It takes a village to raise a child—and a dedicated toy company to create playthings that encourage a child’s creativity and development. PlanToys® began from a simple yet profound question: What can a simple wooden toy do? For the next 27 years after first asking this question, the company continuously worked to find answers, and came up with great and unique toys that are both safe for children and environment-friendly in the process.

Since its inception in 1981 up to present, PlanToys® has maintained the quality and integrity of its products by operating with a set of core values that have set the company apart from its competitors in the toy industry: expertise and professionalism, pride and passion, a design process aimed towards child development, the green practice, and originality and ambition.

From the selection of raw materials, PlanToys® already puts into practice its green concept, using kiln dry, chemical free rubberwood from rubber trees that no longer produce latex and that have been growing on soil-free fertilizer for three years before being cut. To assemble the wooden pieces, PlanToys® uses a certified E-Zero glue instead of the traditional yet toxic wood glue, and the company colors its toys with safe, non-toxic water-based dyes. There is also practice of using recycled and recyclable raw materials to reduce the impact of production on the environment, and even the toy packaging and print materials are printed using soy- and water-based inks that are more readily biodegradable and recyclable. Even now, PlanToys® continues to find innovative and green ways to create its toys, using solar energy and low emission biofuels to power machinery.

Proof of PlanToys®’ unparalleled dedication to its company values are the many international awards that its toys have amassed through the years. Three of its PlanPreschool toys have won not just toy awards but design awards as well, a testament to the uniqueness and innovativeness of each toy not just as a plaything but fully realized design process. The Balancing Cactus, for example, doubles as a creative toy and a unique home decoration. The bright, vibrant colors of the PlanKitchen series help develop a child’s fine and gross motor skills, balance and coordination while stimulating their creativity.

For bigger kids, the PlanDollhouse Victorian Dollhouse has won the Practical Preschool Award and the Good Toy Award by Play Matters from the United Kingdom. A beautiful two-story wooden structure with an interior staircase and accessible floors, the Victorian Dollhouse ensures many an hours of children enjoying themselves while decorating each floor, stimulating their creativity and imagination in the process. The PlanCity Crane Set, a Parents’ Choice Award and Child’s Best Toy Award winner, is perfect for little boys that show an interest in constructing. The crane, which can turn 360 degrees and can be loaded with building materials, can engage a child’s imagination and logical thinking and language skills.

2009 was also a great year for PlanToys® as it came out with different lines of playthings that are suited for each stage of a child’s development. The PlanActivity line is a collection of ride-on toys that engage and develop a child’s gross motor skills, coordination, and balance: the Walking Elephant, the five-wheeled Scooter, and the durable Racing Car with its non-slip pedals and safety brake. The PlanPreschool Push-Along Duck and Push-Along Elephant are carefully and creatively made to encourage active play, movement, balance, and coordination. The PlanBuildImagination line, which features the highly fun and challenging Build N Spin, is an expandable and compatible block building system that can grow along with a child. From basic wooden blocks for simple stacking to specialty blocks and construction pieces for more elaborate structures, PlanBuildImagination helps kids design their own small kingdoms, serving as an avenue for imaginative fun and amazing discoveries.

In its drive to create innovative and educational toys, PlanToys® has designed a Green Dollhouse that can help introduce to children the concept of using natural energy sources while providing them with hours of fun and play. Featuring a wind turbine, a solar cell panel for generating electricity, a rain barrel for collecting rain, a biofaçade that uses the natural cycle of plant growth to provide shading, a blind that can adjust the amount of sunlight and air circulation, and mini-recycling bins, the Green Dollhouse has been designed to help educate children about sustainable homes and the sustainable lifestyle. The Green Dollhouse comes with colorful furniture sets for the master’s bedroom, children’s bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom, and is compatible with the entire PlanDollhouse line.

Another amazing innovation is the PlanCity Eco Town, which is a fun simulation of the modern yet greener lifestyle. Helping develop a child’s logical thinking and planning skills, which are essential to intellectual development, Eco Town has been designed with eco-friendly transportation and buildings: an Eco Home, Eco Train Station, Eco Charging Station, Eco Street Accessories, Eco Vehicles, and Eco Play Mat. This small town, which runs on clean, renewable energy, is also compatible with PlanToys®’ PlanCity Road and Rail items.

In the Philippines, PlanToys is exclusively distributed by Rustan Commercial Corporation and is available at Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-la Mall, Gateway, Alabang Town Center, and Robinsons Cebu.  

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