Building a more sustainable future? It’s child’s play with EAMES, ESKA & MARCELI.

Take a classic children’s toy.
Add a stunning ‘think outside the box’ printery.
Mix in a product with quality and sustainability at its very core.
And what do you get?

A little piece of genius, that’s what.

In the shape of The Little Toy 2023.

We’re thrilled to announce that The Little Toy – our latest sustainable, creative collaboration with toy giants Eames and masters of print wizardry, MARCELI, is now on display at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.

It’s a huge privilege. With MoMA as the spot for unbridled inspiration and innovation, we couldn’t be in better company.

The big re-launch of The Little Toy.

At ESKA, we’re so proud to be part of the rebirth of The Little Toy:

The much-loved 1950s children’s classic by the brothers’ Eames.

ESKA Brown board -100% sustainable, 100% innovative, and 100% circular – provides the perfect solution in bringing this charming piece of history to the children (and adults) of today, and tomorrow.

Visit our ESKA Gallery to see how we could breathe new life into your brand.

ESKA: Playful. Professional. Beautiful.

The Little Toy, by Charles and Ray Eames, has brought wow and wonder to generations since 1952.

The idea of the game was to make children think about play; to create, design and construct whatever their imaginations could muster up. It gave young minds the opportunity to make something unique, original, special.

Through highly durable, brightly coloured panels, wooden dowels and pipe cleaner wires, a child’s creatively would be unleashed.

Little Toy, big possibilities

A mini version of its bigger sibling, The Toy – where kids could create large scale constructions – The Little Toy lent itself to a more compact way to play.

Brightly coloured square and triangular panels connected with coloured wires, meaning kids could build toy houses, hanging sculptures and geometric works of art, without the need for too much space.

A desk-top version if you like, which in no way downsized the creativity of the concept.

A Make-over where material matters

To retain nostalgia and to meet today’s sustainability demands, a whole new approach to production was required.

For it to be kid-proof, the panels must be strong, durable, re-usable. It must be aesthetically striking, so towers and boats, bridges and moats keep their shape and look the part. Oh, and it must be 100% eco-friendly.

Originally, the panels were made from plastic-coated paper and later, MDF.

Today, there’s a better way.

MDF v ESKA Brown: it’s game on!

MDF has had a huge part to play in toy and game production in the past. Made from recycled wood it does do some good. But when it comes to total recyclability, it’s game over with its formaldehyde-based binders.

With ESKA Brown, there’s no downside. It’s completely free from harmful chemicals, is rigid yet malleable, making it easy to work with. Our advanced conversion technology ensures smoother contours and precision cuts, with no splintered edges. And the final piece of the puzzle? It’s 100% eco-compliant.

ESKA Brown: The overall winner, every time.   

The Little Toy – and all it represents – has been carefully and creatively reborn at the ingenious hands of MARCELI with Eska Brown.

Manufactured by the world’s leading supplier of board for the Puzzles & Games Industry, and a B-Corp company no less, ESKA’s Brown board is the backbone of The Little Toy: durable, sustainable, beautiful. Its raw texture reflects the toy’s handcrafted, authentic character. And despite its rigidity, is softer to the touch. Just the job for little ones at play.

Blend that with the exceptional creativity and ‘anything’s possible’ approach of MARCELI, and The Little Toy is catapulted elegantly into the 21^st century.

Within the magnificent MARCELI PRINTERY lies The Lab, a creative powerhouse that merges object design with product design. They know what’s possible because they create those possibilities.

MARCELI simply don’t do standard: pulling something different out of the box, something special, every single time.

See it, believe it, achieve it.

Why MARCELI chose ESKA

“The challenge of this project was to update a concept from the 1950s and the materials that were predominant in the market during that era to modern times, a period where environmental concerns are integral to nearly every brief. ESKA Brown stepped in as a substitute for plywood and MDF. Although only visible on the cross-section/edge, it excellently replaced these products and also allowed for the simplification of the production processes.”

MARCIN DUDZIAK, MARCELI CEO.

Why Eames chose ESKA

“Toys are not as innocent as they look. Toys and games are the prelude to serious ideas.” Charles Eames

Eames understands the importance of play, but also recognises a wider need, to use materials for tomorrow.

ESKA Brown solid board is the solution. It simply couldn’t be more perfect for a product that promotes both healthy play and a healthy planet.

• Fully sustainable, made from 100% recycled paper: 100% recyclable.
• Exceptional rigidity and durability to withstand play and handling.
• Unique ‘lay flat, stay flat’ technology to maintains shape and form.
• Super-efficient lamination and die-cut capabilities facilitate precise and clean production runs.
• 3-layered board built to withstand the toughest types of transformation.
• A timeless, sophisticated look with solid-coloured brown appearance.

Why you should choose ESKA

At ESKA, we’re always ahead of the game.

We’ve spent over 100 years perfecting our premium, sustainable board, providing unrivalled eco-luxury solutions for all kinds of high quality, high-end markets.

Games, puzzles, perfume boxes, stationery…

ESKA makes it, better.

Get in touch, and let’s see what we can build, together.

All photos courtesy of MARCELI by Dominik Lewinski