GRAPAT provides material without instructions, open-ended and autonomous play. Their only premise is to let children play, slowly, without time limits. Grapat hand crafts materials that encourage, invite and stimulate the creation of invented little worlds.
Grapat is made following traditional processes, in the old way, with thick soft raw materials, natural dyes which let the wood veins be seen and vibrant coloured waxes and oils that slightly shine. The products are painted by hand, homemade, surrounded by nature and many children nearby that inspire the makers daily.
The wood we use comes from sustainable forests. Grapat uses beech and birch. Wood is the source that inspires us daily. It is robust, soft and hard, it is warm, it sounds good and it smells good.
The dyes are based on water and non-toxic that comply with the European safety regulations of the Toy EN / 71-3: 2014 + A1: 2014 / 2013. Working with dyes and not with acrylic paints allows Grapat to continue having contact with the wood. The dye does not jump from the wood when it falls to the ground or when time passes because it penetrates deep inside the piece. Sometimes it can happen that by an excess of pigments some piece loses some colour when coming in contact with the saliva, no problem, they are absolutely safe and non-toxic.
Grapat workshop is located in the countryside, and being close to nature can make some tones and colours have variations. Depending on the humidity or if there is wind the dye can impregnate one way or another in the wood. The finishes are made with waxes and oils of vegetable origin. The oils can have a strong aroma at first, but it loses it with the days. We love it!
Each piece that passes through Grapat’s hands is unique. Each one is painted by hand. And since from Grapat we defend the value of nature, we accept imperfection. It is beautiful and makes the material even more valuable. The cloth bags that are included in some of the products come from big companies that discard material when they have a small defect. As Grapat produces the bags by hand they can take advantage of them by removing those defects and giving them a second life. The fabrics vary and do not match with the photos of the products.
Spanish manufacturer, Grapat, creates beautiful, open-ended toys. Manufactured by local craftspeople, the toys are made from sustainably harvested birch and beech wood, finished with water-based non-toxic stains that comply with European safety standard Toy EN / 71-3: 2014 + A1: 2014 / 2013. The dyes penetrate deep into the wood, preventing colour chipping when the toys are dropped. There will be some natural variation in colour as each piece is painted by hand. Bags are made from upcycled fabric sourced from larger, local businesses. All toys are great additions to both Waldorf and Montessori education programs.
