Proud to be Part of the Baby Paradise at Kind & Jugend
We’re exhausted but elated after returning from an amazing week at the Kind and Jugend show in Germany! Despite the cancelled flight on the way back (can’t really complain as we got to spend another night in the beautiful city of Cologne) everything went according to plan, thanks to our awesome team!
As the international leading trade fair for premium baby and toddler products, the show is a big deal for us. As well as exhibiting to around 22,500 visitors we also get to check out some of the most innovative products and trends from all over the world, which is a huge amount of fun!
This year the trend was focused not just on beautiful design and quality, but also sustainability and being environmentally conscious. We found some great products at the show which I’ll share with you later in the post!
I had been a bit nervous as this year we decided to take a pretty big leap and increase the size of our stand. It was HUGE display space compared to the first stand we ever exhibited with. This reminded me just how far we’ve come on this incredible journey that started in my little kitchen as I fed my baby daughter. Crazy times!
We had such amazing feedback from visitors and the other exhibitors on all of the products showcased. A palpable buzz resonated around the stand which was so lovely to experience. As well as our current stockists whom all placed repeat orders, we’re looking forward to taking on some new clients who are super excited about stocking Matchstick Monkey.
I can’t wait for this year. We’ve been working really hard on a few secret projects that are almost ready for sharing, so stay tuned! For now, here’s a few of the best things we saw at this years show and what we think you should keep an eye out for…
Play&Go Toy Storage and Play Mats
I absolutely loved these super cute play mats by Belgian company, Play&Go. It’s a product that makes you wonder how someone hadn’t thought of this before - for me, a sign of a great design!
The adorable designs on the inside are matched by a range of stylish prints on the outside to take it from baby mat to chic, portable storage solution in seconds. Tidying up is made easier and more fun for the kids, and playing is possible just about everywhere you can put a mat down!
I can totally see myself using one of these for storing away the toys after the kids have gone to bed, or shoving in the car boot on a trip to visit the parents.
Mellipou Music Boxes
Parisian company, Mellipou, make minimal but sweet plush toys that play updated versions of that jangly xylophone music box sound we’re all familiar with. From the Game of Thrones theme tune to Adele, Coldplay, Stevie Wonder, The Doors and more, this is a great take on the traditional music box or teddy. You can preview the tunes on their website before you decide which one to get!
Cushions, clouds and stars make up the current collection - all featuring handy little loops you can hang them from and pull-cords that set the music off.
New A/W releases by PacaPod
We spent an impractical amount of time around PacaPod’s stand lusting after the new A/W collection. It’s almost enough to make you want a baby in order to justify buying one of their gorgeous bags. Forget rummaging around up to your elbows in your bottomless Mary Poppins shoulder bag, just unzip the side of a PacaPod to find what you were looking for right away!
Thank you for reading everyone. Keep a look out for next week’s blog or join the newsletter to find out what new Monkey Madness we’ve got up our sleeves!
