (RIC) numbers 2,4 and 5. These are the little recycle triangle symbols with the number in the centre.

Any soft plastic without a RIC number can't be recycled as it's unclear exactly what plastic it's made of and the testing facilities to find out aren't readily available. Soft plastics with different RIC numbers (1, 3, 6, 7, and so on) require different recycling or are completely unrecyclable.

We currently get a lot of soft plastics and slightly crunchy cellophane plastics that have a basic recycle symbol but no further information about composition, and no RIC number. This is bluntly known as "greenwashing" - it looks like the plastic producers are making an effort to plan for the plastic's end of life, but it doesn't fit within any mainstream recycling systems, lacking key information on composition - that RIC number, and so the plastic gets used once and thrown in the landfill (probably). You might've noticed this with other plastic consumer packaging. Sometimes the recycle wording is sneaky! 

In these circumstances, we've asked the clothing manufacturers to give us the composition information for the unlabelled plastic bags so we can work out what to do with the plastics already received. We don't want to send anything to landfill unnecessarily, so if the soft plastics can be recycled we'll do that.

We're also in discussions with those brands about removing the plastic bags entirely. It is a lot of work to process waste, and we'd rather avoid using complicated substances, like plastic, in the first place. This process can take time, especially when brands operate in multiple countries each with different rules/requirements for consumer packaging and waste management.

All in all, we're hopeful of further change and are finding brands are readily open to discussion and ideas. We'll keep you posted as and when we have more to report!

DUNS Sweden make colourful, unisex and high quality kids wear in 100% GOTS Certified Organic Cotton and production facilities in India. Sustainability and the importance of a healthy and fair production is the pillar on which DUNS Sweden stands. The entire chain from seed to finished product is GOTS Certified and controlled by Control Union.

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We're thrilled to bring you fresh, new clothing from Finnish brand Paapii.
Paapii make 100% GOTS certified organic and Oekotex cotton clothing at their very own factory in Kokkola, Western Finland, and their fabrics are produced and printed in neighboring Lithuania.

With a focus on bold, bright graphic prints, Paapii clothing will have you standing out from the crowd! Their clothes are unisex, and the size range goes from ages 3 - 12 years. It was a treat to open the boxes and see these lovely clothes in person, and we think you'll love them too. See the full range here!

Fresh prints from DUNS and More Than A Fling are online now!
We've finally got more new zip suits (and in that cute Purple Meadow print) as well all the regular styles in bikes, ice creams and radish prints.

We also ordered a huge updated range of plain basics. You'll find both classic and new seasonal colours in baby, child and adult sizes. There've been many requests for more baby body tops - your wishes have been granted! Our collection of baggy pants is restocked - these are great for all ages, as every day wear or pyjamas. 

Use our 3 for $60 deal* to mix and match as you need! 
*Automatically applied at checkout