INTENTIONAL PLAY

FALL/WINTER 2020

READING LIST P. 14

MADE TO MOVE P. 16

Timber Sprout Toys’ beautiful, simple wooden toys are designed to cultivate creativity.

Like many first-time parents, Amy and Kaleb Becar anticipated their lives would change with the birth of their daughter. What neither imagined was that their little one would also inspire a new business. “You think about your kids putting every single thing in their mouths, and so you might as well make a beautiful toy that is completely safe,” says Amy. The Becars began learning woodworking from online tutorials and friends, and Timber Sprout Toys (etsy.com/shop/TimberSproutToys) was launched in fall 2017. They use locally sourced woods for name puzzles, push toys, and personalized teethers. “Everything we make is sealed with organic coconut oil and beeswax,” says Amy. “And we use hide glue to attach smaller parts.” The Becars design each product to be open-ended, so children can use their imaginations. Rainbow stacking blocks can become bridges to fairytale lands or props for balancing acts in a circus. Turtle teething toys can become underwater characters. The possibilities are endless. —MADISON LAMMERT