Baby Paper
Brand · Kids and baby
Every idea starts with a problem.
Mine started in a not-so-kid-friendly restaurant with my two kids, then a toddler and a pre-teen.
The service was slow, I'd exhausted everything in my bag to entertain them, and in desperation, I handed them each paper napkin.
Instant silence.
They crinkled them. Folded them. Squeezed them. Listened to the sound. They were fascinated. What amazed me most was that, despite the years between them, they were both captivated by something so simple.
The napkins didn't survive. But the idea did.
On the drive home through Chicago traffic, I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd seen.
Why do kids love crinkly paper so much?
I wanted to recreate that magical moment, so I found some fabric, some crinkly material, and with the help of a friend who could sew, I made the very first Baby Paper.
I had no idea how to manufacture a product, find retailers, or build a business. I learned every step as I went. One opportunity led to another, one retailer became ten, and one little crinkly square found its way into the hands of families across the country.
Today, Baby Paper has grown into a collection of sensory toys loved by families around the world.
And while the Baby Paper family has grown, so has my own, with a new generation of "toy testers".
Looking back at those two kids who inspired it all reminds me why I started this journey in the first place.
The best ideas don't always come from a business plan.
Sometimes they come from a paper napkin.
Created by a mom.
Loved by little hands.
Built one crinkle at a time.
