There are a handful of quotes about childhood that I come back to from time to time, especially when I need a reminder of why Brimful exists in the first place.
One feels especially fitting right now:
"A child loves his play, not because it's easy, but because it's hard." — Benjamin Spock
As children get older, they don't need less play. They need things that grow with them: projects, puzzles, and activities that spark curiosity, invite creativity, and give them the satisfaction of figuring something out for themselves.
A fresh shipment from Mudpuppy has just arrived, and among the new arrivals is one especially suited to older kids: the Chocolate Shop 500 Piece Search and Find Puzzle.
All 500 pieces come together into a wonderfully busy chocolate shop scene, and once it's complete, more than 40 hidden objects are waiting to be found. Colorful and whimsical, but with a little more complexity for kids ready for a challenge.
And coming soon, I can't wait to introduce you to a lovely new-to-Brimful brand from Spain.
I discovered their 3D paper bird kits while looking for a gift for my almost 12-year-old. He was able to put his bird together entirely on his own, carefully folding and assembling the paper pieces.
What I especially love is that so many craft kits for kids can feel a little like “future junk,” as I like to call it. This isn’t one of them. The finished bird is something you actually want to keep. My son’s still sits on the windowsill just off our kitchen.
The kits should arrive in the next few days, and they're exactly the sort of thing I've been hoping to add for older kids: engaging enough to hold their attention, rewarding to complete, and worth keeping afterward.
Brimful turns 13 in a few weeks, which makes all of this feel particularly fitting. As the shop grows up, I like the idea of making a little more room for kids who are growing right along with it.
Because play changes as children grow, but curiosity, imagination, and the pleasure of creating something for yourself don't have to disappear with it.
