Imagination, Unleashed

Nora O’Leary

SCENE

Manhattan Toy Company creates a world of imagination for young dreamers.

By Ava Diaz

IF THERE ARE two material things in this world that I value most, it is my blue stuffed rabbit and the dollhouse I had growing up. The dollhouse came with interchangeable curtains and wallpaper and the most adorable furniture and home accessories. It even had batteryoperated electricity—a creator’s dream to say the least. As for the rabbit? Well, that’s just my favorite animal and a companion since childhood.

It is these joyful interactions with toys that can spark imagination and a life of creative growth—a lasting impression that Minneapolis-based Manhattan Toy Company hopes to

leave on its customers, too. The company makes toys for early childhood, with a focus on cognitive development, sustainability and safety.

Longtime Edina resident and president of Manhattan Toy Company Nora O’Leary says it’s the brand’s efforts toward creating such unique toys that keeps her excited each day. “Manhattan creates toys for children, and design is an integral focus of that creation,” O’Leary says. “It is creativity that can produce this amazing product.”

Jeanne Bleu, the creative director at Manhattan Toy Company, says, “Aside from making high-quality, safe toys, our 5004 Oak Bend Lane

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MANHATTAN'S TOYMAKERS

Want to meet Manhattan Toy’s joyful and talented toymakers, pictured above? Head to edinamag.com.

SHOP LOCAL

See where you can find Manhattan Toys right here in our community. Manhattan Toy also designs custom products for Anthropologie, LEGO and Target. Pacifier 4942 France Ave. S.; 952.767.6565; pacfierkids.com Legacy Toys 3555 Galleria; 952.955.6938; legacytoys.com Foxwell 4400 France Ave.; 612.999.8443; thefoxwell.com

real purpose, or our way to compete, is that we say design matters. So, we focus on making these toys beautiful.”

Through extensive trend research, the design team learns how parents are decorating their homes and children’s bedrooms, and they design with those colors and aesthetics in mind. Part of this trend research has led the design team to take a gender-neutral stance in terms of product design and color schemes. This is particularly notable in their "Style Your Own Wee Baby Stella” doll collection, which launched this fall, where people can customize dolls’ skin tones, hair color and style, gender and accessories.

But these toys aren’t just beautiful. They’re also designed for specific developmental phases in a child’s life. O’Leary says that a foundation of Manhattan’s toy design process is thinking about the development of a child—where they are cognitively and how each specific toy they design can play a role in how children’s brains develop. “Play is how children learn … We believe we have heirloom products that can last generations [not only] because of the aesthetic design but [also] because it’s a component of developmental and cognitive play.”

That idea of creating heirloom products also plays into its focus on sustainability. The toys are made of high-quality wood and textiles, creating durable, long-lasting products that can be passed on. In addition, the design team is working toward creating littleto-no-waste packaging for the toys. The company is in the process of designing packaging that encourages its reuse, where boxes can become a doll bassinet or shelters for toys. “We are making sure that we are being good citizens for the kids who are the future inhabitants [of the planet],” Bleu says.

But for children, the toys they create are simply meant to spark imagination, creativity and joy. “It inspires us to see a child play and create with our products,” O’Leary says. “Watching everyone do their magic is the best part.”

Manhattan Toy Co.; manhattantoy.com Manhattan Toy @manhattantoy

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