The story of Coblo
Are you curious about the story behind Coblo? The first brand to introduce magnetic toys to the Dutch market. No. 1 in schools! Inspired by America, a world of color, creativity, and endless possibilities was born.
What once started as an idea with a good cause has grown into a brand that thousands of children and schools use every day to build, discover, and learn. Curious? Watch the video.
The story of Coblo
Are you curious about the story behind Coblo? The first brand to introduce magnetic toys to the Dutch market. No. 1 in schools! Inspired by America, a world of color, creativity, and endless possibilities was born.
What once started as an idea with a good cause has grown into a brand that thousands of children and schools use every day to build, discover, and learn. Curious? Watch the video.
Endless fun
Sparks the imagination
High quality
Supports charities
Playful learning
Dutch brand
Number 1 brand for schools
Our mission
Contributing to ‘children at free play’
A lot is expected of children these days; they 'have to' do so much. This makes the need among parents for 'free-playing children' even greater; children who have uninhibited and exuberant fun without pre-imposed play patterns (open-ended) and with room for their own imagination and creativity.
Today's parents are increasingly adopting a coaching role, in which they value space for children's expression, creativity, autonomy, and personal input.
Coblo believes that children should remain children for as long as possible, having lots of fun and being able to develop optimally through free play.
The origins
Coblo is a Dutch brand founded by Elzemiek, a mother of three young children.
She lived in America with her family for 4 years and discovered the power of open-ended toys and the fun and versatility of magnetic building blocks.
She saw it as a gap that this type of toy was still so unknown in the Netherlands and decided to develop her own version; beautiful, safe, and strong magnetic tiles with a unique star design that maintains their beautiful color and clarity.
Her children (and their friends) love them, so there is a lot of "COBLO-ing" going on at home!
About Elzemiek
For over 15 years, I worked in marketing and management roles at large international companies (including Ahold, Danone, and Mars).
I had been playing with the idea of applying my marketing experience in an entrepreneurial way for some time. When my youngest son was born and turned out to be visually impaired, I made the choice to spend more time with my children and actually create the space to embark on an entrepreneurial path.
In 2017, I moved to America with my family, and I soon came across the colorful magnetic toys at our youngest son's school. I saw the great joy that he, as well as his older brother and sister, experienced with these toys and what it did for their creativity and imagination. That is how my idea for Coblo was born.
With Coblo, I hope to let children be children for as long as possible and to do something extra for children with a (visual) impairment.
Elzemiek
Coblo donates blocks to Bartimeus and Spieren voor Spieren.
With this contribution in the form of building blocks, Coblo aims to playfully support children with disabilities in their development and thereby make a positive impact.
Coblo is fantastic toy for every child, but for visually impaired children and children with muscle diseases, Coblo offers an extra dimension.
Bartiméus (the organization for children with a visual impairment).
For blind children, the sound of the click system is a pleasant confirmation that the building process is going well. The fact that the blocks are pulled toward each other by magnets helps children with a visual impairment to build independently.
Coblo's mission is to contribute to 'children at free play' and is happy to provide extra support to children with disabilities in this regard. That is why Coblo has donated 2,500 blocks to Bartiméus to support visually impaired children and share the joy of Coblo with them.
Muscles for Muscles
Coblo magnetic tiles are more than just toys: the blocks encourage children to develop their fine and gross motor skills, think creatively, and work together. For children with a muscle disease in particular, playing with Coblo tiles can be a great way to improve their motor skills and coordination, and to boost their self-confidence.
Coblo has donated blocks to the 3 pediatric muscle centers at UMC, LUMC, and Radboudumc. In addition, Coblo has contributed to the Spieren voor Spieren (Muscles for Muscles) day in 2025 and 2026 by setting up two play areas. The children's reactions to the toys have been overwhelming.