Grimm’s Toys
Grimm’s Spiel und Holz design is an open-ended play experience that encourages children to explore and discover the world around them. These natural wooden toys are made from sustainable hardwood in Europe, dyed with water-based stains, and handcrafted by master woodworkers. Your child will love playing with these natural wooden toys!
Their bright rainbow colours and minimalist design of Grimm’s Toys will delight children and encourage learning through imaginative play and creativity. These are beautiful hand crafted heirloom toys and small world toys that will be handed down for generations to come which are made in Europe.
They are best known for the Grimms Rainbow which is an iconic wooden Waldorf toy, inspired by the educational approaches and educational philosophies of Rudolf Steiner and Waldorf Education, which advances creativity, ‘slow play’ and leaves room for imagination. There are no instructions, just play, learn, have fun, play more – children know what to do! They also work well as beautiful wooden figures decorations for the home as they are stunningly visual.
Grimm’s Spiel und Holz Design
Grimm’s is a family company who design, manufacture and sell high-quality wooden toddler toys, made from either Lyme wood or Alder wood all with beautiful wood grain. Grimm are a family owned sustainably managed manufacturer which produces natural safe toys to officially certified standards.
The full range of Waldorf toys is stained with non-toxic stains, allowing the natural grain to be seen ensuring each piece is unique and beautiful. Whether you choose a rainbow stacker or building blocks, coloured wooden sorting game, stacking game, wooden bead, wooden puzzles or wooden baby toys, this brand has something for everyone. Their wooden balls work with the rainbow to create brilliantly simple marble runs. The sets all fit together and help with sort and count skills. The beading and threading toys help with fine motor skills.
All of the rainbows are designed at Grimm’s HQ in Hochdorf Germany.
The grimms wooden toys are crafted at various locations in Europe by trained woodworkers. Once the raw products are received, they are inspected and the finishing steps completed back in Germany, everything from decorative figure to a thread game. All wood is sourced from European sustainably managed forests. The woods used in the toys are Alder, Maple, Lime and Beech. Colours and oils used to treat the wood are free from harmful chemicals and non-toxic. There is a minimal amount of packaging on each rainbow world product to reduce waste. Grimms decoration pieces and are widely used as table celebration ring for family celebrations.
Are Grimms Toys Just Hype?
Well, now, that is a question we often get asked in our facebook group. NO!!! Yes, Grimm’s have become the must-have toy and the waiting list is ridiculous for the Grimm’s rainbow, but it’s not hype! There is a reason they have grown to become one of the most popular brands! Not just the fact they are high-quality wooden toys, but because there is so much thought put into the range. Each toy you pick in the Grimm’s range will naturally blend with all the others, even their push and pull along toys. All the elements match and are suitable for all ages. They help with counting and even the dwarf is adorable and can help with empathy and social skills.
Like all Waldorf inspired toys, they are made from natural materials. Based on the philosophy of Steiner, Montessori and other educational approaches, these toys believe in Play in Nature. Your child will learn to flow with nature. Made from renewable and sustainable sources, these toys allow a more open type of play. This open-ended play allows a child to create their own imaginative world, the natural toys stimulate their own imagination, and anything can be anything! When a toy, such as Grimm’s is played with, it awakens all of a child’s senses.
Sensory experience is vital in early childhood, and these beautiful wooden toys natural allow it. They are very tactile but are a joy to see as well. Bright rainbow colours help develop your child’s aesthetic appreciation. The inviting bold colours call to a child to play with them.
A grimm’s toy is more than just grimm’s wooden blocks, they are safe wooden toys with endless possibilities. They are ideal for younger children right through to older children that encourage creative open ended play. Their waldorf dolls are soft toys and the ideal first doll and the grimm’s building blocks are perfect to encourage open ended imaginative play.
It seems that sometimes certain brands, be it water bottles, trainers, face creams, nappies or toys achieve a kind of cult following and become insanely popular. In the world of wooden toys, Grimms Toys are one of those brands.
But what is it about the Brand and the toys that they create that have won the hearts of so many children and parents?
Grimms Toys Tick All The Boxes
Part of the appeal of Grimms is that for many people Grimms Toys tick all (or at least most) of the boxes they are looking for when it comes to buying toys for their precious offspring.
They are beautiful, natural, handcrafted, appeal to a wide age range meaning they will last for years, they can be played with in lots of different ways, they are great quality and they have an excellent resale value.
High Quality Toys
Grimms are a family company that has built and maintained a reputation for creating beautiful toys that are the highest quality. Each toy is designed to inspire children’s creativity and imagination. They are visually attractive, to the point where they are almost pieces of art and we know plenty of parents who have bought themselves Grimms purely for the beauty of them and reluctantly allow their kids to play with them if they promise to be very careful.
Their commitment to quality is evidenced not only in the toys they produce but also in the way they produce them. Woodwork happens in carefully chosen independent workshops, the largest of which is in Bosnia and run by a former employee.
Everything else from design to colouring, finishing, assembly and packaging happens at their HQ.
Responsibly Made
Made of wood that is responsibly sourced from sustainably managed European forests Grimms toys are also wonderfully tactile. They leave the surface slightly rough to allow toys to be stacked together and for the grain and stories of the wood to be able to be clearly seen. And while it’s a hard thing to describe there really is something very different about playing with natural wooden toys compared to plastic toys.
As well as using responsibly sourced wood they only use non-toxic water-based paints and they are committed to treating their workers well.
Multi-Functional Toys
Grimms toys are also designed with open-ended play in mind. The idea is that it is not the toys that dictate the play but the children. They are passive toys that can be used in multiple ways, including to make the room look beautiful at the end of the day.
This means that the same toy can be played with by a 1-year-old, a 3-year-old and even a 10-year-old. Sure they will play with them in different ways and if they are not used to wooden toys they might need a few ideas, but really these toys are so versatile and that is most certainly one of the reasons they are so popular.
So you have discovered the world of wooden toys and you’ve been drawn in by the magical colourful and inspiring world of Grimms.
Toys for Babies
If you are starting your Grimms journey with a small child you might not want to start with a rainbow or one of the big stacking toys that are usually the most common options. Grimms also make some gorgeous baby toys including the gorgeous rainbow grasping toy and some great rattles.
As they get a little bit bigger the gorgeous wooden cars are a fantastic option as is the fabulous push-along horse and the gorgeous elephant.
Then when they get a bit older you can move on to the more obvious choices of the rainbows, building blocks and stacking toys.
Rainbows and Other Building Toys
When most people think of Grimms the first thing they think of is the rainbow. It’s become a pretty iconic toy and demand often outstrips supply. These really are fantastic toys and worth getting your hands on if you can, as not only are they gorgeous to look at they really can be played with in so many ways.
Other great places to start are any of the stacking towers, the Wankel is very popular and we love the boat if you are looking for something a bit different.
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And of course if you don’t already have a set of building blocks this is also a really good place to start. The Lion and Elements sets are both utterly gorgeous and are sure to be loved for years and possibly even passed on to future generations.
Something a Bit Different
If you fancy starting with something a bit different there are loads of great options to go for.
- The Grimms Spirelli, either small or large, is mesmerising for children and adults.
- The Grimms houses and towers. These beautifully chunky buildings have soft edges and a really natural and organic shape. They are easy for little ones to stack but they also have lots of play potential for older children who can use them to create all sorts of magical worlds.
- The Grimms Mobile Home. This is a simply gorgeous toy and so unusual. Beautifully made like all their toys it’s a real treasure.
- The Grimms Friends. These are a fabulous place to start and a great introduction to Grimms and wooden toys in general. They have no faces and no gender so children are able to create their own characters.
Family Celebrations and Rituals
As well as toys Grimms also make a lovely range of celebration rings and decorative items that are perfect for bringing ritual and beauty into our family lives. They can be used to mark the changes of the seasons, to celebrate holidays or birthdays, and to remember loved ones we have lost.
The majority of Grimms toys are made of wood, with a few soft toys thrown in for good measure. The wood comes from sustainably managed European forests and a variety of different woods are used for different toys within the range.
Grimms currently use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified Alder, Lime (Linden), Beech and Maple as well as Cherry that is used for some of the Grimms Friends. The friends have recently changed to include a mix of different woods depending on availability meaning you get an even more unique set of hand-painted dolls than you did before.
Much of the woodworking is outsourced to independent workshops, the largest of which is in Bosnia where there is a plentiful supply of well managed Linden (Lime) trees, which is the primary wood used for many of the toys.
What does FSC certified mean?
The FSC focuses on promoting environmentally friendly, socially beneficial and economically viable management of forests ensuring that nature is being supported rather than depleted.
When you buy toys or other goods with the FSC certified mark it means you know that the wood is being well managed, preserving the environment for future generations.
Why Wood?
While trees are obviously a valuable natural resource that needs to be well managed and protected, using wood is far better for the environment than plastic. And choosing high quality, well made wooden toys means that they can be passed on to other children or saved for future generations.
Wood being natural is also an incredibly expressive material. You cut into a tree and you can visibly see the evidence of the life it has lived. The rings that are formed through the passing of the years and all the knots and patterns that make it beautiful and remind you that this toy was once a living thing.
Wood also has an amazing feel, smell and taste that makes it perfect for toys, especially for little ones. Wood is warm to touch and great to chomp on when you are teething. And the smell of wood not only adds another layer to the sensory experience while children play but can provide another avenue for connection with nature.
Wood also makes a very pleasing sound. The sound of wooden toys knocking together is musical. Warm and vivid. Children will love to discover the sounds they can make with their toys and trust us it’s a lot more pleasing than the sound of plastic.
Because Grimms toys are made of wood it also means they are all completely unique. No two toys are exactly alike because they are made from a material that is not uniform in nature. The grain, the knots and the lines are part of the charm of Grimms toys, not defects, they carry a story and remind us of their origins.
Grimms
Grimms have over 500 toys in their catalogue which is a pretty insane number of toys and far more than any child needs in their playroom. Each one of them is beautifully designed and made to the highest standards. And they are all designed to be beautiful open-ended toys that will be cherished for generations.
So with that many toys to choose from where do you start? How do you know which ones to buy and which ones to leave on the shelves? Of course, that depends on personal taste and the age and likes and dislikes of your child. But here are five of our favourites and why these might be the Grimms toys to buy.
Grimms Rainbow or Tunnel Toy
The Grimms rainbow has become an iconic toy. It is undoubtedly a beautiful toy and part of the beauty is that it can be used in so many ways. If you are new to Grimms this is a great place to start.
The rainbow will be used by children in ways you would never have thought of. But one of our favourite things to do it to use them to make gorgeous sculptures. Just have a look online and you will see lots of build challenges that are great for doing together with your kids and also for older children.
Rainbow Friends
The gorgeous wooden friends are a perfect toy for little ones. They have a wonderfully tactile feel and they are made from different woods and hand-painted so that each one is a little different.
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These can be used as all sorts of characters in imaginative play from farmers to super heroes. As well as being great for learning colours and learning to count.
Wooden Balls
These come in a set of six and seem like such a simple toy but again seem to inspire so much in the way of imaginative and creative play. They are great for encouraging both fine and gross motor skills.
We love building ball runs with the rainbows, blocks, semi-circles and other toys as well as playing marble games with them and practising our aim.
Semi Circles and or the Building Boards
Not much on their own but if your child loves the rainbow these are a great add on that will really ramp up the possibilities. And they are great for creating ball runs or areas for small world play.
Building Blocks
There are a lot of different options when it comes to building block sets from Grimms in bright rainbow colours, natural wood or monochrome.
Building blocks should be a part of any playroom. Not only do they offer so many opportunities for play, from a very young age, but they are also a great toy for learning. Playing with blocks teaches everything from cause and effect to counting. It requires logical thinking and problem solving to build things, and blocks can be used creatively to represent anything from a sheep to a tree.
Amazing Selection of Grimms Toys
Of course, this is only a tiny selection of the toys available and there are lots of others that are incredibly popular including the stacking toys, the nesting bowls and boxes, the cars and other vehicles, and the elements. As well as some more unusual but beautiful toys such as the stacking boat and motor home.
