Startups that make playtime enriching for kids

Startups are all the rage now in India, and education startups operate in a perfect sweet spot for Investors. They have made traditional classrooms digital, while also making learning fun through activities. There are yet another class of startups making schools efficient by tracking performance of students & teachers through analytics & visualization. All of these have been successful and found a niche in their respective areas. 

After all, Indian parents spare no expense to better 'educate' their ward and prepare them for the rat race! Tapping this very psyche, some education-focused startups have moved upstream from schools and into the homes. Their claim to fame is to engage the children better at home and keep them away from the dreaded evil that 'TV' has been made out to be. Two such companies that have caught a lot of attention are Flintobox and Magic Crate. Though these companies have been around for a year or so, they have really upped their advertising & marketing initiatives to reach people. 

I came across these on Facebook and was impressed by the concept, team & creative marketing initiatives. They target only the 4-8 year old kids and have a subscription model wherein one box is sent on a monthly basis to each kid. This has a set of 4 things that could be games, books or other creative activities, on a set theme every month. The materials are made of simple paper or cardboard and get the kid to build stuff through simple instructions, while teaching scientific skills through the activities. Taking a look at the team behind this company explains why the box contents & the website have been designed extremely well - a talented bunch of people from various disciplines like Engineering, Graphic Design and Psychology backgrounds, from top schools & many having quit big corporate jobs.

Impressed, I tried boxes from these companies for my kid and have been quite happy with the results. This is a much better & simpler way to engage children, than buying them a new set of Hot wheels Cars, Disney toys or hunting for some new activity games in toy shops every few months. Do try out one of these companies, for your children.