Upbounders® Connects Past, Present, and Future

For Upbounders®, Black History Month has been a reminder that the company's work exists in a long tradition of creators sharing joy, happiness, and laughter (and puzzles! 🧩) with the children in their communities. 

When Upbounders® founder Kemi Tignor was Christmas shopping this past December at Barnes & Noble, one of Upbounders®' retail partners, always in search of inspiration, she stumbled across "The Annotated African-American Folktales" anthology by Henry Louis Gates and Maria Tatar.

The anthology mentioned "The Brownies' Book," edited by W.E.B DuBois, which was "a magazine publish[ing] a rich assemblage of folktales, poetry, stories, games, puzzles, essays, letters, biographies, and photographs for young readers…It aimed to be 'a thing of Joy and Beauty, dealing in Happiness, Laughter and Emulation' for children…" According to the anthology, DuBois's inspiration for "The Brownies Book" came from the column "Our Children" by Carrie W. Clifford, who saw "both…the present and past as a source of content." 

Upbounders® was also founded in the tradition of connecting past and present:

The Splash Park puzzle is based on a splash park in Takoma, DC, where Founder Kemi took her son Henry to play when he was a toddler.

Upbounders® wants to inspire kids to laugh with their caregivers, friends, and siblings and to see themselves in activities like going camping or to the market and playing sports. We want them to create imaginary worlds with our plush toys and to feel a sense of accomplishment after finishing a 72-piece puzzle. 

Upbounders® products challenge children's minds and senses while showing them they are loved. After all, bringing joy, happiness, and belonging to kids is timeless. 

If you are interested in becoming a retail partner or placing a wholesale order for Upbounders® collection of sophisticated screen-free toys that reflect what's special about the joyfully diverse world of today's kids, visit this page. 

Upbounders® is a trusted supplier of premium screen-free toys that represent cultural and ethnic differences accurately, clearly, and with joy! As a company, we enjoy and actively cultivate a broadly diverse customer base of young mothers, hip grandmas, early childhood educators, and caregivers. Customers looking for children's products that reflect what's special about the joyfully diverse world of today's kids are looking for Upbounders® on your store shelves.