The Gingerbread House began 33 years ago as an attempt to find creative, unique and stimulating toys for my own preschool children. I earned my degree in Education, had taught school for several years, and was now searching for "educational toys" that I knew were available through school catalogs, but not readily available to the public.

In an intense search for "toys that teach," I contacted Creative Playthings, the leader in educational toys in 1970 and was awarded a dealership for McLean County. The Gingerbread House was born in the lower level of our home in Normal. Testing the market by presenting toy parties to friends and acquaintances.

I introduced parents and grandparents to alternative play products which promote dexterity, cognitive learning, growth and fine motor development, as well as creativity and imagination. All this coupled with well-designed toys made of superior materials and promoting fun - The Gingerbread House was on its way!

After several years of fine-tuning my product line, The Gingerbread House made a quantum leap and moved to our present location on the corner of Route 150 and Oakland Avenue. Utilizing more and more room as we grew, we now have seven rooms plus niches and cubicles.