I love technology! I work at a tech company and have always been the computer guy of our family. However, when it comes to our daughter we try to limit her exposure to it when there are opportunities to engage in other ways. One of the places we avoid technology is at restaurants or other public places. Sure handing her one of our phones will keep her quietly occupied for a while but I really hate the way that looks. And I think it establishes bad habits for her as she grows.

Dinners out and time spent with friends and family shouldn’t be characterized by everyone (including the kids) staring at their devices. This is something I have to fight very hard to control and quite honestly fail at a lot! It is because of this awareness that we bought some small, easy-to-pack toys for the diaper bag. One of my favorite of those is a set of magnetic blocks by Tegu.

The set we bought contains 4 cubes and 4 planks, each a different color. The blocks all have magnets in them that allow for fun and interesting ways to stack and build with. This set is the perfect size to throw in the diaper bag and pull out at a restaurant while we are all impatiently waiting for our food to be served. The pieces are large enough to keep track of yet pack nicely into a small felt pouch that keeps them together when not in use.

We originally bought this set while on vacation this summer. We stumbled on a great toy store in Ocean City, NJ. I had seen Tegu toys on Instagram in the past but this was my first time seeing them in person. I knew immediately that these would be an awesome toy to have and we could support a small business in the process. What I didn’t realize was how ethical and socially responsible tegu conducts themselves. Quoting from their website:

When Chris & Will Haughey started Tegu, they asked this question:

‘Could we create a for-profit company based in Honduras that would foster a positive social impact through its business?’

And that’s just what we’re doing. We established our fully independent toy factory outside Tegucigalpa to make a statement: we’re in Honduras by choice and we’re here to stay.

Not only are they helping Hondurans make an honest wage and living, they are sourcing their materials sustainably. If I would have known all this at the time I may have bought out the store!

Initially, I thought that this was a beautifully designed, colorful kids toy, but as I perused their site I realized that there are even sets that I would love for my desk. While many of their sets come in colors, there are a few that simply allow the natural beauty of the wood to shine. I quickly am becoming obsessed about the potential, function, and beauty that this company has developed!

I could probably gloat for hours about how incredible the toys and company are, but I’ll spare you that and just say, go check them out. Here is a link to see a variety of their sets, all available on Amazon.