Melissa & Doug makes hands-on children’s toys designed for open-ended pretend play, early learning, and creative discovery. Its best-known playthings include wooden building blocks and imaginative play-food sets, with products such as its 100-Piece Wood Blocks Set carrying Forest Stewardship Council certification for new inventory. The brand also invites customers to submit ideas for new hands-on play products and now operates as part of the Spin Master brand.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification
FSC
Quality certification
ClixoClixo makes flexible magnetic building toys that turn flat shapes into three-dimensional creations for open-ended, screen-free play. Its lightweight pieces click together with embedded magnets, giving children and adults a tactile way to explore everything from imaginative builds to STEAM learning, while themed packs such as Mars rovers and dinosaurs add new creative directions. Based in Brooklyn, Clixo is a STEM.org-certified educational product and has received recognition from the Toy Insider, Tillywig and Mom’s Choice Awards.BROOKLYN, NY
Zany TrainsProduced by a husband-and-wife team, Zany Trains creates collectible wooden railway toys designed to spark children’s imagination. Its playful train characters, destinations, tracks, and accessories are made to work with existing wooden railway systems and to last for years.
Mattel (Fisher-Price brand)Since 1931, Fisher-Price has made toys designed to turn early childhood play into learning and developmental discovery. Founded by Herman Fisher, Irving Price and Helen Schelle, the brand remains focused on enriching the first five years of childhood with playful products that help babies, toddlers and preschoolers reach important milestones.EAST AURORA, NY
Community PlaythingsCommunity Playthings designs and makes solid-wood furniture and play equipment for early childhood classrooms, with products developed around open-ended play and children’s safety. For nearly 70 years, the company has designed, made, and sold its furniture from workshops in New York and Pennsylvania, using old-world craftsmanship to build pieces intended to last for generations. It also offers free room planning, creating 2D and 3D classroom layouts to help child-care centers furnish their spaces.ULSTER PARK, NY