Picture this: your little one, surrounded by toys, playing gleefully on their own – not with blinking, noisy plastic gadgets, but with beautifully crafted wooden toys that spark imagination and nurture creativity. Wooden toys are a perfect solution for parents who wish to make sure their kids stay away from harmful, toxic plastic and electronic gadgets, yet get the sensory stimulations that are needed. These wooden toys are not just playthings; they are a return to simplicity, and a step toward a greener planet. So, here are 5 women-led brands who are making wooden toys in India that are safe and meaningful for kids.
Why Wooden Toys?
The shift towards wooden toys in India isn’t just a trend, it’s a conscious choice by parents (and even schools now) who are seeking options that are safer, greener, and more meaningful for their kids. Unlike plastic toys, which often contain harmful chemicals like BPA, phthalates, or lead, wooden toys are made from natural, non-toxic materials, ensuring they are safe for children to mouth and handle.
Apart from this, wooden toys are sturdier than their plastic counterparts, meaning they last longer, and can handle rough handling, which makes them a more cost-effective option as well for parents. Lastly, environmentally, wooden toys are biodegradable and less polluting, making them a win-win for kids and the planet.
1. Ariro by Nisha Ramasamy
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Founded by Nisha Ramasamy, Chennai-based Ariro specializes in eco-friendly wooden toys for infants and toddlers. Nisha, a Montessori-trained educator, recognized the need for safe and toxin-free toys when her young daughter developed skin allergies, which were being flared up by the plastic toys she was playing with. This made her look for safer and kid-friendly alternatives, but were unable to find any that suited their needs and budget. Noticing this gap in the market, led to the birth of Ariro.
Ariro’s toys are crafted from neem wood, known for its antibacterial properties, and finished with non-toxic paints. Their product range includes teethers, rattles, puzzles, floor and jungle gyms, push and pull toys, and other Montessori-inspired toys that encourage sensory exploration and fine motor skills. The Brand even appeared on Shark Tank India, where they received investment from Aman Gupta and Piyush Bansal.
Age Group: From newborns to 30+ months old babies.
Price Range: The toys are ranging from INR 179 to INR 90,019
2. Shumee by Dr. Meeta Sharma Gupta
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Shumee is another woman-led brand that crafts wooden toys in India. It came out of a mother’s search for safe, kid-friendly toys in a market crowded by plastic and electronic gadgets. The award-winning brand was founded by Dr. Meeta Sharma Gupta in 2014. Shumee brings high-quality wooden toys that are 100% child-safe as they are made of natural and eco-friendly materials only.
Shumee toys are crafted from sustainable wood and painted with water-based child-safe colors and are polished with beeswax. Their products cater to various age groups and focus on cognitive, motor, and emotional development. Here you can find a range of activity toys, learning toys, musical toys, DIY craft kits, puzzles, and much more. Shumee Toys are carefully designed after a lot of research, inspired by organizations like NAEYC and the Reggio Emilia philosophy.
Age Group: From newborns to 6+ year olds.
Price Range: The toys are ranging from INR 350 to INR 15,999
3. The Little Boo by Mona Gupta
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Mona Gupta founded The Little Boo with the idea of bringing premium, eco-friendly, non-toxic wooden toys for kids that would make learning fun and safe for them. Their toys conform to IS9873 standards and are BIS-certified. They make toys using high-quality wood, such as steam beech, pine wood, and birch ply; and with non-toxic, water-resistant paints.
The Little Boo offers a wide range of educational and sensory toys, such as time puzzles, building blocks, learning clock, wooden abacus, kitchen tool toys, and more. Their baby toys not only stimulate learning for kids but will also increase their hand-eye coordination. They even have rattles for newborns in cute designs like wooden duck, drum, and also crochet rattles, made from cotton yarn and have wooden handles.
Age Group: From newborns to 4-year-old kids.
Price Range: The toys range from INR 299 to INR 2,999.
4. Bloon Toys by Isha Gopal
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Founded by Isha Gopal is a Mumbai-based brand that takes inspiration from encouraging creative and open-ended play for kids. Their toys emphasize creativity, sensory exploration, and imaginative play. Bloon’s commitment to sustainability is evident in their use of sustainable, eco-friendly materials such as wood, wool, cork, natural dyes and beeswax in manufacturing of their toys.
Neha’s mission is to create kid-friendly toys that foster a sense of wonder and encourage self-directed play. The most unique quality about her products is that they are adaptable to suit a growing child. The brand’s thoughtfully designed toys, such as transformational pikler toys, balancing boards, animals, puzzles, and pretend play sets.
Age Group: From 6-months-old to 6+ years old kids.
Price Range: The toys range from INR 350 to INR 24,500.
5. Mama Naturally by Aarathi Sivadas
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If this article so far is any proof, no one understands the need for safe and eco-friendly toys for kids than a mother, right? Mompreneur Aarathi Sivadas started Mama Naturally as a way to help other moms find a wide choice of natural toys that are also affordable.
On Mama Naturally you will find a range of Channapatna toys that are sustainably made from wood, and use vegetable dyes, water based paints and beeswax for the polish, which makes them kid-friendly. Their toys are handcrafted by skilled artisans and designed to stimulate creativity. At Mama Naturally you can shop for rattles and pull-along toys, puzzles, blocks, pretend play toys and Montessori inspired toys.
Age Group: From newborns to 4+ years old kids.
Price Range: The toys range from INR 399 to INR 3,099
So, if you are searching for wooden toys in India, opt for products from these homegrown, women-led brands that are more than just playtime. They are about making a meaningful difference for kids, communities, and the planet.
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