Verification in Progress
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Our Research Notes
Manhattan Toy was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1978. Known for Skwish (the iconic wooden rattle), Winkel, and Whoozit infant toys. Company headquarters remain in Minneapolis. Many of their classic developmental toys like the Skwish and Winkel rattle are designed in Minnesota and the brand has a long history of American toy development. ASTM F963 certified toys designed for infant and toddler development.
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Manhattan Toy has designed developmental infant and toddler toys in Minneapolis, Minnesota since 1978, creating the iconic Skwish rattle and dozens of award-winning toys that help babies develop motor skills, sensory awareness, and cognitive development.
Heritage & History
Manhattan Toy was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1978 with a commitment to creating toys that were both safe for infants and genuinely developmental. The company's founders understood that the most important toys in a child's life are the first ones — the objects babies grasp, mouth, shake, and examine as they develop motor skills and sensory awareness in the first months of life.
The Skwish, designed in 1986, became Manhattan Toy's signature product: a simple geometric shape made of wooden dowels and elastic cord that babies could grasp from any angle, creating rattling sounds and visual stimulation as they moved it. The toy won award after award for developmental design and became a go-to baby shower gift. The Winkel — a circular teether made of interlinked plastic tubes — followed with similarly strong developmental credentials. Both products have sold in the millions, each one a piece of Minneapolis-designed infant development put into the hands of new parents.
Made in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Manhattan Toy's headquarters remain in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where all product design and developmental research is conducted. The company's STEM-minded design philosophy means every toy serves a developmental purpose — textures for sensory development, contrasting colors for visual stimulation, sounds for auditory development, and geometric shapes that challenge infant grip and motor development.
The Baby Whoozit is a multi-sensory activity toy featuring crinkle fabric, a mirror, and multiple textures designed for infants from birth. The Manhattan Toy Deer One combines a soft crinkle book with a fold-out playmat in a format that grows with the baby. The Soft Activity Books like 'Buzzing Through the Garden' and 'Where's The Dog' develop early cognitive skills through interactive fabric pages with textures, flaps, and attached toy characters. All Manhattan Toy products meet ASTM F963 safety standards and are tested for small-part safety, surface coatings, and material safety — designed in Minnesota for the youngest learners.
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