Speelbelovend Giant Play Pegs

Four Speelbelovend giant wooden pegs holding green, yellow, orange and red wooden balls — Speelbelovend giant play pegs holding wooden balls

Speelbelovend are manufacturers of the popular giant wooden play pegs at Babipur. These versatile clips have a multitude of uses and are perfect for den building when teamed up with a play scarves and a Triclimb, and as tongs for loose parts play.

Speelbelovend was created by husband and wife team Chris Rijff and Gwen Dumbar, inspired by their son (now 25). We ask Gwen about the background to these brilliant play clips and how they're manufactured in the Netherlands.

Tell us what inspired you to start the brand?

Chris and Gwen, founders of Speelbelovend giant wooden play pegs sat at a wooden table in the garden — Speelbelovend was created by husband and wife team Chris Rijff and Gwen Dumbar

In our son's kindergarten class (2001), we discovered beautiful toys including big clips. Since this clip was not for sale in the Netherlands the parents were asked to make these clips as a gift for the children. A parent, Ruloff Manuputy, then hand-made 30 clips! That was a lot of work.

Since Chris Rijff (Owner of Speelbelovend) had become acquainted with the CNC milling machine* during one of his previous projects, he saw opportunities to use this CNC for production. The design was refined in collaboration with Ruloff Manuputy. A small CNC was placed in our basement and so the production began.

Soon the demand for the Giant Play Pegs increased and there were also orders for other toys and so the brand Speelbelovend was born in 2005. Then we decided just to produce and sell the most elementary toys which only would be a tool to children’s creativity. We minimized the design and the finishing touch so that children have full freedom to create and to make it their own.

Child using the Speelbelovend wooden clip to make a den using colourful scarfs and a Triclimb pikler triangle — Speelbelovend pegs holding Ostheimer scarves on the Triclimb

* Computer Numerical Control milling machine. This machine is moved using numerical computer control rather than by hand, with incredible precision. Performing tasks including cutting and drilling with accuracy, free from human error.

Can you tell us about the people who are involved in the production process of your toys? For example, how do you ensure that they are not put under pressure during production?

In order to meet the greater demand, we asked for the cooperation of a Day Care for the completion. Chris discovered possibilities to let them carry out the entire production including using the CNC milling machine, packing and shipping. Sherpa's Day Care gave him the opportunity to do so.

In order to be able to develop reliable production within the day care where people only have to participate in activities on a voluntary basis, a specific production model has been created by Chris. Multabedrijven has adopted this model and with great care production lines have been developed by the supervisor. Production lines in which as many people as possible can participate and where the qualities of everyone are used. People can choose on a daily basis whether and what action they can do. So they work on our stock in a relaxed way every day.

Speelbelovend Giant Pegs manufacture using the CNC machine cutting out peg shapes — Person from Multabedrijven Day Care cutting out Speelbelovend pegs

The fact that the toys they produce are sold as a full-fledged product in regular stores and web shops gives self-confidence and makes even a kind of learning process possible. The well-being of the people at day care and the quality of the product have the highest priority. Later, the Learning and Working Company, Lederz also adopted the model. Different circumstances apply here, but here too it is a high priority that people are protected and properly supervised

Pictures of production of a Giant Play Clip at the Day Care Multabedrijven

Speelbelovend Giant Pegs manufacture using the CNC machine sanding smooth the edges — Sanding smooth the edges of the Speelbelovend pegs components

The people in day care of Multabedrijven make our products. To involve them maximally in the entire production process, a lot of time is spent on the different stages in that process by the supervisors there. They strive to involve people as much as possible in each stage through a learning process.

How do you maintain the quality of your toys and ensure that they meet CE guidelines? What measures do you have in place to ensure that your toys are safe for children?

Products must comply with European directives for toys, known as the CE (Conformité Europeenne) directives. This inspection process is largely based on self-certification. It describes, for example, which material requirements a product must meet and how it is finished and packaged.

CE marking indicates to the manufacturer or its authorised representative that the product complies with all applicable European regulations. Specifications have been drawn up that must be complied with. Our GPC and Sand Combs are also ASTN and EN-71 tested and approved.

Giant play clips being used in open-ended play - we can see people on horseback!

Giant play clips being used in open-ended play - use them to build walls and structures

Giant play clips being used in open-ended play - take them apart to make waves and sea-creatures

How important is sustainability to your brand, and what steps are you taking to minimize your environmental impact in your production and packaging?

Our products are made of FSC certified beech, pine or birch plywood. The last one is waterproof glued. Beech wood is widely used to make toys because of its good properties in terms of finish and strength. Beech wood hardly splinters after it has been processed and sanded. The same goes for pine. Wood in itself is sustainable because of its CO2 storage and can last for many generations.

By using the CNC machine you can mill the products efficiently from the wood or combine different products so that there is little wood loss. We try to use as little product packaging as possible and where necessary we look for plastic-free solutions. At the moment we are working on new packaging for the sets of Giant Play Pegs.

Boxes used for shipment are as much as possible reused or recycled boxes. Thanks to the close cooperation with Trigonos as our distributor, different brands can be combined in one shipment. When only our 2 brands are ordered, we might ship directly from the Netherlands.

What does your team like to do when not working on Speelbelovend?

A den made from a Triclimb and colourful Ostheimer scarfs and Speelbelovend pegs — Giant play clips being used to make a den with Ostheimer Scarves and Triclimb

Nowadays we have both our own brand and the brand GOUDvanHOUT made by Multabedrijven a day-care in Assen (van Boeijen) who took over the model and started working with a CNC milling machine for many years ago and by Lederz, Learning and Working project municipality of Groningen, who also started with a CNC. The textile bags are made by Pastzo a day care in Soest. We are wholesalers for these 2 brands in the Benelux and Trigonos is our distributor outside the Benelux. Although we have a close cooperation with all these organizations, we are independent organizations

Why do you love being stocked at Babipur?

To be honest Babipur is a customer of Trigonos as our distributor, but we love Babipur as a shop in the Welsh part of the UK to resell our brand. We follow quite a lot of your enthusiastic customers and your own posts. They are always quite inventive. And in Trigonos own words, “We feel very much aligned with Babipur’s mission in this very specific but increasingly wider world of open-ended toys.“