Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If you want to remove dirt from our products, simply wipe gently with a damp cloth and a little soapy water (if necessary). When drying, please do not place on the heater, otherwise, cracks may occur in the wood. Please allow to dry at room temperature. Please never clean our toys with disinfectant, hot water or similar!

Our dolls appreciate a superficial and gentle cleaning with a little mild soapy water only. Please be careful and gentle when cleaning the face. The colors on the face are water-resistant, but they can fade. Please allow to dry at room temperature.

Our wood is only sourced from sustainably managed forests in Europe.

We use alder, lime, beech and maple wood. 

As of August 2015, we are FSC® (License Code: FSC-C125886) (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified. By purchasing FSC®-certified products, you contribute to the responsible use of our global forest resources. On the one hand, FSC® achieves this through the definition and testing of environmental and social standards in forest management and, on the other, through the consideration of recycled material, which can be used in FSC®-certified products. 

Select products are marked on the website and you will find the FSC® logo on the packaging. We are pleased that through this step we can take on a little bit more responsibility for our forests and resources and document the efforts externally.

We are a family driven and sustainably managed toy manufacturer at the foot of the Swabian Alb in Germany. Here in Hochdorf, we do all the design work, the surface finishing and treatment, assembly, quality control, packing and shipping. All our toys are labeled “Made in Germany” or “Made in Bosnia”.

The woodworking is done mainly by smaller, independent workshops. These companies work almost exclusively for us. We provide oversight and visit each of them regularly. 

The largest workshop is in Bosnia and over the years, the owner has become like family. During the Bosnian War in the 90’s, this person came to Germany to heal from battlefield injuries. After his physical recovery, our paths crossed and he learned woodworking skills at our company over many years before returning to his family in Bosnia. His decision to start his own company to fully utilize his new skills was also due to the fact that linden trees (the primary type of wood used in making our toys) are plentiful and well managed in Bosnia. 

The company has grown from a one person operation to a much larger one with many talented craftspeople. The working conditions are of the highest standards and the staff are proud to be a part of the company that provides: 

• above-average salaries 
• daily free lunches that are freshly cooked by the company's own chef
• regular work hours 
• protective work clothing optimized 
• workplaces to safeguard health

We love wood because it‘s a natural material which will always have various markings that show up in our products, making each one unique. Grimm’s toys are always one a kind, carrying unique marks made by nature. Wood grain has changing structures and colors which serve as proof of its natural origins. The unique variations are proof of quality, not defects. Discover the markings that make your Grimm's toy simply unique!

We oil our wood products with a mix of different natural oils. The stronger smell is normal for natural linseed oil which is completely harmless, and will decrease over time. 

Some of the scent from the oil will remain in the wood despite sufficient airing before packaging. The smell may also be stronger upon opening the package, but will dissipate. 

Please use a damp cloth for cleaning. Wipe gently and dry immediately. When drying, please do not place on the heater, otherwise cracks may occur in the wood. Please allow to dry at room temperature. Please do not submerge in water and do not use disinfectant, hot water or similar.

The Semicircles and Building Boards are larger than the individual parts of the Rainbow, sometimes by up to 1cm. Is that normal?

Yes, the Building Boards and Semicircles are deliberately made to be larger than the corresponding bow elements of the 12 Piece Rainbow. As a result, younger builders can achieve greater success in building because not everything must be set precisely. This leads to more stable structures and more joy in playing!

All colours and oils we use are certified in accordance with the EN 71 and CPSIA/ASTM 963 standards. They are therefore recommended for use on children’s toys and are harmless to the health of your child or baby. Any discoloration, for example due to intensive contact with saliva, is extremely rare and harmless and poses no health risk to babies, toddlers or adults.

Our colours are non-toxic, water-based stains and we oil our wood products with a mix of different natural oils with linseed oil as the main ingredient. This blend consists of linseed oil, olive oil, thistle oil, walnut oil and soybean oil.

We love animals - that's why our products are vegan and of course free of animal testing.

You are allergic or your child and ask yourself if our colours contain shares of corn, wheat, milk and/or egg? 

We can take that fear from you.

Hereby we confirm that our colours don’t contain any food products such as corn, wheat, milk, egg, hazelnuts etc. 

Furthermore, our colours were tested according to the current valid German and European requirements, the fulfil these standards and reports are available according to 

• Migration of Certain Elements (accord. to EN 71-3)
• Cadmium after digestion (accord. to SOP2.5L126) and ICP-OES (accord. to EN ISO 11885)
• Organic tin compounds DIN EN 73-3 in connection with SOP 2.5L145 
• type and quantity of softening agent - phthalates (accord. to SAA/SOP2.5.L144) 
• PAH (accord. to AfPS GS 2014:01) 
• total content of lead acc. to the CPSIA 2008 (HR4040), Section 101 und 16 CFR part 1303 (accord. to CPSC-CH-E1003-09 2009-04)
• Migration of certain elements acc. ASTM F963-07e1 (see EN 71-3)
• Primary aromatic amines (accord. to EN71, part 9 to 11) – only for colour and pigment concentrates
• Flame retardants in textiles (DIN EN 71 part 9-11, RL 2014/79/EU, Regulation EU 757/2010 and 1907/2006) 
• testing of phosphates and ether

An outstanding and unique characteristic of all our toys is the velvety surface which arises because we use colour glaze that penetrates into the wood, leaving a matte finish rather than a glossy one. The individual pieces are dipped by hand into the stain and we intentionally do not put a final protective coating on it to preserve the positive characteristics of the wood. Our way of making toys guarantees that they stack more easily with greater play possibilities. Children feel and experience the wood fibres and structure while playing.

Our colours are non-toxic, water based stains that are absolutely harmless and tested in-depth for colour fastness in contact with saliva. This test uses a liquid comparable to standard human saliva. However, some people’s saliva do vary from the “standard”, so some colour may transfer under those conditions, but the stains are harmless.

It may sporadically happen with new products that initially some excess colour pigments will get released which results in colour transfer. We recommend wiping the transferred surface with a wet, lint-free cloth to remove colour pigments.

Also in the case of severe mechanical abrasion, in individual cases, the color pigments on the surface may come off. In addition, it should be avoided to treat the surfaces with a scouring cloth or a scrubbing brush. Please know that you are holding a natural product in your hands which was enriched with loving care in manual work and colouring technique.

We oil our wood products with a mix of different natural oils. The stronger smell is normal for natural linseed oil which is completely harmless, and will decrease over time. 

Some of the scent from the oil will remain in the wood despite sufficient airing before packaging. The smell may also be stronger upon opening the package, but will dissipate. 

Please use a damp cloth for cleaning. Wipe gently and dry immediately. When drying, please do not place on the heater, otherwise cracks may occur in the wood. Please allow to dry at room temperature. Please do not submerge in water and do not use disinfectant, hot water or similar.

All our products are manufactured and tested in accordance with the safety requirements of the European (EN71-3) and American (ASTM) Toy Safety Standards.

Our colours are non-toxic, water based stains that are absolutely harmless and tested in-depth for colour fastness in contact with saliva. This test uses a liquid comparable to standard human saliva. However, some people’s saliva do vary from the “standard”, so some colour may transfer under those conditions, but the stains are harmless.

Are you missing a part of a puzzle or has a piece been damaged?

Please fill out the form for missing parts and send us a 10 Euro note. The replacement part will be sent to you.

To the form

Please keep in mind that, unfortunately, we cannot replace everything. For example, the rainbow is made from a single piece of wood, so none of the bows is replaceable. If you are unsure if a part is replaceable, please contact us.

Grimms stands for quality and long life. When making our toys, we carefully select the wood without defects. At each step, the quality of the wood is checked. But wood lives and responds to air changes. Wood is a natural product and not indestructible, so we can not rule out that something breaks.

Children may be advised and prompted to use caution with their special toys. However, if something breaks, you can repair the damage with wood glue. For this purpose, we have prepared a small first aid kit for you, which you can inquire at your dealer or from us.

If the reason nevertheless a clear lack of the product was, we accept your complaint naturally gladly. Please contact your dealer where you bought the goods. Goods that have not been ordered directly from us can only be returned to the dealer.

You have purchased a product from one of our partners, so please contact them for a return and in case of complaint. Products can only be returned to your dealer.

We invite you to visit the outlet at our site in Hochdorf, Germany where you can buy second quality products − items with slight manufacturing defects.

We do not operate a direct end consumer business. We distribute our goods exclusively through resellers. A list of our retail and online retailers worldwide can be found here.