Toys should help children grow

“Happy childhood memory” is a basic principle for BRIO’s toys, but what does it really mean?

We asked that question to Michael Heun who has worked for BRIO for more than a decade and is responsible for everything that is produced and developed. As an American living in Sweden, his perspective is – as different as they may seem – children all across the globe.

“It may sound peculiar in the modern world where everything happens at a rapid pace, but we focus on long-term sustainability and durability. If our toys are durable enough to be passed down from generation to generation without needing repair and they are still perceived as fresh and innovative, that’s when we have achieved our goal.”

“We hope that we can create high-quality, timeless toys that will appeal to children all over the world. That’s the essence of our “happy childhood memory” idea. We create the toys, but the children’s imagination should be unleashed to let them create their own play activities. It’s not our job to restrain children’s play – it’s only our job to enable it. That’s what we hope to say with “happy childhood memories” and that’s the greatest challenge of creating toys. Essentially, we bridge play and growth for children.”

“Looking at BRIO’s responsibility as a company based on long-term values we see it as our most vital task to set children’s imagination free. To create the right setting for children to grow through play. And there are as many ways for this to happen as there are children. We only provide the tools, but children’s imagination is what makes it all come alive.”

Michael Heun, Head of Development and Operations at BRIO, is responsible for the development and production of all toys at BRIO. For Michael this is not a job, but a calling. “As an American at BRIO, I thought this would be a short-term assignment. I have now been with BRIO for more than a decade, and I’m more thrilled with the things we do now than ever before.”

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