Where it all began

sawdust and rainbows pikler climbing frame

Sawdust & Rainbows is a family company in every sense of the word.  We’re based in rural Co. Down, Northern Ireland, and run by engineer, entrepreneur, mum and all-round superhero, Rosie Hughes!

A qualified manufacturing engineer, Rosie designed and created the very first Sawdust & Rainbows activity toys herself in her garden shed.  Since then, the team has grown to include her husband and a small team of employees.

Rosie’s son Reuben was the inspiration behind the first Sawdust & Rainbows toys and continues to be chief product tester!  Over to Rosie to tell us a little bit more about how the Sawdust & Rainbows journey began…

Rosie says: “We were decorating the house for Christmas when our son Reuben was 17 months old, and we had the ladder out to put the higher decorations up.  I turned around to see Reuben trying to climb onto the second rung. I began searching online for indoor climbing frames but there wasn’t much out there, and what was available didn’t give me that WOW factor.  So I decided to put my manufacturing engineering qualification to use and make something myself!  I worked around Reuben – often he would be in his carrier on my back, singing and eating treats while I worked.”

Safe & durable

All Sawdust & Rainbows products are tested and compliant with CE\UKCA\ASTM\CCPSA\ISO standards.  It’s super important for us and for our customers to know that everything we sell is safe for children.

Our activity toys are designed to grow with your child and can be used from birth.  For example, the Hump makes a fantastic baby gym when you hang suitable toys from the rungs, and will later support your baby as they progress to sitting, walking and eventually climbing.  Our toys are mutually compatible so it’s easy to join two or more frames together using accessories like our clever tool-free clamps and slide for even bigger adventures as your child gets older.

Sawdust & Rainbows paint colours and varnishes are non-toxic, water-based and tested to EN71-3. We mix some of our paint colours by hand for a bespoke finish, and we only ever use certified sustainable timber in our products.  We’re passionate about protecting the environment for future generations so we constantly strive to minimise the environmental footprint of our products – and that includes their trip to your home!  We use recyclable and biodegradable plastic-free packaging, and we aim to use carbon neutral shipping services whenever possible.

Like all creatives, Rosie is constantly inspired to expand and improve the Sawdust & Rainbows range, so there’s always a prototype on her workbench and she’s always open to suggestions from customers about what to create next!  If there are any accessories you’d like to see with our products then we would love to hear your ideas!

large pikler frame outside

Thank you for visiting Sawdust & Rainbows!

Rosie