Our Story

Hey there! Welcome to north&nova.

I'm Roma, a mom of 2 and physiotherapist from Ottawa, Ontario and I started this brand while on maternity leave with my first born, Nova. When he started crawling, I started looking for ways to encourage his gross motor development through play. At the time, we didn't have a separate play room at home so I was looking for pieces that would blend into my existing living space - something I wouldn't feel the need to tuck away every time we had company over. I had a hard time finding stuff I liked and when I did, I couldn't get it shipped to Canada. That's what led me to start this brand.

This brand is an intersection of 3 fundamental parts of me: my life-changing entrance into my mom era, my interest (as a physio) in the human body and motor development, as well as my creative side and love for all things design and decor. It's also a real labour of love - something I've built during my kids' naps, after their bedtime, and around my full time career as a physio.

I'm the dreamer and designer behind the brand, my husband helps with all things numbers and logistics, and my kids test all of our products. A pretty and developmental toy is great, but first and foremost we need it to be fun! This means if something is not loved by our own children in our household, we don't bother bringing it to you.

I truly believe that active play is an essential part of a child's development - more than ever in today's technological world. These toys have brought SO much joy, laughter and good to my little family, and it makes me so happy to also be able to share that with other families like yours.

Thanks so much for being here! x

Let customers speak for us

from 120 reviews

My toddler is obsessed!!

We purchased the climber for our son's first birthday, he's now 2 and still uses it everyday! The material is easy to clean and even after one year it still looks new. The pieces are light enough that he can move it around him self. It's a staple in our play room. I can't wait to buy more products for Christmas 🤞

Jess

Climber in Slate

07/02/2025

Fun for all ages!

We have the climber and starting at 10 months old my little one loved climbing through the tunnel and pulling up to stand. We have had older kids over and watching them use it to its full potential is so fun. Staple in our play room! Love the colour and quality as well.

Meg

I want more!

This climber set is our second North and Nova purchase and I can't wait to keep adding to our collection! I love the quality and colours, but of course the best part is seeing the joy it brings our little one(18m)! My only regret is not making the purchase sooner!
The slide is great not only for him, but also as a ramp for his cars. Plus, we will put the stackers at the bottom of the slide to crash in to.
I highly suggest making the purchase if you're still debating!

Courtney

Climber in Space

07/01/2025

Loved receiving the pouf! Looks beautiful in my little one’s playroom. He loves to sit on it to read. Love that it’s easy to wipe down and carry around.

Mira Alim

north&nova

So sweet!

A great little book to go with those rainy indoor days! Our kids love reading it and noticing the fun things they can do with their North and Nova play toys.

Lory

Nova's Rainy Day

Game changer!

So much to love about this ball pit! The colour, the material and especially the size is perfect for my three kids. They all love to lounge in it ! It’s been a perfect addition in our living room!

Pit in Oat

Steppers – So Many Ways to Play

The Steppers are another favourite in our house! They’re so versatile—my baby loves stepping from one to the next, and we also use them for stacking. You can tell these are designed to grow with your child and adapt as their abilities change. Everything I’ve purchased from North & Nova has been exceptional, and these are no exception. Fun, functional, and beautifully made.

Krista

06/30/2025

The Climber – The Best Christmas Gift Ever

We got The Climber for Christmas, and it’s hands down the best purchase we’ve made. It’s helped so much with our little one’s walking—by separating the pieces and placing different objects on top, he learned to walk from one to the next. We started with them close together and slowly spaced them out. He also loves crawling through the tunnel! I’m always looking for high-quality, non-toxic toys that support development, and this checks every box. These are the kind of toys that truly grow with your child—endless ways to play, and so much thought behind the design. I love everything about this company.

Stackers – Endless Fun!

The Stackers are a hit! My little one gets the biggest smile every time we build them up and he gets to knock them down. It’s such a simple joy but brings endless fun. The quality, as always with North & Nova, is excellent. These are so thoughtfully made, and I can’t wait to add more to our collection.

The Pit – A Must-Have Staple

We bought The Pit and it’s been a game-changer! My 18-month-old absolutely loves climbing in and out of it—it’s become one of his favourite daily activities. The quality far exceeded my expectations; you can tell it’s made to last. It’s not only a fun piece but also looks beautiful in our living room. We've since bought other items from North & Nova and keep coming back—not just for the quality, but because the customer service is excellent every time. This will always be a staple in our home!

Toddlers LOVE them!

They were super excited to unbox it - and more excited when they saw what’s in the box! They love to jump on them. Love to even stack them. Really enjoying them so far. Can’t wait to get more products for them to explore!

Maya Chehade

Steppers in Sand

AMAZING quality and AMAZING customer service!!!

Wow! I would give 6 stars if I could. The quality is so great and the price is so reasonable compared to competitors. I have been looking for a Canadian alternative to the big vegan leather brands in the US… and this is it. So happy I stumbled across North and Nova’s instagram while browsing through another Canadian brand. The quality is so great and the customer service is even better. They sent me a message personally on instagram to let me know my package was ready for pick up. This was our first purchase from them but will definitely be purchasing more in the near future❤️ would recommend to my family and friends who want the cutest play room for their kiddos!

Tessa MacKinnon

Steppers in Slate

We LOVE the rocker!

We love a Canadian brand that is mom owned!!!!!! When I first found out about North and Nova I thought the products were so beautifully made. Both fun and aesthetically pleasing for the home, I even bought the blocks to add to my daughter’s play area. But it wasn’t until we started working with a physio to strengthen my daughter’s muscles and better set her up for walking that I realized just how superior this product line was compared to what was out there. The rocker was recommended to us for our specific needs and it DID NOT disappoint! So extremely versatile and provides us with tons of exercise options given we live in a condo and don’t have any stairs. Our daughter now climbs and crawls and rocks on it and we love having it in our living room! I’m so pleased with this product and so happy we found something that truly helps with developing her motor skills!

Chelsea

Rocker in Pebble

Perfection!

Bought the rocker for my daughter after purchasing the blocks because the quality was so great. My daughter LOVES to climb and I knew the rockers would be perfect. These are definitely going to be one of her favourite toys, they have already gotten so much use and it’s only been a few days. The quality is amazing and I know it will hold up for a long time to come!

Jessi

10/10 recommend!

Bought these steppers for my 20 month old and she is obsessed with them! I can already tell they are going to be so great to help with her balance and boost her confidence with stepping up and down! Bought the Sienna pattern which is beautiful to match the blocks we bought previously.

Steppers in Siena

Country/region

Our Story

Let customers speak for us