www.challengeandfun.com

Challenge & Fun was formed in 1998 with the goal to introduce beautiful European toys and childcare equipment to the North American market.   Initially our products were mostly wooden educational materials, with products from companies such as Erzi, Chelona, Sina Spielzeug, Estia, and more.

We were the one of the first companies to introduce organic cotton dolls to the US market.  We can still remember the blank stares we received at Toy Fair 2002 when we excitedly informed customers that the cotton used in the Keptin-Jr dolls was organic.  Since then we have expanded our lines to include Lana Natural and Kallisto, as well as the Keptin-Jr. 

As our product lines have evolved, we have added products from North American companies like TJ Whitneys, and FocusBloom, we have stuck to our original criteria for product selection.   In the end, we feature products that are simple, natural, and adorable!

"Simple" means our products typically do not have batteries, they encourage imagination and creativity.  Many of our Keptin-Jr dolls don't even have faces!  Imagine!

"Natural" is just what you would think it means.  The materials found in our products are predominantly made from natural materials such as sustainably harvested wood, organic cotton, and recycled materials.

"Adorable" is a must.  Browse through our site and we think you will be certain to smile, and be delighted by the designs.  Listen to Charlie Hope's music and you will understand that we aim to please more than just your eyes.

Finally, as a family run business, we have put customer service front and center.  They say you can't please all the people all the time, but we sure do try.

So who are the people behind Challenge & Fun? 

Margaret Wilson is the Founder and President of Challenge & Fun.  While Natural parenting has taken off in the last 10-15 years, this is something that has always been innate in Margaret’s approach to children.

Even in the 1960’s when her first children were born, and childbirth had become cold and sterile, Margaret insisted on a natural childbirth, despite derision from the nurses.  She also bucked the overwhelming philosophy of the day by shunning “modern technology” in favor or the age-old goodness of nursing.

Her child rearing approach has followed a similar path, insisting on open-ended activities that encourage creativity and imagination, using natural materials where possible.

Her children still recount their favorite Christmas gift when they were young, which consisted of various wooden bars and panels with holes in them, and screws with nuts and bolts.  It was basically a life-size building set, which they used for hours on end building playhouses, forts, etc., which then turned into countless hours of imaginative play.

Margaret studied Early Childhood Education, and has taught courses on this topic from time to time.  She worked for a number of years as a sales person of early childhood education products for a large supplier of such materials, in Canada. Through these various experiences, and her exposure to the wealth of natural children’s products in Europe, she felt the need to introduce more natural products to the North American market…hence Challenge & Fun was born!

Rob Wilson is the son of Margaret, and the Vice President of Challenge & Fun.  Father of three young children, Rob is also keenly aware of the need to provide children with quality, natural products, which encourage creativity and enrich the imagination.

Rob is a Board Member of the Handmade Toy Alliance, which supports handmade producers across the country, by advocating sensible product regulation standards and rules which support small business, while ensuring the highest possible product safety.  In this effort he has been on national radio and television programs, as well as published articles in the Christian Science Monitor, and the Congressional newspaper “The Hill.”

Rob has a business degree with an emphasis on “sustainable development” from McGill University, and has lived 3 years in Thailand, where he learned to speak Thai and a love of Thai food.