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Community Playthings is one of the oldest existing manufacturers of equipment for early years and primary school settings. A diverse team of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, we have been making furniture for children in the UK for over 50 years, drawing input and design ideas from a global community of educators. Inspired by educational pioneers like Montessori, Froebel, and Reggio Emilia, our products are crafted with child development science in mind, providing stimulating and safe environments that support both play and learning.

Our passion and purpose are to create quality products that inspire and support children and educators. Our products are intentionally simple and open-ended, robust and beautiful, allowing children the freedom to use their imaginations, and giving them a quality environment in which to learn and grow. Driven by our passion, and to ensure that all our items exceed their 15-year warranty, we use only the very highest quality materials.

Our furniture and play equipment are long lasting, environmentally friendly, and cost effective. We prioritise the use of sustainable and natural materials and consider the whole lifecycle of the product. We use real, solid wood, no imitation wood such as MDF.  Our fabrics are among the best available, designed to withstand daily use in all settings. Combining modern engineering processes with traditional craftsmanship, we manufacture and inspect every product by hand in the UK. The simple design of our products means that they can fill multiple purposes, appealing to children’s imaginations, cutting schools’ costs, and saving teachers from an overflowing storage room.

Schools can access a comprehensive collection of well-researched articles and videos, to share with both staff and parents. This vast online library is constantly growing, and every new article is shared as a gift to our wide readership. Free print versions of our training booklets can be ordered on request.

Trust schools have the option to lease products from Community Playthings rather than purchasing them outright. Depending on eligibility, the value of an order can be converted into affordable monthly rentals over a period of three to five years, culminating in ownership.

We sponsor trainings for our customers, allowing them to upskill their staff, audit and improve their environments, and create effective teams. The trainings we sponsor range from in-person day courses to online webinars. Sponsorships are subject to status.

We welcome staff teams to join us for a day at Community Playthings. Enjoy a workshop tour, complimentary lunch and snack, a walk around the property, plus a range of talks and seminars, all free of charge. 

Designed with primary schools in mind, these wraparound packages include appropriate products, training resources, ideas, and some how-to videos.  

 

Each setting has a dedicated Account Manager located in the UK. Account Managers respond to needs and inquiries quickly, based on their extensive knowledge of each setting.

All products arrive fully assembled and ready to use; where assembly is unavoidable it is simple and tool-free. Premium service includes unboxing and placing our products, as well as packaging removal.

Community Playthings’ solid wood construction ensures that furniture is durable and rarely needs replacement, yielding savings over many years. A 15-year warranty underscores the long lifespan of these products, which often last for decades.

Manufactured in the UK from natural, sustainably harvested wood, Community Playthings' products help reduce the carbon footprint of schools and nurseries. We are powered by on-site renewable energy to reduce our carbon footprint, and our products and packaging are fully recyclable.  Partnering with Community Playthings will support your school's environmental commitment.

Working alongside teachers, we integrate essential teacher-friendly features into our products. Our products are adaptable and multi-use, enabling educators to refresh their environments, meet new challenges, or adapt to varying ages, curriculums, and children's needs. This helps schools and settings to remain agile and responsive to fluctuations in demand or staffing. Hidden wheels on shelving allow for quick, lift-free moves, tables adjust height in moments, and shelves and panels connect easily… all with no tools. Modularity across the product range gives the room a subtle harmony. Children feel calm, and everything seems to fit, stack, and line up in any configuration. Upholstery and all surfaces are built to withstand messes and are easy to clean, perfect for active learning environments.

We prioritise child safety above all else, committing to create products that exceed industry standards for safety and health. We combine natural materials with a robust design process to reduce safety incidents at your school or nursery. Every product is third party tested. Our solid wood furniture, using safe, water-based finishes, meets Eurofins' Indoor Air Comfort GOLD standard, reducing risks of asthma and allergies. The plastics we use are selected and tested by our designers to eliminate all harmful chemicals such as PVC, phthalates and BPA. 

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