You hold on to them tight; tuck them in at night, read them stories, lay a place for them at the dinner table…as any parent or carer knows, their child’s favourite comfort toy is undeniably a fully-fledged part of the family. Now, a survey commissioned by Outlet Shopping at The O2 reveals just how important that teddy, dolly, blankie (or even toy car) is – with most kids (93%) having a special item that goes everywhere with them.

Given their status, it’s little wonder that losing these toys is unthinkable: with 83% of parents worried their child will lose their toy at some point, and over a third (34%) saying that they “live in constant fear” of their little one misplacing it. So, to relieve that burden on parents (and show Teddy/Dolly/Blankie an equally wonderful time) Outlet Shopping at The O2 is launching a bespoke Toy Creche service this half term providing expert VIP care for visitors’ cuddly friends whilst the rest of the family enjoys their day out.

Toys will be left in the care of a dedicated Toy Creche manager, furnished with their own VIP lanyard on check-in with youngsters encouraged to provide detailed care instructions before the toys are whisked off on their own bespoke adventure at The O2. Whilst the rest of the family sample sweet delights at Haute Dolci, pick up the latest summer staples at Tommy Hilfiger, or give iFLY Indoor Skydiving a go, their cuddly friends will be exploring the rest of the destination under the careful watch of the Toy Creche team. What’s more, families who utilise the Toy Creche will be able to claim a free kids meal with any adult meal at either Kitchen Pizzeria or Afrikana. Conveniently located under one iconic roof at The O2, why not end your outlet shopping trip, bowling bonanza or cinema extravaganza with a delicious bite to eat – just show the host your Toy Creche token on arrival and enjoy.

The service is intended to alleviate some of the enormous responsibility parents carry on a busy family day out; being the carer of not just their children but also their kids’ favourite comfort toys. The evidence shows that these precious toys rank high amongst the most stressful items to misplace, with respondents saying it’s as bad – if not worse than – losing a mobile phone (36%), house keys (33%), cash money (30%), car keys (28%), plane or train tickets (19%) and almost 1 in 10 saying hands down there is nothing more stressful than losing their little one’s comfort toy.

And yet a fifth (22%) of parents feel it’s just a matter of time before that toy goes walkabout; half of children have already lost said toy at least once, and one in five parents say they are hyper-vigilant to ensure that the worst doesn’t happen on their watch. Nearly a quarter (24%) of parents even admitted to keeping identical secret backup toys at home in case disaster strikes.

One thing you can be pretty sure of: a lost toy will have consequences. Nearly half of kids (42%) – and even one in 10 parents – cried over a lost toy. Often the attempts to locate a missing toy extend beyond immediate family: a fifth (21%) of parents or carers called on friends and family and 17% resorted to posting on school and nursery WhatsApp groups to help with the search. Meanwhile, 30% went straight online to purchase an identical replacement.

Janine Constantin-Russell, Managing Director of the Entertainment District and Outlet Shopping at The O2, commented: “We welcome many families through our doors every day for shopping, dining, leisure and shows, and they are all looking to have fun and enjoy some quality time together. Arguably it’s hard to do that when you’re stressing about losing something special. On the other hand, we also know that any young visitor would want their beloved teddy, doll, action figure or toy to have a great day out too – so we’ve devised a way to let the grown-ups focus on making the most of their family day out with us whilst the more ‘cuddly’ family members get pampered in their own unique way by our excellent team.”

Running from 10am – 4pm from Thursday 30th May to Saturday 1st June, the ‘Toy Creche’ will be available free of charge for all visitors to The O2 on a first come first served basis. When arriving at The O2, just head up the golden staircase to the upper level of the shopping district to find the ‘Toy Creche’ located by the Superdry store.

A full day out destination, with over 30 bars and restaurants, several interactive bars and attractions, including Cineworld, Hollywood Bowl, TOCA Social and more, as well as Outlet Shopping at The O2, with over 60 brands at up to 70% off RRP all year round, there’s plenty to explore under one iconic roof at The O2. Located just 15 minutes from central London, The O2 is easily accessible by tube, bus, car and boat.