Janod

In the French Jura, wooden toys have been made for generations: spinning tops, bowling pins, wooden dolls. It is no coincidence that the region is known as the toy country of France, and it was there that woodworker Louis Janod started his own brand in 1970, together with business partner Serge Salvi. The very same year that In den Olifant opened its doors in Antwerp. Today, more than a hundred people work on this French toy brand, which makes wooden and cardboard toys for children aged approximately 1 to 10: educational toys, magnetic games, puzzles, and craft sets where learning and playing blend so seamlessly that children do not notice the difference.

Craftsmanship from the Jura

Every toy starts with a sketch from their own design team in the Jura, followed by the 3D model, the prototype, and only much later the production. You can tell by the result: thoughtful illustrations, warm colors, and toys sturdy enough to be passed on to a brother, a sister, or the neighbors. Janod increasingly chooses FSC-certified wood and cardboard, prints with vegetable-based ink, and uses water-based paint for the little ones. Everything carries a CE mark and is tested in an accredited lab. Taking pleasure in doing things well and beautifully is how they describe it themselves, and it has been winning them awards for creativity and durability since the seventies.

Magnetic games, wooden letters, and toy boxes

The most famous Janod toy in our collection is the Magneti'Book: a box in the shape of a book with a magnetic board and magnetic cards, centered around themes like funny faces, dragons, dinosaurs, princesses, the fire department, the alphabet, or learning how to tell time. Nothing gets lost because everything clicks into the book, making them wonderful travel games for in the car, on the train, or at a restaurant table. In the same family are the Magneti'Stories, with which children can create their own scenes and invent stories, and educational games such as the bear of emotions and the little cat of rituals. With the colorful wooden letters from the Clown series, you can spell a name above the crib: beautiful decoration for the nursery and at the same time a first introduction to letters and words. And for the little ones, there are the toy boxes by age, starting from 12 months, filled with wooden baby toys. A maternity or birthday gift that is always a hit.