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Private company

Kapla

Logo: KAPLA France, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons3

Wooden construction set

Kapla is a construction set for children and adults. The sets consist only of identical wood planks measuring 11.7 cm x 2.34 cm x 0.78 cm. This 15:3:1 ratio of length:width:thickness is different than the dimensions used for traditionally proportioned building blocks (such as unit blocks), and are used for building features such as lintels, roofs and floors.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1986Founded1

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Kapla-building
Photo: Twanmans, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

Kapla is a construction set for children and adults. The sets consist only of identical wood planks measuring 11.7 cm x 2.34 cm x 0.78 cm. This 15:3:1 ratio of length:width:thickness is different than the dimensions used for traditionally proportioned building blocks (such as unit blocks), and are used for building features such as lintels, roofs and floors. They are known for their stability in the absence of fastening devices.2

The story

Name origin

"KAPLA" is an abbreviated form of the Dutch phrase "kabouter plankjes," which means "Gnome Planks."

History

KAPLA was invented in 1987 by Dutchman Tom van der Bruggen (1945–2026). A student of art history who ran an antique shop until he was 25, Van der Bruggen had hopes of building a castle from an early age. Inspired by an old abandoned farm on the river Tarn in the South of France, Van der Bruggen converted the farm into his dream castle, complete with carriage entrance, fountains, and towers. To help him visualize the finished construction of his castle, Tom van der Bruggen used wooden blocks, but soon realized that they would not be suitable for certain aspects of the construction, such as the lintels, roofs and floors.

From Wikipedia’s article on Kapla, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Timeline

  1. 1986Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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