The Hape x The Met building set brings art and open-ended play together in a hands-on experience for young children

MILWAUKEE, Wis., Oct. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hape Toys announced today that its Hokusai Great Wave Building Block Set, made in collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, has been selected as a Good Housekeeping 2026 Toy Awards winner. The full list of awards can be found on goodhousekeeping.com/toys2026.

The Hokusai Great Wave Building Block Set is inspired by Katsushika Hokusai’s Under the Wave off Kanagawa, also known as The Great Wave from the celebrated Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji series in The Met collection. Designed for children ages 2 and older, the 14-piece set, made of maple wood, draws on the flowing lines and blue tones of the iconic work to create an open-ended building and balancing experience.

Through stacking, balancing and building, children can experiment with shapes and movement while creating their own wave-inspired designs. Hape’s collaboration with The Met set transforms art into a hands-on play experience that encourages curiosity, creativity and early learning while introducing young children to art and culture in an approachable way.

“This recognition from Good Housekeeping is incredibly meaningful to us,” said Peter Handstein, Founder and CEO of Hape Toys. “The Hokusai Great Wave Building Block Set reflects what we hope to achieve with every Hape toy: thoughtful designs that give children the freedom to explore, create and see the world in new ways. Bringing such an iconic work of art into a hands-on play experience has been a special collaboration, and this recognition makes it even more meaningful.”

“We’re honored to receive recognition for the Hokusai Great Wave Building Block Set, which belongs to an exemplary collaboration with Hape that celebrates The Met’s goal to connect people of all ages to art and creativity,” said Josh Romm, Head of Global Licensing and Partnerships at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Through thoughtful design, Hape continuously reimagines iconic pieces from the Museum’s collection in new and innovative ways that pioneer learning through play. Thank you to Good Housekeeping for this distinction.”

The Hape Hokusai Great Wave Building Block Set is available at Hape.com and The Met Store in-store or online.

For more information about Hape, please visit: http://toys.hape.com

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.

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.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hape-x-the-met-hokusai-great-wave-building-block-set-selected-as-a-good-housekeeping-2026-toy-awards-winner-302892982.html

SOURCE Hape Toys