Everyday a Better World
Kaplum is the designers-duo Anna van Gerve and Alper Demir, both graduated in Fine Arts at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. The way children experience the world - full of color, adventure and imagination - is the basis of our designs.
Carefully handmade by us
All of our products are designed and handcrafted by us at our home studios in Alkmaar, the Netherlands.
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The Adventure of Play
We believe it is essential for kids to learn through play. Play is one of the most important ways in which young children gain knowledge and skills. Our ideal is to contribute to a better future by raising an awareness in children from a very early age on about the world around them. We inspire them to stand up for our planet.
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The Joy of Imagination
We have a basic human need to express imagination, curiosity and creativity, which are key resources in a knowledge-driven world. For us it is vital to allow the imagination of children to flourish. In our designs we use simple shapes and colours, leaving space for them to invent their own universe. Our inspiration comes from abstract and minimalist art. By adding actual stories to our toys, we motivate parents to communicate with their children and open up a world of endless possibilities.
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0% plastic, 100% natural
Because we don’t want to contribute to the plastic problem in any way, all of our toys, packaging and promotion materials are completely plastic free. We use GOTS certified organic cotton plush, organic cotton thread, a sheep wool stuffing, environmentally friendly FSC certified wood, paints and finishes and recycled cardboard boxes.
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Design for all ages
We believe that our toys are not only for children. They can be beautiful objects to add joy to everyday life. We aim for them to last for generations.
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All of our toys are in compliance with the European standards for safety on toys (EN-71.3) and bear the CE mark, which confirms they passed all tests (a.o. flammability tests, chemical tests and mechanical tests).
To keep in touch with Kaplum you are very welcome join our mailing list at the bottom of this website. You can also visit us on Facebook or follow us on Intstagram and Pinterest or take a look at our blog.
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Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
0% plastic 100% natural
Every year about over 5 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans. This plastic does not dissolve but disintegrates into smaller pieces, releasing toxins in the process. UNESCO estimates that over 100.000 sea mammals die each year as a consequence of the pollution of our oceans with plastic. In addition, there is strong evidence that plastic pollution also poses a threat for
human health. It is already known that many additives in plastic are considered extremely harmful, especially for still developing children. However, the full scope of the problem is still poorly understood. Because we don’t want to contribute to the plastic problem in any way, all of our toys, packaging and promotion materials are completely plastic free.
Our soft toys are made with GOTS* certified organic cotton plush, a linnen/cotton mix and organic cotton thread. We fill them with and Oeko-Tex Standard-100** certified Texel sheep wool stuffing. Texel is a Dutch island, and close to our hometown: Alkmaar. Besides being soft and comforting, wool is hypoallergenic, and wool-stuffed toys are therefore ideal for all children, also those with asthma, eczema or allergies.
For our wooden toys we use environmentally friendly FSC*** certified wood, paints and finishes.
Of course our packaging and printed material are also all environmentally friendly; recycled cardboard boxes, FSC certified paper tape and paper.
* The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certification of the entire textile supply chain.
** Articles carrying the STANDARD 100 Oeko-Tex label have been tested for harmful substances and have been demonstrated to be harmless in human ecological terms.
*** The FSC certification is considered the gold standard designation for wood harvested from forests that are responsibly managed, socially beneficial, environmentally conscious, and economically viable.
