Two friends from Birmingham have launched a bespoke soft play and toy hire business after being shocked by the cost of planning their babies' first birthdays. Tammy Cusack, a part-time teacher from Castle Vale, and Rachel Stokes, a care manager from Coleshill, founded Kiddies' Kits to offer affordable, personalised party setups for families.
Having both worked in education and special schools for more than ten years, they identified a gap in the market. "We started the business last year when we were planning our own babies' first birthdays and we couldn't find anything we wanted to hire at a reasonable price," said Tammy. "We felt there was a gap in the market."
Bespoke party setups
Kiddies' Kits provides play tents, ball pits, tunnels, ride-on cars and slides, tailored to each child's preferences. Rachel creates vinyl stickers to personalise ball pits with a child's name, age, or special messages for events like christenings or celebrations. Her children are three and nearly two, while Tammy has a four-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son.
"The thing we love most about our business is the fact our party offer is unique," said Tammy. "We haven't seen any other party brands offering a set up like ours - from our XL foam bricks to our large crawl and climb monkey tunnel, and our fabulous ride-alongs that are everyone's favourite."
Positive reviews and growth
The business has received five-star reviews from customers. One mum who runs a sensory group for babies said: "The kit itself was lovely and the babies and mums had so much fun using it. Both Tammy and Rach are lovely, helpful and really accommodating." Another customer praised the "refreshing alternative to standard soft play hire" at a Halloween event, while a third noted "reasonable pricing and fantastic service".
Since launching in September 2025, Kiddies' Kits has expanded beyond parties to supply play groups with equipment. The duo juggle the business with their main jobs and childcare, often doing prep work after their children are in bed. "Doing parties, we tend to get most of our work on the weekends so we are able to leave the kiddies with their dads whilst we pop out to do the set ups," said Tammy.
Serving the wider region
Aimed at children aged 0-5, the service covers Birmingham, Solihull, Staffordshire, Lichfield and Warwickshire. The business is part of the Brummie Mummies Kitchen Table Business series, which highlights local entrepreneurs. Those interested can find out more via the Kiddies' Kits Instagram page.
