Grapat is a family project that materialized from leaving the city to live in a natural environment. However, the idea began to grow within us many years ago, during the first 3 years of our eldest daughter. She has almost had no toys and that has led us to consider the need for children to have them.
It inspires us to see our children and other children playing, their play holds something sacred, like a parallel world-like meditation that is governed by its own rules and times. The need to play in children is like an earthquake that can not be stopped, however much we adults try with all our strength. Free play, loose parts, open and unstructured material startle us daily because it transforms into what a child decides it will be, and which are the fruit of their internal need. We propose a play material without instructions, the only premise is to let do, without time, slowly. A material that incites, invites, causes the creation of diverse worlds, fantastic, realistic, invented ...
- Almost all our collaborators are of proximity, because we believe that we must take care of the local producer. Our productive process is friendly with the people involved. We care about people. And they take care of us and they have a lot of patience!!
- The wood we use comes from sustainable forests. 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 us to continue having contact with the wood which is noble and kind. The drawing of the vein, its nuances and touches, its own characteristics. The dye does not chip 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 color when coming in contact with the saliva, no problem, they are absolutely safe and non-toxic.
- We work the color with true affection, the tones, how they degrade, how they change. Color comes from nature and connects us to it: the seasons, the changes of climate, in the sunlight. In our materials yellow, or green never go alone, always go with their set, yellow just for us would not make sense. The color also connects us to the emotions and to all that happens to us inside.
- Our 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 fnishes 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!
Welcome to Grapat, and enjoy playing!
