At Make Me Iconic, giving back is part of who we are. In 2017 we proudly donate a car full of our signature wooden toys to the Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital’s Oncology Unit and it has become one of the most meaningful parts of our year.

In December, we filled the car with brand-new Make Me Iconic wooden toys and made our annual visit to the Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital. It means so much to us. With my daughter by my side, we had the privilege of personally delivering toys to children undergoing cancer treatment in the Oncology Unit. Guided by a kind RCH assistant and pushing our toy-filled trolley through the ward, we stopped at each room to invite the kids to choose whatever they liked. These toys are theirs to keep, something special to brighten their hospital stay, bring comfort during a tough time, and offer a moment of simple, joyful screen-free play.

Even just for a few moments, we hope our toys help these brave little patients forget why they’re in hospital and simply let them be kids.

For us, it’s not about the publicity or the numbers. It’s about creating small moments of joy in what can be an incredibly tough time for these children and their families. It’s the very least we can do.

How It All Started — A Special Moment with Zara

Earlier this year, we came across a beautiful moment on Instagram, little Zara from @zaras_leukaemia_fight was playing with one of our wooden toys during her hospital stay. Seeing the joy on her face was incredibly moving. We reached out to her amazing mum, Amanda, and offered to send Zara a few more toys to brighten her days. That conversation quickly turned into something bigger, a shared idea that we could do even more to support other children like Zara. From there, our next donation to Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital was already in motion.

Why Our Toys Work So Well in a Hospital Setting

Our wooden toys are a perfect fit for hospital environments—designed to be:

• Safe and non-toxic, tested to meet Australian standards

• Durable, smooth, and easy to disinfect, making them ideal for shared spaces or bedside play

• Open-ended and screen-free, encouraging creativity and calm focus

• Tactile and interactive, offering a comforting distraction during long days in bed

Whether it's a child quietly stacking toy burgers, serving pretend tea to a parent, or showing their new doll accessories to a visiting sibling, these simple acts of play can be powerful. They give back a sense of normalcy and let kids be kids, even in hospital.

Supporting Families Too

We’ve also seen firsthand how important it is to support not just the patients, but also their siblings who often spend hours visiting in hospital. That’s why many of the toys we give are also handed out to brothers and sisters—an act that acknowledges the whole family and brings comfort during long stays. 

We’re Committed to Giving Back

Over the years, we've donated to other children’s hospitals too, including Monash Children’s Hospital, and we remain committed to expanding our charitable giving wherever we can. In fact, back in 2018, we donated 3% of our total profits in toys to a range of deserving charities. You can read more about that here.

Looking Ahead

As a small business, we feel incredibly grateful to be able to give back in this way. Each year, we look forward to our December drop-off at RCH, it’s a day filled with emotion, connection, and a reminder of what really matters.

To every nurse, parent, and brave little patient we've met: thank you for letting us be part of your day. We hope our toys bring a spark of play, a sense of comfort, and a smile that lasts well beyond the hospital walls.

Much Love, founder from Make Me Iconic 

Natasha XOXO

Australian Gift and Souvenirs

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