The story behind Coblo
Curious about the story behind Coblo? The first brand to market magnetic toys in the Netherlands.
From America emerged a world full of color, creativity and endless possibilities.
In this film, you'll discover how a small dream with a beautiful vision grew into a brand that inspires and brings hours of fun to many children.
About Coblo
Coblo aims to contribute to "free-playing children." Children who have uninhibited and exuberant fun and can develop optimally through free play.
Dutch brand
Free play / open ended
Grows with the child
COBLO'S MISSION
So much is expected of children these days; they're expected to do so much. This makes parents' need for "free-playing children" even greater; children who have uninhibited and exuberant fun without predetermined play patterns (open-ended) and with room for their own imagination and creativity.
Today's parents are increasingly taking on a coaching role, where they value space for expression, creativity, autonomy and children's own input.
Coblo believes that children should remain children for as long as possible, having lots of fun and developing optimally through free play.
THE ORIGIN OF COBLO
Coblo is a Dutch brand founded by Elzemiek, mother of three young children.
She lived with her family in America for 4 years and discovered the power of open-ended toys and the fun and versatility of magnetic building blocks.
She felt it was a shame that this type of toy was still so unknown in the Netherlands and decided to develop her own version: beautiful, safe, and strong magnetic building blocks with a unique star design that retains their beautiful color and brightness.
Her children (and their friends) love it, so there's a lot of 'COBLOing' going on at home!
THE NAME COBLO
Curious where the name comes from?
The name originated from the desire to make it easy for children to pronounce and also for it to represent what it is. The name Coblo comes from the two words "Construction Blocks."
ABOUT ELZEMIEK
From marketing director to entrepreneur
I worked for over 15 years in marketing and management positions at large international companies (including Ahold, Danone and Mars).
I'd been toying with the idea of using my marketing experience in an entrepreneurial way for a while. When my youngest son was born and discovered he was visually impaired, I decided to dedicate more time to the children and actually create the space to pursue my entrepreneurial journey.
In 2017, I moved to America with my family, and I soon discovered the colorful magnetic toys at our youngest son's school. I saw the great joy he and his older brother and sister had with these toys and how they stimulated their creativity and imagination. That's how the idea for Coblo was born. With Coblo, I hope to keep children as children as possible for as long as possible and to offer something extra to children with visual impairments.
Elzemiek
OUR GOOD CAUSE
Coblo donated 2,500 bricks to Bartimeus (the organization for children with visual impairments).
Coblo wants to do something extra. Coblo is a great toy for any child, but for visually impaired children, Coblo offers an extra dimension.
The sound of the click system is a welcome reminder for blind children that the building is going well. The fact that the bricks are drawn together by magnets helps visually impaired children build independently.
Coblo's mission is to contribute to "free-playing children" and is happy to provide extra support to children with disabilities. That's why Coblo donated 2,500 bricks to Bartimeus to support visually impaired children and give them the joy of playing Coblo.