Every toy and nursery gear starts as a prototype, a model, an idea in the making. It’s here in the Play Lab where our designers, engineers and researchers watch and wait for that magical moment when a kid (or baby) interacts with it for the very first time.

Is it too hard to turn? Did that sound right? How’s the speed? Why did they like the purple button best? Notes are taken, ideas are flipped upside down and inside out, and back to the drawing board it goes until the real experts approve.

We see what works and what doesn’t, and then we turn those insights into details that matter. Like making sure big pianos keys are easy for little feet (and hands) to press, or that when kids see blue, they hear “BLUE!” All the things that make play happen naturally, add more years to the fun and make it more rewarding—for you and them.

Kids aren’t the only ones we learn a thing or two from. From holding regular, informal gatherings of parents in the lab, to conducting in-home tests, we’re constantly checking in with parents to gain a better understanding of what works best for them, their kids and their homes.