She Drew It. We Built It Together.
It started, like most things in our house, with a drawing.
Our daughter sat down with her markers and we asked her just to made something. The kind artwork that only kids can pull off, no second guessing, no erasing, just a story only she fully understood. And when she showed it to us, we told her that this will be something we will show to everyone else as a collaboration to our work. At the end we built something together and we wanted it to last.
So we turned it into a balance board.
From Paper to Wood
We took her drawing and brought it to life using our laser engraver, carving her design right into the surface of a handmade balance board, built to be used alongside Stapelstein stepping stones. Every curve, every line she drew is now permanently part of something she can stand on and play with for years.
Watching her face when she saw her drawing on board? That moment is why we do this.
There is something powerful about a child seeing their creativity turned into something real and durable. It tells them: what you imagine matters.
Why We Make Things by Hand
At Maple Play, we believe that the things children play with should be worth keeping. Not just functional, beautiful. Not just cheap, considered. We make each piece with sustainable materials and genuine care, because we think quality and craftsmanship are a form of respect: for the child who plays with it, for the family who brings it home, and for the world we're all sharing.
But beyond the materials and the finish, there's something even more important to us, the act of making together. This balance board wasn't just built for our daughter it was built with her. Her imagination drove it. And that collaboration, that co-creation between a parent and a child, is something we want to celebrate and invite more of.
Welcome to The Maple Play
If you're here for the first time, welcome. The Maple Play is a small, handmade brand rooted in sustainability, play, and the belief that beautiful things can be made with love and intention. We're a family behind this, and we make things the way we'd want them made for our own kids.
We're just getting started sharing our story here on the blog, and we'd love for you to be part of it. Whether you're a parent looking for something meaningful, a maker yourself, or someone who just loves seeing how things are made, this space is for you.
You can watch the full process of making this balance board over on our Instagram @maple.play. And if you have a little artist at home whose drawings deserve to live on something more permanent than a piece of paper, reach out. That's exactly the kind of thing we love to do.
