Meet the Designer: We introduce you to the creative mind behind the Stapelstein brand, designer and founder Stephan Schenk.
The founder Stephan Schenk's family background is characterized by educators. He himself studied design and intensively engaged with pedagogical questions during this time. He concluded that the fundamental building block of every healthy development - children's natural urge to move - is receiving less and less attention in our time. The colorful play stones from Stapelstein provide important movement incentives for children with simple solutions. The Stapelsteine Rainbow Basic, Stapelsteine Great, or the Balance Board are extremely versatile for both children and adults and transform any room into an adventure playground.
To learn more about the Stapelstein brand and its background, we asked founder & designer Stephan Schenk a few questions.
Dear Stephan, Stapelsteine enjoy great popularity - children of (almost) all ages love to experiment with the colorful play stones - do you have children yourself who inspired you during the design process?
Children were and are the most important source of inspiration for Stapelstein. I love spending time with children. Especially in free play. Children confirmed what I experienced in my own childhood – for example, nervous sitting still in frontal teaching – and they contributed significantly to the development of Stapelstein in recurring testing phases. I don't have children of my own. I try to remain a child myself and put myself in the shoes of my inner child during the design process to learn from him.
How did you come to start your own business?
I have a vision - I didn't want to entrust it to a foreign company. Stapelstein required a lot of perseverance and care, especially in the early years. Business is often about quick profit. We are concerned with a long-term improvement in children's movement and a change in awareness among adults who come into contact with children.
Stapelsteine provide sufficient movement, play, and imagination - even in limited space. Do you have a tip regarding movement for parents living with children in small spaces?
Few, but better products with a multifunctional and mobile character. This way, the space can be quickly adapted to the different needs of a family. This also saves resources and, in the long run, a lot of money over the years. Movement initially needs space. The quality of a clear floor is often overlooked and traded for bulky furniture. In this regard, we can learn from other cultures - for example, Japan or India, where learning, playing, and coming together close to the floor contribute to physical well-being well into old age.
Thank you very much, dear Stephan, for your exciting answers!
MORE ABOUT STAPELSTEIN
Made in Germany from resource-saving EPP, the Stapelstein brings color, movement, and creativity into children's everyday lives. Since movement is key to a child's holistic and, above all, healthy development, it should be firmly integrated into daily life - Stapelstein offers the possibility to satisfy the urge for movement and creativity even with limited available space. Children become actively playful with it and transform every room into an adventure and activity playground.
Thanks to its robust yet fine material, without corners or edges, the Stapelstein is an ideal, multifunctional play and learning object for indoors and outdoors and is suitable from 1 year of age. The Stapelsteine remain bite and saliva resistant and promote every child in their motor development.
Sustainability has been deeply rooted in the company's statutes from the very beginning. The play stones are produced climate-neutrally in Germany from pure EPP - air and water vapor, without plasticizers, additives, or anything else. The long-term use of the product is as important to designer Stephan Schenk as sustainability, which is why great importance is placed on a timeless appearance and durability - and easy recycling at the end. The latest series Stapelstein OCEAN combines design and environmental protection - it is made from 15% old fishing nets that previously polluted the world's oceans - for a colorful future for our children.
