New York, NY– The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) and Hape Toys are proud to announce a collaboration that aims to transform early childhood learning through beautifully designed, art-inspired infant and toddler toys which are expected to be unveiled in late 2025.

Driven by a shared commitment to excellence, creativity, and innovation, the collaboration will celebrate beloved works of art through high-quality, educational toys. The collection will include puzzles, learning toys, and other developmental toys that integrate distinctive elements of The Met collection–which spans more than 1.5 million works of art from around the globe–creating immersive play experiences that foster developmental and artistic growth in young children.

“We are excited to collaborate with The Met to develop a range of toys that blend our passion for early learning with the vast collection of one of the world’s most renowned art institutions” said Peter Handstein, Founder and CEO of Hape. “This collaboration represents the natural fit between the world of high-quality Hape toys and the magnificence of The Met’s heritage. It’s an exciting opportunity to infuse learning through play with an appreciation of art from an early age.”

“Aligning with The Met mission to foster creativity and learning about art, we are proud to announce this new collaboration with Hape,” says Josh Romm, Head of Global Licensing and Partnerships at The Met. “The program will merge Hape’s expertise in early learning toys with the rich stories of 5,000 years of art in The Met collection in pursuit of inspiring the next generation.”

More details on the collaboration, including product launches and upcoming exhibitions featuring the new collection, will be released soon.

About Hape
Hape is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-quality, eco-friendly wooden toys. Hape’s mission is to promote the development of young minds through playful, innovative toys designed to inspire creativity and learning. With a focus on sustainability and craftsmanship, Hape brings educational play to families worldwide. For more information about Hape, please visit: http://toys.hape.com

About The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870 by a group of American citizens—businessmen and financiers as well as leading artists and thinkers of the day—who wanted to create a museum to bring art and art education to the American people. Today, The Met displays tens of thousands of objects covering 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since its founding, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures. For more information about The Met, please visit: https://www.metmuseum.org/