Martijn Uittenbogaard, Manager of The Big Toy Book and App at bol, states: “Everyone remembers the tradition of the toy book from their own childhood: circling favourite gifts and dreaming on paper. At bol, we keep this nostalgia alive, but in a future-proof format with even more experience. During the festive season, it's primarily about creating beautiful moments, connection, and cosiness. This year, we have further enriched and innovated The Big Toy Book, offering more entertainment and fun.”

Playful fun on sugar beet pulp paper
A striking new addition is the activity book at the front. Further into the book, there is also a strong focus on play and fun, with a total of no fewer than 76 activities and games for the entire festive season. The activity book focuses on more themes than just Sinterklaas. It offers inspiration and fun for the entire season: from autumn enjoyment and Halloween to the lantern festival Sint-Maarten. This ensures The Big Toy Book remains enjoyable from the moment it arrives, from autumn until the Christmas holidays. The 16 pages of the activity book are printed on Dutch sugar beet pulp paper, a surprising material that offers opportunities for the future. Furthermore, the entire book is produced in the Netherlands and Belgium, using local raw materials. Martijn Uittenbogaard adds: “At bol, we are constantly looking for ways to further develop the book. The use of sugar beet pulp paper is a prime example of this. With the activity book, we are taking a first step to explore where we can implement innovations that, if proven successful, can also be applied on a larger scale.”

New technology for enhanced experience
Bol has also further enhanced The Big Toy App. Thirty-four new fun & do videos have been added, challenging children to play outdoors, craft, or learn something new. With no fewer than 1,500 educational quizzes and 120 puzzles, children will not be bored this autumn. One of the highlights in the app is that during the Sinterklaas period, one of the 26 new 'Club van Sinterklaas' episodes, developed exclusively for bol, will be released daily. Children receive a video from Sinterklaas in which he, helped by AI, pronounces their name. The Big Toy App is fully supervised by parents: parents register their child and have insight into the content offered. Even the digital wish list, which can be created using QR codes in the book, goes directly to the designated gift-giver in the account. This makes both choosing and giving gifts an experience that connects the entire family.

No Interest? No Book.
This year, The Big Toy Book will not simply arrive on everyone's doorstep. Bol is implementing two different distribution strategies this year to ensure the book is only delivered to families who genuinely wish to receive it. Using this strategy, based on data analysis, parents and guardians with young children could opt in or out. This proved successful: over 95% of the target audience indicated they wanted the book.

Practical Information
From 7 October, The Big Toy Book will be delivered to doorsteps across the Netherlands. For customers who do not receive home delivery, The Big Toy Book can be found at Albert Heijn and, as of this year, also via AH.nl. Children and their parents can already download the accompanying app and use it for entertainment during the upcoming autumn holidays.