Behind every great children’s brand is a maker (or two) with immense personality, creativity, and pizazz. Many of the small businesses featured on KIDOLO have been founded by amazing partners. Today is no exception. The wooden toys by Clover and Birch are created with expertise by Taylor and her husband Jason.
We’d like you to first picture this: one wood shop, plenty of tools, and two makers with very different musical tastes. When Taylor’s running the shop, she’s rapping along word-for-word with Outkast. When it’s Jason’s turn, he’s singing punk rock at the top of his lungs. These are the unexpectedly perfect conditions that give us the goodies of Clover and Birch.
At home with their six week old daughter Carden, Taylor first stared creating organically made teethers and plush toys after Jason was deployed to Afghanistan. (Thank you Jason for your service!) When Jason safely returned home, the two began expanding the Clover and Birch shop to include wooden blocks, home accessories, and other unique wooden toys.
Now with two daughters in tow, Clover and Birch’s selection mirrors the ages and development of Taylor and Jason’s girls. Balance boards are a fun way for older toddlers to strengthen stabilizer muscles and sensory integration. Plus, they can be reimagined as boats, bridges, or movie theater screens (for teddy bears and action figures of course).
After the birth of their second daughter, Collin Tallulah, the couple circled back to teethers and infant needs – that’s when they created one of our favorite pieces from their shop. We are borderline obsessed with this maple wood, geode rattle.
The couple also uses Clover and Birch to encourage open-ended play.
Open-ended play allows children to express their ideas freely, without pre-determined expectations. If you hand a child a toy phone, it’s likely to only ever be a toy phone. But, If you hand a child a set of wood blocks, they can become a phone, a camera, a boat, or part of a castle. The possibilities are endless.
In addition to wooden blocks and teethers, Clover and Birch also offers an incredible swinging hammock chair. Seriously, installing this simplistic and warm interior design piece will make any room look like a Pinterest room.
Clover and Birch is your one-stop-shop for handmade pieces that will give you and your family the ideal, back to basics, nurturing environment today’s parents crave.
