LOCKWOOD is an inclusive toy brand featuring handmade, heirloom quality wooden toys. We feel disability representation should start in the toy box; when we have diversity and representation in our toys we are telling our children that people of all abilities matter.
At Lockwood, we source our own materials, design our toys in-house, and manufacture by hand in our Toronto-based workshop. We are a disabled-owned and women-run business. Every single toy is carefully built and inspected by us to ensure it meets the highest quality standard.
A portion of sales is donated to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehab Hospital to support kids with disabilities.
All of our products are manufactured by hand out of lumber that we select board by board. We strive to pick the best materials for all of our products, and one of the benefits of working with hardwood is the unique qualities of each piece. Just like all of us, each toy has it's own natural imperfections and blemishes. These qualities make each toy as unique as each of our customers.
Lockwood toys are made exclusively of locally sourced hardwood. Soft woods like pine or spruce can be splintery and dangerous for a child if chewed. By using hardwoods, it ensures a safe experience of the toys - even if mouthed. Hardwood is very dense and holds up well against dings and scratches making the toys extra durable and long lasting.
Each piece of wood is kiln dried. This means it's heated at a temperature high enough to eliminate any bugs or bacteria hiding inside. Sealing the wood with beeswax and mineral oil brings out the gorgeous grain of each toy, and also seals the porous wood to prevent moisture and bacteria from getting inside.
With wooden toys, it's important to remember that natural features in the wood are unavoidable and embraced. With that in mind, we stand behind the quality of construction and assembly of each piece. Every single toy is handled and inspected before being sent to you. There will be differences in each manufactured item, and that is a big part of what makes them so special.
I worked in the film/tv industry for years - first as an actor, then in children's media advocating for disability representation in Canadian kids content.
As a disabled woman myself and the mother of a child with multiple disabilities, I wanted my son’s toys to reflect the diversity and inclusion I have fought for my entire life. I was shocked to find options were limited, designs were outdated, had small parts, and were primarily made of plastic. I quickly recognized this gaping hole in the market was, frankly, unacceptable.
When the COVID19 pandemic hit I suddenly found myself out of work and out of childcare. I started dabbling in woodworking as a way to stay creative while being home with my son. The discovery of power tools rocked my world; they lend strength to a body that's never experienced power, efficiency and intricacy to hands that struggle to obey. I had the right tools (literally) to create the toy I wanted to exist and bring representation to the toybox.
So I did.
- Amy Lockwood, founder and toymaker