Grapat started to form as an idea after the birth of our first child, Lola. We realised how she didn’t really need any off-the-shelf toys in order to play and would use her ingeniousness to turn everyday objects into whatever she desired. Looking at how happy she was, we realised that being present, observing her needs and offering daily objects to fulfil them, was all that really mattered. After the birth of our second child Tomàs, we moved from the big city to the countryside. In the former home of Jordi’s family, we could integrate the slower way of life we had been longing for. We started to create and play with wood, and slowly but surely, the family home turned into a fully operational workshop. We would create the pieces with machinery installed in the barn where a donkey used to live years before and would stain them by hand with old sheets in kitchen where Jordi’s grandmother used to cook up delicious meals. This is when our dream, our own company, finally materialised. Grapat means “a handful” in Catalan, the native language of our land, and this is exactly where the simple idea behind this humble project came from: to carry a handful of loose pieces with the utmost care in our hands, and offer them with the same love to the hands of children.
Grapat has grown a lot since its birth in 2015, spreading globally over 62 countries and needing more and more production space every year, but it is still – and always will be – a family project. It is the manifestation of our way of life and the vision for the future we believe in, so we care for it as if it were another child in the family. We still create new pieces and prototypes out of clay or beeswax, we still communicate with the world using our own authentic voice and we keep staining our pieces by hand in-house. We ARE Grapat, and things just couldn’t be any different.
Grapat started to form as an idea after the birth of our first child, Lola. We realised how she didn’t really need any off-the-shelf toys in order to play and would use her ingeniousness to turn everyday objects into whatever she desired. Looking at how happy she was, we realised that being present, observing her needs and offering daily objects to fulfil them, was all that really mattered. After the birth of our second child Tomàs, we moved from the big city to the countryside. In the former home of Jordi’s family, we could integrate the slower way of life we had been longing for. We started to create and play with wood, and slowly but surely, the family home turned into a fully operational workshop. We would create the pieces with machinery installed in the barn where a donkey used to live years before and would stain them by hand with old sheets in kitchen where Jordi’s grandmother used to cook up delicious meals. This is when our dream, our own company, finally materialised. Grapat means “a handful” in Catalan, the native language of our land, and this is exactly where the simple idea behind this humble project came from: to carry a handful of loose pieces with the utmost care in our hands, and offer them with the same love to the hands of children.
Grapat has grown a lot since its birth in 2015, spreading globally over 62 countries and needing more and more production space every year, but it is still – and always will be – a family project. It is the manifestation of our way of life and the vision for the future we believe in, so we care for it as if it were another child in the family. We still create new pieces and prototypes out of clay or beeswax, we still communicate with the world using our own authentic voice and we keep staining our pieces by hand in-house. We ARE Grapat, and things just couldn’t be any different.
Nature is both our clock and our muse. We live in rhythm with her, respecting her, and she is our design inspiration for every new piece we create. Our true, main inspiration though, is children. Our self-set philosophy is to work at the service of childhood. With Grapat, we want to make sure that every child has a free and respectful upbringing, filled with playtimes that are open-ended and free from expectations or judgement. The pieces should invite and incite their own genuine flair for creation. For this, we offer play material without instructions nor limits. Our duty as parents is to protect this sacred moment, without interfering, just observing and being present. Our motto is “be free, play open!”
Nature is both our clock and our muse. We live in rhythm with her, respecting her, and she is our design inspiration for every new piece we create. Our true, main inspiration though, is children. Our self-set philosophy is to work at the service of childhood. With Grapat, we want to make sure that every child has a free and respectful upbringing, filled with playtimes that are open-ended and free from expectations or judgement. The pieces should invite and incite their own genuine flair for creation. For this, we offer play material without instructions nor limits. Our duty as parents is to protect this sacred moment, without interfering, just observing and being present. Our motto is “be free, play open!”
We are in a lifelong love affair with Nature, we accept that we lack control over her so we simply observe and respect her. Our creations are an offering to her, not an attempt to modify her laws. Our goal is simplicity itself – when working on a product, we draw inspiration from its true natural form and then try to reduce it to the essential, detaching from the unnecessary and the superfluous, in order to offer material that is truly open, ready to transform into whatever the child needs in every playtime.
We are in a lifelong love affair with Nature, we accept that we lack control over her so we simply observe and respect her. Our creations are an offering to her, not an attempt to modify her laws. Our goal is simplicity itself – when working on a product, we draw inspiration from its true natural form and then try to reduce it to the essential, detaching from the unnecessary and the superfluous, in order to offer material that is truly open, ready to transform into whatever the child needs in every playtime.
Wood is our element. It is warm and alive; it is soft and robust at the same time. Its irregular shapes and incomplete patterns make it unique and truly beautiful to our eyes. Its texture holds a wealth of information and hidden stories waiting to be discovered by the senses of every child. Over time, the wood will acquire subtle dents and scars, and this means that it has accomplished its very aim, providing children with hours and hours of free and open-ended play, and we deeply cherish that. The “imperfectness” of the wood makes each piece unique – just like us humans! Our toys are produced according to traditional manufacturing processes and with proximity sustainable materials sourced within the EU.
Wood is our element. It is warm and alive; it is soft and robust at the same time. Its irregular shapes and incomplete patterns make it unique and truly beautiful to our eyes. Its texture holds a wealth of information and hidden stories waiting to be discovered by the senses of every child. Over time, the wood will acquire subtle dents and scars, and this means that it has accomplished its very aim, providing children with hours and hours of free and open-ended play, and we deeply cherish that. The “imperfectness” of the wood makes each piece unique – just like us humans! Our toys are produced according to traditional manufacturing processes and with proximity sustainable materials sourced within the EU.
Colour has the power to connect with our mood and everything else happening inside of us. This is why our dyes come directly from nature, and reconnect us to her in return. Each piece is stained by hand; working with dyes instead of acrylic paint allows us to keep in contact with the wood and its veins in a kind and noble way. The dye sinks deep into the surface of the wood without covering its beauty and giving an everlasting effect.
Depending on temperature, humidity and wind, the dye gets absorbed into the surface of the wood in different ways, but we appreciate this as it is another seal of authenticity and truthfulness.
Due to the excess of pigment, some pieces might lose colour when getting in touch with saliva, but this is absolutely fine as all colours are 100% safe and non-toxic. The elements are finished using waxes and oils of vegetable origin. The oils can have a strong aroma at first, but it softens with time. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Colour has the power to connect with our mood and everything else happening inside of us. This is why our dyes come directly from nature, and reconnect us to her in return. Each piece is stained by hand; working with dyes instead of acrylic paint allows us to keep in contact with the wood and its veins in a kind and noble way. The dye sinks deep into the surface of the wood without covering its beauty and giving an everlasting effect.
Depending on temperature, humidity and wind, the dye gets absorbed into the surface of the wood in different ways, but we appreciate this as it is another seal of authenticity and truthfulness.
Due to the excess of pigment, some pieces might lose colour when getting in touch with saliva, but this is absolutely fine as all colours are 100% safe and non-toxic. The elements are finished using waxes and oils of vegetable origin. The oils can have a strong aroma at first, but it softens with time. Enjoy it while it lasts!
All of our collaborators and suppliers are of proximity, located in Europe. In this way we can know about the way of working and can ensure fair working conditions.
The pillars of our organisation are self-management, professional development and personal growth.
Social responsibility is part of our way of life, so we collaborate with foundations that take care of people with physical or mental disabilities who help us to develop packaging tasks. We are also active in giving back to society by supporting different charities and humanitarian projects with focus on childhood and families.
All of our collaborators and suppliers are of proximity, located in Europe. In this way we can know about the way of working and can ensure fair working conditions.
The pillars of our organisation are self-management, professional development and personal growth.
Social responsibility is part of our way of life, so we collaborate with foundations that take care of people with physical or mental disabilities who help us to develop packaging tasks. We are also active in giving back to society by supporting different charities and humanitarian projects with focus on childhood and families.
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