Why the Gone Face?

While the shelves at many toy stores are stacked with seemingly endless dolls and action figures based on recognisable characters from the latest movies, TV shows and video games – some toy manufacturers are taking a different approach.

Specifically, let’s take a look at Grapat and their rainbow coloured ‘Nins’ toys. Sure enough, the 6cm tall wood figurines are bright and inviting, but they are also beautifully simple – entirely void of any discernible features, emotion or backstory.

Why does this matter? Well, Let’s consider a child who picks up a Spider-Man action figure to play with. When they do so, they’ve already been given almost everything they need toward their play session – they know who this character is, what his motivations are, how he usually feels, and even how he’d most likely respond to any given situation or scenario. This is not to entirely discourage children playing with Spider-Man (I personally have a huge soft spot for our friendly neighbourhood web-slinger and it’s why I chose him as an example) but let’s compare this to the Grapat Nins. When a child interacts with them, it is up to him or her to create everything needed for the play session. Who are these characters? What do they want? How do they feel? What are they going to do next?

It’s toys like these that best promote the kind of open and imaginative play that is so beneficial to a child’s development. It allows them to search within themselves and explore their emotions directly through play, uninhibited by any pre-established rules or guidelines.

With the Rainbow Coloured 12 Nins set your child’s play sessions will be entirely different from one day to the next.