WHY WE LOVE MODERN RASCALS
PRODUCT FEATURED IN THIS ARTICLE WAS GIFTED BY MODERN RASCALS BUT ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN
Every once and a while I come across a small shop that makes my heart sing – and one of those shops is Modern Rascals. I first heard of this shop when I was a new mom in Toronto and have watched them grow these last few years. It’s no secret that sustainable wooden toys, as well as ethically made clothing, are two ways to my heart. Modern Rascals offers me both!
I love shops that are created by parents filling a need and that’s exactly what shop owner Jana did. Modern Rascals was born out of the want for bright, fun clothing for her kids that also checked off the ethical, sustainable and organic check boxes. While North America has ethical kids clothing choices, none offered the fun patterns and lovely colours that brands in Europe did.
So Modern Rascals started to!
Scrolling through the prices of products on shops like Modern Rascals we are usually shocked at the price tags. I was at first! As a first time mama on a small budget I was trying to figure out how I could justify the cost of these clothing and toy brands. What I’ve come to realize over the years is:
- Sustainable clothing is made to last. Good, trustworthy brands that make sustainable kids clothing that is made to withstand playing, growing and being passed onto to future siblings or friends.
- Ethical clothing comes at a higher price tag because you’re paying for someone to have a real wage and proper working conditions.
- Wooden toys follow these same ideals. It’s a stronger material, a sustainable material and they’re made to last for years.
- Open ended wooden toys are an investment into a long term toy. Many toys we see on toy shelves have a lifespan of a few months or years as far as interest and development go. Open ended toys don’t have a specific use and can be used for years.
- Less is more. Our kids don’t need a million outfits or toys – as adults we need to adjust to a little more laundry and a rotation of toys.
Overall, chances are you’re going to end up spending the same amount of money or more on fast fashion that wears out and plastic toys that have a short lifespan.
There’s quite a few brands to choose from on Modern Rascals so I want to highlight some of my favourites for you!
DUNS SWEDEN
The clothing the twins are wearing in these photos are a t-shirt as well as a romper made by DUNS Sweden!
Organic, unique and unisex: the three checkmarks they strive to check off with their products. Their clothing is all made in a factory that follows amazing ethical standards like a very fair pay, normal work hours and proper working conditions. DUNS is super transparent about their production and it’s right on their website front page!
DUNS Sweden creates a full closing line: shirts, pants, socks, hats, they’ve got it all. It’s all made with certified organic cotton and you can feel that it’s made to last.
WOBBEL BOARD
The moment I saw my first Wobbel board on Instagram, I knew I needed to own one some day. We got it ‘for the kids’ but realistically it’s just as much for my amusement as it is for theirs. I can’t try and hide that fact even if I wanted to. They can also be called balance boards or rocker boards. Wobbel boards are a great example of an open ended toy that are worth the investment.
While we may first look at it and see a board to balance on it realistically has an endless list of options. It could be a rocker, a bridge, part of a roadway, a soccer net, a table, a seat, part of an obstacle course, a lounge chair, part of a stacker… Whatever your imagination creates you could work the Wobbel board into it.
As an adult, you actually can use it as well! It’s easy to work the Wobbel board into a workout routine. Personally, I use it as a lounge rocker to work during nap time.
We have the limited edition Deep Sea with Mustard Wool Wobbel board, which you can find here !
FOLKMANIS PUPPETS
If you’ve been around here long enough then you’ll know my love for Folkmanis puppets. I actually found my first Folkmanis while thrifting and have never looked back!
Folkmanis Puppets have been around for over FOURTY YEARS! How cool is that? I know there are a heck of a lot of puppet choices on the market, but my heart lives with these guys. All of our puppets are such great quality and are so very cuddly.
I enjoy the fact they offer not only a huge variety in what animals and insects they offer, but that they look realistic instead of cartoony. I’ve never given puppets much thought until I started collecting these guys. Really, puppets are an amazing tool.
They can be used just as a cuddly friend (and frequently do in the playroom) but add the element of imagination that a stuffed animal just can’t quite offer. They also promote some fine and gross motor skills a regular stuffed animal can’t!
Our newest friend is the baby raccoon hand puppet and you can find him here !
While Jana may not be the creator of each of these products I’m so thankful that she’s created one website where I can shop all the brands I love and make one order. Modern Rascals is a website filled with amazing treasures and I wish I owned every single piece. But, I’m not quite there yet. So here’s what’s at the top of my wish list for future purchases! Have a Wishlist of your own? Use BEINGTHISMAMA at checkout* to save on your next order!
Moon Picnic Forest Mushrooms set
Grimms Forest Mixed Blocks and Cones
Enjoy your shopping and tag me in what you pick!
* DISCOUNT CODE ONLY VALID ON TOYS – ONE USE PER CUSTOMER
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