Our Story

Welcome to Alder & Alouette Toys!

I’m Laura, an experienced K–8 educator, scientist, wife, mother of three, grandmother of six & the owner of Alder & Alouette, a small family run, female owned business in the Pacific Northwest.

Alder & Alouette is committed to offering high-quality, safe toys & products for children & families that encourage imaginative play & creativity.

Our quality toys are built to last. They are eco-friendly and whenever possible, made from natural materials like wood, bamboo, cotton, wool, linen & silk, with their end-life destination in consideration. However, these are the kind of toys that, if taken care of, can be passed down for many years.

We source most of our toys from makers in the USA, Europe, or Canada. In addition, anytime we buy toys made overseas, they must be certified as ethically & sustainably made without harm to the earth’s resources or living beings and meet the strictest safety standards for children. In fact, these products must meet the EU's safety standards, which are more strict than the United States. 

A few products we carry are made in South Asia, like Nepal, or in South America, such as in Peru, and are made by under represented populations or populations with disadvantages, such as women. We verify that these groups are making a fair, livable wage and being treated with dignity and respect under the Fair Trade Certification System and that their products pass all USA and EU testing requirements for children’s products. 

We also have a high preference for small businesses over large as we are also a small business, so we understand the struggles and limitations of small businesses up against the super-sized entities. Any support for us at all is extremely helpful, so we try to do the same for other small companies, as well. 

 

Our Story

As mothers do, I devoted my life to raising my children the best way possible. It was the late 1980’s. Plastic, prefab furniture, boxed food & cheap, synthetic products were all the rage. Everything seemed to be artificial, & I found this frustrating.

I missed my childhood days playing in the woods, using real tea sets, following ladybugs & caterpillars with my magnifying glass, chasing butterflies with nets, climbing trees & having dolls that were made of natural fabrics! I missed the wooden toys of my youth & the creativity I had in using anything I wanted in open play, such as logs for a pirate ship, a stick for my sword & autumn leaves as the ocean waves. I had imagination. My friends had imagination. And we thrived.

I wanted that for my children & began searching for a better way for them to play & enjoy life. During their childhoods, most of that had to be handmade. These 'real' toys were hard to come by then.  

When my grandchildren came into my life, I didn’t want their parents struggling to find quality toys and crafts like I did, and I knew what I wanted to do, so I planned out my new adventure, Alder & Alouette Toys, along with her sister store Ninth & Pine, to help all parents find high-quality, safe, eco-friendly, natural material, open-ended toys for their children. 

We hope you find something you love in our shop.
Live Green & Go Play Outside!

Warmly,

Laura
Owner of Alder & Alouette Toys

 

Need to get in touch? We would love to hear from you. 

Navigate to our Contact Us page and fill out the form. One of our staff will be in contact as soon as possible. You will also find other ways to get in touch, such as postal addresses and emails.