Our History

Marie-Claude was tired, exhausted even. Not from the frenetic pace of daily life in Quebec, between work, daycare, and swimming lessons, but from the growing gap between her and her children, Raphaël and Charlotte. At six and four years old, they already seemed more comfortable with a touchscreen than with a wooden block.

The suppers were silent, punctuated by the click Fingers on the tablet. Weekend afternoons, once synonymous with walks in the park or impromptu crafts, were now reduced to hours of passively watching cartoons. Spontaneous laughter had given way to focused silence, and "family time" was nothing more than a digital illusion.

The turning point came on a rainy Saturday in November. Marie-Claude overheard four-year-old Charlotte say to Raphaël, "Ask the tablet how to build a fort." Marie-Claude's heart sank. Learning through trial and error, manual creativity, exploring the real world—everything that makes up the essence of a Quebec childhood, rich in seasons and textures—seemed to be swallowed up by the virtual world.

She felt powerless, trapped in an ultra-connected era that disconnected her family from each other and from their own imaginations. That's when she decided enough was enough.

Tired of desperately searching for toys that didn't require batteries or a Wi-Fi connection, Marie-Claude had an idea. She wanted to create a space, a refuge where imagination takes precedence over algorithms, where physical objects triumph over pixels. A place that would celebrate the beauty of authentic play, the kind that gets your hands dirty, makes your brain work, and builds connections.

With her characteristic determination and resilience, Marie-Claude poured all her energy, love, and frustration into this project. She searched for, selected, and tested toys that stimulated creativity, encouraged collaboration, and facilitated learning through hands-on play. wooden games sustainable structures reminiscent of the boreal forest, Montessori kitchen utensils to learn by making molasses cookies, giant puzzles to explore Quebec and the world together. Each toy was chosen for its ability to "amaze children and move parents and grandparents".

Thus was born Joujouland.ca , the Quebec website designed by a mom, for parents who share her distress.

The site is not just an online store. It is the embodiment of her personal struggle, a manifesto for a childhood disconnected and fully lived. It is an invitation to slow down, to touch, to feel the texture of the wood, to share a moment around a board game, to revive family dialogue.

In the first few days, when she brought the new toys home, Raphaël and Charlotte initially sighed, "This isn't a video game." But the next day, when they started measuring flour with their little cookie-making utensils, their eyes were no longer just shining with blue light, but with a real, vibrant curiosity.

Today, at Marie-Claude's house, screens have become the exception, and creative play, the rule. The silence of absence has been replaced by the joyful chaos of building, negotiating, and imagining.

Joujouland.ca This is the story of Marie-Claude, a local mother who has chosen to revive the imagination, one toy at a time, and invites you to do the same.

Want to rekindle your children's imagination and recreate unforgettable moments together? Discover our selection of educational and sustainable toys at [website address]. www.joujouland.ca , the universe where children prioritize screen-free games.