Community Playthings x Garnica: Lightweight and Safe Plywood for Children's Furniture

Community Playthings x Garnica: Lightweight and Safe Plywood for Children's Furniture

Reinforced Globulus Maple, Garnica’s plywood that meets the needs of educational spaces worldwide.

Faced with the need to find an alternative to restricted sources of birch plywood, Community Playthings began a collaboration with Garnica to explore different solutions. The goal was to identify a sustainable, technically equivalent option that meets the standards required in educational furniture.

Community Playthings is a company specializing in wooden furniture and toys for preschools and educational settings. Based in the United Kingdom with European presence, it has over 70 years of experience designing durable, safe, and functional products aimed at fostering independence, creativity, and learning through play.

• Project Inspiration

Faced with the need to find an alternative to restricted sources of birch plywood, Community Playthings began a collaboration with Garnica to evaluate different solutions. Various products were tested until the most suitable option for their demanding CNC machining processes and safety standards for children’s use was found.

Ultimately, Reinforced Globulus Maple was selecteda technical multi-ply board offering the optimal combination of strength, lightness, aesthetic finish, and versatility.

• Project Details

Community Playthings primarily uses 12 mm boards, as well as 6, 9, and 18 mm thicknesses, machined with CNC technology to produce sofas, shelves, play panels, and modular systems found in schools.

• Reinforced Globulus Maple: Reinforced multi-ply board with an excellent strength-to-weight ratio.

• Available in varnished version: Ready-to-use finish with certified, child-safe varnish suitable for children’s furniture.

• CNC machining compatible: Allows precise cuts and joints without the need for edge finishing.

• Outcome

Thanks to the use of Garnica plywood, Community Playthings has maintained its high standards in designing educational furniture, even amid uncertainty in international supply. The clean aesthetics of maple wood combined with the functionality of European poplar enable them to uphold their stringent technical and educational standards.

Simeon Ben-Eliezer, Supply Chain Manager at Community Playthings:

"We are extremely satisfied with the quality of the plywood and the customer service provided by Garnica, and we look forward to continuing a long-term partnership with them."

This project strengthens the role of poplar plywood as a key material for creating safe, durable, and stimulating environments in schools and nurseries.

Need a similar solution? Contact us to discover how Garnica can help shape your next plywood-based project.