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Gift Guide

An ideal gift is just a click away! At Design for Play, we are not aiming to be the ‘it’ toy of the season, but rather the ‘it’ toy of each little person’s childhood who receives our toy as a gift. Take the guesswork out of gift giving by getting ideas in the gift guide.


Testimonials

"These toys are great! My son and daughter both enjoy them."
- Lauren W., Rochester, New York

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Our Policies

At Design For Play, we hold ourselves to the highest standards for our products and customer service.
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Our Story

Design for Play was founded in 2008 by husband and wife team Greg and Melissa K. Neher. As an expectant couple in 2005, the Nehers were overwhelmed by the number of gifts they received for their unborn son. The birth of their second son in 2007 added to the joy in their home, and also to their overflowing toy storage. As the kid clutter grew, they became increasingly disillusioned with all the noisy plastic toys in the world.

Melissa and Greg knew they weren’t the only people fed up with plastic toys, but they were amazed at how hard it was to find quality toys. They searched the world over and found a natural wooden toy producer who was not yet selling in the USA. Design for Play was born from Greg and Melissa’s vision of superior toys for children, and their determination not to let their home become a plastic dumping ground.

The Nehers have lived in the USA, Asia, Europe and Australia. As parents they know how hard it is to find high-quality, safe, eco-friendly, attractive toys which are fun for children. Melissa and Greg are pleased to share their unique line of Design for Play toys.


Melissa K. Neher		 Melissa K. Neher has started companies around the world. Her career as a human rights lawyer in Hong Kong took a turn after becoming a mother. After a move to Sydney, Australia, she started a professional organizing business, working in homes with clients to help them minimize clutter and maximize space. Melissa is passionate about handcrafted goods and has a home filled with objects she’s collected in her travels. Melissa has a JD from the University of San Diego and a BA from James Madison University.

Greg Neher		 Greg Neher has worked both domestically and internationally. He was a business executive with Barclays Capital, The Boston Consulting Group, and Logitech. After becoming a father, Greg wanted to scale back his fast-paced working life to have more time to spend wrestling with his boys. Supportive of his wife's aesthetic sensibilities, he brings his business acumen to Design for Play. Greg has an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA from Northwestern University.