Boutique La Grande Ourse: Where Play Becomes a Way of Life
Boutique La Grande Ourse
Marguerite Doray, founder of Boutique La Grande Ourse, was LudoLudo’s very first partner, and one of the people who helped bring the entire service to life. Together, we defined the age structure, the toy categories, and all the small behind-the-scenes mechanics that make LudoLudo what it is today.
Her thoughtful, human approach shaped the way we understand play: as something alive, sensory, and deeply connected to who we are.
A Life Devoted to Connecting Children with the World
Before opening her boutique, Marguerite worked as a Waldorf teacher. She would recommend what she called “warm toys”, objects that allow children to form a real relationship with what they touch, see, and imagine.
Over time, she noticed a gap: there was no place where parents and teachers could find materials chosen with that same care and sensitivity. So, in 2001, at age 52, she decided to start something new.
“At that time, I felt that many young adults no longer wanted to have children. Nothing inspired them to imagine family life. I thought a store like this could bring hope again.”
And it did. Even today, those who step into La Grande Ourse describe a quiet sense of wonder — as if the beauty of the toys rekindles the simple desire to nurture, to care, to connect.
Every Toy Holds an Image of the World
What guides Marguerite in every choice is the child’s ability to connect: through the senses, through beauty, and through representations that honour life.
“I don’t want to offer children caricatures of people or nature. Each toy should be artistically made so that their sensory experience feels warm and alive, not mechanical.”
For her, a well-crafted toy is a small work of art; something that carries life, invites observation, and opens a space for imagination.
Bringing Toys to Life, Together
The idea of second-hand toys was never foreign to Marguerite, but her partnership with LudoLudo adds something special, a ritual of anticipation and joy.
“When a family receives a few toys and a book, it becomes an event. A moment they look forward to, that lasts a month or two… and continues when those same toys go on to another child.”
This cycle embodies what she has championed for over twenty years: letting these small works of art live, circulate, and be discovered anew by different families.
We’re deeply proud to partner with La Grande Ourse, and endlessly grateful to Marguerite for her vision, kindness, and trust from the very beginning. Through her, play regains its warmth, its slowness, and its quiet beauty.