Living / 14 October, 2019 / Ellie Thompson
Recently awarded the Red Dot design award for the MURO is the toy I’m championing this Christmas at My Baba. What I love about it, is firstly – it’s not plastic. Secondly, it provides endless play value for a range of ages, and thirdly – as toys go, this one just so happens to aid development and learning too. I interviewed Jeremy, the founder of MURO this week to grill him for a little more info.
The original inspiration for MURO came from a busy board that my brother built for my nephew. This was the first busy board I had ever seen and was immediately taken with the concept. Seeing my nephew engage with what my brother had made and use the latches, locks and sliders on it, made me realise the value of play stations for children. They foster interest and curiosity and also are places where creativity in play can be explored.
When I looked into busy boards I found that whilst there were thousands of homemade versions on Pinterest there was no complete version available to parents and I guess that was my ‘light bulb moment’.
We believe that playing is fundamental to a child’s development and this encourages wider learning of themselves and the world around them. Our objective with the product is to be a vehicle for play and exploration.
Where MURO differs is in offering a completely open ended product that invites both parents and children to play and create through both the attachments and the arrangements of them, on our boards or cubes.
What MURO is great for is child-led play. The MURO gives children the freedom to explore a physical product, to change and adapt it to how they see fit.
To flip that on its head, MURO also offers parents a multi-dimensional focus point to engage in their child’s play. Use the attachments as teaching points so their child can begin or refine skills like colour-matching, fine-motor and hand-eye coordination.
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For two reasons, up to around 18-24 months children interact with the activities as setup by their parents. As they develop the strength and coordination in their hands, MURO then opens up and they can start to arrange the toys themselves, creating their own unique play spaces.
Our aim in the next 18 months is actually extend that age range so that the physical board, or cube, become home to attachments suitable for even older children and there isn’t the need for parents to move anything on or get rid of. Muro can be something that grows and changes with children.
The MINI is designed to be a starter pack with the accessories that the youngest children will love and engage with.
The MIDI is again aimed at the youngest children but comes with a few more things.
The MEGA is a similar size to the MIDI but aimed at older children and includes a Xylophone and Abacus.
The MASSIVE is an all-inclusive bumper pack which includes all 14 currently available attachments.
MURO is the toy that grows with your children, a quality piece that will get you playing and learning together.
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Heelys, the original two-in-one wheely shoe launched in 2000, is preparing for the upcoming Easter holidays with its new spring collection. Ideal for encouraging an active, healthy lifestyle, the stylish designs will ensure kids (big and small) will roll through the holidays with ease.
The collection consists of 19 designs, including three brand new Heelys shapes: Reserve Ex, Reserve Low and Pro 20 Half Flood. The Reserve Ex has a basketball shoe style, while the Reserve Low and Pro 20 Half Flood tap into the current Y2K trend for an extra chunky sole.
Match your Heelys to your mood, with designs split across two main aesthetics – a darker colour scheme vs. a lighter, spring-inspired palette. Think camouflage print, graffiti text and paint drips contrasting with pastel colours, tie-dye, metallic laces, foil and rainbow print.
Available in the UK and Europe on the Heelys website and retailers, the collection is available in sizes C12-7 across single or two-wheeled styles. RRPs range from £49.99 to £69.99.
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