Charnwood's Child

Charnwood’s Child is a retail partner we have been working with for awhile. Their approach to selecting toys are very much in line with our own values. We caught up with the founder Lauren to find out a little more about the store.  

Tell us a little about your shop and how you started.

Three and a half years ago I was totally burnt out from a corporate role that saw me work flat out through covid (due to the online nature of my business). I knew I needed to find a better balance between my career, motherhood and my sanity!

 As my daughter moved through her first year, I really started to observe the way in which she interacted and played with toys and the natural environment around her. I started to take a much closer interest in what toys were capable of. Initially, I had bought the same types of toys that are synonymous with babies and toddlers, you know the bright, flashy and plastic ones! And whilst there is nothing wrong with this, I began to see that often toys which allowed children to create their own play and spark their imagination were played with a lot more intently. So began my search for toys that I loved the look of, and which benefitted my daughter by letting her use her imagination and natural curiosity to create endless play scenarios. 

 What are your thoughts on learning through play?

‘Learning through play’ was a concept I came across as I began hunting for the toys I felt would benefit my daughter. I had little reason to be aware of it before then, but it began a chain of lightbulb moments about how we teach children and expect them to learn. Learning in early years shouldn’t be about repeating and listening to adults ‘teach’ it should come from a natural curiosity and playing in and around a child’s environment. We don’t need to teach children all the things we know or believe they need to know, so much of the work is done by them observing, repeating, failing, and trying again. Play, both active outdoor play with their peers and slower independent play in the home which they are actively interested in will do more for their education than counting from 1-100 on repeat.

Really, it’s about us taking a step back (not the easiest as a serial hoverer and interjector, I can barely watch my daughter try to complete a jigsaw without wanting to jump in!) and letting them try, and then try again, even if they get it ‘wrong’ until they work out how to get it ‘right’. When I understood this, ‘learning through play’ became central to my philosophy on how we structured our days – sometimes there was no structure at all, and a walk to the park would present us with loads of opportunities to learn; observing flowers, or watching people, rolling toys down the slide and trying to climb back up it and other times I would set up toys I knew she would really enjoy focusing on…the point is, take the pressure off – the simplest types of play will always present an educational benefit so go easy on yourself when you think it’s your job to be teaching them quantum physics at 4.

 How do you choose the toys and the brands that you stock?

I would be lying if I said my only criteria were purely educational or developmental, I need to want those toys in my home too, and I don’t think that is anything to feel guilty about. Thankfully the past few years have seen a real breakthrough in well-thought-out, high-quality toys that hit the aesthetic requirements of modern, design-focused families. I don’t want to have to hide every toy away at the end of the day, I also want my daughter to know her toys and interest are important enough to belong in our home too…I draw the line at her bright pink Minnie Mouse kitchen though…that one stays out of my sight line. 

Ultimately my checklist involves checking through the quality and durability of the toys, the play value and usefulness of it over several years as opposed to a few months as well as assessing the individual brand for their sustainability, craftsmanship and own ethos around play and childhood development. 

Which are your favourite brands?

There have been so many! My most regularly recommended are probably Raduga Grez; whose quality and attention to design are second to none, the colours, texture and even smell of their wooden toys are exceptional. They have such a true understanding of play from the perspective of a child that I don’t think you can go wrong with their toys. 

Stapelstein is a newer brand but who have totally knocked it out of the park when it comes to developing a play resource that works so much harder than your average toy. On the face of it, their incredibly durable stepping stones might seem quite one-dimensional to an adult but my daughter continues to find ways to play with them indoors and out that surprise me. 

 Which toys do you think are essential in any playroom and why?

 My number one playroom essential is always blocks! They are the most played-with toys in our house and present so many options for play. They are the workhorse of the playroom in my opinion and can be combined with so many other toys to create endless possibilities.

 I also think a good quality set of peg people and a selection of animals are also essential, these are the foundations of small world and open-ended play that really let your child create their own narratives and build their confidence and communication through playing.

Which are your most popular products 

In the past year, it has been the Stapelstein range, our Connetix Tiles also sell consistently well and are one of our most used toys at home as well!

 Have you got anything exciting planned for the shop?

It has been a difficult year for retail but we continue to look at building on the foundation of the last three years since our launch. I want to build a site that is the go-to for high-quality wooden toys and resources for forward-thinking, modern families. Building trust between us and our customers is paramount to the service we offer and we’re so proud to still be here and hopefully we’ll be the go-to shop for decades more.

Use code LEARNERS10 for 10% off at Charnwood’s Child

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