Galt Toys is an international
educational toy
Educational toys (sometimes also called "instructive toys") are objects of play, generally designed for children, which are expected to stimulate learning. They are often intended to meet an educational purpose such as helping a child develop a ...
company. It is responsible for a number of high-profile games and its designs by
Ken Garland
Ken Garland (19 February 1929 – 20 May 2021) was a British graphic designer, photographer, writer and educator. Garland is known for his writing on design and the prolific work of his studio Ken Garland & Associates.
Early life and education ...
are often cited as classics.
History
Galt Educational
In 1836, Ayrshire-born, James Galt set up James Galt & Co. Ltd, which traded in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
as educational stockists. While the original product line consisted of items like desks and blackboards, the company expanded into publishing and printing, and increased its influence on the education sector. In 1957, the company moved its headquarters to
Cheadle in Cheshire.
Galt Toys
In 1961, the Galt Toys Division was formed and opened its first toy shop on
Carnaby Street
Carnaby Street is a pedestrianised shopping street in Soho in the City of Westminster, Central London. Close to Oxford Street and Regent Street, it is home to fashion and lifestyle retailers, including many independent fashion boutiques.
S ...
, London. In addition to toys, the company's memorable items in recent events have included Royal Wedding knitting patterns.
Ken Garland
In 1961, the company approached Ken Garland and Associates (KGA) to act as design associates. Garland was tasked with building an image for the company from scratch. He also inadvertently changed the name of the company to Galt Toys. He also began designing toys for Galt, creating everything from wooden toys to board games.
In a twenty-year association with KGA, Galt Toys managed to produce some of the most iconic toys of the era, including
Connect
Connect may refer to:
Music Albums
*Connect (album), ''Connect'' (album), an album by Australian rock band Sick Puppies
*''Connect'', album by Mark Farina
*''Tha Connect'', a 2009 album by Willy Northpole
*''Connect'', a 2009 album by Dave Schu ...
and Anymals.
Miriam Stoppard
Galt Toys has also worked with
agony aunt
An advice column is a column in a question and answer format. Typically, a (usually anonymous) reader writes to the media outlet with a problem in the form of a question, and the media outlet provides an answer or response.
The responses are wr ...
and parenting specialist
Miriam Stoppard
Miriam, Lady Hogg ( Stern; formerly Stoppard; born 12 May 1937), known professionally by her former married name Miriam Stoppard, is an English medical doctor, journalist, author and television presenter.
Early life and medical career
Miria ...
on a selection of educational toys. There are 21 developmental toys in total, all aimed at encouraging younger children to learn and develop through play.
Merger with Jumbodiset
In 2019, Dutch toy company Jumbodiset merged with Galt Toys to build and strengthen both companies.
Research
Galt has been involved in studies into the amount of screen time children are exposed to during the summer holidays and how there has been a fall in the use of a child’s imagination and how a lack of playtime with parents is affecting children.
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Toy companies of the United Kingdom