It’s time for toy treat

By Madhushala Senaratne

Looking for that perfect dolls’ house for your little girl or that wooden toy train for your toddler son can be a daunting task, especially when you want it to be strong, safe and child-friendly. A range of unique export quality toys that conform to international safety standards will be available at the Women’s International, Colombo when the Toy Exporters’ Association holds their annual sale on December 1 this year.

Being held for the fifth consecutive year, the sale will feature a variety of products from 11 leading toy exporting companies in the country including Ancel, Simplex, Asian Toy Company, Timberlina Ltd., DSL Lanka, Gospel House and Orchid Agencies.

The products on sale include soft toys, wooden items such as dolls’ houses and children’s furniture, educational toys such as puzzles as well as a range of other games and gifts. The sale will also feature handloom items for children such as children’s bags and pencil cases, all of which are bound to delight any child from 2 years of age to early teens.

“The main aim of this sale is to give the local audience an opportunity to purchase export quality products, that comply with international quality and safety standards for an affordable price,” says Luan Vancuylenburg of the Toy Exporters’ Association. “These toys are different to the usual toys and each of these companies has over 10 years of experience in the industry.”

Mr. Vancuylenburg went on to say that the companies operate on a ‘cottage industry’ basis, where they manufacture products in their bases situated in various parts of the country. This process has helped generate employment opportunities for people and also helped develop rural communities.