- Business Name and what it does
We are Petit Menhir, a unique European toy brand that created a wooden educational game for littles ones and grown-ups alike!
Put simply, the goal of the Petit Menhir game is to stack the little wooden blocks on top of each other, find the points of balance and create the highest and most aesthetic towers. The concept is rather straightforward but the possibilities are endless!
For culture enthusiasts, the little blocks are called menhirs in reference to the ancient standing stones that could be found in the French region of Brittany.
While being a classic building set, the particularity of the Petit Menhir game lies in the originality of its wooden pieces with a number of different shapes and a variety of astonishing colors.
To play the Petit Menhir wooden game, you will first need a flat surface (because otherwise, you will not go very high!). Then you start to stack the wooden blocks on top of each other and aim to create the highest tower until it eventually falls… or not! You may indeed well stop before the tower becomes too fragile and admire your great work. Piece by piece, you will see your construction take shape for the greatest pleasure of children and adults!
The Petit Menhir wooden game is recommended from the age of 3 years and there is no limit! It can be played alone or in a group.
Beyond its adorable look with its sparkling colors, Petit Menhir is definitely an educational game that has a lot of qualities. It has complex shapes, with different sizes and colors, and it helps the children develop a number of useful abilities, such as fine motor skills, creativity, concentration, patience, 3D representation and many others.
Inspired by Montessori pedagogy, Petit Menhir offers children the opportunity to learn through play while stimulating their concentration and sense of observation. Far from the screens, touching a natural material, the idea that the child can learn, progress, make mistakes and start again is a beautiful teaching lesson and experience.
In addition, Petit Menhir is an environmentally-friendly game. It is a wooden game and its material comes from FSC certified forests. The wood (beech) is controlled from its origin to the manufacturing and distribution process. This assures consumers that the resources are harvested responsibly and meet current ecological needs. The wooden blocks are perfectly eco-responsible with pieces entirely covered with a non-toxic water-based paint (we love it for the kids!) and much more durable than plastic.
What also makes the Petit Menhir wooden game different from other stacking games is the partnerships we established with the teachers LilouTeach and Cocon Schooling. They created fun and educational cards to be used with our game and which provide infinite ways of playing with it.
LilouTeach has created skill workshops, mixing geometry and 3D representation, and Cocon Schooling has created didactic cards to learn the ABC while playing with our little menhirs. These workshops really give meaning to the saying “learning while having fun”!
- Founder’s/Owner’s story and what motivated them to start the business
We, Manon & Chris, founded Petit Menhir in 2020 after careers in Intellectual Property Law and Marketing respectively. We somehow got bored with our daily jobs and wanted to create something that was our own and that we could feel proud of.
It all started when we were walking with our little nephew Jean on the shore of Lake Geneva In Switzerland. We stopped on a pebble beach, and it was then that Jean spontaneously collected different pebbles to complete his collection.
Once back home, we started playing with these stones and stacking them for hours. Since Jean loved playing with these little rocks, we thought that painting some of them would be a fun activity. No sooner said than done!
We played with these little colored rocks, building weird towers and making up fun challenges, like height, aesthetics and speed challenges. We really had a blast!
And that’s how Petit Menhir was born! And for those who wonder, the name Petit Menhir is a little nod to Manon’s origins from Brittany.
- The challenges the business/market is facing
For Chris & Manon, it is essential to offer a safe toy that meets today’s ecological needs, and at the same time to offer the best possible quality. That’s why the Petit Menhir educational game is made of beech wood from FSC-certified forests only. This means that the wood is controlled from its origin to the manufacturing and distribution process.
And since children’s safety is their top priority, the little menhirs are coated with a non-toxic water-based paint, which makes them completely harmless to children.
Starting something new is not easy, there are always ups and downs. Since their beginnings, Chris & Manon have built this project with their community and friends to make sure that they meet everyone’s needs and desires.
Chris & Manon have been incredibly fortunate to meet great success with parents and their children, but also with educational experts. It is all these people who give them the energy and strength to move forward.
- The opportunities the business/market is facing
Competition for children’ toys is very fierce so we aim to differentiate ourselves by providing our clients with a top-notch experience on all levels.
This first means a top-quality durable wooden game that is ecologically sourced and that can be passed on from generation to generation. We only aim at selecting the best possible quality of wood and the best possible paint that is absolutely safe for children. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for some of our competitors.
We also differentiate ourselves from other similar games on the market by the educational cards that can be used with our game. They are a nice addition that are really liked by the younger players who still don’t manage to build high towers. With these cards, they can have fun and at the same time develop abilities that will serve them well in their adult life.
- Advice to others about business
Treat all your customers as if they were family members! Whether it’s when you’re thinking about the product, during the manufacturing process, the buying experience and delivery, and even after the purchase and for customer service issues.
This is what will make your customers truly satisfied with the experience with your product and your brand in general. They will talk about it with their friends & family, and this will give you the best possible marketing to help you find new customers.
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