28 Years of Howa History - Then vs. Now
howa celebrates 28th birthday - what has changed over the years?
By now, as a wooden toy manufacturer, we can look back on a long company history. In 1995, our family business howa Spielwaren was founded in Steinbach (Thuringia).
It all started back then with puppet theater and drawing boards. The great passion for wooden toys for children has always defined our company and has been appreciated by our customers for 28 years.
Even back then, many families were enthusiastic about the sustainability and efficiency of our high-quality and beautifully designed howa toys. This quickly showed in the high demand. As a result, our company (led by Silke Hausdörfer) grew rapidly. In 2003, we moved to Neustadt near Coburg, where we are still based today and have our factory outlet.
High-quality wooden toys for children - then and now
For 28 years now, we have offered our howa wooden toys for children. The main focus has always been on quality. We place great importance on safety for children and sustainability in the production of our toys. Play kitchens, workbenches with toolboxes, or classics like toy stores and dollhouses invite little ones to imitate and learn about the adult world. Made from natural wood, our toys are both child-friendly and durable.
Toys then and now - A little time travel in picture comparison
A lot has changed over the years. From the design of our toys to the color schemes, there are many differences compared to back then. But the best way to see this is through a direct picture comparison.
Let's start with our doll bed - back then (left) and today (right)
This is what our howa toy store looked like back then (left) and today (right)
Next up is our bunk bed for dolls - back then (left) and today (right)
And here our former puppet theater (left) and our current storytelling theater Kamishibai (right)
Expansion of our howa range with children's room items
In recent years, in addition to our wooden toys, children's room items such as play tents, canopies, children's armchairs, and other decorative items like cushions, storage baskets, and more have been added.
Just as much importance as we place on the production of wooden toys, we naturally also focus on safety for children and on sustainability in the production of children's room items. In modern design with many loving details, the products encourage play, stimulate imagination, and fit wonderfully into living and children's rooms.
Wooden toys matching the children's room collection
While back then the focus was primarily on the wooden toys themselves, nowadays the desire for matching toys for the children's room and the furniture and accessories within it plays a bigger role. The topic of a cozy children's room has become a very important factor today.
Here at howa, we responded to our customers' wishes and came up with the idea to produce howa children's room collections matching our wooden toys. For example, for our bunk bed for dolls, there are matching children's armchairs, decorative cushions, storage baskets, play tents and canopies, doll carriers and changing tables, and other great items in the same design.
Our howa children's room collection now includes 6 different designs: "flowers", "space", "stars", "seaworld", "be happy", and "rainbow". To illustrate better, here is an example in pictures of our popular howa collection "rainbow":
Howa - Known beyond all borders!
Meanwhile, our brand name howa has become well-known in the toy world. We are represented with our beautiful wooden toys at many national and international toy markets. Today, our customers come from all over Europe and also Asia.
