This is an extract from a Living Deep Blog “Conscious Toys business interview with Ana Parra”.
In a world where excessive screen time for children is becoming increasingly normalized, many parents are now pausing to evaluate the relationship between their children’s mental health, brain development, and electronics. Although it is still early to determine the long term impacts of substantial screen exposure at a young age, what we do know is that there are already proven key benefits from time-tested Montessori and Pikler inspired approaches to learning and playing that have many positive impacts on our children.
Coupled with an increasing awareness of the harmful consequences that come from exposure to materials used in factory-made goods (for the planet and our bodies) it can be difficult for the conscious family to source products and practices that address both of these issues. We know that active play (ideally outdoors for added health benefits) helps children engage their imagination and physical bodies, practicing both mental presence and healthy communication. We also know we’d like to see toys made with non-toxic materials, built with integrity; products that are handmade and provide social impact locally.
Wiwiurka, truly embodies consciousness through all channels of its business. From ideation and design inspired by Montessori, Pikler and Steiner to sourcing and manufacturing they’ve created a beautiful line of children’s toy that promote healthy brain functionality and build confidence.
We sat down with their Co-founder, Ana Parra, to discuss the unique approach they’ve taken and the challenges they face.
LD: How can parents today encourage children to get outdoors in a culture that supports constant screen time?
AP: I believe that as parents we need to reconnect with ourselves and remember what our childhood was like, what our favorite games were, or the places we liked to spend time with family or friends. Our children are the first generation to spend more time in front of a screen than living in real experiences. As parents we want to give them the best and sometimes we get confused and think that the best is having more or going faster, using more technology yet there is nothing that replaces the cognitive, sensory and emotional experience that the child acquires when playing outdoors.
LD: Your parenting ethos is inspired by Pikler, Montessori, and Waldorf’s pedagogical proposals. How has this shaped your business approach?
ACPN: There are three key themes that permeate our parenting style along with the business:
- From Waldorf pedagogy, “The world is beautiful”, the approach to accompanying children during their first seven years, surrounding them with natural materials that nurture their senses, favoring contact and connection with nature and promoting free play.
- From the Montessori method, promoting children’s independence and autonomy, recognizing that each child learns in his or her own time.
- From the Pikler approach, allowing freedom of movement and treating infants with respect… Although It is complex for me to translate, to me these proposals seem to be threads of the same fabric. Sometimes I imagine what conversations and conclusions Rudolph Steiner, Dr. Maria Montessori, and Dr. Emmi Pikler would have had and concluded had they lived in today’s era with the technological resources we have.
LD: What are some of the challenges you face building a socially responsible and environmentally responsible business?
ACPN: Many, but I would say that the two most important are access to raw materials and the growing competition from brands that sell at very low prices and that only see an opportunity to do business but are not truly committed to creating a better world for children.
LD: Finally, what message would you give to the people who read this interview?
ACPN: It's not about making money It's about the impact we can create on children lives.
Want to know more about Ana? Click here! and do not forget to share in the comments section what you thought of Conscious Toys business interview with Ana Parra!
I love these tips to encourage a more play-centric up bringing and limit screen time! I played outside so much as a kid and rarely watched TV with friends. We were always playing make pretend and finding things to turn into jungle gyms. I hope my daughter and her future siblings do the same!
Love all the thoughts and care that go into your wonderful products! It shows!
We really enjoy your beautiful products and love that we can have so much fun together as a family without screens while fostering creativity and building memories! Thank you so much for your dedication to our kids and helping them live happy unplugged lives while they’re little! 🙂
I love this
Great toys that help kids development!
I agree! I love this company because of the versatility of the products, building options and imagination is endless!
Always striving to incorporate those three themes in our household. Wiwiurka has been a wonderful addition in helping us facilitate free play, freedom of movement and independence for our kids.
Love this company
Love this! It’s wonderful getting to know the people behind a product I love
Love this!
Estoy esperando recibir mi pedido y siendo que es el de la mejor calidad que pude haber encontrado
☺️☺️☺️
On days where we can’t get outside, knowing we basically have a mini jungle gym in our house is so amazing. My kid’s motor skills have become amazing as well. We are so thankful for these products.
Love that the toys are non-toxic
Really excited to find this company. Winter is coming and we need to be able to keep 2 young and very active boys entertained!
Our family loves the rainbow 🌈 outdoor swing! It was made so well and is still bright and beautiful!
We absolutely love our set! Thank you for providing such wonderful and engaging products for kiddos.
We really enjoy your beautiful products and love that we can have so much fun together as a family without screens while fostering creativity and building memories
The main focus that you have to impact a child’s development is a priceless! Thank you for having such a heart and allowing this beautiful mentality to guide you in all that you do as you make decisions for your company and in your products. 🙏🏽💕
Love ❤️
These toys are quality investments. We bought our first product (a pikler) for my oldest daughter’s 1st birthday and it gets used by all different ages. We live in AZ where summers are hot, and I like that we have indoor active play options for when it’s too hot to be outdoors for long periods.
I recently bought some toys for my monkey kid, she is always trying to climb everything so this toys are super fun for her and also helps a lot to her development and growth. She loves them.
I love the tip on thinking about what WE loved while growing up. That definitely is a good reminder to think back about what we enjoyed as a child and made a difference in our own upbringing.
It’s great to have exciting motor skills toys
We love love love that Wiwiurka products are nontoxic! That makes it so much easier when deciding for us which company to buy toys from for our little one!
This is amazing
Y’all are awesome! ❤️
Todo hermoso, accesible, super completo y divertido. Las mejores opciones que he encontrado para la energía de mi hijo y mi tranquilidad, complementando perfecto también con la seguridad. felicidades!!!
We love the simple but high quality materials of your products! That climbing ladder looks so fun and I know it would be a great way to spend time outside together.
I love your work! Hope your business continues growing!
I love this!!
love the thoughts and love that goes into all the products!
Amazing versatile toys for children of various ages!
So good! We love your products.
Love this so much
I love the mission.
These are great tools for development and I hope to be able to get one for my nine month old daughter one day. She is going to be a climber. We love wiwiurka.
I love the mission!
Love this !
As a mom of four girls who can be hesitant to do physical things, I can definitely see how these toys can impact them in a positive way. The confidence that comes with figuring out how to use your body on these types of toys is magical. In our family we are huge fans of these kinds of toys vs what you might find in a store..or anything with batteries. These are definitely on our Christmas wishlist! I am in love with this line!
What a great company and great product you have. I can’t wait to get some for my kids (and soon to be nursery 🥰).
Love all of this!!
Such a great way to engage young kids in imaginative play!
I love it!! It perfect for kids to develop skills playing on it. Be a perfect gift for my granddaughter she moves a lot it will help her me occupied during the day having fun playing.
So cool! 😍
I totally agree! Kids that have more physical activity paired with critical thinking are not only more stable children, they are also healthy overall!
All of your toys are made with such love and it truly shows!
I love how child-centric and supporting your products are. Well made too!
We love our ladder and have had it 5 years now!
We love how many ways there are to play! Sturdy and can hold up to my wild children.
Love what you do!!
You have some beautiful toys that appear to be great quality! They allow children to play and be active! I love this! 💕
Amazing toys that really test the limits of young children learning to explore their boundaries.
I truly love the products! Great job!
Love your beautiful toys!!
I love the quality and colorful open ended toys!
Play is so important and this provides some really good options for play indoors especially during the winter months. Quality toys for quality play!
I love the quality and the love that is put into the toys and their colors! Thank you for making children a top priority!
Beautiful made and good quality toys for children. My favorite loves all the wiwiurka toys we purchased so far 😍
What a great read! Thank you fir making a great product to kerp little ones happy and entertained.
I love the concepts and creations from this company. Thank you!
I love all the open ended play possibilities.
Love the concepts and tips on how to accompany our children through their formative years in order to make them the most happy & independent!
Love these products for my toddler!
When I had my first child I knew I wanted to raise him differently than so many these days who are set in front of screens and given devices. I found Wiwiurka after researching Montessori learning and fell in love with the product immediately. Ana’s approaches to all they do in Wiwiurka are so important to how I want to raise my kids and I am so happy to have found them!
I have been following you guys for a while now and I absolutely love everything about you guys!
I love all the concepts of all the products being created by Wiwiurka. It gives kids entertainment and also self development skills that they never get tired with.
Love the mission behind this company! Great read thank you
Beautiful, quality toys that will last a lifetime!
Love this. Can’t wait to try your products.
Great for holistic play.
I love the variety and the quality of toys.
My draw to this company is its commitment to a better world and future for our kiddos. As a foster mama of two, one of them with a neurodivergent diagnosis this principle is so important to me. My kiddos have come from great struggle and it’s my hope to continue to show them the beauty of the world we live in.
We love every single detail, the love in each toy and the the beautiful desing
As a new mother of a very active boy, I am excited to encourage his love of movement and climbing. Thank you for your passion with your products so all of our children can benefit.
I love that my big and little kids can play together and make believe using beautiful wooden things!
Love these tips!
I love all the beautiful details, and the color choices!
I love how confident my daughter is in herself and she really knows her center. She started climbing on this play set when she was a little thing and now at 5 she loves playing with her little sister on it and teaching her how to find her balance and strength. Thank you!
I love that Wiwiurka provides endless amounts of imaginative play all while allowing kids to be active and get out their energy! ❤️
I absolutely love these tips! So many I can put into practice. Thank you for such amazing content.
Love y’all’s conscious materials and the beautiful designs. We currently have a climbing arch and our babe plays on it daily. It’s aesthetically pleasing to keep out in the living room so that the play can happen around the clock.
We’ve been happy Wiwiurka customers since our oldest daughter was a toddler. We absolutely love and appreciate the educational toys and quality of your products & that they last such a long time. Best investment for your children!!
Such a worthwhile investment that can span across multiple ages and kids! Love that they support gross motor development, safe risky play, creative and imaginative play – the list goes on!
I worked at a daycare that was Montessori and Waldorf inspired…and they had wiwiurka products. Now I’m looking for items for my baby. They are awesome and help with so much development.
Loved reading this. In this age of digitally driven parents and kids, it’s so vital to let kids not lose the natural curiosity they are born with to shine. Awesome to have products that inculcate open ended play!
My number 1 thing I love about your company is that you don’t use toxic materials! My biggest pet peeve is when companies don’t care about the quality or how it can impact our kids in the future. Thank you for caring about our children!
Proud to support such an incredible brand with such a careful and thoughtful approach to its products!
Excited to make this investment for my child! As a first time mom these tips are so incredibly helpful:)
Excited to make this investment for my child! As a first time mom these tips are incredibly helpful:)
Love!! I have been so excited for my daughter to get a little bit older so we can get her these! I absolutely love all of your products!
Such a good message, especially for new parents!
Great advice, I am trying a lot of it with my daughter who just turned one.
We love the endless opportunities of open ended play and the quality and durability, that allows kids to test their own abilities safely.
Such a good interview!
Lovely thoughts.
My son loves his rocker, climbing triangle, and ramp. I love they are all beautiful. I mean, truly stunning. They are so incredibly well built and stable. Not once has any configuration felt dangerous or unstable.
very cool
Love Wiwiurka! The toddler climbing set has exceeded my expectations and is already becoming one of my daughters favorite indoor activities. We will be even more grateful as winter is quickly approaching. It’s so lovely to have brands like this designed by women and mothers who truly care about the environment we provide our future generations. Thank you!
Always love buying products from companies that are socially responsible. Love the wood in so many of your products.
I love the beauty of the products, they don’t need to be hidden away in a play room.
I love this brand because my babes can use their creativity, work on their confidence, and they lay together!!!
I love that Wiwiurka products encourage creative play and get kids up and moving!
Wonderful!
I love all the unique ways you can combine wiwurka toys. It gives Children a creative mindset.
I love the creative open ended toys that will get used for a long time and are durable enough to last.
We love dress up, playing monsters and racing to try to limit screen time
Love what you are doing!
Always so interesting to read about the process and thought behind products we love.
Love this so much!