About Us
As parents, our children's safety is a top priority. So when we heard the constant stream of toy recalls due to lead and other contaminants, we struggled with every toy purchase - which were truly safe?
It seemed going back to nature was the answer, so we looked for toys made from wood and cloth. We also decided to limit our toys to those made in the United States and other countries known to have high standards.
Children learn through play, so we wanted toys that were fun, but that also provided the opportunity to stimulate the mind and develop necessary skills. Enthusiasts of Montessori education, we wanted products congruent with its philosophy.
With our goals in mind, we started Christmas shopping. After endless hours of searching in stores and online, we gave up. We just couldn't find all that we wanted. So, we started designing and building our own wooden toys to give our children. It was a great success and they loved them. We decided other children would love them too, and we started Young Minds at Play in 2010.
Our Mission:
Stimulate young minds with safe toys and Montessori materials made in the USA.
1. Stimulate young minds
As our first child was nearing preschool age, we researched brain development and education. Research shows that early childhood is extremely important. To help children reach their full potential, they need materials that help them develop the skills for each stage of development - expose children to the right materials at the right time.
We were particularly impressed and inspired by the work of Dr. Maria Montessori who developed the Montessori Method of education and committed ourselves to providing a Montessori education for our children. So, it is natural that we design our products for a Montessori environment or for the home.
To help children learn the most from our products, we maintain an extensive Education page with links for each product. The product links provide an in-depth listing of Montessori activities for each product. The activities are also available from the "Activities" link at the bottom of each product page.
2. Safe
Safe means safe for children and safe for the environment.
We craft our products from 100% solid American hardwoods (maple and cherry) - a renewable biodegradable resource - unlike many that use plywood, MDF, or other engineered woods (which contain added chemical adhesives and require more energy to produce). It is sourced from local sawmills and comes from sustainably harvested trees. Safe for children, safe for the environment.
We re-engineer conventional construction methods to eliminate/reduce the need for glue and fasteners, thereby eliminating both the energy and materials required to produce and transport these products, as well as their potential hazards to children and the environment. Every possible inch of wood is utilized - cutoff pieces are put back into the process and used when smaller parts are needed.
We hand finish our products with a safe food-grade beeswax/oil finish. This is the same finish that is applied to kitchen cutting boards - food safe, child safe!
Our products are either packaged in 100% recycled material or in 100% cotton bags. Product tags are printed on recycled paper and hang tags are printed with soy and vegetable based inks.
3. Made in the USA
Our products are made exclusively in Weston, Missouri from American materials and American made packaging.
Thank you,
Jeff & Charlene Smith
