Quiet products for kids
Main Sauvage
Neutral products for kids have become widely available, for the joy of minimalist parents around the world. But is the craze for them all about aesthetics, or are they actually beneficial to children’s development?
It turns out that neutral palettes are just as soothing to children as they are to adults. Research suggests that kids exposed to them are less distracted and show increased concentration. Same goes for natural materials, which are reported to help kids focus and even calm down. In fact, physically touching wood has a quantifiable neurological impact on a child’s brain. It induces physiological relaxation. So if you worry that a lack of colour can under-stimulate your child, you’ll be interested to know that toys promoting a quieter play environment actually enhance their cognitive development.
Indeed, simple toys and objects encourage learning and independent play. Kids’ imaginations soar as they play with things that don’t have an obvious use. That is what experts call open-ended play. It allows children to create their own ways of playing, the result being that they tend to spend more time with a single toy. Because they are kid-powered (as opposed to battery-powered) these toys offer opportunities for growth, problem-solving, and achieving goals.
I took great pleasure in selecting quiet products that will help you create a calm environment for your little ones to thrive in. I could have included hundreds, but I chose 12 brands I really love instead.
TOOSH KIDS
These cute hand-knitted rattles in abstract shapes stimulate sensory activities such as touch, hearing and sight. Their extreme simplicity helps develop the imagination of the youngest ones.
Mostly known for its signature designs of neutral bags for kids and mamas, Toosh Kids now produces small collections of toys and linens such as playmats and blankets. The entire philosophy of the brand is to create small collections of useful and accurate items that can stay with you for a long time.
LIEWOOD
From Copenhagen, Liewood’s universe is deeply rooted in the Nordic design tradition. Pure shapes that support functionality, and products that can last for generations.
These silicone cars and airplanes are fall-proof, water-proof, and outdoor-proof. Indeed, they won't break when dropped on the floor and can go in the bath or the pool. They come in a variety of muted colours that add to the natural softness and tactility of the material.
ROOGA RUGS
Based in Jerusalem, Rooga creates modern kids’ rugs from natural cork. 100% biodegradable and recyclable, cork does not require the cutting down of any trees whatsoever. It is made from the outer bark of cork oak trees, harvested completely by hand. Furthermore, harvested trees are able to absorb 3 to 5 times more carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases than unharvested ones.
These collections of rugs also feature cute neutral designs that create a calming background for nurseries and bedrooms, and will pair beautifully with any colour palette.
ALETA KIDS
Made in Spain, Aleta Kids’ wooden lacing toys are designed to stimulate children’s creative minds through play. Simple and timeless, they come in various shapes from boat to fish or bird. Delivered with three different cotton laces, they help kids develop their fine motor skills and hand/eye coordination.
Recommended for ages 2 and up, they are a fun way to practice concentration and patience. They are made with locally sourced natural materials that gracefully endure the passing of time.
ODIN PARKER
Odin Parker is an online shop run out of Oregon, which curates heirloom quality toys for the little ones. Designed to last through generations, their products are handmade mostly from solid wood. This puzzle is designed from various kinds (oak, locust, honey locust, beech, smoke tree and mulberry) and coated with food-grade finishes such as linseed oil and beeswax.
The only visible patterns are the ones created by the grains and knots of the different materials. These trigger the curiosity of young minds, creating tactile experiences that connect them to the abundance and lushness of nature. Handling gorgeous authentic woods such as these from a young age undoubtedly impresses a long-lasting love and respect of the planet and its resources!
CLICQUES
Designed in Austria, these wooden peg dolls are made from European hornbeam, hand-painted with child-safe paints and varnishes. The three elements they are made of are held together with magnets, so the dolls can be mixed up and their clothes switched. They also come in house-shaped boxes that can be customised with different backgrounds so the packaging becomes an integral part of the toy.
With these high-quality wooden toys, you can be sure no PVC, phthalates, or similar chemicals are present. It is reflected in the price, which can seem a little high. But low-quality wood can be more harmful than plastic. Toys made from engineered wood such as plywood, for example, can be full of toxic glues and leach formaldehyde. Unless they are specified as chemical-free and finished with non-toxic, water-based finishes. Something to bear in mind when shopping for wooden toys…
GRAPAT
Grapat is a small, family-run brand that creates loose wooden parts to encourage free play, in the hills of Catalunia. The open and unstructured material transforms into whatever children’s imagination decides. The parts come without instructions, making them completely free to invent any world they want.
Grapat’s wood comes from sustainable forests, is tinted with water-based and non-toxic dyes, finished with vegetable waxes and oils, and assembled with glue that is 100% formaldehyde-free. This ensures the material is respected, as well as the earth who provides it!
RADUGA GREZ
Also run by a family, in Russia, all of Raduga Grez’s toys are handmade in small batches with solid wood and non-toxic water-based paint then packed in non-plastic packaging such as carton boxes and sewed cotton bags.
Their toys foster and celebrate creativity. These wooden blocks for example, offer an infinity of possibilities. They can be stacked into houses, zoos, gardens, or anything else a child’s unbounded imagination can dream up. Their beautiful texture is also very enticing, creating tactile experiences that stimulate the senses.
HONU PLAY
Made in the UK from end-of-life maritime industry plastics such as discarded ropes and fishing nets, these adorable waterproof toys were inspired by the endangered sea turtle. Designed in London by industrial designer Tim Rundle, their shape was kept simple and abstract to encourage children’s imagination or decorate the home.
The woman behind this project is a mother, dismayed to learn while on maternity leave that by 2050 there would be more plastic in the ocean than fish. “I realised that 2050 is less than 30 years away […] I want my children and future grandchildren to have beautiful, healthy oceans they can swim in safely, and I want to be proud of the planet that I pass on to them.” Congratulations to her for taking action.
MAIN SAUVAGE
Main Sauvage is a French brand of soft toys made ecologically and sustainably from renewable natural materials. Their products are entirely handmade, in a fair trade workshop in Bolivia. This preserves traditional skills and techniques while providing a fair income to women who cannot read or write, ensuring good living conditions and access to school for their children.
The cuddly toys are made of pure Baby Alpaca wool kept in its natural colour, hence the tonal earthy palette. A few additional colours are made with eco-responsible, non-toxic dyes, which retain a muted quality for a calming appeal. Recycled plastic bottle fibres are used for the stuffing.
MIKANU
Mikanu is a German brand of vintage-looking, handmade accessories, for both grown-ups and little ones. I love the simplicity of this decorative garland for a nursery or a birthday party. It is made of stone-washed linen and pure cotton, and the rounded design makes for a soft decor.
The brand’s faded colours also provide a soothing environment for children, creating a neutral canvas on which they can impose their own dreams and fantasies.
CINK
Stylish minimalist dinnerware for toddlers? Yes, please!
Made from organic bamboo recycled from the waste of chopsticks’ production and blended with GMO-free corn starch, it comes in a palette of 5 gender-neutral colours. And wait until you hear the story of how the palette came about. Imagine a cold October day in the South of Sweden, dusty country roads lined with brick houses, connecting the steel grey ocean with fields of beets and rye, and the fog covering it all. It’s quite a poetic vision and it created a very soft, tranquil collection that will sit beautifully in neutral homes.
